While enrolled in Computer Maintenance Technology at the CTC, Richards competed in district and state level competitions, winning both, earning the privilege to represent Pennsylvania at the national competition. Thomas Czachor, Computer Maintenance Technology Instructor at the CTC, said Richards is an exceptional student with a gift for working with computers, both hardware and software. He can tackle a problem and think it through to a successful completion. It sponsors the Skills USA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of vocational students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations. The contests are designed and planned by representatives of labor and management.
Contests test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in occupations.
The contest consisted of two major parts. The first part was a computer based exam of 75 to 100 questions. The second part was a series of six work stations through which each contestant will rotate on a fixed time schedule to troubleshoot both hardware and software problems. The software problems will relate to DOS and Windows operating systems. Some of the work stations will require interaction between the contestants and the judges.