Polaris Students Win Another National Title

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OH — A pair of Polaris students recently won a national championship at the SkillsUSA National Competition in the Robotics & Automation competition. The contest, held in Louisville, Kentucky, offers students an opportunity to showcase career-specific technical training.

The 2017 contest saw thousands of students competing across 90 different skills challenges. Four Polaris students made it to the event, representing Ohio in their respective categories.

Joselyn Rabbitt and Stephanie Schroth, both seniors at Olmsted Falls High School, claimed first place in the Robotics & Automation category. The duo have competed at the SkillsUSA National Competition for four straight years, each time representing Ohio as state champions.

During their challenge, Rabbitt and Schroth had to operate a five-axis servo-robot, plus a collection of sensors and motorized devices. The duo then had to resolve a simulated production process problem. They were then asked to create a flow chart and sequence of operation. They were judged on their efficiency, speed and teamwork.

In addition to Rabbitt and Schroth, Polaris sent two other students to the national competition. Those students also finished in the top ten of their respective categories.

David Asmondy, a Strongsville High School senior, in the Polaris HVAC program, took fifth place in the HVAC category. Asmondy's competition included a series of testing stations designed to assess skills identified by HVAC industry standards.

Matthew Hitch, a North Olmsted senior in Criminal Justice, took seventh place in the Job Skills Demonstration. During his event, he demonstrated proper law enforcement handcuffing and searching techniques.

Photo from Polaris