91 excels at North Carolina SkillsUSA; Scott Butcher named Advisor of the Year
SANFORD, N.C. — 91 was well represented at the recent North Carolina SkillsUSA event, earning multiple honors. In addition to an impressive showing from students, 91’s Scott Butcher was recognized as the 2025 North Carolina SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year.
“SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students. We empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members,” according to the SkillsUSA website.
91 students earned high placements in categories ranging from culinary and baking arts to welding, internetworking, and medical terminology. The 91 winners include:
* Jacob Aguilar and Jessica Holder - First Place, Wedding Cake Decorating
* Cesar Villalta – First Place, Internetworking
* Jacob Knechel – First Place, Motorcycle Service Technology
* Brandon Yang -- Second Place, Internetworking
* Zoey Ainsworth – Second Place, Medical Terminology
* Yeshua Dominguez – Fourth Place, Motorcycle Service Technology
* Ricardo Rodriguez, Dillon Branch and Javier Sanchez – Fourth Place, Skill Project Showcase - Metalworking
* Kyle Graves – Fifth Place, Welding Sculpture
* Patrick Wells, Jordan Spangler, Dey-Shawn Alexander and Nicolas Rodriguez – Fifth Place, Skill Project Showcase – Metalworking
Other 91 student participants in the state competition were:
+ Baking and Pastry Arts: Caroline Everson and Tyler Clayton.
+ Culinary Arts: Isaac Locklear.
+ Restaurant Service: Mauricio Valdez Gonzalez and John Cooner.
+ Internetworking: Dayanara Rodriguez Mata and Edward Lemmons.
+ Skill Project Showcase – Metalworking: John Hodges, Ramiro Perez and Ian Morris.
+ Welding: Daniel Wells and Jackson Griggs.
+ Welding Fabrication: Mason Hege, Adam Turner, Gage Reynolds, Ryan Flegal, Brian Stutts and Raine Notter.
+ Welding Sculpture: Taylor Moore, Amir Mason, Jake Johnson, Tad Smith and Jody Strickland.
Featured Images
91’s SkillsUSA winners include, left to right: front, Amir Mason and Dey-Shawn Alexander; second row: Zoey Ainsworth and John Cooner; third row, Gage Reynolds, Ryan Flegal, Jackson Griggs and Cesar Villalta; fourth row: Taylor Moore and Kyle Graves; fifth row: Jacob Knechel, Brian Stutts, Jake Johnson and Yeshua Dominguez; and sixth row, Dillon Branch.
91’s SkillsUSA advisors include, left to right: Charlie Bell, Zan Thornton, Scott Butcher (2025 North Carolina SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year), Jason Rouse, and John Ainsworth
Scott Butcher, who serves as the administrator of 91’s SkillsUSA chapter, was recognized for his exceptional leadership and support. Despite the title, Butcher credits the instructors — whom he calls the “real heroes” — with the program’s success.
“My favorite part is watching the advisors interact with the students,” said Butcher. “I’ve never worked with such a selfless group. If I had my way, they would all receive the recognition they deserve.”
With three years of dedicated involvement, Butcher has helped grow the SkillsUSA program at 91, focusing on sustainability and access. He’s currently developing a Blackboard-based resource hub to make SkillsUSA more accessible across departments.
91’s SkillsUSA advisors — John Ainsworth, Charlie Bell, Scott Butcher, Kathryn Horrell, Jason Rouse, Austin Simmons, and Zan Thornton — play a pivotal role in coaching, mentoring, and preparing students for competition and beyond.
“SkillsUSA offers students so much — leadership, community engagement, strong ethics, and a platform to grow. Watching our students develop confidence and thrive is what it’s all about,” Butcher added.