DACC Digital Design seniors Max Sanclemente and Carson Marshall discuss the audio project they have to work on when they travel to Atlanta in June for the SkillsUSA National Conference. The duo took first place at the SkillsUSA state conference last month for the second year in a row.
Glenn Battishill | The Gazette
Sanclemente and Marshall after being awarded first place at the SkillsUSA State Conference last month.
Courtesy photo | Delaware Area Career Center
Two seniors at the Delaware Area Career Center took first place at the SkillsUSA state conference last month and will head to Atlanta this summer to compete in the national conference.
This is the second time the team of Max Sanclemente and Carson Marshall, seniors in the Digital Design program at the DACC, have taken first place in the Audio/Radio Production at the SkillsUSA State Conference after they won the award last year.
During the state competition, the students were given two hours to create a radio segment about a fictional high school talent show gone wrong.
The duo said they did not expect to take first place again this year because the project didn’t come together as expected.
“We fell into writing too much,” Sanclemente agreed. “We spent half of our time writing, and it did not leave enough time to record and mix. We weren’t super confident about our product.”
Marshall said they created and voiced a cast of characters for the segment.
The pair said they didn’t receive word that they had placed in the top three until shortly before the awards ceremony.
“We weren’t planning on going to award ceremony,” Sanclemente said. “We found out we placed and we kind of freaked out, this is insane. I had no clue. I was sitting there thinking I wasted my timed and it just turned around.”
Marshall agreed.
“Getting (first) this year felt very shocking, but it felt great,” Marshall said.
The national conference will be held in Atlanta from June 24-28. The duo placed 23rd last year and said they are more confident heading to this year’s conference.
“I feel pretty fine,” Marshall said. “We know what we did wrong last year. (Last year’s) prompt that put us in a bit of a spin. We’re very excited to do it a for a second time in a row. We feel a lot more confident this year. Last year was not bad but not great.”
Sanclemente said he was told by his teacher that he’s the first student at DACC to go to nationals back to back in SkillsUSA and Business Professionals of America.
“I feel pretty chill (about nationals),” Sanclemente said. “We’re excited.”
After graduation this month, Marshall said he plans to study at Hocking University before transferring to Ohio University to study music production or animation. Sanclemente said he plans to study at Columbus State Community College and aims to transfer to OU for music production.
Additionally, DACC senior Zoey SanFillipo served as the state officer and master of ceremonies for the conference.
“As one of the seven state officers for SkillsUSA Ohio, our duties consisted of handling any state business, preparing for state conferences like Ohio’s Fall Leadership Conference and state championships,” San Fillipo said. “Throughout my year as a state officer, I had the opportunity to speak to all 50 state directors at a conference in August, this was really cool and I got to really show how hard working Ohio is to the entire organization.”
SanFillipo said she helped organize the regional competition at the DACC and serving as a state officer was a valuable experience.
“SkillsUSA has shaped me into the leader and guide that I am today,” SanFillipo said. “Without my time in the organization I don’t believe I would be where I am today.”
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
