It was time to announce the winners at the closing ceremonies. They looked at each other, fingers crossed. Technology teacher Alx Eller knew senior Nataly Patino had the potential to place. Fourth place was called. Then third. And second was the girl who had placed first at district, just one place above her. Patino had given up her hope of placing.
“And first place goes to, representing Nor-”
Eller and Patino jumped up and started screaming and crying when they realized Patino had placed first in screen printing technology in the state Skills USA competition. Her gold was the first in her category in the history of the school.
“We could have floated down to the awards podium,” Eller said. “We could have probably flown back from Corpus without the suburban. All of us were absolutely ecstatic.”
After competing in 12 different elements of the competition that composed of an interview, a written test and the processes of screen printing, Patino will compete at the national competition June 23-27, which falls on Eller’s birthday.
“I was telling Nataly that and she goes, ‘I know what I’m getting you for your birthday. I’m going to be wearing gold,’” Eller said. “She can do it if she just keeps her wits about it, which she can. She’s good under pressure. And there will be pressure.”
Eller is one of the main teachers Patino looks up to. Last year, Patino was unsure of competing, but Eller convinced her to. Eller said that it makes her proud to see her student use her critical thinking skills to accomplish what she has.
“[Eller]’s really excited,” Patino said. “I think she’s probably more excited than me. I have never seen [my parents] so excited. They were speechless. Whenever they came to pick me up, they didn’t know what to say. They just said congratulations and gave me a hug. But I could tell.”
Eller describes Patino as very detail oriented. Patino does a lot of the quality control in the Print Shop and pretty much runs the press in the shop, Eller said.
“[During the competition] I was thinking, ‘How do I make this the best?’” Patino said. “How do I come out on top above all others? It was all that was on my mind.”
Patino said she is looking into screen printing as a career. Eller said no matter what happens at nationals, Patino is still a winner in her eyes, because she put her mind to something and didn’t let anything stop her.
“[Placing] helped build up my confidence,” Patino said. “I didn’t know what I was capable of until I went to state. Hard work pays off. It’s a lot of pressure, but I’ve gotten here, so it was for a reason, right?”