Three local high school students represented Saskatchewan at the national Skills Canada competition in Saskatoon where skills were honed, connections were made and a bronze medal was won.
Following the provincial competition in late April, Regan MacMurchy, Tia Dayman and Cierra Naka, three gold medal winners from Estevan Comprehensive School, took to the national stage where Naka, who was tops in hairstyling at the provincial level, won a bronze in Saskatoon.
"I was shocked and surprised," Naka said about winning bronze. "I was really not expecting to win."
Naka's assignment on the first day of the competition was to complete two hairstyles for women, which were judged at the end of the day. On day two, she had to perform the same task, this time designing for men.
Naka said she's had previous experience in hairstyling and it alleviated some stress during the provincial competition. The national stage, she admitted, was much more expansive.
"The entire area was a lot bigger than I was expecting, and I didn't think it was going to be so intimidating," she said, noting the competition grounds were largely open to passersby who had the opportunity to watch the competition unfold. The hairstyling competition is very popular, and as a result, drew a large crowd.
For MacMurchy and Dayman, the lack of hardware around their necks following the competition didn't stop them from appreciating the opportunities they got in Saskatoon.
Dayman, who was competing in the photography category, said competition officials at their station encouraged them to form friendships and share notes as the competition neared its end.
"At the end of the day, we're probably going to work together one day if we continue to do this kind of work," Dayman said.
She added a workshop on light painting was provided to the contestants, as well.
MacMurchy said he was able network with a student from a post secondary school, which he said was helpful because now he has a direct link with someone who has information on course outlines and required textbooks he may need to purchase should he decide to enter that particular school.
Tara Johns, a drafting teacher at ECS said the students have put in about 100 extra hours of work in preparation for Skills.
"They performed exceptionally well and were good at managing the stress that comes with this competition," Johns said.
Dayman said the trip was worth it simply for the excitement contestants brought to Saskatoon.
"Everyone was so excited and proud to represent their province or territory," she said. "It's great to see them all so passionate about their trades."
