Returning to Mid-East Career and Technology Center wasn’t just a walk down memory lane— for IT Support Specialists Jerry Burchard and Dustin E Bronkar, and Systems Engineer BJ LeRoy it was an opportunity to pass along their collective knowledge. The three MPW employees, all alumni of the career center, took charge of this year’s SkillsUSA regional competition, a prestigious event that tests students on their technical and troubleshooting abilities in the field of information technology.
The competition, held at the Mid-East Career and Technology Center in Zanesville, allows students to showcase their skills in computer networking, troubleshooting, and other IT-related challenges. Participants compete at regional, state, and national levels, with the ultimate goal of proving their expertise on a national stage.
For LeRoy, the experience was particularly meaningful—he once competed in SkillsUSA as a student and even won the regional event. Now, he and his colleagues were on the other side, developing a rigorous test to challenge a new class of IT professionals. “A teacher reached out to us to see if we wanted to create the competition,” Bronkar said. “It was fun making sure everything ran smoothly and fairly.”
The trio put in hours of preparation, designing their own handwritten test and structuring the hands-on challenges. “Last year, we tried to make it difficult so no one would tie,” LeRoy said. “One student nearly aced it with a 997 out of 1,000. So this year, we made it harder—but the participants were younger and less experienced. The highest score was 660.”
Bronkar emphasized that the success of the event came from their extensive planning. “It went smoothly because of the prep time we invested,” he said, noting that they arrived the day before to ensure everything was set up for the competition.
Despite the hard work, all three found the experience incredibly rewarding. “It was great to go back and judge the competition,” LeRoy said. “I learned a lot while I was there, and it was truly great to see everything again.”
Burchard echoed the sentiment but admitted that grading was the toughest part. “Their handwriting was hard to decipher. Multiple choice would’ve been easier!” he said.
SkillsUSA’s mission is to prepare students for the workforce by equipping them with technical, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Through competitions like this, students gain hands-on experience that will serve them well in their future careers.
Being part of that mission was an honor for all three of them. “It was very rewarding,” Bronkar said. “We’d all do it again.”
As the competition moves to a different location next year, it’s uncertain whether they will be involved again. But one thing is for sure—these MPW employees have left a lasting impact on the students at the Mid-East Career and Technology Center, just as their alma mater once did for them.