Put the blinders on and get the job done. That was the winning philosophy for two Lloydminster students who captured provincial gold at the Skills Canada Alberta competition in Edmonton on May 7.
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Grade 10 student Colby Desmarais and Grade 12 student Princess Dabu both represent Lloydminster Comprehensive High School (LCHS), and their first-place finishes have punched them a ticket to the Skills Canada National Competition in Toronto on May 28, marking a monumental achievement for the school’s applied sciences programs.
For Desmarais, 16, the rise to the top of the provincial electrical installations category has been a whirlwind. After transferring to LCHS at the start of the second semester, he caught the eye of electrical teacher Darren McCarthy, who noticed Desmarais ripping through his progression labs ahead of schedule.
Taylor Weaver Meridian Source
“He just asked me if I wanted to try regionals, and I said yes,” Desmarais said. “I’ve never done house stuff before. Me and my brother just work on engines, side-by-sides, trucks.”
Despite his lack of traditional residential wiring experience, Desmarais proved to be a natural under pressure when faced with complex house-wiring tasks, conduit bending, and GFCI and AFCI installations in Edmonton.
“You just had to get stuff done quick because there wasn’t a lot of time,” Desmarais said of the intense provincial arena. “My strategy was just don’t pay attention to anyone else. Just put the blinders on.”
Desmarais credits McCarthy for dedicating hours after school and during the February break to help him refine his skills.
Meanwhile, veteran competitor Princess Dabu secured her gold medal in the IT Office Software (Level 2) category. Unlike Desmarais, Dabu has been competing in Skills since Grade 10 after being recommended by her information and communication technology (ICT) teacher.
May 7. Taylor Weaver Meridian Sourece
During the grueling competition, Dabu was tasked with executing corporate marketing, data, and design objectives for a fictional company using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
“I was so surprised to win because I was low-key stressed during the competition,” Dabu said, adding that the skills she has mastered will directly translate into a future career in business marketing.
For both students, the trip to Toronto represents their first time visiting Canada’s largest metropolis.
“I’ve never been to a big city,” Dabu said. “I’m definitely looking forward to getting a medal and walking around downtown.”
The two gold-medal performances topped an impressive showing for LCHS, which sent a powerful contingent of 25 students to the provincial level.
McCarthy, who has been teaching at the school since January 2013, noted that LCHS takes full advantage of its large, practical shop spaces — a luxury many modern high schools no longer include in their footprints.
“Our school really prides itself on the practical and implied side of the curriculum, and we like to consider ourselves a leading school in this area,” McCarthy said. “I look at this competition no different than if you’re playing hockey or ball. If you’re willing to put the time and effort in, chances are you’re going to have success.”
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