Memphis Hixon admits his focus when he was in high school was less on a career and more on honing his hitting skills and developing defensive prowess as an outfielder for the Tuttle baseball team.

Now as a young adult, Hixon, 20, of Tuttle, has traded baseballs for blueprints. Ironically, there are similarities between America’s pastime and the Precision Machining program he chose at Canadian Valley Technology Center.

Success – whether on the diamond or in a machine shop – demands devotion to skills.

Baseball is known for its quirky terminology, from “taters” (home runs) to “Texas Leaguers” (weakly hit ball that lands between the infield and outfield).

Machining has a fair amount of industry recognized lingo, from “turning” (shaping a workpiece on a lathe by rotating it) to “tolerances” (allowable variation from a specified dimension).

Upskilling is paramount from the dugout to the drill bit. Hixon is an active participant in the SkillsUSA student organization, which fosters progression in both professional skills and leadership through activities, competitions and networking.

His instructor, Wes Hess, recognized his leadership potential and encouraged him to campaign for office. Hixon knocked it out of the park, so to speak. He was recently elected as a SkillsUSA National Officer and has specified duties next fall as a result.

“I’ll be talking with industries and partnering with them to give the students the ability to succeed in the career field they pursue,” he said. “I will also be advocating for SkillsUSA with government officials. Our national officers will be working hard to make SkillsUSA better around the nation.”

Hixon is the third consecutive national officer in as many years to represent CV Tech. He said he’s learned a valuable lesson that applies to all walks of life. “Swinging for the fences,” he said also results in striking out on occasion.

“I’m proud to have learned from mistakes,” he said. “Failure is always around the corner in a machine shop, and having the ability to overcome the mistake and make it a learning experience will grant me success in any scenario.”

Hixon returns to the classroom in mid-August. He said he wants to be a better team player and a better leader. Then he plans to open his own manufacturing shop where he might sell custom rims or his own line of auto turbochargers and superchargers.

Success starts at home, he said.

“My biggest inspiration is definitely my mom and dad (Tim and Rebecca Hixon). From a young age they were always by my side, guiding and helping me to success. Everything they’ve taught me has led me to this point and I will forever be grateful.”

While he’s no longer “flashing the leather” (making great defensive plays on the ballfield), he is still in the game – only now, the tools in his hands are helping shape his future and inspire others to chase theirs.