A little fairy dust just might be sprinkled inside Canadian Valley Technology Center as evidenced by the synergy produced through collaboration between high school students and adults.

Three student teams have joined forces in preparation for the state SkillsUSA contest in April. The American Spirit Award is a professional portfolio competition, which documents community service, patriotism and citizenship.

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit workforce organization serving career and technical education programs. Its mission is for students to develop into skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible citizens. SkillsUSA is among four student organizations provided for educational enhancement for students enrolled in full-time programs at CV Tech.

Clara Hargrove, a junior at Mustang High School, is enrolled in 3D Design and Modeling at CV Tech. She said the younger team took the lead on the community service portion of the award entry. The teams recently visited the Norman Veterans Center, home to 300 retired military men and women from across Oklahoma. Hargrove said the highlight for her was visiting with a 102-year-old female resident.

“We also assisted a guest who sang patriotic songs and helped the staff move residents to and from the commons,” she said. “We hope to also bring some of the veterans to Canadian Valley to see what we do.”

Classmate Yadissa Vasquez, an adult student from Oklahoma City, said the adult team organized the citizenship component. This included a mug design contest among students and staff at the school. The winning design features the phrase, “Not all heroes wear capes.” The mugs will be produced in collaboration with the school’s Graphic Design program.

Students placed the mugs in gift baskets and distributed them to personnel at the Yukon Fire Department and to CV Tech’s Firefighter program instructors. Vasquez said other items included hand warmers and hand sanitizer. Various snacks included Life Saver candies, the familiar ring-shaped hard candy named for their likeness to marine life preservers.

The teams also plan to host a guest speaker to discuss career opportunities with students as part of the citizenship portion of the contest entry.

Vasquez said the SkillsUSA contest helps shy individuals move beyond their comfort zones while building meaningful life and workplace connections.