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Instrumentation student Billy Stockstill is one of four Nunez students to earn Make Your Mark Scholarships from SkillsUSA for the spring semester. He is pictured with the trainer he used to win a gold medal at the Louisiana SkillsUSA Conference in 2024.
SkillsUSA has been an invaluable resource over the past year for Nunez Community College students, awarding $5,000 scholarships to four students and helping one of those students secure the first job of his new career.
In December, SkillsUSA and Aerotek teamed up to award Make Your Mark Scholarships to Nunez Process Technology and Instrumentation program students Jhane Braggs of Kenner, Corey Groves of Violet, Billy Stockstill of Picayune, Miss., and Tyler Tauzin of Belle Chasse. Each student applied separately for the scholarship, which supports “SkillsUSA and Aerotek’s shared strategic goal to expand the skilled workforce and remove barriers of entry for the future generation of workers.”
The $5,000 scholarships will be applied to tuition, books and tools for each recipient during the Spring 2026 semester. Nunez’s Process Technology and Instrumentation programs train students to operate the equipment and machinery that keep modern industries running smoothly, from refineries and chemical plants to power generation and manufacturing facilities.
SkillsUSA has been supporting career-technical students nationwide since 1965. The organization is a comprehensive resource for students, but is best known for its state and annual conferences, where students show off what they’ve learned during competitive demonstrations. The winners of those competitions typically receive medals and certificates, but some receive much more.
The SkillsUSA Boost
Billy Stockstill spent 20 years working as a mechanic before enrolling in the Instrumentation Technician program at Nunez, where he’s on track to graduate this May. After taking home a gold medal from the 2024 Louisiana SkillsUSA Conference in New Orleans, he competed in the 2025 SkillsUSA National Conference in Atlanta. After Nationals he secured a job with Danos working on a Shell platform in the gulf, and he credits SkillsUSA with providing the experience points that got him hired.
“It was the state medal and going to Skills National. I put it on my resume, which was highly recommended by my teachers and people in the industry. I know people who work for Air Products who knew exactly what Skills was when I told them I was doing it,” he said.
Stockstill was one of three Nunez students to medal at the 2024 Louisiana SkillsUSA Conference. He won gold in Job Skills Demonstration, sharing the podium with Nunez Aerospace Manufacturing Technology student Michael Keen, who took bronze in the same category. Nunez Instrumentation student Danyelle Jones earned silver in Job Interview.
For his demonstration, Stockstill transported one of the hands-on training modules from Nunez, which he had to disassemble and reassemble due to its size, to New Orleans and Atlanta. Using the trainer as a visual aid, he explained the role of each electric and hydraulic component in controlling the flow of a given process.
For Dr. Julie Rexford, Director of STEAM at Nunez and staff sponsor for SkillsUSA, Stockstill’s story illustrates the value of competing. Both the conference and the competition provide layers of professional development that lend an advantage to students entering the workforce.
“SkillsUSA is the number one workforce development organization for students,” said Dr. Rexford. “It empowers them to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. It is an honor to work with students as campus advisor to help our members further develop their professional skills as they prepare for the workforce.”
Following Dr. Rexford’s advice, Stockstill signed up for SkillsUSA and found the experience transformative.
“SkillsUSA gave me an opportunity to see a lot of things we do, like these trainers we use in class, in action. They had everything from carpentry to welding to electricians, car mechanics. Everything,” he said. “Even if you don’t place in the competition, you’ve got a good experience under your belt in terms of communication skills, dress code. It’s a learning experience.”
Registration is open now for Spring 2026 at Nunez. New and continuing students will have the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA during the semester.
Apply today at Nunez.edu. Student Success Coaches are available to assist at Nunez.edu/Advising.
