SPHS SkillsUSA Students Earn Top Honors and Gold Chapter Recognition at State Conference
South Pasadena High School (SPHS) SkillsUSA students recently competed in the 59th annual State Leadership and Skills Conference in Ontario, Calif, from April 9-12 2026. During the conference, the SPHS chapter earned a Gold Level Rank in the Chapter Excellence competition for planning and executing a wide variety of activities and writing SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals about their experiences.
Congratulations to all the hard-working students and their advisor, SPHS CTE teacher Sandra Matson-Fennell.
Mason Mackanic earned first place in the SkillsUSA California State t-shirt competition. Mason won the mail-in competition for a cash prize, and 5,000 people wore his shirt design during the conference.
Gold Medalists – qualified for Nationals
Christopher Lau – Related Technical Math
Kaitlyn Lowstuter – Basic Health Care Assisting
Joy Kim, Sofiia Zabrodska, Samantha Fang – Occupational Health and Safety Notebook
Silver Medalists
Emily Feng and Andrew Kim – 3D Visualization and Animation
Kim Fong, Leiah Kim, Taelyn Adams, Isadora Cua – Entrepreneurship
Kamrynn Chia, Amaya King, Finley Orindgreff – Outstanding Chapter Notebook
Statesman Award
Lindy Joe
State Leadership Elections – qualified for Nationals
Pei-Chen Ng – elected to serve as a State officer on the SkillsUSA California Leadership team
South Pasadena High School, 1401 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena, (626) 441-5820 or visit www.sphstigers.org.
About South Pasadena Unified School District
Established in 1886, the South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) serves approximately 4,700 students within five schools including three elementary schools, one middle school and one comprehensive high school in South Pasadena, California. Nestled in the West San Gabriel Valley, SPUSD has earned a reputation for providing high quality public education, attracting families who value challenging academic programs and outstanding teachers. Consistently recognized for superior performance, SPUSD students earn honors at the local, state and national level. The District draws vital support from parents and community members through the South Pasadena Educational Foundation, local PTAs and booster clubs.
For more information, contact: South Pasadena Unified School District, Office of the Superintendent, scarroll@spusd.net.
