Corey Walters was born in Troy, Illinois. His father worked in IT and his mother worked in Community Banking. 

Corey first remembers hearing of SkillsUSA Illinois in a Web Design class his sophomore year in high school. A classmate was talking about the organization and really wanted a partner for the Web Design team competition. Corey agreed to partner with him, joined the program, went to meetings, and surprised himself by placing second at the SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference. 

Corey was extremely interested in politics from a young age. Once in SkillsUSA Illinois, he became interested in becoming a part of the leadership development aspect of the program, specifically becoming an officer and representing the state. He was especially motivated to become a state officer because, as a youth from southern Illinois, he was very aware rural communities aren’t always represented and the experience would be an opportunity to speak to those issues. 

As an officer, Corey focused strongly on community service. He was the first state officer to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award and received a scholarship to attend the national conference to have the award presented to him. After that, he wanted to emulate that to all state officers and heighten the awareness of the importance of community service. He made the award a goal for the state officer team and several people received the award after him.

Post-SkillsUSA Illinois, Corey obtained his BABS in Emergency Management. He tried other paths like Criminal Justice and Meteorology, but emergency management was his passion and he had that in mind with everything he did. He interned at NASA where he used remote sensing and GIS NASA products to solve global issues. He then obtained his MA in Middle East Studies and used knowledge gained from that degree while interning at the United Nations. There, he also combined international perspective from studies with his knowledge of politics and procedures to secure support for Palestinian refugees. 

Corey obtained a national security scholarship to study abroad in Morocco. In return, he was required to work for the federal government for a year with non-competitive eligibility. It was through this experience he was able to obtain a position with FEMA, where he currently works combining his love of community service, civic engagement, social issues, and politics. He draws on his experiences and training from SkillsUSA Illinois often in his current position with everything from public/extemporaneous speaking to professional development. 

Corey believes he brings fresh ideas and represents a younger generation within his profession. He enjoys being transformational and wants to be able to shake things up in a collaborative, professional, and respectful manner. He likes that he can work at his day-to-day job doing specific duties, but during disasters, the role takes on other tasks entirely. In his work with FEMA, his eyes were opened to the multiple possibilities and broadness within the emergency management profession.

Corey still has a strong fondness for SkillsUSA Illinois. He reflects on his experiences often and wishes he still lived in Illinois to be able to be involved as an alumnus at the conferences and competitions. His time in the organization really sharpened his awareness of the importance of CTE in America. While attending the SkillsUSA Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) visiting headquarters, he recalls meeting with a congressman and speaking about CTE. A decade later, he admits there is still much work to do and SkillsUSA is doing what it can to make those things happen. 

Corey points out that CTE development is important for economic growth as a country as well as national security. During COVID, we saw supply chains break down. The ability to produce on our own and have less reliance on other countries is a key step to security, so the need for investment in CTE is greater than ever before. 

For anyone considering joining SkillsUSA Illinois, Corey says do not hesitate. There are only things to gain by being part of the program, and with the need to fill CTE positions at an all-time high, being stronger and more prepared for success will put members at the front of the line when businesses look to gain future employees.