Wades Persson’s first experience with SkillsUSA started with meetings in the diesel room at his school. The initial draw may have been the free donuts and hot dogs, but he soon developed a passion for the community service being done by his chapter. By the time Wade became the chapter president, they were regularly participating in several community service projects. His chapter was involved in the Adopt a Ditch program, doing spring and fall cleanups. Each year they also adopted ten to twelve families for Christmas and used funds raised to buy gifts for those families. 

Wade competed in the Auto Body competition at the SkillsUSA State Leadership & Skills Conference where he won second place. He recalls not winning first because he completed a task differently than the judge would have, but he wasn’t upset by this. Instead, he viewed it as a great lesson in how there are always multiple ways to approach a job and successfully complete it. 

As he progressed through SkillsUSA, Wade ran for and was elected as a national officer. It was this experience he says that opened him up to a whole new level of personal development. From things like dinner etiquette to interview and resume skills, he soaked in as much leadership and professional training as he could, and it was these skills he applied as he moved his way from technician to management. 

Wade was introduced to the company he currently works for through SkillsUSA. While serving as an officer, Wade gave tours to businesses during conferences. These businesses were looking to learn more about SkillsUSA and all avenues of participation in the program as an industry partner. One of the companies to which Wade gave a tour was Insurance Auto Auctions – his current employer. Following that tour, one of the representatives spoke to Wade and said if he was interested in coming to work for them, to give him a call. The rest is history.

Since working for Insurance Auto Auctions, Wade has progressed up the ladder quickly. He started as a yard supervisor in Kansas City and one year later accepted a Branch Manager position Sioux Falls, where he also opened the new Sioux Falls branch. After eight years in that position, he moved to Omaha where he managed the Omaha branch. Wade is currently the manager of the new Nebraska title center which processes titles for Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. 

Wade has gone from being hired to doing the hiring. He credits a lot of his ability to move up through the ranks to what he learned in SkillsUSA. His hard skills to do the physical job combined with the soft skills of communication, professionalism, and the confidence he was given through the program allowed him to present himself in a way that others knew what he was capable of. 

Wade feels fortunate in his current position that he is able to make it back to the SkillsUSA national conference every year and continue to be a part of the organization. This year, he saw one other national officer there as well as a few people he knew from his time as an officer. He wants to continue his participation and give back toward the organization that has given him so much. 

What Wade would tell anyone else considering joining SkillsUSA is to jump in with both feet. You get back what you put in. There is the option to stay local and work at the chapter level, and that will gain participants significant development. Choosing to move farther in the program and progress to state and national experiences only makes that experience richer. The student is in the driver’s seat and it’s up to them how hard to press that accelerator.