The morning started out with a SkillsUSA breakfast at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel.  I chose eggs, bacon, a blueberry muffin and juice. It was delicious!

Soon it was time to gather in the main ballroom. There were a lot of people! We all found each other and sat down. I enjoyed some time with Jessica’s two children. (ADORABLE!) Many people were recognized, honored and given awards. After nearly an hour, the competition awards began. We were all excited and nervous! We still had quite a bit of waiting before our competition was up. Finally they announced “This is a college competition- Preschool Teaching Assistant. State and National competitions. Second place- Alicia Moss, Dakota County Technical College. First place- Jessica Jackson, Dakota County Technical College”.

We were all smiles! I captured a picture (although not as good as I would’ve liked) as they went to the stage to receive their medals (on an Olympic-like tiered podium).

Afterwards, we captured a few more pictures and savored the moment, talking about some of the weekend highlights. What a great weekend! Nationals…here we come! *It should be noted that Lorelei Rein was also a competitor for the state competition, but fell ill and was unable to compete. We missed you Lorelei!