Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is proud to announce that 2025 graduate Alexis Squyres has been selected by SkillsUSA to represent the United States in CNC Milling at the 2026 WorldSkills Competition. The international event, widely regarded as the Olympics of skilled trades, will be held September 22 through 27, 2026, in Shanghai, China.
A Path Rooted in Curiosity and Craft
Squyres grew up around her father’s welding shop before discovering CNC machining at Schuylkill Technology Center in high school. She fell in love with the precision the trade demands and was soon competing in SkillsUSA, placing third at the state level in a competition hosted at Thaddeus Stevens College. That visit to campus brought her to the Computer Integrated Machining program, where she distinguished herself immediately, logging more hours in the lab than any of her peers and drawing the attention of industry professionals. A representative from Phillips Corporation observed her work firsthand and offered her a job before she graduated. She now travels across the Carolinas training machine shop professionals on CNC equipment and programming software.
Selected for the World Stage
WorldSkills competitors are selected based on national competition performance, age requirements, and active work or training in the relevant occupation. Squyres earned the 2024 SkillsUSA Pennsylvania state championship in CNC 3-Axis Milling Programming before winning the national bronze medal at the SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta. Her preparation for Shanghai will be led by expert Alden Colvin, a seasoned SkillsUSA advisor and Advanced Manufacturing instructor at Madison College in Wisconsin, through a combination of virtual and in-person training in the United States and Europe. Her participation is supported by Tennent Company, an official SkillsUSA partner.
Bulldog Pride on the World Stage
Squyres is a living example of what a Thaddeus Stevens College education makes possible. Her instructor Jared Keim, himself a Thaddeus Stevens College graduate, watched her grow from an eager first-year student into one of the most driven machinists he had ever taught. The Bulldog community is proud to see her carry that foundation to Shanghai.