Dynamic digital duo earn 11th place
Wright Tech Digital Media students Michael Monroy and Brayan Lima Torres took 11th place nationally at the National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Atlanta, GA in June.

Monroy and Lima Torres took the state championship in May, qualifying them for national competition.

For the state competition, Monroy and Lima Torres were tasked with creating a promotional video for SkillsUSA. The pair took 4 hours of video of the various competitions taking place at A.I. Prince Technical High School in Hartford, the main location for SkillsUSA in Connecticut. They then had 2 hours to edit the raw footage before presenting.

For the national competition, Lima Torres said they had to create a how-to video for industry leaders on how to stay relevant and current in the era of generative AI and technological advancements. On Day 1, Monroy and Liam Torres wandered the Georgia World Congress Center and lined up interviews and took footages for the their one-minute film. There were a number of requirements and expectations for the final product. “They included a 5-second slate with team number, 2 second of black after that, and then the actual video, which was a minute long. So it was 67 second in total,” he said.

Wright Tech was notified on June 8, 2026 about their ranking out of 50 other competitors across the nation.

“It was pretty fast-paced and I got to meet a lot of new people from across the nation,” said Lima Torres, who noted it was the first time he traveled on a plane. “The ceremony at the end was exciting. Everyone cheered when their state was called.”

While there’s no trophy, Lima Torres noted that he got an amazing experience, and  Wright Tech has gotten some bragging rights.

Principal Jayme Beckham added, “Congratulations to Michael Monroy and Brayan Lima Torres on their outstanding achievement at the National SkillsUSA Championships! We are incredibly proud of their hard work, dedication and the way they represented Wright Tech and CTECS on the national stage. Their success is well deserved, and we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment.”

SkillsUSA is a national student organization that supports Career and Technical Education (CTE). In Connecticut, it’s tied closely to technical high schools and trade programs.

Wright Tech has 9 trades, including Electrical, Carpentry, Plumbing & Heating, HVAC, Auto, Health Technology, Digital Media, Information Technology, and Culinary. For the 2026-27 school year, the school will add a 10th trade in the area of Criminal Justice.