WAUSA – Braydon Hoesing is prepared to show off his speech skills at the national level.
The soon-to-be Wausa High School junior is scheduled to travel to Atlanta, Ga., to represent his community and Nebraska at the 2024 National SkillsUSA Leadership & Skills Conference, set for June 24-28.
“I have been to nationals previously, as we got second in junior high, but this is my first high school national contest,” Hoesing said. “It’s always fun to travel, and it is always a blessing to represent small communities in big meets.”
Hoesing qualified for the national conference after representing Wausa well at this year’s Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, held April 11-13 at Fonner Park in Grand Island.
He received a gold medal after a first-place finish in the High School Prepared Speech category at the state level thanks to an enthusiastic speech on the topic of “No Limits.”
“Well, it was quite a shock, but hard work pays off,” Hoesing said. “Having said that, I am extremely thankful to my coaches and those who supported me, as this is never a guarantee. As (SkillsUSA) puts everyone in Class A through D together, coming out with the bigger schools always is a privilege to stand beside.”
He was among five members of the Wausa SkillsUSA Chapter who participated in six areas of competition at the state conference.
In addition to Hoesing, there was Colton Hagemann, a 2024 high school graduate, in Photography; Aoife Johnson, who will be a sophomore, in Restaurant Services and State Pin Design; Kendra Kleinschmit, who will be an eighth-grader, in Middle School Extemporaneous Speaking; and Isabelle Seagren, who also will be an eighth-grader, in State T-shirt Design.
All of the Wausa students finished in the top 20 of their respective contests with four topfive finishes and one state champion in really competitive areas of workforce skills.
Hoesing explained getting ready for the Prepared Speech category is similar to how preparation goes for any speech event.
“Write a script, practice it, fail the script, rewrite and continue that process until a desirable product presents itself,” Hoesing said. “It was shorter than my normal speech competitions, as it only had to be around seven minutes, and my speech history greatly assisted me.”
SkillsUSA and speech are two of several activities he participates in at Wausa, as well as football, music, Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society, and he has been a member of the Lied Lincoln Township Library’s Teen Advisory Board.
“Trust me, there is plenty that isn’t enjoyable, but it boils down to work ethic and planning for the future,” Hoesing said. “The more activities and success I am able to generate, the more privileges I will be able to enjoy. I participate in so much because it feels good for one, but also because I know I am doing the best that I can for my school and this community.”
