Tullahoma High School students Maggie Lynch, Henry Jenkins and Jake Fisher spent part of their spring break by winning gold after taking first place at the SkillsUSA Tennessee State Leadership and Skills Conference.

The trio of students teamed to compete in the Automated Manufacturing Technology (AMT) portion of the state competition. After taking first place at state, Lynch, Jenkins and Fisher will next compete at the national level, taking part in the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Competition June 1-5 in Atlanta.

Automated Manufacturing Technology assesses teams on their readiness for employment in automated manufacturing environments, emphasizing their approach to design, manufacturing, and problem-solving within a realistic production workflow. Each team completes a full production cycle, including Computer- Aided Design (CAD), Computer- Aided Manufacturing (CAM), and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) precision machining of a component. The CAD operator is responsible for creating the part geometry, the CAM operator develops the tool paths, and the machinist sets up and operates the CNC machine to produce the part. Teams are evaluated on the entire design-to-production process, including documentation, work efficiency, accuracy, and adherence to industry standards and practices.

In the fall, Tullahoma High School Machine Shop Instructor Derek Swiger began preparing to field an AMT team, with Jenkins as the first member to join. Fisher was then added to the squad in January, with Lynch being the final piece earlier this semester. According to Swiger, watching this team was impressive, and he is excited to see how they fare in Atlanta this summer.

“The team was quick and efficient, and they were able to outperform the other AMT teams in all categories,” Swiger said. “I can’t wait to see what they do at the National level.”