TCAT-Pulaski Student Honored

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski student Vivienne Mendez's passion for the state's great outdoors and agriculture inspired her recent design that became the symbol of statewide excellence at this year's SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference. 

Mendez, a digital agronomy student at the college, spent several months gathering and researching information and elements for her design concept, which featured Tennessee's state agricultural insect, the honeybee, our state's wild animal, the raccoon and the state flower, the iris.

Mendez's unique combination was selected as the winning design for the SkillsUSA conference pin, which was distributed to the thousands of event attendees. 

Mendez's journey to earn the gold medal in her competitive category is a story of perseverance, and it reminds her always to stop and celebrate life's unexpected successes.

After graduation, Mendez plans to pursue a career as a horticulturist.