An Ohio Hi-Point Career Center graduate is bringing home a national championship.
Richiona Burnell, a 2026 graduate of Ohio Hi-Point’s Cosmetology program and a student from Bellefontaine High School, earned first place in the nation at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Burnell won the gold medal in the Prepared Speech competition, which challenges students to write and deliver a speech based on SkillsUSA’s annual theme. She advanced to the national competition after placing first at the Ohio SkillsUSA Leadership Conference in April.
The national conference, held June 1 through June 5, brought together thousands of career-technical education students from across the country to compete in trade, technical, and leadership events.
“Richiona represented Ohio Hi-Point with confidence, professionalism and pride,” Ohio Hi-Point Cosmetology Instructor Ginger Shellenberger said. “Prepared Speech takes strong communication skills, poise and a lot of preparation. She worked hard for this moment, and we are incredibly proud of her.”
Ohio Hi-Point Superintendent Brad Richardson said Burnell’s achievement reflects the district’s mission of preparing students for success after graduation.
“We’re incredibly proud of Richiona and her accomplishments at the National SkillsUSA Leadership Conference,” Richardson said. “Her success reflects the career and leadership skills students build through career-technical education. She represented Ohio Hi-Point and the state of Ohio very well.”
SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization that helps students develop personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics.
Burnell graduated from Ohio Hi-Point’s Cosmetology program in 2026 and represented both Ohio Hi-Point and Bellefontaine High School on the national stage.
