Jasmine Hansen of Diagonal, Southwestern Community College (SWCC) auto collision repair/refinish student, finished in the Top 10 nationally during the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held in Atlanta in June.
Hansen, a 2024 Diagonal High School graduate, completed the first year of SWCC’s auto collision repair/refinish program in June 2025. She will continue with the program this fall in order to earn her Associate of Applied Science degree from SWCC in May 2026.
In order to qualify for the national contest, students placed first in the state contest held in April in Ankeny. SWCC had three gold medal state finishers—Hansen; Gavin Neely of Bedford; and Hazin Clayton of Lorimor.
Hansen, and other SWCC national qualifiers, placings are listed below:
- Jasmine Hansen: Automotive Refinishing Technology, Post-Secondary Division, 7th place
- Gavin Neely: Collision Damage Appraisal, Post-Secondary Division, 11th place
- Hazin Clayton: Welding, Post-Secondary Division, 30th place
The SkillsUSA Championships featured more than 6,880 competitors in 114 hands-on events. The SkillsUSA Championships is considered the nation’s largest workforce development event in the world, as well as the single largest day of industry volunteerism. SkillsUSA represents 130 occupational areas and adds new contests and demonstrations to the Championships each year to meet the demands of new and expanding career fields.
Students were accompanied by Dr. John Franklin, SWCC vice president of instruction, and Jeff Magneson, SWCC auto collision repair/refinish instructor.
Pictured at right: National SkillsUSA finisher Jasmine Hansen completes the second rotation of national competition, spot repair with waterborne.