Saskatchewan Polytechnic Alumni Aims for Gold at WorldSkills

Graphic Communications graduate Leah Lucyshyn won gold at the national level earning her a spot to compete on Team Canada at WorldSkills in Switzerland.

It’s been a busy summer as Leah Lucyshyn sets her sights on competing in person at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition in Aarau, Switzerland. Competing live at WorldSkills has been a dream of Lucyshyn’s that began four years ago.

The pinnacle was clinching gold in the Graphic Design Technology competition and the RBC Best of Region award for Saskatchewan at the 2022 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Vancouver. This secured her spot at the WorldSkills competition set for October. More than 300 competitors from all regions of Canada participated in more than 35 skilled trade and technology competitions at the SCNC.

Since the national competition Lucyshyn has been working with Sask Polytech’s Graphic Communications instructors on multiple mock competitions for practice. “The mock competitions will help Leah prepare mentally for WorldSkills,” says Cody Peterson, Graphic Communications instructor. “Earning a spot on Team Canada is an amazing accomplishment and we are proud of the hard work Leah has been doing.”

This is not the first time Sask Polytech has a student from the Graphic Communications program as part of Team Canada at the WorldSkills Competitions. In 2015, Roxanne Kanak competed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, earning a Medal of Excellence in the Graphic Design Technology category. In 2017, Kyla Henry tied for sixth and brought home a Medallion of Excellence in the Graphic Design Technology competition. Henry is now a Sask Polytech instructor and has been training and working with Lucyshyn to help her prepare for the WorldSkills Competition.

“It has been amazing stepping into the role of trainer, motivator and cheerleader for Leah on this journey,” says Henry. “There is a certain thrill that comes competing in the WorldSkills Competition and I can honestly say it’s just as exciting on the other side. It’s incredibly rewarding to work with someone like Leah who is just as passionate about the competition. She fought long and hard for this success and it’s paid off! There is no doubt in my mind that she is ready for the next level.”

The journey to get to this point has not been easy. It’s been a bumpy road for Lucyshyn as she worked toward her WorldSkills goal with the Graphic Communications diploma program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many of the Skills Canada provincial and national competitions. Lucyshyn participated in the provincial competition in 2019, finishing in fifth place out of five competitors. In 2020 no post-secondary competitions took place due to the pandemic. Using these setbacks as motivation, Lucyshyn picked herself up and kept working towards her WorldSkills goal. In 2021 competitions were virtual and Lucyshyn competed in the provincial and national competitions, taking home gold in both competitions. In the fall of 2021 Lucyshyn competed for Team Canada in the WorldSkills America virtual competition and took home silver and Best of Nation for Canada. Lucyshyn also competed online in the WorldSkills Australia 2022 Regional Competition in August. 

“Despite my success, I still wanted to attend WorldSkills with Team Canada in-person. 2022 was my last chance to compete due to age eligibility.” says Lucyshyn. “Having the opportunity to travel for the national competition was surreal. I thought organizers were going to cancel the in-person SCNC. It didn’t feel like the competition would happen. I couldn’t believe I finally had the opportunity to get on a plane and travel to Vancouver for the in-person SCNC and compete to join Team Canada.”

Competing in multiple competitions and collecting four Skills medals for Graphic Design Technology – three golds and one silver, along with two best of region/nations awards, Lucyshyn says she is ready. “I’ve done everything in my power to get to the in-person WorldSkills Competition,” says Lucyshyn. “Winning multiple medals and joining Team Canada is overwhelming, but I’m here. I’m exactly where I’ve always wanted to be!”

The Graphic Design Technology event at WorldSkills in Switzerland takes place October 12-15. Graphic Design Technology (worldskills2022se.com)

October 2022