McKenlea Horrell, a dual-enrollment student, recently won first place in the nurse assisting category at the SkillsUSA North Carolina State Conference.

Horrell graduated from Pender High School and received her Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) certification from Cape Fear Community College, according to a news release. She competed in four skill sets – performing CPR on an infant, undressing/dressing a patient with an IV, taking a radial pulse and donning personal protective equipment.

Horrell competed against other high school students across North Carolina to demonstrate quickness and proficiency, the release stated.

According to the release, SkillsUSA is a nationally recognized organization that promotes career and technical education, empowering students to develop essential skills required in their chosen professions.

"The annual SkillsUSA North Carolina State Conference brings together talented high school and college students from across the state to compete and showcase their expertise in various disciplines," the release stated. "This year’s conference brought together 2,100 students to compete in over 120 hands-on trade, technical, and leadership contests."