Students from Bryant High School won a gold prize in a nationwide competition for their audio and radio production

Bryant, Arkansas – At the SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, two students from Bryant High School made a major statement in just a few minutes of sound waves.

In the competition, Asher Bird and Sam Morgan won first place for audio and radio production. Prior to 2005, Arkansas has never taken home the top prize in that category.

“The moment they called second place, you can see the look of realization come across our faces,” Morgan said. “It was a lot.”

“Knowing that we were first was an amazing feeling because this has been a three-year journey,” Bird said.

Bird and his companion finished ninth in the country in 2022. The state of Arkansas has won its first medal since 2013, when Bird and Morgan took home the silver medal last year.

They beat every team in the nation in June when their three-and-a-half-minute audio news broadcast, which was produced over the course of three days, was scored in addition to online and written exams.
Prior to the two being introduced by audio and video instructor Michael Westbrook, Morgan said he had no prior experience.

“I didn’t know he’d know I’d do that good,” Morgan said.

“Most of the time students don’t realize what they are capable of doing, and that is my job to see their ability, encourage them, motivate them and push them along a little bit,” Westbrook said.

These skills are useful outside of the classroom as well. Bird applied for a radio position in Little Rock using his abilities, and he has been editing programming for 93.3 The Fish and other stations for more than a year.

Bird, who will be attending college in Fayetteville in the autumn, has already received offers for radio positions.

“It’s just taking what we’ve learned from the previous years and continuing to grow, and learn and do better,” Bird said.

Out of the nine students from Bryant High School who attended the SkillsUSA conference, only two, Bird and Morgan, secured a spot. To compete nationwide, students have to place first in their state tournament.

across 6,000 state champions from all across the country compete against one another in 115 skills and leadership events organized by SkillsUSA.