Fresh off their first-place finish at the state level, a talented team of second-year Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) students from Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) captured second place at the 2026 FAME National Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.
The NWSCC team of Terrell Rickard (Tuscumbia), Edwin Vela (Russellville), Jackson Collins (Muscle Shoals), and Noah Aday (Florence) earned the national runner-up spot in the advanced "Second Year Students Presenting MCE 4 – Problem Solving" category. All four students are employed by Constellium in Muscle Shoals and graduated this May with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Systems Technology.
The national accolade builds upon the team's victory in April at the 2026 Alabama Summit on Talent Retention and Work-Based Learning in Birmingham, where they were crowned state champions. At the national competition, the team advanced through a rigorous evaluation process to reach the final round, presenting their problem-solving and lean manufacturing solutions live before the entire conference assembly.
“We are incredibly proud of these students and the dedication they have shown,” said NWSCC Manager of Workforce Development and Apprenticeships, Allison Mefford. “Placing second on a national stage directly following a win on the state level proves that our students have the elite professional and technical skills required to lead in a modern manufacturing environment.”
The 2026 FAME National Conference was the network's most successful to date, drawing more than 260 attendees to showcase the growth of advanced manufacturing education. The event saw FAME USA Network chapters represented, with participants hailing from 15 states and 51 unique cities.
First-place in the second-year division was awarded to the West Virginia FAME Kanawha Valley Chapter, while the Northwest Shoals Chapter proudly brought the second-place honors home to Alabama.
According to Kim Sizemore, Constellium Maintenance Training Manager and Co-Chairperson of the Shoals FAME Chapter, the FAME model is the blueprint for the future of industry talent. “By integrating rigorous academic learning with real-world application at Constellium, we are developing more than just technicians; we are developing leaders,” said Sizemore. “Winning at the state level and excelling on the national stage is a testament to the students' hard work and the strength of the Shoals FAME Chapter and Constellium Muscle Shoals.”
Through the FAME program, students split their time between classroom instruction at NWSCC and paid, hands-on work experience with local industry partners like Constellium. This allows them to enter the workforce as highly skilled graduates with two years of immediate industry experience.