On the Cover: SkillsUSA Champion Matthew Ranucci of Billerica, Mass. Photo by Lloyd Wolf.

By Tom Kercheval
Au is the symbol for gold on the periodic table, but it's also the name of a young entrepreneur who found something more valuable in, of all things, a simple note. [Read]

By Ann P. Schreiber
Slowed by cancer, a young athlete had one wish: to see an old truck restored. An entire student body pulled together to make it come true — and saw their own dreams realized along the way. [Read]

By Ann P. Schreiber
She's smart. She's talented. She's socially conscious. And she can run a backhoe. What's next for this SkillsUSA member? [Read]