Casey McGee, a Visual Design major at GNB Voc-Tech, won a statewide T-shirt design competition sponsored by Massachusetts SkillsUSA.

NEW BEDFORD – Casey McGee, a sophomore majoring in Visual Design at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, recently won a statewide competition to create a T-shirt design for the student skills organization, Massachusetts SkillsUSA. Her winning design will be produced and worn as the official Massachusetts SkillsUSA Championship Competitor T-Shirt at the State Leadership and Skills Conference in April.

The competition was open to all SkillsUSA members in Massachusetts. Miss McGee was one of 11 students who entered the competition from GNB Voc-Tech.

“She produced some excellent work,” said Thai Panayakul, one of the student’s Visual Design teachers at GNB Voc-Tech. “It exhibits real creative thinking.”

Mr. Panayakul said the school submitted some strong artwork in the competition. “I thought we had some good entries. I was hopeful.”

The winning design shows the official red, white and blue SkillsUSA logo on a puzzle, with several detached pieces. It includes the words: “Champions at Work.” The design was created on a Macintosh computer, using the software programs Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Casey McGee is a member of the Voc-Tech Photography Club and SkillsUSA team. She will compete in the Advertising Design district competition in March.

A Fairhaven resident, Miss McGee has always been interested in drawing and expressing herself through art. Her interests include photography, track and field, music, playing the violin, painting, watching old horror movies, and reading.

She is a graduate of Hastings Middle School.

After graduation from GNB Voc-Tech, she plans to attend Mass College of Art and major in photography.

The Voc-Tech Visual Design program prepares students to excel in computer graphics, advertising design, drawing, graphic design, photography, and technical illustration. Students learn the use of various media and techniques of the trade, and the proper tools needed to develop these skills.

The program prepares students for employment in the visual communications field and entrance into post-secondary schools.

GNB Voc-Tech is an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).