SkillsUSA Georgia state director Ashley Acuff and Luke Todd. Photo courtesy of Robert Todd.
Three years ago, as Charles “Luke” Todd boarded a bus back to McIntosh County Academy, following his first National Leadership & Skills Conference, he made an assertion about his future in the Marine Service Technology competition.
The then-sophomore recalled telling his advisor, Robert Todd, “Mark my words, I will at least place before I graduate.” Robert, an audio/video and commercial fisheries instructor from the rural coastal county in southeast Georgia, also happens to be his second cousin.
Fast forward to the 2025 SkillsUSA Championships and Luke’s word was as good as gold. He earned top honors in Marine Service Technology competition and became his school’s first national champion, cementing his own legacy in his community where four generations of his family made a livelihood as commercial shrimp fishermen.
“Going to nationals that first year was very intimidating. And I quickly found out I was a fish out of water.”
Luke Todd
Uncharted Waters
No stranger to hard work, Luke dedicated himself doing whatever it would take to earn a podium appearance.
“Going to nationals that first year was very intimidating. And I quickly found out I was a fish out of water,” he said without a hint of irony.
With Robert’s guidance, Luke took the opportunity to become an apprentice at Shoreline Marine, a dealership specializing in fishing boats.
“At the beginning it was a lot of washing boats, I was doing the work that no one wanted to do,” he said.
By his senior year Luke became a certified marine mechanic with the dealership supporting his training at Yamaha Marine University. He earned the certification before he received his high school diploma and is on track to become a master marine mechanic by the age of 21.
While Luke specializes in Yamaha motors, SkillsUSA’s competition features four major engine brands—a fact that made both him and his advisor nervous about his odds for success.
The Marine Service Technology competition includes hands-on tests designed to assess troubleshooting and repair in two- and four-stroke outboard, sterndrive and inboard motors. A written test gauges proficiency in marine application electrical/ignition systems, fuel systems, cooling systems, lubrication systems, boat and trailer rigging and repair, diagnostics, service and repair of marine accessory items. Competitors are also judged on safe work practices, cleanliness, organizational skills, speed, accuracy and completion.
During the competition held in the middle of Hall B amidst a bustling Georgia World Congress Center, advisors watch from afar not knowing what each station is testing or how their student is performing. Many try to read body language and strain to hear comments across the noisy competition floor.
“During the debriefing a bunch of advisors were following along to see what we could hear,” Robert said, recalling that a judge told the group of competitors that only one person checked the trailer’s spare tire to see that it was inflated. “Luke looked over at me and gave me a wink to let me know that was him.”
Once able to discuss the competition, Luke told Robert that he felt his performance was good enough to be top five. With the competition completed it would be another day before Luke, Robert and the other students from McIntosh County Academy who competed in Motorcycle Service Technology and Career Pathways – Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources respectively would learn their outcomes.
Making Waves
As thousands of students from 114 different leadership and skills competitions filed in and out of State Farm Arena hoping to hear their state’s name called as a finalist, Luke positioned himself on a stool near a screen hoping an outline of his home state would appear when the high school division was announced.
“You read left to right, and Georgia was all the way on the right,” he said. “I bolted out the door.”
He didn’t just bolt out, Robert said.
“When he saw it, he jumped up and the barstool fell, I thought he was going to tear the place up,” he said. “One of the security people started whooping and hollering with him.”
Luke took that energy and enthusiasm to the stage where he would learn what place he earned.
“In my head, I knew I wasn’t first,” he said. “I thought I was probably third and I was happy with third.”
Third place went to the competitor from Virginia and second place went to the student from South Carolina who happened to share the same first name. Luke began stepping forward before hearing the last name wasn’t his.
“You will see me light up,” said Luke about the moment he realized he was the national champion. “Looking out at all those people I was just thinking, ‘How did I get here? How?’ I guess the teaching moment there is never doubt yourself.”
Luke said he’s been re-watching the video of his podium appearance every couple of days.
“It really was one of the best moments of my life,” he said. “What I was trying to accomplish for the last three years was all worth it.”
Note: Video should begin at 1:01:22.
A New Course for the Future
In addition to a gold medallion, Luke was awarded with a scholarship and prizes from SkillsUSA partners, like Snap-On Incorporated.
“Snap-On tools are the best out there, and you’re going to have pay a pretty penny for them. So, it’s nice to win that,” he said. “That will greatly, greatly help my career.”
Winning the competition also came with a new job offer from a marine service shop in his county. Having worked in the neighboring county at Shoreline Marine from an apprentice to a technician, he was hesitant to leave an employer who invested so much in him. But they agreed that Luke couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“It will be a great next step for me, which I’m very fortunate to have,” he said. “I’ll be fortunate enough to be making a salary where I can actually begin life. My dream is the American dream—to be able to own a house and have a family.”
Luke also plans to stay involved with the high school’s SkillsUSA chapter where his family has a long history. His grandma was a past advisor; dad was the chapter’s president; and of course, his current advisor Robert is now leading a resurgence of the organization.
The school’s SkillsUSA membership lapsed in 2016 and was reestablished by Robert in 2019. He’s been focused not only on growing the chapter, but also ensuring his students get the most out of SkillsUSA by participating in the Chapter Excellence Program, which is designed to create stronger chapters and better-prepared students.
“This was our third straight year of being a gold chapter,” Robert said.
That distinction led to McIntosh County Academy being selected as a national Model of Excellence, meaning the chapter has exhibited best practices and serves as a model for others. This is a meaningful point of pride for Robert since the rural high school has less than 400 students.
Robert plans to ride the momentum coming off Luke’s win and ensure that SkillsUSA is in the hearts and minds of their community. This fall the middle school plans to establish a chapter to engage students earlier and increase visibility.
Before Luke made it back from the awards stage to the suite where his fellow students were waiting, a call was made to the county sheriff who agreed without hesitation to honor Luke upon his arrival home with ride in a firetruck from the county’s welcome center to the high school.
Luke’s SkillsUSA work shirt also will be retired, like the jerseys of noteworthy athletes.
“You’re the only one to walk the halls of this school to become a national champion,” Robert said of Luke. “We’ll take your oxford blue shirt and hang in the school.”
Luke is both honored and amused by the retirement of his shirt. He only wore the shirt in competition and confessed that it has a small hole in the armpit. While the shirt will be washed, pressed and preserved in perpetuity, he wants that hole to remain because that’s how he knew it was his.
It’s a fun-fact will surely be part of McIntosh County lore for years to come.
