Matthew Vreman

Matthew Vreman

Age 20
Hometown: Parrish, Fla.

Representing the United States in Web Technologies

Five years ago, Matthew Vreman would never have dreamed of competing on the WorldSkills USA team for web design—he knew nothing about it! Having always had an interest in technology, he wanted to take a class at his local technical college. The web design program, in particular, caught his attention. With an instructor he describes as “absolutely amazing,” he fell in love with web design.

“My web design instructor, Vera Bourenina, really cared about all of her students and was willing to do whatever she could to help us succeed.”

Matthew particularly enjoys web design’s mix of both creativity and logic. As fields of technology are constantly changing, he is always studying new techniques.

“If a website is poorly designed or built, it pushes people away, whereas a well-designed website will draw people in. I love to learn new things!”

Matthew has been involved with SkillsUSA for more than three years and loves the message that SkillsUSA sends to students interested in joining the skilled workforce. “I have learned much more about my technical skill than I ever could have imagined, while training to compete against the best in the country – and now the world.”

After competing in WorldSkills, Matthew plans on staying in web design while continuing to expand his skillset among different subsections of the field.

“My dream job would be to work as a developer for a company that provides website and app development for other companies. This is an extremely important field. Everyone uses the internet, and a cutting-edge website is one of the best forms of advertisement for companies.”

Quotables

Advice for others:
“Never stop learning, and don’t lose hope. Web Development is a constantly changing field and can also be stressful at times, but in the end it is very rewarding. Also, watch for typos!”

On competing in the WorldSkills Competition:
“It’s an amazing honor to be one of the select few chosen, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to prove my skills on the international stage. My family was really excited to see my name called up at the awards ceremony! They are very proud of me, and are being wonderfully supportive as I am training and looking forward to the competition.”

Download his press release.