Brady is a SkillsUSA champion with a true passion for helping students develop their talents and leadership.”

Chelle Travis | SkillsUSA executive director

A Surprise teacher won a prestigious award for being a passionate educator and industry expert who brings real-world relevance to the classroom.

Brady Mitchell earned the Advisor of the Year award for Region 5 of SkillsUSA, a prominent development organization for students.

In addition to Arizona, the region includes Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa.

Mitchell was as a finalist for the National Advisor of the Year last month in Atlanta as one of the top five regional winners.

“Brady is a SkillsUSA champion with a true passion for helping students develop their talents and leadership,” said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA. “He supports quality programming for students built around the SkillsUSA Framework, which prepares them for further education or joining America’s skilled workforce.”

His journey began as a SkillsUSA student member, chapter officer and national competitor in high school, igniting a lifelong passion for both automotive technology and student development.

After earning his ASE Master Technician credentials, he worked at Sanderson Ford before transitioning to education, where he’s taught at both the secondary and postsecondary levels, including Peoria High School, Glendale Community College and multiple West-MEC campuses.

Mitchell’s leadership goes beyond classroom instruction. He has served as a curriculum and instruction specialist, helped lead ASE program accreditations, and launched new programs like West-MEC’s powersports technician initiative.

He has mentored several students in leadership and skills competitions, helping them advance to national events. He also contributes by serving as a technical committee member for Arizona’s state and regional competitions.

Active in the broader CTE community, he is the president of ATIEA, serves on the ACTE Arizona board, and is an NCCER Master Trainer.

SkillsUSA created the Advisor of the Year award to recognize dedicated career and technical education instructors who serve as SkillsUSA advisors. Each state selects a winner, and then a regional winner is picked.