Dual Credit Welding Teams Sweep Top Honors at SWTX 2026 “Grillin’ with the President

Uvalde, TX, March 6, 2026 - Southwest Texas College’s 2026 “Grillin’ with the President” BBQ cook-off brought students, dual credit partners, faculty, and staff together for a day of friendly competition, food, and Cowboy pride at the Uvalde campus. Teams from across programs fired up their pits to compete in fajitas, chicken, ribs, and desserts, turning the event into an outdoor classroom for team building and student engagement. PHOTOS

South Texas Smokers, representing the Crystal City High School dual credit welding program, claimed the Grand Champion title with strong entries across multiple categories. Slaggers BBQ Team from Uvalde High School’s dual credit welding program earned Reserve Grand Champion honors after impressing judges with their award-winning ribs.

Category highlights included Freaky Fajitas from the Law Enforcement Academy in Uvalde taking first place in fajitas, Registered Grillers from the first-year ADN class in Uvalde earning first place in chicken, and Slaggers BBQ Team taking first place in ribs. In the dessert competition, Chillin & Grillin from the AC/Refrigeration program earned first place, followed by SWTX staff member Vanessa Gutierrez in second and student Emma Escanuela in third.

Grillin’ with the President is a signature team building and student engagement event for SWTX, highlighting the college’s close connections with college students. In addition to the cook-off, a corn hole tournament was held and run by the Uvalde County Cornhole group, giving students and employees another fun way to connect outside the classroom. Faculty, staff, administration, and community members volunteered as judges and event staff, underscoring the college’s commitment to creating welcoming, relationship-centered experiences that support student success.