ABOUT GBC
Welcome to Great Basin College!
Great Basin College values you! Valuing what we have in common and our differences means we will foster a college climate of mutual trust, tolerance, informed discourse and always seek to promote GBC as a "safe space" to explore new ideas and perspectives with opportunities for you to grow, learn and be successful in a friendly, supportive campus environment. GBC enriches people's lives by providing student-centered, post-secondary education to rural Nevada. GBC students enjoy outstanding academic programs, smaller class sizes, and excellent faculty who really care about our students. We are GBC!
ADMISSIONS
ACADEMICS
For High School Students
STUDENT SERVICES
GBC ONLINE
Great Basin College is "The Gold Standard in the Silver State" when it comes to long-distance education and online education delivery. GBC offers hundreds of classes and a diverse array of certificate and degree programs fully online and fully affordable!
COMMUNITY
Great Basin College wants to be your choice for higher education. GBC offers associate and baccalaureate level instruction in career and technical education and academic areas. About 4,000 students are enrolled annually online from across the country and on campuses and centers across 86,500 square miles, two time zones, and ten of Nevada's largest counties. We border Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and California. We are GBC!
INFORMATION
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RESOURCES
Great Basin College Welcomes Return of Statewide SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference
Great Basin College welcomed hundreds of high school students from across Nevada for the 2025 SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference, marking the first time since the pandemic that the statewide event has brought all regions together on a single campus.
The three-day conference, held November 20–22, provided leadership training, professional development, and opportunities for SkillsUSA student officers and members to prepare for the organization's upcoming competition and service year.
Industrial Millwright Technology Professor Norm Whittaker, who helped coordinate the event, highlighted the significance of hosting the first fully statewide gathering in several years.
There have been regional events in Reno and Las Vegas in the past, but "since COVID, this is the first [conference] they've had that covered the entire state, so this is a big deal to have everybody here at GBC," Whittaker said.
Students traveled from Wells, Spring Creek, Carlin, Winnemucca, Elko, Reno, and Carson City, with a large group of 90 students coming from Las Vegas. Whittaker noted that GBC aims to continue hosting the conference regularly, ideally on an annual or alternating-year rotation with southern Nevada schools.
The weekend remained busy with chapter-officer training, workshops, a closing ceremony, and an evening social event in the GBC gym.
Among the statewide officers present was George Ochoa Leiva, Nevada SkillsUSA state reporter and a junior at Debbie Smith CTE Academy High School in Reno.
"This event helps students learn leadership skills they can bring back to their SkillsUSA chapters," he said.
One conference activity involved students meeting with Ochoa Leiva and other state officers to complete the SkillsUSA "bingo sheet", which helps members earn the organization's prestigious Statesman Pin.
Ochoa Leiva also shared his impressions of his first visit to GBC. "It seems like a nice and peaceful area to study," he said. With programs like nursing, radiology, engineering, and mining, "it's a great place to study and go into the workforce for sure."
SkillsUSA is a national organization supporting career and technical education (CTE) students through hands-on skill development, leadership training, and professional readiness. Ochoa Leiva encouraged more Nevada students to get involved.
"It changes your life for the better," he said. "It gives you real-world skills and helps you figure out what you want to do."
By hosting the 2025 Fall Leadership Conference, Great Basin College reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to supporting CTE pathways and developing Nevada's future workforce. With strong turnout and a successful weekend of programming, GBC looks forward to continuing its partnership with SkillsUSA Nevada.
For More Information Contact
Great Basin College
1500 College Parkway
Elko, Nevada 89801
Why Great Basin College
Great Basin College offers associate and baccalaureate level education in academic, career and technical fields. Welcoming students from all corners of the country, both online and at our various campuses and centers, GBC's presence extends across two time zones and spans more than 86,000 square miles throughout Nevada. A leader in rural higher education, GBC takes pride in developing students who are well-prepared to meet the demands of industry and who contribute to the success and prosperity of the local economy.
