February 26, 2026
Skylar and Kortney McMillian arrived at SOWELA Technical Community College with clear goals: build their skills and launch meaningful careers. What they didn’t expect was that their time at the College would also bring them together.
Their story began during the Louisiana SkillsUSA state competition. Kortney, then a Culinary Arts student, was focused on her culinary competition when Skylar, a Graphic Arts student competing in video production, approached her with a request.
“We both attended the state skills competition,” said Kortney, now a baking and pastry instructor at SOWELA. “Skylar and his video production partner asked me to participate in their competition video.”
Skylar admits he noticed Kortney even before that collaboration. “I noticed Kortney at one of the Skills practices,” he said, smiling. “My interest started before the video project.”
Both students earned gold medals at the state level and advanced to the national SkillsUSA competition. Traveling and competing on a larger stage gave them more time together.
“We sat beside each other at dinner one night during nationals, ordered the same thing and the conversation went from there,” said Kortney.
Although Kortney had to leave nationals early for a culinary externship in Canada — missing Skylar and his teammate David win gold — the two stayed in touch. After graduating in December 2017, they briefly lost contact. A few months later, a Facebook post reconnected them. By the following May, they were dating exclusively.
In December 2019, they married. Today, Kortney has come full circle, teaching in the same program where she was once a student, while Skylar operates Storytaler Studios, his Lake Charles-based video production and marketing firm.
“SOWELA provided opportunities and set us up for success,” said Skylar. “I met my wife and my best friends here. It gave us the life we have today, and the knowledge we gained here continues to impact us.”
“It showed us that anything is possible,” Kortney added. “Our instructors became our mentors. We always felt supported and encouraged.”
For the McMillians, SOWELA didn’t just launch careers — it built a foundation for a shared future.
About SOWELA Technical Community College
SOWELA Technical Community College offers dynamic instruction and practical learning opportunities that prepare students to seamlessly transfer or to excel in today’s workforce. For more information, visit www.sowela.edu.