CNA student heading to WorldSkills 2026

It’s a long, hard road to the top in any discipline, but Logan Bowers is already two-thirds of the way there.

Bowers, a first-year student at CNA, won gold at Skills NL Provincials, gold at Skills Canada Nationals, and will now represent Team Canada at WorldSkills 2026, Sept. 22-27, in Shanghai, China.

At both events, he competed in cloud computing, which involves using the internet to access and run software or store data on powerful remote servers instead of your own device.

Bowers is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology – Systems and Network Cybersecurity degree at CNA.

It can’t be overstated that Bowers was only in his first year when competing (and winning) at the provincial and national levels against peers who were much further along in their studies.

And unlike some others in his program who have completed an IT diploma before embarking on their bachelor’s degree, Bowers entered the program straight out of high school.

Logan Bowers was born and raised in King’s Point, NL, a small town on the north shore of the southwest arm of Green Bay.

A hands-on learner with a passion for problem-solving, he’s always gravitated toward technical hobbies. He loves building servers and circuits, welding, soldering, and even assembling detailed Gundam models, plastic replicas of giant anime robots.

“I just love to learn. That’s the biggest thing for me,” said Bowers.

That curiosity and technical mindset led him to enter the Skills NL provincial competition, which ultimately set him on the path to worlds.

The road to worlds

First stop: Provincials

Skills competitions, at any level, are intense endeavours. They are hands-on, high-performance events where students and apprentices showcase their abilities in skilled trades and technologies.

Bowers’ skills competition journey started in the form of a seed planted with a few encouraging words from one of his instructors, Jennifer Mugford. Mugford saw Bowers’ talent and recommended he sign up.

“So, I was like, sure, why not?” he explained. “Cloud computing looked like an interesting challenge, so I went ahead and put my name in for that.”

At Provincials, he had only eight hours to build something called a storage bucket, a form of virtual storage used by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS is a platform that lets people and companies run websites, store data, and build apps online without needing their own physical servers.

Despite being new to the topic, Bowers dove in and walked away with a first-place finish at provincials, securing him a spot at the national competition.

Not only did he take first place, but he was also introduced to Alex Edwards, who would go on to become his coach and mentor for nationals.

Edwards is a CNA alumnus and former skills competitor who represented Team Newfoundland & Labrador at nationals in 2023 and Team Canada at worlds in 2024.

Next up: Nationals

The 2025 Skills Canada National Competition was held in May that year in Saskatchewan at the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) District.

It featured over 500 competitors from across Canada in over 40 disciplines, everything from baking to electrical installations.

“Walking towards the competition area and seeing it all laid out, it was incredible,” explained Bowers. “It really gives you this feeling of, wow, this is way bigger than I ever thought it was going to be.”

Bowers faced five separate cloud computing tasks each day for two days, all while working under pressure in a national arena. He had just eight hours each day to complete the five complex tasks.

One assignment involved setting up a container system, a way to run mini virtual machines that each perform one job, like a tiny app. All their controls are managed behind the scenes.

Another task focused on data streaming, where he used a tool called Amazon Kinesis to securely transfer information between programs and databases. This involved rewriting code to send data to the right places while making sure everything stayed encrypted for privacy.

He also had to launch a virtual cloud computer, known as an EC2 instance, which is like logging into a powerful computer that lives entirely online.

“Day one was a blur for me,” recalled Bowers. “I was very mentally defeated. I closed my laptop with 20 minutes left and I just sat there.”

Reflecting on Day 1, Bowers credited his coach Alex Edwards with helping him come to a realization.

“‘You might get your best work done in those last 30 minutes,’ he told me,” recalled Bowers. “He said, ‘You can’t give up before it’s over. Otherwise, what’s the point?’”

“The big thing I took away from it was the ability to overcome challenges and not get too bogged down,” Bowers reflected.

The next day Bowers went in strong, staying focused and working all the way until the end of the eight-hour deadline. This focus ultimately secured him the first-place finish and the invitation to worlds.

“That mentality and drive are what pushed me over the edge. I’m definitely going to keep that lesson with me for a very long time,” said Bowers.

Help along the way

Bowers recognized the incredibly important role his instructors, mentors, and coaches had in his success.

Without CNA instructor Jennifer Mugford’s encouraging words, he may have never signed up.

Edwards also played a crucial role in Bowers’ success.

“He was so helpful and so insightful and provided so much,” Bowers said. “He really helped me narrow down the material, because it would take years to know all about it.”

Edwards said he worked to show Bowers different approaches to a similar challenge, as competitions will sometimes require competitors to do this.

He explained that instead of being asked to execute the traditional way of building something within the cloud environment, competitors may be restricted in the approach they are allowed to take. Something may be broken in such a way that requires a competitor to troubleshoot or work around it.

“Ultimately, it was his drive and hard work that made him succeed though,” said Edwards.

“I provided him the materials and the help whenever necessary, but he ran the labs and addressed the challenges he encountered, which was what made him so successful.”

“Winning gold against competitors as a first-year student is nothing to be humble about,” continued Edwards, driving home just how exceptional Bowers’ performance was.

Going forward

Richard Spencer, CNA Faculty Researcher in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, will be the Team Canada Expert for Cloud Computing at WorldSkills.

His role involves preparing and mentoring Canada’s national competitors, including Bowers, to perform at the highest international standard.

He is responsible for understanding the official test projects, interpreting technical and marking standards, and developing a comprehensive training plan.

During the competition, he will also serve as a delegate and evaluator, contributing to international discussions and ensuring fair judging.

Spencer noted he watched Bowers’ performance at Nationals very closely and was thoroughly impressed.

“Logan’s composure and problem-solving under pressure really stood out,” he observed.
“He didn’t just follow instructions, he adapted when plans changed, which is a hallmark of a great cloud engineer.”

Spencer explained that Bowers’ ability to logically troubleshoot, coupled with a humble attitude and a hunger to learn, makes him a strong candidate for success at the WorldSkills competition. 

The training plan

“The preparation is rigorous,” stated Spencer.

Competitors must master dozens of AWS services, understand network design, implement secure architectures, deploy resilient cloud applications, and troubleshoot complex issues, all under timed, high-pressure conditions.

However, he emphasized that mental preparation is equally as important.

“Mental toughness is often what separates the best from the rest,” said Spencer.

He explained that competitors need to be able to manage stress, stay focused across multi-day challenges, and be able to pivot when things go wrong.

“We build resilience through simulation, mock challenges, and reflection,” said Spencer.

Bowers has had access to a tailored 60-week training plan that includes weekly technical labs, performance audits, and full-scale mock competitions modeled on previous WorldSkills test projects.

He will also train to develop his soft skills: time management, decision-making under stress, and international collaboration.

Spencer emphasized that Bowers won’t be alone: he’ll have support from Team Canada’s full network of experts, alumni, and coaches.

Heading to worlds

Edwards hopes that Bowers focuses on the big picture, not just winning or losing.

“I couldsay that he should strive to get a medal, but my honest wish is that he learns plenty during his training and competitions, and that he has an excellent experience representing his college and country in Shanghai,” said Edwards.

“I feel like a bit of an underdog,” admitted Bowers. “But I am more than excited and willing to keep pushing.”

“I hunger to learn more and more so I can do my best to represent our nation, school, and myself,” he concluded.

Gold medal or not, Bowers’ dedication and drive make it clear he’s on a path. Competing at WorldSkills will only propel him further, both toward a successful future in the tech industry and in his growth as a confident, capable human being.