OCTOBER 28, 2024 |
Photo – Jadon Martinez (left) and Lucas Peterson (right) – Courtesy CCHEC
Two Carbon County Higher Education Center students won scholarships in a regional welding competition.
On Friday, October 18th, high school seniors Jadon Martinez and Lucas Peterson ranked in the top 30 out of over 500 competitors in the Steel Day High School Welding Competition, held at the Puma Steel plant in Cheyenne.
The Steel Day High School Welding Competition is an annual event that sees high school students compete to demonstrate their welding knowledge and win scholarships.
Carbon County Higher Education Center welding instructor Mark Flaherty taught both Martinez and Peterson. Flaherty explained that out of a field of 150 semi-finalists from three different states, his students were among 30 chosen to participate in Friday’s competition.
The competition began with a 20-question written exam testing the students’ welding knowledge. Afterwards, the participants were given 45 minutes to construct a small toolbox using blueprints.
Flaherty said the competition is designed to encourage students to pursue a career in manufacturing.
Martinez and Peterson both placed high enough in the welding competition to each earn a $1,000 Rex I. Lewis Scholarship. Rex I. Lewis was the president of Puma Steel and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction. In 2017, the Institute created the Rex I. Lewis Scholarship to help students continue their education.
Carbon County Higher Education Center Community Engagement Coordinator Janet Garcia said while both students did well in the competition, she was especially impressed with Martinez’s performance as a first-year welding student.
The American Institute of Steel Construction has not officially released this year’s Rex I. Lewis Scholarship recipients. However, based on last year’s scholarship award amounts, it appears that Martinez and Peterson both received 4th place in the 2024 Steel Day High School Welding Competition.
Welding Instructor Flaherty said Peterson has expressed a desire to pursue a career in manufacturing while Martinez continues to weigh his options.
