Ask high school senior Bryant Weatherly what he loves to do and his answer is short and to the point - he loves to build things. Bryant, who moved to Terrell his freshman year, has always enjoyed working with his hands; so, when he enrolled in Terrell High School in the fall of 2020 the welding classes sparked his interest.
“I love to work with my hands and welding was a skill that I thought would be useful,” he shared.
Bryant began taking welding classes his sophomore year thanks to the district’s partnership with Trinity Valley Community College. Over the past three years, he has acquired the skills for both stick and mig welding. His courses have also taught him how to properly set up welding equipment and how to join two pieces of metal and ensure that it can withstand pressure.
Bradley Daniel, who has taught welding at the high school since 2015, says that the courses offered at the high school focus on industry and structural welding, which are extremely viable careers. “I have had students leave the classroom and go straight into the welding field making $100,000,” shared Mr. Daniel. “There is good money to be made in the field. The average starting salary ranges from $20-$30 right out of high school.”
Bryant has sat for and earned multiple certifications, but the thing he is most proud of is when he placed tenth overall at a welding competition where he was competing against 80 other students. “This is when I knew I had talent,” he shared.
Mr. Daniel also shared that Bryant is the type of student that a teacher dreams of having. “He is always on time, ready to learn and he is up for any challenge big or small,” he said.
Bryant echoed the same sentiments about his teacher. “Mr. Daniel is a great teacher. He will take the time to show you how to set up a machine correctly and he is a very thorough teacher. He cares about his students and he wants to see us succeed.”
After high school, Bryant would like to attend Texas State Technical College and has already submitted his application. He shared that he should find out if he has been accepted in early spring.
“I love welding, Bryant said.” “I enjoy it and it gives me something to look forward to during the school day. Had I not moved to Terrell, I would not have been given the opportunity to explore welding and learn that this is the career path I want to pursue.”