Welding students in Elroy Perez’s classes have been working on projects for show, learning various welding processes and safety measures while building projects like outdoor patio cookers and BBQ pit trailers. They will carry their projects to Ag Mechanic Contest in San Antonio, Houston, and Blinn College this semester to see how their work stacks up against others. 

“I have learned so much from Mr. Perez like he showed us the proper way to weld, the safe way,”  junior BJ Latham said. “I’m entering a contest by doing a BBQ pit, and I’m so excited to hopefully win Grand Champion because if anyone wins at the contest it could mean scholarships, money and new tools for the Ag shop.”

Perez, who replaced former teacher TJTill at the end of the fall semester, already has future plans to participate in many more contests and will start earlier on projects. 

“Most of these students are pretty talented, some of them picked up the welding basics quickly and are the ones doing the most for these projects,” Perez said. “These projects are supposed to be done by the end of the year and the projects are going good and we are certainly not going to lose.”