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Everlasting flowers: Waco ISD welding students create Valentine's Day keepsakes

The Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy is teaching students trades and skills for the future.
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WACO, Texas — Waco ISD's Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy's Welding Academy students created ever-lasting roses out of metal.

The students attending the academy sharpen their skills and receive certifications throughout the year for a bright future ahead.

BROADCAST SCRIPT:

One local student's metal rose’s blooming process is a little more unique than most.

Waco ISD’s Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy’s Welding students are creating these flowers out of hardware, giving a creative outlet for these future welders.

“As you’re bending the flower petals, you will get more of a look the way you want to," said welding student, Daylon Hernandes.

"If you don’t like it, you can always heat it up again, then bend the flower petals again."

Taking 25 News through the step-by-step process, even getting some hands on experience with heating the metal to about 1,500 degrees for it to be molded into something beautiful.

The skills that are learned at this academy are not only for designs like these, but for future careers. Instructor Gustavo Vargas Lara hopes to instill this trade to all 160 students enrolled in this academy.

“They’re learning something and they’re applying it, they’re using it, and some kids get good careers out of it and they just start a good life for themselves,” Vargas Lara said.

This is giving these students a bright future with the skills ready for this field.

“Hopefully, maybe, I can get to college, but, after here, I will go do work in the pipelines with my friends Julio and Julian,” Hernandes said.