ABERDEEN, S.D. – Riley Magee had never welded before taking a course at Aberdeen Central’s ATEC Academy—but once she tried it, she liked it.
“I just like the heat and the sparks,” she said.
Now, Magee is taking her second welding course at ATEC. She even participated in a welding competition at Lake Area Tech last fall—and she has decided to pursue welding as her future career path.
“I’m just going to go straight to the field,” said Magee, a junior at CHS.
Hands-on, career-focused learning is an important part of career and technical education classes at ATEC Academy.
Magee said she likes that ATEC classes are hands-on.
Fellow welding student Tracy Noltner agreed.
“They’re kind of useful, too, later,” he said.
Noltner is also taking his second welding class at ATEC, and he enjoys it.
“It’s kind of interesting because you’re melting two pieces of steel together and you can build something,” said Noltner, a CHS junior. “That’s basically what the industry is about.”
Welding will be useful in his future career as well.
“I’m going to work for my dad as soon as I get out of high school,” he said. “We’re going to do some welding.”
ATEC Welding Teacher Michael Lillis said he gets a combination of students in his classes—some already know they want to go into the field; others have never done it before. Lillis, who worked in the industry before starting at ATEC last fall, said he enjoys teaching welding.
“Every single day is absolutely different,” he said.
While it’s challenging, it’s also rewarding to see the moment when students catch on.
“There’s a point where you actually break through and you see the bell go off,” Lillis said. “… That moment right there is hard to explain.”
CTE courses like the classes taught at ATEC Academy are important.
“At the high school level, I think it’s the first opportunity to take what they are learning over at the mothership and shove it into the field,” Lillis said.
His classroom has a periodic table on the wall, and his students learn sixteenths and the Pythagorean theorem. Students are also learning a lot of soft skills, he said, including how to fill out a job application.
For students considering trying this type of course, Magee and Noltner encouraged them to go for it.
“It’s something beneficial to try,” Noltner said.
“We need people to do hands-on work,” Magee said, “not just a desk job.”
Said Lillis, “Somebody’s got to build the desks.”
To learn more about CTE courses at Aberdeen Central High School, visit the ATEC Academy webpage.
About the Aberdeen Public School District
The Aberdeen Public School District provides a comprehensive educational program to approximately 4,200 students in grades K-12, with a mission of empowering all students to succeed in a changing world. Our students receive the knowledge and skills necessary to reach their potential in a global community through high expectations of academic achievement; diverse educational opportunities; and community involvement in a safe, supportive environment. Learn more at aberdeen.k12.sd.us.