Seward County Community College/Area Technical School welding student Evan Thornton’s interest in welding started out small. “My freshman year of high school, I helped a friend build a flat bed for his pick up. He taught me a few things, and I’ve loved welding ever since.” Thornton is looking to finish his classes by the end of the year and find a job in metal construction. Some people enter the field and get an entry-level job as a helper, carrying equipment and assisting an experienced welder, but that didn’t appeal to Thornton. “Going to school helps out a lot,” Thornton explained. “A degree isn’t required but it makes it easier to get a job.” Welding appeals to Thornton because it’s interesting. “You just take a pile of metal and make something out of it,” he said. It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. “Welding is about 90 percent math,” he added. “I wasn’t good at math, but it’s simple math, so I’m OK.” According to his instructors, he is more than OK. “Evan is our presidential scholar, the cream of the crop,” John Massey, Thornton’s welding instructor and adviser, said.“He always attends class, is never late and stays late most nights. He does quality work.” Larry McLemore, Industrial Technology division chair, said, “Evan is a huge asset to SCCC, and will be a huge asset in his community.” Massey noted, “For his age, his work ethic is astounding.” It’s not just his work ethic that drives Thornton. He loves a challenge. He once built a 17-foot wheelchair ramp with a 10-by-10 foot deck on the front of a house. “I had to rent equipment, and think a lot about the inclines to get it right.” Whenever Thornton isn’t welding away in the Area Technical School shop, he practices his guitar. “I’m pretty decent. I know quite a few songs, but I can never remember a song when I’ve got a guitar in my hands,” he said. He doesn’t have a lot of free time to practice, though. “I go back home and work a lot.” Home is back with his parents in Boise City, Okla. Before he could use his father’s equipment, Thornton relied on his high school’s equipment. “I never really took the welding classes in high school,” Thornton said. “I was just always around the shop.”