Eli Smith, 15, has a keen interest in a particular career track, and took a major step in that direction last month through his ability to work with steel and high heat.
The Wagener-Salley High School sophomore, taking part in his first welding competition, bagged first place in a Feb. 25 event at Midlands Technical College’s West Columbia campus. He won a brand-new Lincoln Electric multi-process welder for his efforts among a group of about 50 competitors – the best student welders around the state, in Smith’s assessment.
He started studying the trade in August, under the guidance of teacher Richard Bailey, with instruction also coming from Smith’s maternal grandfather, Paul Jeffcoat, whose professional background includes welding.
“This is what I plan on doing here when I graduate,” said Smith, whose parents are Wagener residents Chuck and Candi Smith.
Bailey said he has 23 students currently in the school’s welding program (all boys, in this year’s group), including students from Ridge Spring-Monetta High School. He confirmed Smith’s enthusiasm and dedication in preparing for the competition.
“The competition was at the end of February, and we talked about it...about a month or so after school started, and I mentioned it to him because I could see he took a shine to welding. He was pretty good at it, just from the start, and he liked to work hard.”
Bailey told Smith he could win the competition if he applied himself to the challenge at hand.
Wagener-Salley High School welding instructor Richie Bailey (left) conducts class with students Bradley Tibbs, Dylan Rawls, and Eli Smith.