Students from a welding class at Veterans Memorial High School are helping out one of their own. Last week, the class got a tip that a local veteran was in need. The vet recently bought a ramp for his scooter, however the ramp was weak and fragile.
Now, the students are taking it on as their class project, making repairs to the ramp so it is safe and sturdy.
Roel Banda, a senior who is working on the project, noticed the flaws almost immediately.
"It was bad," Banda said. "The craftsmanship on it was beyond pour."?
Mike Merino, also a senior working on the project, says they’re using the welding skills they learned in class to make the ramp sturdier and stronger.
"We’ll beef it up," Merino said. "We’ll strengthen it with it welds, fabricate it, and add a little Veterans Memorial touch to it."
The school year is nearly over so much of the students’ welding equipment and materials had already been stored for summer. But when the students got word that a veteran was in need, it was back to the drawing board.
"As soon as we heard that this veteran needed help, we were more than happy," Banda said. "We were already busting out the welding machines, busting out the leads, making sure that we needed to get it done."
The students say they’re honored to complete one more project before the school year ends, and before they had off to graduation.
"It’s what I want to do for my career," Merino said. "It’s welding, you’re torching, you’re cutting, you’re welding, you’re fabricating, but it’s more than that."
The students will present the newly-renovated ramp to the veteran on Wednesday evening. Until then, they will continue to work on the project during class.
