Two Trojans place in state-wide MEWDC Welding Contest

Monroe High School seniors Tyler Lemerande and Jacob Smith were named winners of the 2017-18 Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium Career in Energy Week High School CTE Welding Contest. Lemerande took second place and Smith took a share of fourth place in a competition that saw 55 entries from over 100 applicants from across the state.

“We are so incredibly proud of Tyler and Jacob,” Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Julie Everly said. “Their accomplishments are yet another example of the excellent Career and Technical Education programs and teachers we have at Monroe Public Schools. Glenn Zorn is a great example of educators in the CTE program who go above and beyond to help prepare students for careers and opportunities after graduation. It really goes to show the great deal of dedication our faculty has to our students and the future of this community.”

Zorn is the welding instructor at Monroe High School. He was instrumental in orchestrating the students’ submissions, taking time after school to help guide Lemerande and Smith with their projects.

“I am just so appreciate of all of the work that Glenn put in to prepare these two for this competition,” Monroe Public Schools CTE Director Bill Ferrara said. “He, like so many other teachers, put in so many extra hours supporting these students. This is a great honor for these students and for Glenn.”

Lemerande, who submitted an ornate windmill piece, won a Maxstart stick package welding unit, a bag of welding equipment and accessories, $250 in cash, and $750 for the Monroe High School welding program. Smith’s submission of a landscape with added circuitry earned him a Miller Thunderbolt stick welding unit. The two seniors have been invited to the March 20 meeting of the MEWDC at Jackson College to receive their awards.

The MEWDC Welding Competition was hosted by DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and the Lansing Board of Water and Light during the fourth annual Careers and Energy Week in October 2017. High school welding students were asked to submitted metal creations centered around a theme of Michigan and energy. The entries were judged by professional welders.