Abilene ISD -

Growing up in south Taylor County, watching her dad and grandfather use their welding skills was part of everyday life for ATEMS sophomore Brylee Petty. So when she explored the career and technical education (CTE) options at her former school and found little that interested her, she made a bold decision—she told her parents she wanted to transfer to AISD to attend ATEMS and take CTE classes at The LIFT.

That choice paid off for Petty and first-year AISD welding teacher Dustin Moore. In her first year as a welding student, she made history last month in Odessa by becoming the first female student at ATEMS to win a district welding championship in the Skills USA competition for first-year welders. Her victory secured her a spot in the state Skills USA championship next month in Corpus Christi.

That’s not bad for someone who had never picked up a welding torch before this year.

“My dad manages some land, and my grandfather was a farmer, so I’ve seen both of them use a welding torch to fix many things,” Petty said. “So this year, I had a hole in my schedule, and I thought welding would be an interesting class.”

Moore is glad she did. He called her a student who “won’t do something halfway,” he said Petty consistently asks him to learn new techniques and explore ways to solve problems.

“She puts in great effort in everything she does,” Moore said. “If she’s asked to do something, she’s going to do it, and she’s going to do it to the best of her ability. Brylee has a drive and grit that you don’t see in many kids.”

That determination showed at the district competition, where Petty wasn’t sure what to expect—everything from the type of metal she'd be working with to whether she'd need to cut the pieces herself was uncertain. Her nerves settled when she was handed the pre-cut metal and told to get to work. She carefully tacked the pieces together before completing the weld, constructing a precise triangular prism.

She had one hour to complete her project, and she used the full 60 minutes to ensure that she hadn’t forgotten anything and that it was the best it could be. When she learned the next day she had won, she was stunned.

Despite her shock, Brylee's victory at the district competition was no mistake. With the state competition ahead, she’s leaving no stone unturned in her preparation. She's practicing with every size of welding rod she can find, determined to be fully prepared for the challenge ahead.

“I’m practicing everything … all the different processes this time, just to make sure I’m ready,” she said. “I want to do the best I can, but our project hasn’t been released yet, so I’m just working on some fundamentals and asking questions.”

Even though she said welding would not be a career, Petty said it would just be a skill she could add to her tool belt as she grows older. She wants to work in the cybersecurity industry, which is another CTE course offered at ATEMS that wasn’t available in her previous school district.

Brylee's interests and skills extend beyond welding. She’s already earned a certification in cybersecurity and is taking a computer science course this year. In addition, she's taking electrical trades classes, which will prepare her to handle any future household repairs.

That’s an attitude that would make her dad and grandfather proud.

Other State Qualifiers from ATEMS
The LIFT Welding program had nine students advance to the Skills USA state competition, April 2-5 in Corpus Christi. Below are the state qualifiers:

• Grand Champion individual (Welding Applications) – Braylee Petty
• Grand Champion individual (Welding) – Rilee Frazier
• UTV Cattle Guard Team – Aaron Ramirez, Canon Adams, Kevin Hernandez, Peyton Valdez
• Fire Pit Team – Emmanuel Torres, Rilee Frazier, Travis Johnson