Gallery • 3 Photos

Chris Silva is making a trailer for his fair project.

It’s that time of year again, the Los Banos High welders are busy. May is approaching very fast and they have a project to be done soon.

For a teacher project days are full of stress but they know exactly what to do. Mr. Borelli says that he has students calling for help all the time while welding. He also says that there are over 100 of his students turning in projects for fair. “We get a variety of things made.  It starts from small things like toolboxes to big things like BBQ pits and any type of trailer,” says Borelli.

He not only has his students needing help, but the community also calls and asks to have things welded for them. Borelli says he has the whole community reaching out to these students.  Welding is not the easiest thing but these boys make it seem like it is. Mr. Borelli says that the danger of welding is having too much fun while welding.

For those students that are beginning to weld, they get hands on experience, but they don’t get to make projects. Basically these first year students learn the basics of the shop and welding overall.  Then they practice different tasks for a whole year.

Jonathan Duran (9) and Zachary Little (9) are taking welding for the first time. They both agree that the best part of welding class is that they, in general, just know how to weld. Both boys said that they get better and better everyday and are excited to continue the path of welding while attending high school.  Duran did say that he is thinking about welding as a possible career choice. Little, however is taking this class just as his elective.  He does not see welding as a future career at this time.

Every first year student starts from the beginning like Duran and Little. After taking it for a year, the second year students are ready to start building and designing a project.

Markos Lopez (10), is in his second year and he is currently making a BBQ Pit. He says, “I love everything about welding, from learning new things everyday to making progress on my BBQ Pit.”

Some students are not confident about their projects and then there are students like Lopez who are very confident and take pride in doing a good job. When asked if he was thinking of welding for a future career, Lopez said yes that he had already looked at some colleges.

Another student, Senior Chris Silva has been welding for three years now. It’s his last year here at Los Banos High, and he also said he will be doing something with welding after graduating. Silva is making a BBQ Pit Trailer and similar to Lopez, he feels confident about his trailer. “I like to be able to get pieces of metal and make something different,” says Silva. He also mentioned that he would like to buy the trailer for his family.

Welding projects will be judged and on display at our May Day Fair.