Avery Serink, a senior at the Academy of Art Career and Technology in Washoe County is making waves as the only high school student in the country competing in the WorldSkills Welding finals. As all of the other participants have already graduated.
Serink says his passion for welding all started when he was a kid, with his knack for building. He says “Whenever there was any metal I couldn’t stick it together and it made me mad so it just seemed to be this… forging or building skills being able to stick to pieces of metal together.”
So far Serink has been welding for about three and a half years “It’s cool I mean you’re getting metal really really hot and sticking it together and it seems like it should be impossible.”
He tells us, representing Nevada and being the only high schooler in the competition hasn't fully sunk in yet “I’m trying to process that I’m top 9 of this competition out of the entire United States.”
Serink mentions, winning would be a huge accomplishment but the experience means the world “So far just being pushed so hard and having so much difficult stuff I have to do, they’ve increased my skills immensely and I’m very grateful for that.”
He says after he's done with high school, welding will always be a career path for him, but he's also looking into engineering.
Serink also says he's aiming or a spot in the global finals set to take place in Lyon, France next summer.
