New high school grads also earn welding certificates

Later this month, two North Central High School seniors will walk in two graduation ceremonies.

Brycen Sheffler and Jonathan Pinkston will earn their high school diplomas, and they've earned three certificates from Ivy Tech Community College with honors through Twin Rivers Career & Technical Education Center.

Both students have earned the right to wear gold, "Latin Cords" which represent graduating with honors.

Sheffler and Pinkston began the vocational program their junior year because they felt welding would be a good skill to learn. They had not given much thought to it as a career or where these classes would take them.

At the beginning of their senior year, the two 18-year-olds decided to get serious and turn this new skill into a career. With the help of their College and Careers instructor, they started a job search which lead to offers at Peabody Energy. Sheffler and Pinkston accepted their offers and will start at the Bear Run Mine the first week of June.

The two students earned Ivy Tech structural welding certificates, and their new jobs will be in welding.