May 29, 2019
ARTICLE COURTESY OF THE WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL
An award winning metal sculpture by an East Mississippi Community College student that depicts one of Taylor Machine Works most prominent machines will soon be donated and on display in the front lobby of Taylor Logistics.
EMCC Welding student Bryson Jenkins of DeKalb recently won first in Welding Sculpture in the Mississippi SkillsUSA Championships in Jackson for his miniature replica of a forklift built by Taylor Machine works. He earned the award for the sculpture’s detail and challenging welding techniques used to construct it.
Jenkins is enrolled in the Welding program on EMCC’s Scooba campus. Shane McDaniel of Louisville is the Welding instructor. This was the first year that students in the Welding program on EMCC’s Scooba campus had ever participated in a welding competition, McDaniel said.
Other Mississippi SkillsUSA Championship winners with local connections from EMCC were Isaiah Woods and Dylan Copeland, who received first place in Chapter Display in the SkillsUSA Championship. Chanley McDaniel placed first in sheet metal and second in the state.
Jenkins, Woods and other welding students from EMCC recently toured the Taylor Machine Works Louisville plant with eyes on future employment.
The students asked many questions of Davis Taylor of Taylor Machine Works parts distribution subsidiary, Sudden Service, about the machines produced and work at the company, which has locations across the U.S.
The first-place winners at Mississippi SkillsUSA earned state championship titles and will advance to the national championships during the 55th National Leadership and Skills Conference June 24-28 in Louisville, Ky. Jenkins’s sculpture will be entered in that competition.
More than 6,000 students from across the country will compete in 100 different trade, technical and leadership categories for national championship titles at the nation championships.
Jenkins and McDaniel plan to present the sculpture to Taylor Machine Works for display after the national welding competition.
"Being a first-generation student at EMCC is not a limitation, it's an opportunity to rewrite my family's story. Every class I attend, every assignment I complete, is a step towards a brighter future. I am a pioneer, and my determination will light the way for those who follow."
“I chose EMCC because it gave me the best opportunities coming out of high school. I got plenty of scholarships because the school offered so many. I would not have been able to do half of the things that I have done if i didn’t come here. First generation students are already at a disadvantage. If you are able to you should get an education to break the generational curse and create generational wealth for your family. Education is the most powerful tool.”
“As a first gen student, I feel that it is important to obtain a college education because it gives me the opportunity to break barriers for the next generation of my family. I choose EMCC because of the opportunity to get a great education and to make a difference on campus, in the community, and in my family.”
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