by David Snow
The Paducah Sun
November 12, 2021
Used with permission.
As a homeschooled student, Ethan Lindsey often finds himself in a class by himself. He also found himself to be in a class by himself in welding classes at the Paducah Area Technical Center this year.
The Paducah senior is in his first year in the PATC welding program and is this week’s Associated General Contractors of Western Kentucky Technical Center Student of the Week.
“The first year, I went through each of the career options, where they will give you nine weeks to go through different sections of the trades,” he said. “They let you find which ones are best for you. This year, I’m actually welding.
“Welding, to me, is a lot of fun. With welding, you can create different kinds of things. You can create metal sculptures, and I really enjoy all that.”
Lindsey said he also enjoys the work that he does.
“I really enjoy how, sometimes, people bring in projects that we can do,” he said. “I enjoy tearing it down and fixing it back up.”
Lindsey said he would like to make welding into a career.
“I’ve been thinking about the future, and this is something I really think about and want to do in the future,” he said.
Lindsey’s welding instructor, Brandon Wilber, said when schools were closed because of COVID-19 during the 2020-21 school year, the Paducah Area Technical Center was allowed to work with small groups.
“With him being a homeschool student, none of the (public school) mandates were really forced on him about him not being in the building,” he said. “So, he was able to come train with me in the building one-on-one. He was the only one who showed up.
“One nine-week period with me and him alone, I could already tell he would do well. I was hoping he would choose welding. Before he left, I told him, ‘As much one-on-one time as you’ve had, you probably at least covered about half of the college material that (West Kentucky Community and Technical College) would cover.’ ”
Lindsey said individualized training helped him build his skills.
“Sometimes, during COVID — since I’m homeschooled — I don’t follow the McCracken County (protocols), so I could come in and get some one-on-one training, and that really helped me become the student I am,” he said.
Wilber said at the start of this school year, Lindsey was on the list for beginning welding courses.
“I said, ‘We’ve got to get you out of those beginning classes,’ ” Wilber said. “’You’re far more advanced than the kids you’re in here with.’ ”
Wilber said Lindsey shows a professional working attitude, including politeness, promptness and preparedness.
Lindsey worked at Triangle Enterprises in Paducah, applying what he’s learned to real-world applications.
“Right now, I am doing a project where I have to create a bunch of metal frames for filters for Murray State,” he said.
In his spare time, Lindsey enjoys playing basketball, riding his bike and playing video games.
He has taken part in Paducah Police Explorers for the last four or five years.
“We go to marathons and Barbecue on the River and things like that,” he said. “It teaches the need to be respectful to others.”
Lindsey is the son of Jason and Lena Lindsey of Paducah.
A story featuring the AGC of Western Kentucky Technical Center Student of the Week will run in The Paducah Sun each Friday through April 1 with recipients chosen by instructors and administrators at the seven area technical centers that serve students in the state’s 13 westernmost counties.
In addition to the Paducah Area Technical Center, the 29 AGC of Western Kentucky Technical Center Students of the Week are chosen from the Ballard County Career and Technical Center, Caldwell Regional Career Center, Four Rivers Career Academy in Fulton County, Marshall County Technical Center, Mayfield-Graves County Area Technology Center and Murray-Calloway County Area Technology Center.
The Paducah Area Technical Center serves students from McCracken County, Paducah Tilghman, Graves County, Livingston Central and St. Mary high schools and Community Christian Academy as well as homeschools within their districts. It is located at the Paducah Innovation Hub at Paducah Tilghman High School.
Along with welding, it offers programs in collision repair, auto painting, automotive technology, carpentry and health science.
At the area technical centers, students are learning skills in other areas such as electrical work, plumbing, culinary arts and plumbing that will help them join the workforce upon graduation and help fill the need for skilled workers in the area.
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