MONROE - If you knew what Holly Thomas' favorite animal was, then you would know the sculpture she made that won her a national award.
Thomas, 19, a Monroe High School graduate, won a national award this September for a welding sculpture of a miniature alligator.
Thomas put together her forearm-sized green alligator over the span of about a month in a class she took with MHS tech and engineering instructor Dan Saunders during her senior year. Thomas graduated last year and has since been enrolled at State University of New York at Oswego, with a double-major in zoology and Spanish and a minor in forensic science. She said she has always had a love for animals ever since she was a child, but reptiles have a special resonance with her.
"A lot of people fear reptiles, but they are so much like us - the females are very protective of their eggs and the males are very aggressive territorially; similar to fathers and mothers ... that's why crocodiles are my favorite," Thomas said.
Thomas won the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation National gold award for sculpture, a newly created category. Thomas isn't the first to bring back a national prize, but she is the first to bring back a gold for MHS. Her teacher, Dan Saunders, said many of his students have been awarded for the work they made in his class. The students also have to write a technical report about how they made their products and submit it as well as pictures for judgment.
"Not a lot of them want to do the technical report they have to write to get the award - it's like sending a 6-year-old to a dentist - but Holly has always been extremely strong academically," Saunders said.
He said she was the only girl in his welding class, but it didn't faze her and she had obvious motivation to do her work.
"I showed her what the TIG (welder) was all about and she practiced it for about two to three weeks and kind of just went at it," Saunders said.
Thomas said that despite her recognition as a welder, her passion in schooling has always been animals. She said the welding skill is a good one to fall back on, but will likely remain a hobby in her pursuit of a double-major.
"Well, I could have chosen to make a lot of money, but I'd rather be happy and broke," she said.
Thomas also received a $1,000 check and two new TIG welders, one for her and one for Saunders. Thomas said once they can rewire her parents' garage to handle all the power of her TIG welder, she may start doing commissions for welded sculptures.
"I was thinking of taking requests and selling them on Etsey for some extra cash this summer, since you know college is expensive," she said.
Thomas said she plans on continuing her schooling into a doctorate after she finishes her double-major, as well as spending some time abroad in places like Brazil or Australia. Thomas said she will keep up with welding if she can find the time between schooling.
Thomas, 19, a Monroe High School graduate, won a national award this September for a welding sculpture of a miniature alligator.
Thomas put together her forearm-sized green alligator over the span of about a month in a class she took with MHS tech and engineering instructor Dan Saunders during her senior year. Thomas graduated last year and has since been enrolled at State University of New York at Oswego, with a double-major in zoology and Spanish and a minor in forensic science. She said she has always had a love for animals ever since she was a child, but reptiles have a special resonance with her.
"A lot of people fear reptiles, but they are so much like us - the females are very protective of their eggs and the males are very aggressive territorially; similar to fathers and mothers ... that's why crocodiles are my favorite," Thomas said.
Thomas won the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation National gold award for sculpture, a newly created category. Thomas isn't the first to bring back a national prize, but she is the first to bring back a gold for MHS. Her teacher, Dan Saunders, said many of his students have been awarded for the work they made in his class. The students also have to write a technical report about how they made their products and submit it as well as pictures for judgment.
"Not a lot of them want to do the technical report they have to write to get the award - it's like sending a 6-year-old to a dentist - but Holly has always been extremely strong academically," Saunders said.
He said she was the only girl in his welding class, but it didn't faze her and she had obvious motivation to do her work.
"I showed her what the TIG (welder) was all about and she practiced it for about two to three weeks and kind of just went at it," Saunders said.
Thomas said that despite her recognition as a welder, her passion in schooling has always been animals. She said the welding skill is a good one to fall back on, but will likely remain a hobby in her pursuit of a double-major.
"Well, I could have chosen to make a lot of money, but I'd rather be happy and broke," she said.
Thomas also received a $1,000 check and two new TIG welders, one for her and one for Saunders. Thomas said once they can rewire her parents' garage to handle all the power of her TIG welder, she may start doing commissions for welded sculptures.
"I was thinking of taking requests and selling them on Etsey for some extra cash this summer, since you know college is expensive," she said.
Thomas said she plans on continuing her schooling into a doctorate after she finishes her double-major, as well as spending some time abroad in places like Brazil or Australia. Thomas said she will keep up with welding if she can find the time between schooling.