Haylee Newman, a senior at Penquis Valley High School in Milo, was surprised to get some airtime on Bangor TV station Fox 22 in a news segment on the Tri-County Technical Center where she is studying welding.
She was even more surprised when the appearance led to a challenge coin from BIW President Chuck Krugh during a visit to the shipyard on April 17.
In the news story, Newman talked about how much she enjoyed welding and how she was applying for the BIW Apprenticeship Program.
What does she like about welding? “Being able to put your head down and blocking everything out and focusing on it. Also, the amount of things you can make,” she said.
“Reading the puddle is my favorite part. For stick and gas welding when you’re actually welding, there’s a puddle you have to watch for. It’s the two metals fusing together.” Too slow and the puddle builds up. Too fast and the puddle is too small and the weld’s not strong enough.
A few days after the news report, the class was touring the shipyard.
“I felt it was an eye-opening opportunity to follow the process from raw material through the many different stages to a finished destroyer,” said Tri-County Technical Center Welding Instructor Jason Scholten. “The team did an excellent job explaining each stage and the importance of quality control throughout the process.”
Afterward, Krugh stopped in to see the group, encouraging them to consider a career in shipbuilding.
“It’s not easy work, but if you want good work, hard work, where you feel like you’re part of a mission that allows you to help protect your family and your country, this is the place,” he said.
Newman said she was impressed by the tour, seeing how all the different pieces come together to become a ship, and came away even more committed to joining BIW. After the tour, getting Krugh’s challenge coin was an unexpected honor. “I almost didn’t want to put it down because I thought I could lose it,” she said. “I’m going to cherish it.”
