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Missouri welding instructor wins                                                              Q & A
                                                                                                            Q & A

               Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize
                                                                                                            Q & A
                     Missouri welding instructor wins
                                    for Teaching Excellence
                    Missouri welding instructor wins
             Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize

                                 for Teaching Excellence
             Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize
                                 6 questions with Brent Trankler of Sikeston
                               Career and Technology Center, Sikeston, Mo.
                                for Teaching Excellence
                              6 questions with Brent Trankler of Sikeston

                            Career and Technology Center, Sikeston, Mo.
                              6 questions with Brent Trankler of Sikeston
             By Amanda Carlson                                     Trankler won first place in the 2019 Harbor
                           Career and Technology Center, Sikeston, Mo.
                                                                 Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excel-
             For many individuals, teaching is a calling. It’s not a   lence, which recognizes extraordinary public high
             profession for anyone seeking fame and fortune and
            By Amanda Carlson                                 Trankler won first place in the 2019 Harbor
                                                                 school skilled trades teachers and programs. The
             it requires hard work, sacrifice, patience, and a lot of  Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excel-
                                                                 program, which began in 2017, awards $1 million to
            For many individuals, teaching is a calling. It’s not a   lence, which recognizes extraordinary public high
                                                                 programs around the nation each year. As first-place
             juggling. The rewards usually aren’t quantifiable.
            profession for anyone seeking fame and fortune and
                                                             Trankler won first place in the 2019 Harbor
           By Amanda Carlson                                school skilled trades teachers and programs. The
                Brent Trankler felt the pull to become a welding
                                                                 winner, Trankler and SCTC received $100,000—
                                                            program, which began in 2017, awards $1 million to
            it requires hard work, sacrifice, patience, and a lot of   Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excel-
                                                                 $70,000 going to the school and $30,000 going to
             teacher almost immediately. He learned how to weld
                                                            programs around the nation each year. As first-place
            juggling. The rewards usually aren’t quantifiable.
           For many individuals, teaching is a calling. It’s not a   lence, which recognizes extraordinary public high
                                                                 Trankler.
             while working as a mechanic in the Army. Once his
              Brent Trankler felt the pull to become a welding
                                                            winner, Trankler and SCTC received $100,000—
           profession for anyone seeking fame and fortune and   school skilled trades teachers and programs. The
                                                                   The WELDER caught up with Trankler to talk
             service was complete, he worked in maintenance
            teacher almost immediately. He learned how to weld
                                                            $70,000 going to the school and $30,000 going to
           it requires hard work, sacrifice, patience, and a lot of   program, which began in 2017, awards $1 million to
                                                                 about the honor, his program, and how he plans to
             full time while he took classes to earn a bachelor’s
                                                            Trankler.
            while working as a mechanic in the Army. Once his
           juggling. The rewards usually aren’t quantifiable.   programs around the nation each year. As first-place
                                                                 use the prize money.
             degree in industrial technology.
                                                              The WELDER caught up with Trankler to talk
            service was complete, he worked in maintenance   winner, Trankler and SCTC received $100,000—
              Brent Trankler felt the pull to become a welding
                Never one to stop learning, Trankler pursued a
                                                            about the honor, his program, and how he plans to
            full time while he took classes to earn a bachelor’s
           teacher almost immediately. He learned how to weld   $70,000 going to the school and $30,000 going to
             second bachelor’s degree in industrial arts. That’s
            degree in industrial technology.
                                                            use the prize money.
           while working as a mechanic in the Army. Once his   Trankler.
                                                                 TW: Can you tell me a little bit about your
             where he discovered teaching.
              Never one to stop learning, Trankler pursued a
           service was complete, he worked in maintenance    The WELDER caught up with Trankler to talk
                                                                 welding program?
            second bachelor’s degree in industrial arts. That’s
           full time while he took classes to earn a bachelor’s   TW: Can you tell me a little bit about your
                “I worked second shift so I could student-teach  about the honor, his program, and how he plans to
                                                                 Trankler: I have roughly 25 kids per block, or 25
            where he discovered teaching.
             during the day. I did that just to have teaching in
           degree in industrial technology.                use the prize money.
                                                            welding program?
              “I worked second shift so I could student-teach
              Never one to stop learning, Trankler pursued a
             my back pocket as a Plan B, but it ended up being   kids an hour. We run in three-hour blocks, and then I
            during the day. I did that just to have teaching in
                                                            Trankler: I have roughly 25 kids per block, or 25
           second bachelor’s degree in industrial arts. That’s   TW: Can you tell me a little bit about your
             my Plan A. I’ve always been a tinkerer at heart, so
                                                                 have an advisory period which is separate from all of
            my back pocket as a Plan B, but it ended up being
           where he discovered teaching.                    kids an hour. We run in three-hour blocks, and then I
             my first master’s degree is a Master of Science with
                                                                 that. The lab itself has 27 operational booths.
            my Plan A. I’ve always been a tinkerer at heart, so   welding program?
              “I worked second shift so I could student-teach
                                                            have an advisory period which is separate from all of
                                                                   We’ve done the AWS SENSE program for the
             an emphasis on industrial education. Then I got
            my first master’s degree is a Master of Science with
           during the day. I did that just to have teaching in   Trankler: I have roughly 25 kids per block, or 25
                                                            that. The lab itself has 27 operational booths.
             another master’s degree in administration with the
                                                                 last eight or nine years. We want students to get
            an emphasis on industrial education. Then I got
           my back pocket as a Plan B, but it ended up being   kids an hour. We run in three-hour blocks, and then I
                                                              We’ve done the AWS SENSE program for the
                                                                 through all of the D1.1 structural standard. My grand
             goal of one day being a career-ed director,” Trankler
            another master’s degree in administration with the
           my Plan A. I’ve always been a tinkerer at heart, so   have an advisory period which is separate from all of
                                                            last eight or nine years. We want students to get
             explained.
                                                                 goal is for them to do all of the curriculum for the
            goal of one day being a career-ed director,” Trankler
           my first master’s degree is a Master of Science with   that. The lab itself has 27 operational booths.
                                                            through all of the D1.1 structural standard. My grand
                Now as welding instructor at Sikeston Career and
                                                                 American Petroleum Institute (API) specification for
            explained.
           an emphasis on industrial education. Then I got   goal is for them to do all of the curriculum for the
                                                             We’ve done the AWS SENSE program for the
             Technology Center (SCTC), Sikeston, Mo., he is liv-
                                                                 pipe, so that when they graduate they can go the
              Now as welding instructor at Sikeston Career and
                                                            American Petroleum Institute (API) specification for
           another master’s degree in administration with the   last eight or nine years. We want students to get
             ing his dream of giving back.
                                                                 structural or the pipe route. My class allows each
            Technology Center (SCTC), Sikeston, Mo., he is liv-
           goal of one day being a career-ed director,” Trankler   through all of the D1.1 structural standard. My grand
                                                            pipe, so that when they graduate they can go the
                “Growing up, the people who mentored me
                                                                 student to set their own pace. I want the kids to
            ing his dream of giving back.
           explained.                                      goal is for them to do all of the curriculum for the
                                                            structural or the pipe route. My class allows each
              “Growing up, the people who mentored me
                                                                 get good at what they’re doing before they move
              Now as welding instructor at Sikeston Career and
             made a significant impact on my life. I’m almost 38  student to set their own pace. I want the kids to
                                                           American Petroleum Institute (API) specification for
            made a significant impact on my life. I’m almost 38
                                                                 on, so some don’t finish all of the pipe stuff, but I
           Technology Center (SCTC), Sikeston, Mo., he is liv-  get good at what they’re doing before they move
             years old and I can still look back on those people  pipe, so that when they graduate they can go the
            years old and I can still look back on those people
                                                                 don’t want to hold the others back who are excelling
             who steered me in the right direction and showed
           ing his dream of giving back.                   structural or the pipe route. My class allows each
                                                            on, so some don’t finish all of the pipe stuff, but I
            who steered me in the right direction and showed   don’t want to hold the others back who are excelling
              “Growing up, the people who mentored me
             me a path that I never even knew existed. It’s good  student to set their own pace. I want the kids to
                                                                 through it.
            me a path that I never even knew existed. It’s good
           made a significant impact on my life. I’m almost 38   get good at what they’re doing before they move
                                                            through it.
                                                                   The students learn every welding process. I have
             to be able to give back,” Trankler added.
            to be able to give back,” Trankler added.
                                                              The students learn every welding process. I have
           years old and I can still look back on those people   on, so some don’t finish all of the pipe stuff, but I
                                                                 around $350,000 of equipment in the lab, so we’ve
                And now, thanks to the philanthropic foundation
              And now, thanks to the philanthropic foundation
                                                            around $350,000 of equipment in the lab, so we’ve
           who steered me in the right direction and showed   don’t want to hold the others back who are excelling
                                                                 been really blessed. Last year I won the AWS work-
             of Harbor Freight Tools founder Eric Smidt, giving
            of Harbor Freight Tools founder Eric Smidt, giving
           me a path that I never even knew existed. It’s good   through it.
                                                            been really blessed. Last year I won the AWS work-
                                                                 force development grant, which allowed us to add
             back just got a little easier.
            back just got a little easier.
           to be able to give back,” Trankler added.        force development grant, which allowed us to add
                                                             The students learn every welding process. I have
              And now, thanks to the philanthropic foundation   around $350,000 of equipment in the lab, so we’ve
           of Harbor Freight Tools founder Eric Smidt, giving   been really blessed. Last year I won the AWS work-
                                                                                         www.welding.org - 9 - 2020 SPRING ISSUE
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           back just got a little easier.                  force development grant, which allowed us to add
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