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LIFELONG
DREAM BECOMES A REALITY
Lifelong
dedication and focus on a dream keeps David C. Butkus of Sinking
Spring, Pennsylvania, on a path to a career reality and earns
for him the Howard B. Cary Scholarship at the Hobart
Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, Ohio.
A 2003 graduate of Wilson High School in West Lawn,
Pennsylvania and Berks
Career & Technology Center in Leesport, PA, David is the
son of Francis and Merrie Butkus.
“I
have been interested in welding since I was about four or five
years old,” says David, “always asking my father when I
could start welding.”
“You can start learning to weld when the welding helmet
fits,” came the reply from his father, Francis.
At
that time, his father was an instructor at a vocational
technical school and ran his own business part time during the
school year and full time during the summer.
And for the next several years, David would hold the
helmet in place with his hands and watch Dad weld anything that
was at his height to see.
“My
dream of becoming a professional welder started when I was nine
or ten years old,” continues David.
“I have enjoyed my learning experience both at my
father’s shop since 1998 and at Berks Career and Technology
Center. I enjoy the
hands-on work and seeing how to take raw metal and make it into
something useful.”
An
example of such a transformation became his senior project.
“I
built a tilt-trailer for hauling lawn care equipment, using
valves and hydraulics,” explains David.
“To operate the trailer, you drive the lawn equipment
forward onto the trailer to load it and drive backward to unload
it. This is just
one example of the many projects I have created or helped my
father create.”
“Dave
is a responsible and dedicated young man that possesses both
technical expertise and the ability to work cooperatively with
others,” says Michael Fitzgerald, Teacher of Technology
Education at Wilson Senior High School.
“Dave has always demonstrated the willingness to put
forth whatever effort is required to complete tasks.
He is also the type of individual that is committed to
learning, a quality I believe will serve him well in his
post-secondary and career pursuits.”
David
is enrolled in the Combination
Structural and Pipe Welding Program at the Hobart
Institute and will be completing his training in July 2004.
“My
career goals are to become a certified welder.
When I have completed my schooling at the Hobart
Institute of Welding Technology, I plan to take over the family
welding business, Welding & Thermal Technology, Inc.,”
says David. “I
hope to continue the great reputation and growth of the business
while at the same time keeping up with new technology in welding
along with other areas like thermal spraying and cryogenic
tempering.”
In
high school, David has been an honor roll student and an award
winner of the SkillsUSA-VICA
District Welding Competition and the American
Welding Society Student Welding Competition.
He was named Outstanding Welding Student from
Wilson High School and Student of the Quarter several
times at Berks Career & Technology Center.
“David’s
quiet self-confidence and strong work ethic has been a positive
role model for many of my other students,” says Ann Grenko of
the Wilson School District.
“He applies himself fully to any task he undertakes and
demonstrates a strong desire to improve himself and overcome any
obstacles he encounters.”
“If
you are looking for the brightest and the best for your
school,” says Scott Speece, Counselor at Berks Career &
Technology Center, “then David Butkus should be at the top of
your list. He is
one of those students who will make your instructors’ lives a
joy and give them a reason for coming to work everyday.”
Professionally,
David plays an active role with the American Welding Society and
in the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay.
Through his work with the DeMolay Chapter, he plans to
continue supporting the Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals.
He is also a member of the Cushion Peak Gun Club and has
worked in the family business since 1986.
The Howard B. Cary
Scholarship is one of three scholarships awarded each year by
the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology.
The application deadline for the Raymond C. Dunlavy
Scholarship is December 1 and for the Robert Bercaw Scholarship
is April 1. The
Hobart Institute also honors scholarships awarded by other
organizations or individuals including the American Welding
Society, the Joseph Capra Scholarship, and scholarships that are
presented on a local level.
The Hobart Institute does not discriminate on the basis
of disability, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or
age.
Application
may be obtained from the Institute web site at http://www.welding.org/scholarship.pdf
or by calling 1-800-332-9448, ext. 5560 or (937) 332-5560.
The
Hobart Institute of Welding Technology is a nonprofit
institution dedicated to welding training and education
excellence. The
Institute educates and trains individuals in the use and
application of welding technologies; develops and disseminates
welding training and educational material; and conducts
certification research and qualifications for the welding
industry.
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