Students who earned perfect attendance, demonstrated strong work ethic, and showed improvement in their work at the welding shop were recognized recently.

Morning students Konnor Hoffman, Adiken Johnson, Gracelyn Freehling, Owen Shotts, Ethan Chapman, Kendra Noe, Kaiden Loomis, and Jaxon Sobina, and afternoon students Conner Winslow, Caleb McMillen, William Whitmore, Nick Wolfer, Ethan Chambers, Robert Crane, Ayden Downey, Alexis Finch, Waylon Saunders, Alexis Stover, Carter Jewell, and Collyn Jackson, were recognized by Teacher Nate McNett and Ellwood Training Coordinator Abe Bigelow.

The tangible reward is new gloves courtesy of Ellwood.

Those gloves help the career center replace safety gear that is becoming worn. “There are so many brand-new pairs of gloves around here,” McNett said.

Photo submitted to Times Observer From left, Ellwood National Forge Training Coordinator Abe Bigelow presents Warren County Career Center students Conner Winslow, Caleb McMillen, William Whitmore, Nick Wolfer, Ethan Chambers, Robert Crane, Ayden Downey, Alexis Finch, Waylon Saunders, Alexis Stover, Carter Jewell, and Collyn Jackson, in Welding Teacher Nate McNett’s afternoon class, with safety gloves in recognition of perfect attendance, hard work, and improvement.

The program is intended to incentivize attendance, which is crucial to ongoing skill development, McNett said.

Previously, only attendance was rewarded. McNett said it is important to provide incentives to students who may not be able to make it every day, but are working hard and making strides when they do.

“If we have a student that’s in here and working hard, they’re getting an award,” McNett said. “We’ve very thankful to Ellwood National Forge and Abe for helping us pioneer this program.”

He expects Betts Industries to join the incentive program next year. “It’s going to get better and better,” McNett said.