LFCISD Students Compete in Welding Competition

Updated: April 4, 2023

(From L-R)Enrique Javier Guevara 12 grade, Carlos Alberto Breton 12 grade, Maximilliano Escamilla Gonzalez 12 grade, Ernesto Uribe 12 grade, Ernesto Ramirez12 grade, Jorge Eduardo Vallade 11 grade, Cristopher Michael De La Rosa 12 grade, Zakai Urian Mercado 11 grade, Sarah Rodriguez 12 grade, and Eliseo Gamboa (Teacher)

1st Place on the 3g (groove weld), Carlos Alberto Breton.

Emilio Flores

Los Fresnos News

On Friday, March 24th, Southern Career Institute in Harlingen held a welding competition. This Welding competition brought in several different schools, 5 to be exact, and around 80 students!

Mr. Gamboa, the Welding Instructor at Los Fresnos High, shares with Los Fresnos News that he had placed high in the competition! Carlos Breton received first place on the vertical groove weld and Ernesto Uribe placed 2nd in a fillet weld. In the group project, Los Fresnos placed 3rd. This was a project that Mr. Gamboa says “All the students participated in…”

Gamboa says this was the first year students from Los Fresnos had competed in this competition. “It was a great experience,” he says the students really had a good time and learned on the spot, how to adapt to different machinery that maybe isn’t quite what they are used to. Gamboa says that he tries to expose the students to various equipment so that when they are at the job they can adapt and feel comfortable under pressure.

2nd Place on the Fillet weld, Ernesto Uribe.

These competitions and experiences are great for the students, Gamboa says the students see the others kids’ work and can sometimes learn from it but they also recognize the welds that weren’t done properly. He says the students really take pride in their work. He tells his students, “It’s just what you put in,” that’s what you’ll get out.

Gamboa says he hopes to encourage these kids and give them opportunities that will help them with a future career.