Cortez High School Graduate Fuses Hard Work and Heart
Cortez High School recent graduate, James Bennett, is the West-MEC CTE Student of the Month.
Bennett, 18, is a welding enthusiast. He spent the past two years firing up the welding torch melting and fusing metal into artwork. Using the techniques he learned in his Applied Technology class, Bennett worked on a special welding project in his spare time. The final product – a five-foot-tall statue of the Cortez Colt, the school’s mascot.
“It was a major project to handle especially with all my school work and leadership responsibilities,” Bennett said. “But I knew I wanted to create something like this when I was a sophomore in high school.”
During a presentation on the last day of class, James presented the completed statue to Cortez principal, Reid Chitwood, as a senior gift to school administration.
Bennett’s contribution and overall work ethic prompted his Applied Technology instructor, Nick Wotsl to nominate him for the West-MEC CTE Student of the Month award. He is the model CTE student, Wotsl said.
“James takes his education very seriously,” Wotsl said. “He was an active member of the welding and automotive CTE team. He is enthusiastic about a future in the welding industry.”
In addition to his daily involvement in CTE at Cortez, Bennett was an active leader, designer, and fabricator of the first Cortez trebuchet catapult team. The team competed in the Sims Metal Manufacturing Trebuchet Challenge in early May. They placed first, receiving a $1500-dollar prize.
Bennett will continue his technical training after high school. He received a full-ride scholarship to the Arizona Automotive Institute for tuition, tools and expenses.
