Hartsville students awarded $2,500 welding scholarships
Hartsville High School graduates and FDTC students Philip Norris (left) and Jniya Jackson (right) recently each received a $2,500 welding scholarship. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) welding students Jniya Jackson and Philip Norris were recently awarded a $2,500 scholarship from the American Welding Society (AWS). Jackson and Norris began taking welding classes at FDTC during the Spring 2021 semester. They are both from Hartsville and are Hartsville High School graduates. The scholarship funding that Jackson and Norris received is part of the AWS’s more than $1.6 million effort to benefit welding education throughout the country. “The American Welding Society Foundation is thrilled to support Jniya and Philip on their journey to a rewarding career in welding,” said AWS Foundation Executive Director Monica Pfarr. “Their scholarships are part of more than $1.6 million that the AWS Foundation will award this year to support welding education and grow the next generation of leaders in the industry.” Jackson’s family members sparked her interest in welding, and that is one of the primary reasons she began taking classes at FDTC. “My daddy and my uncle have been doing it, and I said that I wanted to try it,” Jackson said. “You have to have patience with it. When you have patience, your weld looks right and decent.” Norris has really enjoyed his time in FDTC’s Welding Program, and he has developed great passion for his classwork. He says that the scholarship will help him go a long ways as he continues his higher education at the college. “I enjoy the people here,” Norris said. “My instructors, they really take the time to help us and show us what we need to do. This is something that I’ve learned that I’m really passionate about, and I enjoy doing it. “I really appreciate the scholarship. It’s going to help a lot. Life has kind of changed a lot for me recently, and this will help me go a long ways.” The AWS is a nonprofit organization that focuses on advancing the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide. For more information on the Welding Program at FDTC, please contact Director of Welding Jamie King by e-mailing Jamie.King@fdtc.edu or by calling 843-661-8330.
