BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Lilly Dunn is an award-winning Blount County welder and Grayson Bradley is an award-winning construction worker. Both were honored by Representative Tim Burchett this week, a Republican from Tennessee.
Burchett visited William Blount High School Monday to encourage students enrolled in the school's Career and Technical Education programs to pursue a job in the trades. Dunn is currently also pursuing a degree in pipe fitting. She graduated from William Blount High School at the end of the last school year.
She said she appreciated Burchett coming to speak with the students.
"It's exciting knowing somebody that high up is wanting to come and talk to us, and other people about their achievements and talk to kids at the school about the things they are doing, that are rewarding," Dunn said. "And that they can have good jobs."
Dunn competed in the national SkillsUSA welding contest in Atlanta, and beat out 44 other high school students, or recent high school graduates, to win a gold medal for welding in the sculpture category.
Bradley also graduated from William Blount High School at the end of last school year, and he's already working at a construction company. He said he encourages high school students to consider a similar career path.
"It's really nice," Bradley said. "Maybe two days after I graduated and left school I immediately had a job, and I've been working full-time ever since. It's nice to not have to wait around."
Bradley was part of a team from Sevier County that won the bronze medal in a construction teamwork competition at this summer's SkillsUSA competition.
He said a team from Sevier County needed a fourth member, so they asked him to join. The group had to build a miniature house in 16 hours.