Black River Technical College (BRTC) Career and Technical Center (CTC) graduate Deacon Parnell of Jonesboro recently received two scholarships equaling $8,000.
Parnell has been awarded a $4,000 work ethic scholarship from the Mike Rowe WORKS Foundation and another $4,000 scholarship from the American Welding Society.
“I was very shocked,” Parnell said, “ I couldn’t believe it. Great things don’t happen to everyone, so I was really in shock.”
He said it was also a relief. “It will really save me some cash; I took out a personal loan for the Academy.”
Parnell already holds two basic certificates from BRTC: one in arc welding and another in MIG welding. He also earned a certificate of proficiency in welding.
“I really enjoy welding. I find it peaceful,” he said. “I’m always looking to improve. There is always room for improvement. That’s what I look for, getting better every day.”
Parnell started classes at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy in Quitman earlier this week.
He said joining classes in the BRTC CTC program “was about opportunity. Getting myself out there and networking in case I went straight into working instead of the Academy.”
“Deacon was a perfect fit for the BRTC CTC program. He knew he wanted to pursue a career in welding and the BRTC CTC program helped him get started on that path while he was still enrolled in high school,” said Director of CTC and Concurrent Education Darenda Kersey.
After Parnell graduates from the Arkansas Elite Welding Academy, he is excited to see where life takes him. “The goal has always been to work on the pipeline, but I would be open to other opportunities. I especially want to travel.”
“Deacon was an excellent student who really excelled in welding and was always willing to help other students out. He was always wanting to learn more so he could go to a pipe welding school to get a job out on the road making great money,” said BRTC Welding Instructor Rickie Gunn.
Parnell is a 2023 graduate of Brookland High School. He is the son of Kerri and Jeremy Parnell.
For more information about the BRTC CTC program, contact Director of Career, Technical, and Concurrent Education Darenda Kersey at (870) 248-4184 or darenda.kersey@blackrivertech.edu.
According to mikeroweworks.org, the Mike Rowe WORKS Foundation has awarded more than $6.7 million in grants to more than 1,490 students across the U.S. since its inception in 2008.
According to AWS.org, the American Welding Society is the worldwide authority in the development of standards, certifications and educational programming for the welding, allied joining and cutting community. They are a not-for-profit organization committed to connecting the welding industry to their extensive collection of resources, informing their community of technological advancements and developing the next generation of welding professionals with the help of the AWS Foundation. AWS serves more than 60,000 members worldwide, is composed of 22 Districts with 250 Sections and Student Chapters, and includes close to 2000 volunteers in over 200 technical committees, subcommittees and task groups. For more information, visit the American Welding Society’s website at aws.org