Centralia High School senior to compete in two welding national championships

A Centralia High School senior will soon compete in two national championships for welding.

Owen Sharp, a standout member of the high school's career and technical education (CTE) welding program, will first travel to San Diego, California, to participate in the Project MFG National Welding League Championships.

The national tournament takes place May 6-8. Sharp was invited after advancing through multiple rounds of competition.

According to a news release from the high school's CTE Director Carissa Folgner, the Project MFG National Welding League is a no‑cost, project‑based competition where students complete real‑world challenges using materials and plans provided by the organization.

All travel and lodging expenses for the national championship are covered by Project MFG.

The following month, Sharp will compete at the SkillsUSA National Welding Competition in Atlanta, Georgia, where he will represent Centralia High School and Washington state.

Sharp recently placed first at the Washington State SkillsUSA Welding Competition for the second consecutive year.

The national competition runs from June 1-5.

"Being able to compete in and win the state welding competition for the last two years has been such a great experience," Sharp said. "Competing in such challenging competitions has allowed me to learn more than I would have ever thought was possible in such a relatively short amount of time."

Sharp highlighted his experiences in the high school's metal shop, headed by Brian Taylor.

"I am incredibly grateful for the support of my parents and Mr. Taylor for their continued support through my welding journey," Sharp said. "I have always had every resource I needed in CHS' metal shop to sharpen my skills. I will be forever thankful for the countless opportunities our metals program and Mr. Taylor have provided me."

Sharp called the program "absolutely worthy of being proud of and recognized."

The high school senior now looks forward to using his welding skills in the professional world.

"My love and appreciation of welding has inspired me to pursue a future career as a certified welding inspector and possibly certified welding educator," Sharp said.

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