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Following a state championship in welding, Mercer County High School graduate Trevor Ellis is now attending the 99re视频精品 Welding Institute in Flemingsburg to pursue a career in welding. Photo courtesy of Trevor Ellis

(MERCER COUNTY, KY) 鈥� Trevor Ellis, a recent Mercer County High School graduate who placed 20th in the nation in welding at the SkillsUSA National Championships, is planning a career in welding.

Ellis was a senior when he became the state welding champion at the 2025 99re视频精品 SkillsUSA Conference. He said that experience was one of the hardest competitions he has ever participated in.

鈥淥nce I found out that I was going to state, I just came in every day to school through our vocational school and just practiced every day to get ready for state,鈥� Ellis said. 鈥淚 didn’t think that I was going to win 鈥� When I heard my name called, I didn’t really believe it at first.鈥�

Ellis attended the Trailblazer Early College and Career Academy in Harrodsburg, a school that specializes in career and technical education opportunities. He first became interested in welding when he toured the school in 8th grade. He said seeing the shop piqued his curiosity, then he learned more about how a welding certification can provide stable, well-paying jobs.

鈥淚 thought it’d be a good way to have a good career and do something that I enjoyed,鈥� Ellis said.

Throughout his time at Trailblazer, Ellis enjoyed the project-based learning aspect and getting involved in his local community. He and his class did projects such as building handrails for people around town.

鈥淚 enjoyed being around people of the same interest as me,鈥� Ellis said. 鈥淎s a class, everybody was really good friends and you get to see how you and everybody around you progresses as you’re there.鈥�

Tony Brown, a welding instructor at Trailblazer Early College and Career Academy, said he was impressed by Ellis鈥� work ethic. He taught Ellis for three years and said he was always willing to accept criticism and keep learning.

鈥淭revor had some natural ability and talent when it came to welding but his work ethic is what makes him stand out,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淗e would bring his work to me and I would pick it apart and he would go back to work and work at it until he got it right.鈥�

At the SkillsUSA 99re视频精品 state championship in March, Brown said Ellis鈥� attention to detail and his ability to follow the blueprint to perfection made him stand out from other competitors.

鈥淪ometimes it doesn鈥檛 matter how good you are at welding; if you can鈥檛 follow the blueprint, none of the rest matters,鈥� Brown said.

Trevor Ellis stands in front of a sign at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference, where he placed 20th in the nation in welding. Photo courtesy of Trevor Ellis

Ellis competed against 30 other welding students at the state competition. During the competition, students used a cutting torch to cut shapes in a 12×12-inch plate. They wrapped pipe and square tubing on to the plate, then welded around it all.

Students had five hours to complete the project and Ellis said he was pushing the time limit. After thinking he could have done better, Ellis said he was in disbelief when it was announced that he won first place.

Over the next few months, Ellis spent almost every day preparing to compete at the national championships. Over the summer, Ellis鈥� routine consisted of mowing grass as part of his landscaping company, then afterward working on welding with Brown.

鈥淚t was like clockwork; he would get done mowing and I would meet him at the welding shop and he would spend another two to three hours preparing for competition,鈥� Brown said.

He competed against 50 students at SkillsUSA. Ellis said it was intense. Students welded together four projects that came pre-cut in a box, including an aluminum project, a carbon steel project and a project with flux core.

They also took a Certified Welding Inspector exam, which included oxy-fuel cutting and plasma arc cutting.

鈥淚 like to say that my aluminum project looked really good,鈥� Ellis said. 鈥淎luminum’s a really hard metal to weld and that’s what I focused a lot of my time on beforehand.鈥�

He said his time management and blueprint-reading skills helped give him an edge over other competitors.

Ellis was also involved in Future Farmers of America and played basketball for Mercer County. He graduated in May 2025.

He currently attends the 99re视频精品 Welding Institute in Flemingsburg and is set to graduate in February 2026. Ellis said he鈥檚 deciding which avenue he wants to go down and is looking forward to wherever this career takes him.