Kaps Builds Future With New Skills
What appears to be a small metal briefcase sits on a table among several sculptures of houses, animals, and plants. It鈥檚 not something you would typically associate with welding, with copper straps and real latches and hinges holding it closed. When opened, inside is a model record player, complete with a needle, dials, and a metal record that spins.
Aydan Kaps had been tinkering on his welding sculpture since October, and put in over 150 hours on it. It doesn鈥檛 play music, but it didn鈥檛 have to for judges at the Nebraska State SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference to give him a gold medal.
鈥淚鈥檓 aware of my abilities, I鈥檓 a decent welder,鈥� Kaps said. 鈥淪o why not make something fun? I really enjoy making cool stuff.鈥�
Kaps found his passion for welding when he signed up for a welding class his freshman year at Sutherland High School. He then followed that passion along with his love of wrestling to 黑料百科, where he balanced his time between living on the Beatrice campus for wrestling and taking courses in the Welding Technology Center in Lincoln.
鈥淢y instructors definitely prepared me for a lot,鈥� Kaps said. 鈥淵ou really get a lot of experience and it is kind of nice because you get out as much as you put in. The instructors will help you, but they鈥檙e going to make sure you can do it on your own.鈥�
When Kaps graduated high school, he wasn鈥檛 sure he wanted to go to college. He had an apprenticeship lined up at TK鈥檚 Welding and Fabrication in North Platte. When he visited campus, Wrestling Head Coach Terry Pack gave him a chance.
鈥淗e said he could teach anyone to wrestle, and that they were looking for character,鈥� Kaps said. 鈥淗e made sure, no matter how good you were, everyone was treated the same. I was treated the same as the starters, and it was an incredible experience.鈥�
Competing on the wrestling team while pursuing his education meant a lot of sacrifices for Kaps. He commuted from Beatrice to Lincoln most days,
鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely pros and cons of doing both,鈥� Kaps said. 鈥淲restling and welding are two things that beat your body up, and I鈥檝e had to deal with that. It鈥檚 one of those combinations that on paper might not go together, but wrestling has made the welding side look easy, and the discipline from it is always going to help me.鈥�
On May 5, Kaps walked across the stage at Pinnacle Bank Arena to receive his Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology. After graduation, he鈥檒l continue working at TK鈥檚 Welding.
In June, he鈥檒l be taking his record player sculpture to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.
鈥淚鈥檝e kind of had a plan from the get-go, but SkillsUSA definitely pushed me towards having a little hobby business on the side,鈥� Kaps said. 鈥淚t pushed me towards fabricating, but then also having something to keep your soul alive.鈥�
Damon Bennett
Activities Information Director
402-437-2077
dbennett@southeast.edu