Students hone skill sets at Meridian

STILLWATER, Okla. Seth Welliver and William Carroll may be almost a decade apart in age, but they both chose the career technology path to further their education.

Meridian Technology Center works to prepare high school students and adults for either college or the work force.

Welliver is a 27-year-old commercial and residential construction student from Perkins. He is one of about 700 full time students who is benefiting from the education provided at Meridian Tech. Welliver began at Northern Oklahoma College in Stillwater with an interest in architectural engineering but wound up at Meridian Tech when he didnt receive his military benefits on time.

Looking at what I know now and just kind of knowing my skill set better I know I would have probably failed horribly at the engineering, Welliver siad.

Instead, Meridian Tech has provided Welliver with the tools and learning style he needed to find the right fit as a carpenter.

Construction management is actually the degree I'm looking at, and that follows more of the lines of the skill set I already have, Welliver said.

Welliver prefers the hands-on approach he receives at Meridian Tech. He describes his experience as having artistic freedom in the classroom. In his program, Welliver also learns by working on site at a house that Meridian Tech students from multiple programs are collaborating to build.

We get to spend a lot more time perfecting our skills in here, Welliver said. From what I've seen, colleges are more about theoretical knowledge. Theoretical application as opposed to technical application is completely different.

Welliver has had other hands-on experiences in the classroom. He and several other students built and installed all of the shelving for the tool room inside the construction classroom.

The instructor actually sat in here and told us how to level and how to put them in, Welliver said. Its different being able to take pride knowing that I made this, and its going to be here for years to come. You get to see your work. You get to say, I did this.

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Students hone skill sets at Meridian