Dan Hurst
Dan Hurst has a passion for welding, and this fall, Red Mountain High School students will catch his fever.
”I have been a welder all my life,” Dan said. “It started when I was 8 years old, with my father teaching me.” His experience is extensive. Many of his 35 years of welding experience include working on planes for the U.S. Air Force, along with commercial and cargo planes as an employee of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
For 13 years, Dan, who is a Las Sendas resident, was a senior advisor for Vern Lewis Welding, where he would help troubleshoot for companies. He has taught industrial classes for school districts in the Valley. In addition, Dan brings all this expertise to his students at Mesa Community College.
What is welding? In a nutshell, it is the bonding of two metal parts. Most everything has some form of welding. Dan brings his expertise to Red Mountain High School this year as a full-time welding teacher. He will teach beginner to advanced students in yearlong classes.
Knowing what it takes to be a welder in the real world, Dan’s goal is to create “…well rounded students who know the industry standards and represent themselves as the skilled professionals they are.” His enthusiasm is contagious. Dan has some advice for his future students, “Get ready, hang on,” Dan advised. “We are going on a ride.”
Welding falls under Career and Technical Education (CTE), which is led by Ed Loney. Mesa Public Schools has a supportive CTE department. There are two literacy coaches and two math coaches who help teachers incorporate the common core standards with the welding standards. Some of the projects on which students work include welding tables for TIG welding and making sets of frames for worktables to sit on. In addition, students bring in items from home that need welding, such as a flatbed trailer. Students also bring their own creativity and inspiration to their projects.
Dan has goals for his program at Red Mountain High School. He knows he can’t do it alone. Ed, the director of CTE, together with the other CTE teachers, is a key person in growing and sustaining the program. Dan is well aware of the fact wonderful things can happen when the community is involved. For starters, he wants to expand the welding contests, which have already begun. Those contests had the support of parents and the industry.
The students loved bringing their ideas to life. This summer, there was the Welding Boot Camp, held at Westwood High School. It was a two-week intensive program for future welders. Hopefully, next year, it will be even bigger and better. Dan would love to have a welding club where the parents are involved with their children. The sky’s the limit when you have Dan’s passion and drive.
Bringing in industry experts to teach is just another way that Mesa Public Schools is meeting the needs of their diverse population, while giving every student a chance to shine and find his niche. With Dan Hurst at the helm, watch out. It will be a ride! “Welding has been really good to me,” said Dan. “Now, it’s my time to give back to the community.”
For more information on the welding classes, contact Dan Hurst at Red Mountain High School at www.mpsaz.org. You also can contact Ed Loney at celoney@mpsaz.org, or call him at (480) 472-0392.