Welding is a family thing for newest Evan M. Schwarz Helping Hand Scholarship recipient

Amyjane LaPlante will upgrade her gear with award memorializing former student

When sparks fly in the LaPlante family, it's a good thing. And now, with a $500 award from the Evan M. Schwarz Helping Hand Memorial Scholarship, Amyjane LaPlante will be upgrading her gear as she continues to advance her career and earn additional national certifications through the Adult Welder Certification program at Career & Tech. LaPlante was presented with the award by the Schwarz family and teachers Mike Todd (in photo, left) and Chris Lanese at a Dec. 21 ceremony in the Welding classroom.

LaPlante is a 2011 alumna of Career & Tech's high school Welding & Metal Fabrication program and Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School graduate. Her sister, Andrea, is a 2010 Career & Tech high school Welding alumna. Their father works as a professional welder. Obviously he inspired his daughters, just as the Schwarz family seeks to inspire and assist the next generation of welders by funding the scholarship. They established the award in honor of their son, who passed away in 2009.

Evan Schwarz studied Welding at Career & Tech while a Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake High School junior and senior, earned straight A’s, and has been described by teacher Mike Todd as “highly motivated, artistic and caring – just the type of student you’d want to have in your classroom.” Besides learning the formal principles and industry standards of welding, Evan was creative and liked to fabricate, or design and construct, attractive and functional pieces. He earned professional certifications in pipe welding, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)/plate welding, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) equipment setup and operation. After graduation in 2006, Evan worked at the former Super Steel plant in Schenectady, and earned membership in the Ironworkers Union.

To date, LaPlante has become American Welding Society certified in stick vertical welding, metal inert gas (MIG), fluxcore, overhead stick, and 6G pipe stick welding. She'll use the scholarship for new boots, a shield and lens for her welding helmet, and leather welding pants and jacket. Her career goal is to work as a pipe welder.

In photo at top: Amyjane LaPlante with teachers Mike Todd (left) and Chris Lanese

The Schwarz family with Amyjane LaPlante

[12/23/2011]