Masonry Magazine January 2011 Page. 17
Instructor Charles West (left) with Bradley Wright (right)
pose with Wright's winning composite project in the 2009 SkilisUSA national masonry contest.
Selma, Ala. However, it wasn't easy getting there.
"[Kenny] Allen (Wright's masonry instructor) got me interested in Wallace State when I was competing in the state high school contest," says Wright. "I visited the school, and I liked it; but the challenge for me was that it's 170 miles from home. I didn't have the money to afford housing there."
Determined and persistent, Wright found a solution: For two years, he lived in a small trailer that he pulled behind his pick-up truck.
"It worked out okay," says Wright. "The owner of the campground cut me a pretty good deal on rent. With a four-day class schedule, I could haul my trailer around to odd jobs on weekends near school or at home. Between my Pell grant and the money I made working, I could pay my rent and my truck payments."
SkillsUSA Executive Director Timothy W. Lawrence gave special congratulations to the divisional winners of the 2010 national masonry competition. Pictured hackstage are secondary division winner Brandon Boldon (1). Laurence (c) and post secondary winner Bradley Wright (r). winner of three national masonry championships.
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Wright's instructor at Wallace State Community College
Kenny Allen, says of Wright, "Bradley is a very hard worker. He puts himself into his work. He's going to do well in anything he pursues, because he is just that kind of person."
So impressed by his contest accomplishments, SkillsUSA and the Masonry Technical Committee will sponsor Wright in the 2011 World Skills Competition. The world's largest international skills competition will be held Oct. 5-8, 2011, in London, England. The bi-annual contest has not had an American contestant since 1997.
After working through the summer on a major construction project at Camp Lejune, N.C., Wright now is back in Alabama, working small jobs and substituting for Mr. West. IMAS
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January 2011
MASONRY 15