DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Students at Decatur Public Schools are leaving behind more than just class projects this school year — they are building a legacy.

Inside the Decatur Area Career Center's ag mechanics and ag metal fabrication classes, students spent the entire school year designing, welding and grinding a massive steel panther that will soon be displayed at Eisenhower High School.

The finished sculpture weighs 512 pounds and stands as a symbol of school pride, teamwork and hands-on learning.

"This is a legacy project," ag mechanics and ag metal fabrication teacher Jason Lauritzen said. "This is something that's going to be in front of Eisenhower for 50, 60, 70 years. At some point, they're going to be watching their kids or grand kids play basketball, and they'll be able to say, 'I welded that.'"

The project began after Eisenhower's principal approached the career center with the idea of creating a steel panther mascot. From there, students took the vision and brought it to life.

Students first created a cardboard prototype to understand the scale and structure of the sculpture before cutting and welding the metal version together.

"We started off by just doing a layout of all the parts, and we built a cardboard version of it to get an idea of how big it would be," sophomore Maricela Espinosa said. "Then we started out with cutting out all the pieces and trying to line them up, and just making sure everything matched up right."

For Lauritzen, the project was especially meaningful because it came during his first year teaching at the career center. He told WAND News he previously taught middle school math before discovering the opportunities available through agricultural education programs. After visiting the career center with students, he decided he wanted to become part of it himself.

"I saw what they were doing, and I thought to myself, 'I want to go to school there. They won't let me, but I can teach there,'" he said.

Although Lauritzen admitted the project initially felt intimidating, he believed the students were capable of accomplishing something extraordinary.

"The big thing is just I knew they could do this kind of stuff, but convincing them that they could do it," he explained. "There was a lot of apprehension."

That confidence grew throughout the year as students learned how to weld, grind and fabricate metal pieces together. Sophomore Jude Halsema said he had never welded before taking the class.

"It was a little rough at the beginning of the year, but as time went on, it got easier," he said.

Halsema said he worked on grinding sections of the panther and helped weld portions of the legs and tail. While the grinding process proved tedious, he said seeing the finished product made the hard work worth it.

"I think it's impressive," he said. "It just took a lot."

The experience also helped shape his future career plans. He said he plans to continue welding studies at Richland Community College next year.

"I kind of grew up around people working on cars and welding," Halsema said. "That kind of sparked it from childhood, and I figured out I could come here and do it."

Junior Kaylee Heck-Shroyer said over time, the course became much more than just another class requirement. She discovered talents she did not know she had, especially when it came to welding.

"I didn't think that I would be welding or stick welding or anything," she said. "I didn't know that I could do that, but I'm pretty good at it too."

Heck-Shroyer said because she cut out many of the panther's metal pieces, she now sees possible career opportunities in welding trades.

"I might do it for the future," she said. "There's trade school for that stuff, and lady welders make great money."

Students said the project challenged them in more ways than one. Lauritzen incorporated math lessons into the fabrication process, requiring students to calculate the sculpture's surface area and estimate its total weight before construction was complete.

"It's a hands-on, real-life skill that they need if they go into the trades," he said.

The final estimate came remarkably close.

"We estimated 506 pounds," Heck-Shroyer said. "We weren't that far off. We were only six pounds off."

Students also learned collaboration and problem-solving skills throughout the process. Different classes contributed to the project throughout the school day, while additional students came in during open shop sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Lauritzen said students developed a sense of ownership over the sculpture as the project progressed.

"They'd come in their class and check and see what the other class had done," he said. "Checking their work, making sure they'd done good welds or their grinding was on par with their expectations."

For many students, the panther became proof of what they could accomplish together.

"It feels great," Heck-Shroyer said. "We accomplished something all together."

Espinosa said she feels proud every time she looks at the sculpture.

"I'm so proud of all my peers," she said.

The steel panther still requires finishing work and powder coating before it is officially installed at Eisenhower High School. Decatur Public Schools expects the sculpture to make its debut sometime this fall.

Until then, students say the experience already left a lasting impact.

"If you put your mind to something, you can accomplish anything," Heck-Shroyer said. "I didn't think we were going to pull this off, but we pulled it off before the end of the school year."

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