photo by: Joselyn King

The metal roses crafted by Wheeling Park HIgh School machine technology student Tyler White as part of a Valentine’s Day challenge for East Coast Metals won him recognition from Explore: The New Manufacturing group within the West Virginia Department of Education.

A Wheeling Park High School student crafted roses out of scrap metal pieces as a Valentine’s Day presentation, and his efforts earned him and his classmates some pizza.

Tyler White, a machine tool technology student, took on the challenge presented by Explore: The New Manufacturing — advocates for manufacturing through the West Virginia Department of Education.

Teacher Aaron Fedorke said the scrap metal challenge began as a manufacturing innovation challenge with local partner East Coast Metals.

“We design and build parts for East Coast Metals,” Fedorke said. “They give us a challenge dealing with a problem they have, and we solve that problem.

“This year they also came up with something cool called the ‘Scrap Metal Ornament Competition.’ My student (White) entered that, and when he entered it he did a lot of really cool roses out of scrap metal — cutting them, bending them and welding them together.”

Explore: The New Manufacturing also launched a contest asking high school students to send them photos of ornamental items they crafted for Valentine’s Day.

“We submitted the pictures to Explore: The New Manufacturing, and he got first place,” Fedorke said.

The students in the class now have White to thank for an upcoming pizza party, courtesy of Explore: The New Manufacturing.

The group also recognized White on its Facebook page.

“It’s really, really cool — and an honor for him to get that,” Fedorke said.