AZTEC High represents Yuma in Arizona Masonry Council competition
At AZTEC High School, vocational and trade education is key. In October, a group of its students had the chance to put their know-how to the test in the Arizona Masonry Council’s Masonry Skills Challenge.
Held in Chandler, the competition consists of two challenges: the Fastest Trowel on the Block competition and the Masonry Skills Challenge. High school students, college apprentices and actual contractors compete for the opportunity to participate in the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) National Skills Challenge at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas.
Jeff Sinclair, who teaches construction trades like cement, masonry and woodwork at AZTEC, shared that this was the first year AZTEC students competed.
Two students, Jessy Apodaca and Javier Meza, participated while four watched and cheered their peers on. For the Masonry Skills Challenge, students had three hours to build a wall, 48 inches high and even all the way up. Points could be deducted for failure to meet the criteria, like if the wall is not equal by a 16th of an inch.
AZTEC was one of eight schools from the state competing and while they didn’t place in the top three, Sinclair told the Sun that he’s proud of his students and glad for the learning opportunity.
“I was extremely proud of them because they never competed in that kind of arena and they were model students,” he said.
Some of the highlights? The students met real contractors and since businesses supported the event, they also received a hat, a shirt, a pair of safety gloves and a pair of goggles.
Sinclair has stressed the importance of real life experience for his students. Among the opportunities afforded construction tech students at AZTEC, they’ve built the UMA sign at the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, created some of the fixtures on their school’s campus and worked offsite on private gates.
To learn more about AZTEC High School, visit https://www. aztechs.org/.