Wallace State welcomes students at Oneonta campuses for Fall 2020
Wallace State Welding instructor Chris Posey shares information about the classes on Blackboard during the first week of classes at the Oneonta Center.
ONEONTA, Ala. – For students enrolled in classes at the Oneonta Center of Wallace State Community College, the start of the fall semester is not only the beginning of the new year, it’s the start of a new career for some.
Harrison Jones of Trussville is one of several students in the Machine Tool Technology program, a recent addition at the Oneonta Center. Jones said he moved from Huntsville a couple of months ago after making the choice to pursue a new career.
A few factors went into his decision to choose Wallace State. “This is one that was close to home and also it came highly recommended,” Jones said. “And a buddy of mine who works up at the Arsenal in Huntsville said there’s a lot of technicians that he works with that are from Wallace and they highly recommend the program.”
Joseph Gresham of Fultondale recently moved to Alabama from Kentucky and works at KamTek, one of Wallace State’s apprenticeship partners. Though he’s not in the apprenticeship program, Gresham chose to enroll in the Tool and Die Technology classes at Wallace State.
“There’s a lot of demand in tool and die, welding and maintenance, so it kind of fit the bill, so to speak,” he said.
Zack Kopp of Pinson and Oris Andrade of Leeds are both in the apprenticeship program, earning a wage at KamTek while learning at Wallace State.
Kopp said he started working at KamTek after graduating high school in 2015 and was introduced to the apprenticeship program through the die shop. “I fell in love with it,” Kopp said. “I love working with my hands, the wheel, grind,” he added. He’s in his third semester with the program and is glad to be back in classes. He said they were only down a couple of weeks due to COVID-19 before they were able to come back and start classes again under new safety guidelines.
Andrade, who is also a welder, started in November of last year. “I’m very excited to start a new chapter in my life,” he said. “I enjoy the automotive field and feel it’s the right direction. Anything we learn here we have to apply over there, working on dies and all kinds of stuff, milling, using a lathe. If something breaks, they’ll bring it to us and we’ll look at, and sometimes there might not be a blueprint so we may have to try to retrofit fit it to fix something.”
While students in the Machine Tool Technology and Welding programs will be at the Applied Technology campus more often than others, the main Academic campus is open for students who need assistance, access to Wifi and computer labs. Masks and self-screening are required by all who come to campus. Support is also available virtually via www.wallacestate.edu/virtual-student-services.
Registration is continuing for the Fall 2020 semester for Regular and Mini Term I, as well as for Flex Start Courses and Mini Term II. Registration for Flex Start I courses will be from Aug. 24-28 and from Aug. 31-Sept. 4 for Flex Start II courses. Students who register for the Flex Start courses complete those online through the end of the regular term on Dec. 16. Mini Term II courses will be held from Oct. 14 to Dec. 16.
For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu or call the Oneonta campus at 205.625.4020 or the Hanceville campus at 256.352.8000.