It is for you, me, and Josh Smith, a Harpersville teen with ambition bigger than the adversity he overcame. Not only did he nearly drop out of school but he also married young and has a 6 week old baby. Despite his situation, last month, he went on to win the prestigious gold medal in welding at the National Skills USA Championship in Kansas City, Mo. Winning the competition actually increased his earning potential and he also won about $17,000 in welding equipment, $500 in cash and a full-tuition scholarship to Tulsa Welding School, which has campuses in Tulsa and Jacksonville, Fla. This compelling story really illustrates how having the right attitude can elevate you above your circumstances, no matter how daunting they may seem.

Harpersville teen wins top welding award

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – By all rights, Josh Smith ought to be little more than another statistic.

He struggled in school, nearly dropped out, married young and has a 6-week-old baby.

He stuck it out, though, and became the first in his family to graduate from high school. And now he’s a champion, having won the gold medal in welding last month at the National Skills USA Championship in Kansas City, Mo.

Suddenly, the 19-year-old Harpersville resident is facing a future much brighter than he could have imagined.

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