BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Lilly Dunn, a recent William Blount High School graduate, and the University of Tennessee Baseball team both have something in common. They're national champions who earned the title of being the best in the nation in their respective fields last week.
Dunn competed in the national SkillsUSA welding contest in Atlanta, and beat out 44 other high school students, or recent high school graduates, to win a gold medal for welding in the sculpture category.
"It's honestly hard to believe something I've created has gone that far," Dunn said.
Dunn is already working for Axis Fabrication and Machine Co. and was back to work Monday after her big win. She created an underwater, sunken pirate ship-themed sculpture for the SkillsUSA state welding competition, and that sculpture helped win her national title.
Dunn spent several days in Atlanta and had to show off her welding skills as part of the competition, she said.
"I was not expecting it at all, it was crazy," Dunn said. "It was nerve-wracking. And so for them to call my name, I had so many emotions."
SkillsUSA is a national workforce development organization for students, specializing in support and competitions for youth involved in career and technical programs. The organization has been around since 1965 and represents nearly 400,000 students nationwide.
Lisa Collins, a William Blount High School assistant principal, said Dunn's win is a win for East Tennessee.
"The trades, there's a high need in that area right now. So the students, once they understand, 'Hey I can do this, I don't have to go to a four-year college and get a degree and make a good living doing something I'm passionate about,' it's a win-win for me," Collins said.
Bruce Suddarth, a teacher, said he's proud of Dunn.
"I'm just so very proud of her, for just going this far and this is just the beginning," he said. "It's the end of her high school career, and this is just the beginning of what's to come."
Dunn isn't the only student from William Blount High School who won an award at the competition. Grayson Bradley, another recent graduate, was part of a team from Sevier County that won the bronze medal in a construction teamwork competition.
He said a team from Sevier County needed a fourth member, so they asked him to join. The group had to build a miniature house in 16 hours.
"We have a work-based learning program at our school," Bradley said. "A teacher reached out, so I was working part-time during school and my boss is my teacher, he's the construction teacher and he told me about SkillsUSA."
Bradley participated in the contest before and said he thinks any students considering a career in the trades should take advantage of programs offered at school.
"If they have a (career and technology) program, they can give it a shot and see if they like it," he said. "I'd never know I'd like it if I didn't try it."