Alliance High School, MAC Trailer create Aviators sign

Paige Bennett, The Repository
·2 min read
Alliance High School welding students work on the Aviators sign.
Alliance High School welding students work on the Aviators sign.

ALLIANCE – There's a new way for Alliance residents to show their Aviator pride.

A large Aviators sculpture has been installed at Alliance High School. The sign was made through a collaboration between MAC Trailer and the high school's welding program.

David Wade, director of employee relations at MAC Trailer, said the goal of the project was to create a sign around which students, families, visitors and community members can take pictures, similar to the script signs in Cleveland.

The project was months in the making.

James Faulkner in MAC Trailer's engineering department works on a project design.
James Faulkner in MAC Trailer's engineering department works on a project design.

Nick Cowles, director of operations at Alliance City Schools, pitched the idea to Alliance High School welding teachers Steve Fuson and Eric Peters. The district then contacted MAC Trailer, asking for help with materials and the final design.

MAC Trailer Vice President Dennis Postiy proposed the company collaborate with Alliance High School on the project.

Engineers, welders and fabricators from MAC Trailer helped with the effort. This included MAC Trailer employee Korryn Jackson, a graduate of Alliance High School's welding program.

"MAC also tasked already skilled employees, at least one already an AHS Weld School graduate, to weld the difficult areas, along with providing material and truck transportation of the project itself," Wade said.

After MAC employees were finished, they brought the sculpture to Alliance High School. Four students assisted Fuson and Peters in finishing the remaining welding.

The sign was put on display in May.

"For those students who helped create the sculpture, I think it gives them a sense of accomplishment and I think it will serve as a symbol of pride for all Aviators," Cowles said.

(From left:) Eric Peters, Korryn Jackson, Steve Fuson. Peters and Fuson are welding teachers. Jackson is a graduate of AHS and the AHS welding program.
(From left:) Eric Peters, Korryn Jackson, Steve Fuson. Peters and Fuson are welding teachers. Jackson is a graduate of AHS and the AHS welding program.

Wade said the project will serve as "a long-standing representation of the collaborative effort between local manufacturing that already has a strong relationship with the welding program students and the school."

Alliance City Schools Communication Liaison Cheyanne Gonzales said the district sees the project as a "great collaboration" between the high school welding program and MAC Trailer.

Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.

Alliance High School welding students work on the Aviators sign.
Alliance High School welding students work on the Aviators sign.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: New Aviators sculpture on display at Alliance High School