July 1, 2025
By LAWSON LATTA
Rutherford County Schools
Alejandra Corpeno is a welding student at LaVergne High School.
At LHS, they have a full welding program, which gives students like Alejandra hands-on experience in welding in their lab. This program is overseen by Mr. Jason Bowers, a skilled instructor who brings years of industry experience to his teaching.
Learn more about LaVergne's welding program and see it in action in this video: LaVergne Welding Program
Alejandra's dedication and skill development have paid off beyond the classroom. She recently secured an internship with Allvan, a local metal fabrication company based in LaVergne, TN. Allvan specializes in manufacturing moving vans, curtain side trailers, and fleet graphics. During her internship, Alejandra is gaining real-world experience working alongside professionals, applying her welding skills to actual projects, and learning about the business side of metal fabrication. To learn more about Allvan and their services, visit https://www.allvan.com/
Through programs like the welding lab at LHS and opportunities like her internship, Alejandra is building a strong foundation for a future in skilled trades.
Below is an interview with Compeno.
Latta:
How do you balance three demanding programs like band and welding on top of school?
Corpeno:
Well, welding is a class and sometimes we would meet before school for a little bit and band is after school. Most days would be pretty long- being at the school at like 6:30 in the morning until five, and sometimes 6 in the afternoon. It wasn’t really that hard, though, because I enjoy doing both.
Latta:
What was it about welding that made you want to join this program?
Corpeno:
Well, I originally wanted to be a Carpenter or something in that area because I like using measurements, cutting, building things. When I tried welding, I found that I really liked it. When the opportunity to take the class came around sophomore year, I just took it and ran, and it has been super fun ever since.
Latta:
What has it been like to be able to translate what you do at your internship to the classroom?
Corpeno:
It's been really cool because some of the people that work at my job have been welding for most of their lives, and they use their experience to teach me things that I’ve never known I could do. Plus, once I go back to school, I can try to teach what I learn to other people in class.
Latta:
What does having this opportunity mean for your future, and how grateful are you for this opportunity?
Corpeno:
I'm really grateful. Even my mom says that she is very proud of me because out of everyone who could've had this position, they chose me. And this opportunity opens a lot of doors for me in the future and gives me some very good experiences that I otherwise wouldn't be able to have.
Latta:
What are you expecting going into your senior year?
Corpeno:
Well, it will be very different trying to juggle between school, band, archery, and welding. Other than that, I am excited for my last year of high school and all of the opportunities that it will bring.
Latta:
What type of welding do you want to pursue?
Corpeno:
I'm going to be a fabricator. I really like the atmosphere of being inside, and other types of welding are more mobile, and I really like doing it indoors.
Latta:
What all does being a fabricator entail, and what all do you do in that field?
Corpeno:
I love to build things, and that is mainly what they do. It is very similar to my internship right now, where we build things like bases and walls for our trucks. It requires a lot of measuring and is very time consuming, but I am really looking forward to going down that path.