Franklin-Simpson high school students build safety bollards

FRANKLIN, Ky.- Right outside of Franklin-Simpson High School sits the school’s letters.

Since Nov. 10, an F, S, H and S have been standing as a safety measure to prevent people from driving through the front lobby. It was done by the school’s welding students, in an effort to empower students to be college and career ready.

“A lot of hard work went into it. Last year, most of my seniors did the welding and fabrications on them. This year, we finished them up, then did the grinding, fitting and put them in,” said Franklin-Simpson High School welding instructor Jeremy Loveall.

Not only is it a safety measure, but it provides a visual for all visitors to see. Students say they’re proud of their work.

“It’s really neat to be part of something that will be here for many years to come that has multipurpose functions as both an aesthetic and a safety point,” said welding student Chase Johnson.

Attacking the mission of leaving a pawprint was a mission that took focus, spirit and honor, overall leading to success.

“They’ll probably be up for as long as the school will be here. We’ll get to show our kids that we built this and spent a lot of time working on this,” said welding student Jaydee Degraffenreid.

In the end, this project served yet another purpose, to spark a desire for hard work.

“The kids come in here and understand all the projects we do. It’s more hands on. They learn, they build, and then they have a finished product. We’re always proud of what we do,” Loveall said.