Palm Beach State College Welding Students Win People's Choice Award in Statewide America 250 Challenge

Palm Beach State College has won the People’s Choice Award in the Florida College System category in the Florida Department of Education’s Statewide Welding & Fabrication Challenge for their welding student's striking eagle sculpture, Forged Freedom, created in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

The 7-foot, 7-inch, 325-pound sculpture was crafted by 11 PBSC welding students over the course of more than 350 hours of hands-on work. People voted for the piece by liking its photo on the Florida Department of Education’s Facebook page, where the sculpture received more than 1,000 likes.

West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James will also recognize Palm Beach State and the students who created the sculpture with a special proclamation to be given during an upcoming city commission meeting on July 20, 2026. 

The welding students are Gabriel Abadia, Elijah Dimanche, Jaeden Garcia, Timothy George, Kebert Gomez, Michael Misurelli, Connor Sabatello, Volodymyr Sologub, Dejanae Thomas, D'liyah Parker and Janai Wellington. 

For those who would like to experience Forged Freedom in person, it will be on display at The Lake Pavilion in downtown West Palm Beach on Saturday, July 4, during the city’s One Epic “4th on Flagler” America 250 celebration.

“Palm Beach State College is honored to receive the People’s Choice award as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary," said PBSC President Ava L. Parker, JD. "We are incredibly proud of our talented welding students whose creativity, craftsmanship and dedication brought Forged Freedom to life. This recognition highlights the exceptional talent within our Welding Technology program and underscores the strength of our skilled trades pathways—preparing students with the in-demand skills that power Florida’s workforce and drive our nation’s future.”

Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas praised the competition and PBSC’s entry in a press release, "As we recognize America's 250th anniversary, this competition highlighted the innovation and technical skills developing across Florida's career and technical education programs. These student projects reflect the hands-on learning experiences that are strengthening Florida's workforce, preparing students for success in high-demand careers and positioning Florida as the national leader for workforce education."

The sculpture was designed and faciliated by Todd Rowley, Chase Wagler, Jamie Traylor, Carmen Modock, Eligio Marquez, EdD, Angel Madiedo and Ron Gillette. 

The challenge represents the strength of Florida's workforce education system and demonstrates why Florida is number one in workforce education and talent development. Since taking office, Gov. Ron DeSantis has invested more than 12 billion in workforce education, expanding opportunities for Floridians to gain hands-on training opportunities aligned to high-demand careers.