Caleb Howell was the first high school student taking Huskins Bill/Dual Enrollment classes to graduate with his Welding Level II Certificate from Mayland Community College on May 10, 2008. Howell received his college certificate before he graduated from Mitchell High School at the end of May.

"I started the welding class as an elective for my high school credits," said Howell. "I thought it would just be a hobby, but I found out that I was pretty good at welding so it might turn into a career."

Howell was able to take the class while in high school for free. He intends to continue working toward his Welding diploma and possibly another degree in the future.

Dual Enrollment and Huskins Bill Programs offers students at Avery High School, Mitchell High School, and Mountain Heritage High School the opportunity to earn college credit while they are still in high school by taking classes at Mayland.

"Mayland began a concentrated effort in 1997 to work with the high schools," said Diana O'Shields, Mayland's Coordinator of Off-Campus Admissions. "In the Fall Semester of 1997, we had 22 Dual Enrollment/Huskins Bill students, and according to this past Spring Semester's numbers, Mayland had 550 students enrolled from the three county area."

These classes for high school students are offered free of tuition, lab fees, student activity fees or insurance fees. The only costs the students must pay for is any textbook required for the class and any supplies needed for the course.

"The high schools have a really good opportunity available to them," said welding instructor Paul Dover who teaches the welding classes on Mayland's Main Campus. "Welding is a good way for people to make money either on the side or as a full time job."

Howell learned about the opportunity of taking the welding course at his high school. Mitchell High School and Mountain Heritage High School students take welding classes at their high school and at Mayland's Main Campus. Avery High School students take classes at Mayland's Avery Campus and are instructed by Brian Greene.

Any student, who is at least 16 years old, who meets college placement test standards as well as their high school eligibility standards, and has permission from parents, principal and superintendent may participate in these classes.

"All the courses are rigorous, college level academic work, with the bulk of them being structured for transfer to four-year institutions," said Mayland's President Dr. Suzanne Owens. "Many others are structured for work skills in the areas of carpentry, welding, auto body repair, manicuring, landscape design, greenhouse production, horticulture, early childhood education and esthetics."

Mayland Community College graduated over two hundred and seventy students during the college's 2008 curriculum graduation ceremony on May 10, which was held at the Abundant Life Outreach in Spruce Pine. Forty-three of those graduates earned either a Level I or a Level II Welding Certificate.

Howell is the son of Keith and Jill Howell of Spruce Pine.