(Photo courtesy South Seattle College)

You could call this a massive donation of school supplies: When classes start for the fall at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) in a little over two weeks, one college program will have more than 30 tons of new material to work with, thanks to a business donation. SSC shared the photo and announcement:

This summer, Nucor donated approximately 65,000 pounds of steel to the college’s Welding Fabrication Technology program, which will help students hone their skills and prepare for welding careers for several quarters to come.

“To get a few pieces of steel here and there is one thing,” Welding Instructor Rick Baker said. “To get a whole truckload is a whole different story!”

“It’s a huge help to our program,” Welding Instructor Doug Rupik added, saying the steel bars will be used for classwork, unique building projects, welding booth improvements and “to help us get students prepared for the Washington Association of Building Officials welding certification test.”

South Seattle College and Nucor Steel have forged a strong relationship over the years, with several welding students earning their internship credits at Nucor and, in some cases, going to work for the West Seattle industry staple after graduation. South’s welding program also takes students on Nucor tours for a deeper understanding of metallurgy as part of their curriculum.

Nucor also supports South Seattle College’s Foundation by funding student scholarships, and Nucor’s Plant Controller Walter Reese serves on the Foundation Board.

“We want to give back to the communities in which we live and work, and supporting the college really fits well into that mission of ours,” Reese said, adding that the steel donation not only benefits South students in their education, but may well benefit Nucor with talented graduates coming to work for them one day.

The fall quarter starts at SSC on Monday, September 26th. Here’s how to enroll.