If you ask Huck Elliott what he loves most, his answer is simple: working with his dad.

Not every fifth grader spends time watching welding torches spark, but Huck isn’t like most kids. He’s captivated by the work his dad does as a union pipefitter, and while he isn’t welding just yet, he watches closely, knowing that one day, he’ll be the one holding the torch.

“I want to be a welder,” Huck says with certainty.

That conviction comes from time spent by his dad’s side, watching every movement, every connection, every bead of metal fusing together. He doesn’t just want to learn how to weld—he wants to be great at it.

Even now, he’s already picking up the language of the trade, asking the right questions, and showing an instinct for hands-on learning that will serve him well when the day comes for him to put on his own welding helmet.

Huck’s world is filled with movement, mechanics, and exploration. Whether he’s watching his dad work or riding his dirt bike, he’s constantly taking in information, testing things out, and figuring out how the world works.

At home, he has a small yellow dirt bike and a matching four-wheeler, and while he’s not racing yet, he rides every chance he gets. He knows how to rev the engine, maneuver tight spaces, and handle the terrain, always looking for new challenges to conquer.

And while he’s all about hands-on activities, Huck has another side to him—one that shines in the classroom and among his peers.

At Vandalia Junior High, he’s well-known and well-loved. His teacher, Ms. Clay, is one of his favorites, and he enjoys connecting with classmates through games like checkers.

Huck may be a future welder in the making, but he’s also a kid who loves to laugh, compete, and be part of something bigger.

That sense of belonging and community spirit is part of what makes Huck so special.

He’s the kind of student who knows how to make people smile, and that’s exactly why the school nurse, Brittany White, had an idea:

Why not let Huck be the Vandalia Vandal mascot at the junior high pep rally?

It was the perfect fit.

“He enjoyed every minute of it,” says his mom, Melissa. “And the kids? They loved it.”

From the moment he put on the Vandal costume, Huck lit up the crowd, bringing energy and fun to the event.

“Everybody at the junior high is a friend to Huck,” Melissa says. “He just has that effect on people.”

Whether he’s watching welding sparks fly, racing through the yard on his dirt bike, or rallying school spirit, Huck embraces life with enthusiasm and curiosity. And one day—when he’s old enough to strike his own welding arc—he’ll carry that same passion into his work.

The future is bright for Huck Elliott. And, much like a welding torch, his spark is just getting started.