High school senior Brody Knecht isn’t just looking to graduate; he’s looking to launch a legacy — one weld at a time.

When it came time to select a senior project, he knew he wanted to support future students, specifically by helping cover the mounting costs of travel to state competitions.

His solution was a 20-foot flat-bottom aluminum scow, which he has spent countless hours fabricating in the high school metal shop since the spring of 2025.

While the donation of the scow will raise money for state travel and serve the community’s youth, the labor serves Knecht’s own horizon.

“I grew up fishing on my dad’s fishing boat,” he said. “Both my dad and grandpa are fishermen. I knew I was always going to do the same thing.”

For Knecht, mastering the torch was a matter of practical necessity for a life on the water. However, the aluminum scow proved to be a demanding teacher.

“It’s been interesting. It’s a lot to learn,” he said. “There are little things to be aware of. You have to be really precise with the measurements. Fighting the warping has been difficult. It wants to bend and bow so you need to keep the heat spread out. There’s a lot of double and triple checking.”

The process requires a chess player’s mindset, anticipating challenges several steps before they arise. It is a discipline he has already started applying outside the classroom.

“I feel like I grew up with a foot in the door pretty good with fabrication,” he said. “I got my own gillnetter at home. My grandpa gave it to me, and I’m fabricating aluminum rails for it at home already.”

Knecht intends to begin hauling in fish with his own boat as early as this summer. His education, he noted, is likely only beginning.

“I want as much experience under my belt as possible,” he said. “Maybe after a couple seasons, I might go to diesel mechanic school just because that knowledge will also help me when I’m working on boats.”

Living in a community defined by its maritime industry has provided him with a unique classroom that extends well beyond the school’s walls.

“I just love it because I can go down to the boatyard and talk to professionals who can give me advice and help me with things I need to know,” he said. “I just feel like it’s the right thing for me to stay here and work this area.”

Knecht credits his family for a relentless work ethic he plans to carry into the gillnetting seasons.

“You have to be working day in and day out,” he said. “When you’re gillnetting, one good day could bring in $1,000, and that money really comes in handy during the winter.”

The winter months might eventually see him returning to the shop. He isn’t ruling out building more vessels down the line.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved drawing and designing boats. You have to have a good eye for it, and you need to know the lines you’re looking for,” he said.

Currently, the senior project is nearing completion, needing only a pressure test, a bow deck and the installation of cleats. Once finished, the boat will be donated to the Wrangell Athletic Club (WAC), which raises money for state travel.

The club, which is covering the cost of the materials, plans to either raffle the vessel or open a bidding process to the public.

“Brody is a pretty great kid, and what he’s doing with this boat should bring in some good money to help a lot of students,” WAC President Chris Johnson said. “We should be able to start the process of a raffle or bid process in the fall or winter and then, by next spring, we should hopefully have a good amount of money for it.”

After material costs are reimbursed, every cent earned from the sale will be funneled into helping students travel to state competition.