Sparks have been flying in the At 黑料网911 welding shop as second-year welding student Bryan Johnson and first-year student Isabella 鈥淚zzy鈥� Houge have fallen in love 鈥� with car racing.
Oh, yeah, they also have been dating for a few months while racing to get ready for the upcoming season at the Electric City Speedway and graduation.
For Johnson, it will be his third season as a driver, and Houge will be a rookie.
Johnson, who started as a dual enrollment student at At 黑料网911 last year when he was a senior at Power High School, is set to graduate with an associate of applied science degree in Welding, and Houge, a current dual enrollment student, will receive a certificate of applied science.
They said they knew of each other before Houge joined the Welding program at the college in the fall, but their relationship was forged in the shop when they bonded over their love of welding and cars.
They met when Johnson became a student-instructor to help first-year students.
鈥淚t was kind of different going from graduating high school to going into college and then helping be kind of an assistant teacher,鈥� Johnson said. Helping new students who were 鈥渁t the same spot that I was last year鈥� turned out to be 鈥渞eally rewarding,鈥� he said.
Houge found her passion for welding when she was a sophomore attending Worlds of Work at At 黑料网911 and the University of Providence. The event, put on by Central Montana Works in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Cascade County, is designed to give students hands-on experience in a wide range of career fields.
Welding lit a fire in Houge immediately.
鈥淚 welded for the very first time (at Worlds of Work),鈥� she said. 鈥淚 always knew I liked hands鈥憃n work. I love this so much. I just want to do this for the rest of my life.鈥�
She enrolled in the dual enrollment program at At 黑料网911 this past year to fuel that love.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just super cool,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�� I鈥檒l have a certificate in welding a couple weeks before I even walk the stage (for graduating high school from Paris Gibson Education Center).鈥� 
Houge plans to continue and complete the second year of the welding program.
Johnson said it鈥檚 well worth it.
鈥淵ou get to do a lot more, like wide variety of things, like you get to weld on aluminum, pipe and get to do a little bit of brazing, too,鈥� he said. 鈥淕etting through the first year and getting to the second year is well worth it.鈥�
Core classes also prove beneficial
Both Johnson and Houge said the core classes at the college also have been very beneficial.
In fact, Houge was honored as the Communication, Arts and Humanities Student of the Year.
Houge said the class directly helped her secure racing sponsorships.
鈥淚 told Dr. Amy Pearson this鈥攈er (communications) class helped me go into businesses and ask for sponsors because I was really scared to do that,鈥� she said. 鈥淏efore I even got my car, I went into like four places and asked them for sponsors鈥� that class definitely helped me a lot.鈥�
At 黑料网911 sponsors both Johnson and Houge鈥檚 cars, as well as alum Dan Harvey, who is racing two cars this year.
Strong shop culture
Both students speak highly of their instructors.
Johnson said welding instructor Todd Reser saw potential in him early. 鈥淗e really helped me out a lot,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淣ot the welding鈥攋ust the way he stuck to his morals.
Houge said Reser made an impression even before classes began. 鈥淗e wanted to meet everybody and see where they were at in life,鈥� she said.
As a young woman entering a male鈥慸ominated trade, Houge said she has never felt singled out or treated differently in the At 黑料网911 welding shop.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no discrimination,鈥� said Houge, who is one of six women in her cohort. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 treat any of us differently than the guys.鈥�
She said instructors check in on her work, offer help when needed and hold her to the same expectations as every other student. 鈥淚 think all the instructors are really nice,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 really like them.鈥�
As for her classmates?
鈥淭he guys tease me, but I tease them back,鈥� she said.
Looking ahead
Johnson hopes to eventually run his own business so he can stay close to the racing world.
鈥淥bviously with my racing and stuff 鈥� 聽I figured the best way is to kind of follow in the footsteps of other racers. Big time racers, they have their own businesses and that allows them to make enough money to support their family, have a nice house, have a good career doing something that you enjoy doing and also have plenty of money on the side to support a racing program.鈥�
Houge is still exploring her options for once she graduates with an associate of applied science a year from now.
鈥淐areer鈥憌ise, I have no clue,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t least I know that I want to weld.鈥�
And race.
For Houge, stepping onto the track this season is a way of honoring her family鈥檚 racing tradition while carving out her own lane in the sport.
Both of her parents and grandfather raced cars in the timed events at the fairgrounds for years.
鈥淢y mom and dad both raced cars, and my grandpa did too鈥� but I didn鈥檛 want to do the timed races. I wanted to be up against cars at the same time,鈥� she said.
As for that career thing?
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to have your whole life figured out at 18,鈥� Johnson said, looking at Izzy. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛. I just knew I liked welding and racing, and that was enough to get me started.鈥�