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W/T

AI can write.AI can code.AI cannot weld.

A $5,000 scholarship for the six trades the machines can’t touch. San Marcos, Texas.

Apply for the 2026 Award

Pride of San Marcos · Lodge No. 494 · F. & A. M.

A welder at work in a dark shop, sparks arcing from the torch, lit gold by the arc.

The numbers behind the skilled-trades shortage

  • 20:1

    Skilled-trade openings per new worker

  • 500K

    Trade jobs sitting empty in the U.S.

  • $106K+

    What specialist tradespeople earn

  • 40%

    Retiring from the field this decade

  • 6

    Eligible tracks

  • $5,000

    Per award

  • 1

    Scholarship class per year

  • San Marcos

    Local. Licensed. AI-resilient.

Everyone’s building AI. Nobody’s building what it runs on.

Data centers don’t build themselves. Someone welds the beams. Someone runs the wire. Someone keeps the coolant flowing at 3 AM in July. That someone gets paid. That someone won’t be replaced. That someone could be you.

§ Six eligible tracks

Six trades. One clean shot.

$5,000

Per recipient. Paid toward whatever gets you licensed — tuition, tools, exams, gear.

§ What we ask for

  • Enrolled or accepted to an accredited program
  • San Marcos–area resident, intent to practice locally
  • Demonstrable financial need
  • Personal statement + two letters of recommendation

§ The data is unambiguous

The shortage isn’t a forecast. It’s a vacancy.

A welder silhouetted against a wall of arcing sparks in a dark warehouse.

20:1

Openings per worker

McKinsey & Company

An HVAC technician working atop a commercial rooftop unit at golden hour, Texas skyline behind.

500K

Jobs sitting empty

Industry estimates

An electrician silhouetted inside a hyperscale data center, rows of servers glowing behind.

$280K

Top data-center wages

Bureau of Labor Statistics

§ Three centuries of builders

“Before we were a fraternity, we were a guild. Stonemasons — taught to work, paid to build. That never stopped.”

Pride of San Marcos Lodge No. 494 was chartered to serve this community. The Working Tools Scholarship is how we keep doing it.

§ Three steps. Nothing weird.

How to apply

  1. Step 01: Prove you’re in

    Acceptance letter or current enrollment.

  2. Step 02: Tell us why here

    One page. Why this trade. Why San Marcos.

  3. Step 03: Get the check

    Paid directly toward whatever gets you licensed.

§ Questions

Straight answers.

An older tradesman passing a wrench, torch and compass into the hands of a younger one.

The economy is being rebuilt.Build with it.

Apply for the 2026 Award

Applications open September 15, 2026 · One award, presented January 16, 2027