Springfield High’s Brooklyn Reed is defying stereotypes about teens: He is mature, responsible – and he’s employed. Brooklyn, still just a junior, has taken every Metals class that Springfield High has to offer. Trying to make sure he continues to be challenged, his shop teacher, Tom Lemonds, connected him with Avril Watt, human resources manager at Johnson Crushers International (JCI). A short time later, Brooklyn started a part-time job at JCI. “I grew up working with my hands alongside my father, who is a woodworker,” Brooklyn says. “But once I started welding, I knew that was what I wanted to do."