Alva Review-Courier -

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Shelby Joiner's brother dropped out of Wakulla High School after his sophomore year and enrolled at a welding academy. Then he ended up at the top of his class.

"He tells me about it all the time," his little sister said.

After all those stories, Shelby went to a cookout with her high school's welding students, who were searing elk and charring oysters on grills they'd made themselves. And soon, she was coming around to the humid welding workshop between classes. Petite, soft-spoken Shelby learned to tie red bandannas around her bare ankles and shoelaces to keep them...