Colorado
Teacher in Colorado’s high country honored for dual language welding classes
A Colorado teacher was recently recognized for his dedication to his students, regardless of what their primary language is.
Oakley Van Oss works at Summit High School in Breckenridge and specializes in welding and construction. He teaches practical job skills with everyday applications to students in both English and Spanish.
For Van Oss, it doesn’t matter what you would expect a welder would look like, or what language they would speak.
“You probably notice that we have a lot of ladies in here and they are kicking some serious butt, doing a great job for us,” Van Oss said.
In his workshop, if you’re willing to put in the work, you’re a part of the team.
“He’s like, ‘You come here, you work hard, you clean up and you show up.’ And that’s how this class is. And it gives a completely different feeling to the rest of the classes here,” student Lucas Navratil said.
It’s that attitude, paired with the real world skills he’s teaching kids, that won the high school in Summit County $35,000 thanks to the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. Van Oss also received $15,000.
Van Oss is one of around 900 teachers that applied around the country and 25 were selected.
His students know it’s well deserved.
“Nothing you do in this class will ever feel like a mistake,” Navratil said. “You’ll always be coached through it and he will always make you feel like there’s a way to fix it. He’ll tell you exactly how to fix it.”
Van Oss says the students in his class for whom English is a second language excel when they hear lessons in their own langauge.
“It’s a real honor to be able to teach these classes in Spanish. It teaches them some really unique vocab that they can use at on job sites,” Van Oss said. “It’s not like everything’s in English going over their heads, but they’re actually understanding. They’re learning along with everybody else.”
While the prize money is appreciated, it’s the everyday prize that really matters: building a better future for his students –one weld at a time.
“It makes me feel like I’m doing something that’s unique and that’s valued, that my larger community, the United States, is into what we’re doing here in this small community of Summit County. And I just have a lot of pride in what I do and who I teach,” Van Oss said.
UPDATE: SUNDAY 4/19/2026 7:12 p.m.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Northbound Powers Boulevards is back open at Palmer Park Boulevard, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). However, the center and right northbound lanes as well as the right turn lane remain closed south of Constitution Avenue. Law enforcement asked the community to avoid the area if possible, and drive carefully.
ORIGINAL STORY: CSPD: Major crash closes northbound Powers
The northbound lanes of Powers Boulevard are closed at Palmer Park Boulevard for a major crash at Powers and Constitution as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). Drivers are asked to avoid the area.
According to FOX21 News crew who spoke to an officer at the scene, the crash involved at least two cars and two motorcycles, and multiple people have been taken to the hospital.
Multiple agencies are responding, according to the FOX21 News crew, and the Major Crash Unit may be called in. Reports indicate that no one has died as of 5:30 p.m.
Former Colorado Buffaloes stars Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak announced their transfer portal decisions on Sunday with Rancik committing to Florida State and Dak committing to Vanderbilt, per On3’s Joe Tipton. They join former Buffs guard Isaiah Johnson (now at Texas) as the third former Colorado player to leave the Big 12 conference as Rancik opts for the ACC and Dak heads to the SEC.
The trio of Johnson, Rancik, and Dak make up three of Colorado’s four most productive players with rising senior guard Barrington Hargress, and the Buffs are now tasked with replacing such production with Hargress as the only returner.
Rancik’s season ended prematurely with an injury, but he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs. Dak was Colorado’s leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game, scoring 11.5 points per contest as well.
While each player has his respective reasons for transferring, the most expected ones are for seeking better NIL deals or more development on a better team in a better league. The Buffs finished 12th in the Big 12, and the allure of the SEC was too strong for the program to hold onto key talent like Johnson and Dak.
Still, Colorado coach Tad Boyle proved his ability to recruit and build up a solid core, one that saw its headliners of Johnson, Dak, and Rancik all depart in the portal. Can he do it again?
Colorado Buffaloes Roster Outlook
Boyle and the Buffaloes did retain Hargress as well as three freshmen guards: Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders.
As a freshman, Holland averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as one of Colorado’s key pieces coming off of the bench. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in 33 games as a constant presence in the Buffs backcourt, averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 assists per game.
Inman played the fewest minutes of the returning trio, but he flashed with a couple of double-digit scoring performances as a true freshman.
“When I think of those three together, I think of toughness. I think of the improvement they made over the course of the season and the togetherness they have. They’re great friends and have formed a bond during their freshman year. Their toughness, energy and work ethic, when you have those attributes to go along with talent, which they all have, you get a chance to have three really good sophomores next year that will take the next step,” Boyle said in a release announcing the return of the three freshmen.
With eight outgoing transfers to replace, the Buffaloes will certainly have a new look to them for the 2026-27 season.
Colorado has landed one transfer portal prospect so far in former North Dakota State foward Noah Feddersen. On the recruiting trail, Boyle and company are bringing in four-star forward Rider Portela as well as two prospects from the NBL in Australia: forward Goc Malual and guard Alex Dickeson.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball closes on Tuesday, April 21, meaning players have to enter their names by then. Transfer athletes do not have to commit before the portal closes, though, so Colorado is expected to continue hosting prospects on visits while building out the roster.
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