From Classroom to Innovation: Lockhart High School partners with Proto-Town 

BY LISD                                

    The eyes of famous innovators watch over Proto-Town. Along the road to the hardware hub, billboards of the Wright brothers and Teddy Roosevelt set the tone for the kind of ingenuity thriving here in Caldwell County and promise a future not yet imagined. 

     Proto-Town envisions itself as a home for modern pioneers with the grit and drive of the Wright brothers and Roosevelt. The rolling landscape under a clear Texas sky provides a backdrop that inspires these forward-thinking leaders and sets Lockhart apart from San Francisco, New York, or even Austin. Caldwell County has the space, spirit, and talent to help these burgeoning companies scale up and grow. 

     Founded by Merle Nye and Joshua Farahzad, Proto-Town aims to be a place of hardware innovation, in which new thinkers can develop their projects alongside other creative thinkers, and positively impact the surrounding community. 

     The minds of start-up founders and inventors exchange and refine ideas creating just what Nye and Farahzad envisioned, a fertile ground for new concepts, new companies, and new talent to take root. Projects revolving around reimagining the desalination process to designing more efficient and affordable air conditioning inhabit the hardware hub. In Proto-Town, futuristic machines like autonomous earthmoving vehicles aiming to help construction crews come to life in the present day. And Nye hopes these projects will one day translate to real-life solutions for Caldwell County, benefiting the community it calls home.

     As Nye explained, the company is now almost half Lion as many of those involved are graduates of Lockhart High School. 2024 graduates, Mason Nino, Josiah Orona, and Tyler Doyle spoke about their experiences after graduation and their time at Proto-Town. 

     Orona and Doyle credit their CTE teachers, Matt Buehner and A.J. Hernandez for planting the seeds of curiosity, hard work, and knowledge. Orona explained that Mr. Buehner allows students’ interests to guide their own learning. While Doyle states Mr. Hernandez encourages his class to ask questions and reminds them that it’s okay to be wrong—as long as you keep trying until you get it right. Together, these lessons instilled mindsets perfectly aligned with the culture of Proto-Town. This is a true testament that in Lockhart ISD, our teachers are developing creative thinkers that are not only ready for the future, but able to design what that future might become. Proto-Town’s recent addition of 2019 Lockhart graduate, Daequan Ellison, further demonstrates this continued pipeline of innovative Lions entering the workforce. 

     But the hub’s influence on our Lions doesn’t just wait for graduation—they are already helping our senior engineering students grow and apply their classroom learning to real-world projects. Looking ahead, Proto-Town aims to expand that impact by partnering with the district to cultivate even more talent through opportunities like field trips and internships. Nino is excited for the effect the hardware hub will have on current students. “It’s inspiring for young people to see other young people doing innovative things—and the best part is, it’s all happening right here in Lockhart.” One LHS engineering senior has already begun their practicum at Proto-Town, focusing on advanced 3D printing. This is just the beginning of what promises to be a powerful partnership that connects students to technological advancement and future-ready careers.

      “Proto-Town represents an incredible opportunity for our students,” states Superintendent Mark Estrada. “Having it right here in Lockhart gives our students a chance to see innovation in action and advances our mission to cultivate creative minds and bold leaders.”

    Orville Wright, one of the billboard guardians of the hardware hub once said, “We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity.”

     Lockhart ISD strives to do the same, create an environment that cultivates inventive thinkers by fostering curiosity, providing meaningful opportunities, and promoting real-world problem-solving. Through its partnership with Proto-Town, the district aims to empower our Lions to shape the world they will inherit.

    Lockhart ISD strives to do the same, create an environment that cultivates inventive thinkers by fostering curiosity, providing meaningful opportunities, and promoting real-world problem-solving. Through its partnership with Proto-Town, the district aims to empower our Lions to shape the world they will inherit.