Hundreds of high school students compete for welding scholarships

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Almost 400 high school students showed off their skills Saturday to try to earn a full-ride scholarship.

Madelynn Rich came to Jacksonville all the way from Mississippi to compete against mostly young men.

“I was, like, ‘My cousin welds, why don’t I?’ A bunch of people told me not to, so I really, really wanted to,” she said. “When I started it, it turned out I was pretty good at it.”

Tulsa Welding School invites students from across the country to its Jacksonville campus each year. Its hope -- to recruit more young men and women into the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation's aging infrastructure will require more welders but employment growth is only around 3 percent.

“Since the baby boomer generation is retiring, there is a big issue with not enough welders in our country,” Tulsa Welding School Campus President Hamed Shibli said.

Tulsa Welding School's program is seven months long. Students leave with a certificate and the skills for a lifelong career.

“Even if you don’t know anything about welding, you can come here. We can teach you how to weld and get you on your way to working in the industry in seven short months,” Ben Clemons, senior director of high school admissions, said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median salary was $41,380 in May 2018 but students said it can reach much higher.

For Madelynn, it isn't about the money.

“Just do what you love. I’m not saying you have to do what men do just to prove people wrong, but do what you’re good at and if it happens to be a men’s field, do it anyways,” she said.

The winner of the competition gets a full ride to Tulsa Welding School. The high school students got a $500 scholarship to the program just for coming out.

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