Page 22 - Spring 2014 World of Welding

THE WORLD OF WELDING http://www.welding.org

WHO SAYS GIRLS CAN’T WELD BULLDOZERS

(Continued from page 14)

standing shop grades. This, in turn, makes
them eligible for a cooperative placement job in
connection to their metal fabrication / welding
program where they make 12.00 to 16.00 dollars
per hour while still in high school.

Alexzandra was able to achieve all requirements
that placed her in a welding repair position at a
local sand and gravel corporation for both in her
junior and senior years.

Not to our surprise, Alexzandra was able to
put herself at the head of her shop class, while
producing honorable grades in her academic
classes, along with achieving perfect school
attendance. This young woman is not afraid to Alexzandra on the job welding a power hammer.
get her hands dirty! When not welding on a piece
of heavy equipment, she enjoys driving her
vintage pick-up truck that she helped her dad rebuild, welding Upon graduation, Alexzandra’s plans to weld full time to
included, and driving her off-road ATV. As I jokingly say, she rebuild and modify heavy equipment at Kimball’s Sand and
also enjoys climbing trees when not welding! Alexzandra is Gravel Corp. Alexzandra also has plans to establish a small
truly a well-balanced young woman. She knows how to put in business and do creative metalwork on the side. She is in the
long work hours while relaxing Alexzandra-style in her free process of setting up a small metal shop and has acquired
time. a welding machine, cutting and heating torches, hand held
plasma machine, and is building benches and tools rests for
her welded art workshop. Alexzandra is talented in creative
copper work such as repoussé, a French word for embossing
designs in soft copper. She has expressed a desire to perform
welding as a career while pursuing her creative talents for her
customers on the side.
As a vocational welding teacher, it is very rewarding to see
young adults enjoying welding as a career, while using their
welder’s torches to produce creative decorative designs in
metal.

As Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs has said, “It’s about having
a talent and a desire to use their talents to drive their lives
forward.” Alexzandra is doing just that! She found her talent
in welding while having fun along the pathways of life.

“You go girl!” as the old saying goes. I salute all of the next
generation of “Rosie the Riveter” welders in our country
today. Happy weld puddles!

Neil Mansfield, AWS CWI-CWE® is the lead Metal Fabrication Teacher
at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, U.S. Navy Seabees
Chief Retired, a blacksmith-artist, and an industrial welding and
sheet metal worker. He is a graduate of Hobart Institute of Welding
Alexzandra displays her creative flying monkey. Technology. Visit Neil’s metal creations at www.mansfieldmetalart.
com.

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