Page 8 - Summer 2014 World of Welding

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

HOPEFUL ADVENTURES

While most of the Hobart Institute students are looking forward
to their first big paycheck after they complete training, the same
is not true for Colleen Schmidt of Wisconsin. Colleen, who is
an alumnus of Freedom High School in Wisconsin, graduated
from the Combination Structural and Pipe Welding Program
on March 21. Colleen grew up in a farming community
and participated in all the various tasks that go along with
agricultural operations, including welding repair.

With a desire to travel and serve, Colleen now begins
preparing for an adventurous, year-long trip that will take
her to the other side of the world. After a training stop in
Holland on the western coast of the Netherlands, she will fly
to Taiwan where she will board the mission ship Logos Hope.
This ship is one of a fleet owned by OM International. It has
served in ports in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia,
China, Cambodia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Libya,
Oman, Qatar, and various other countries. When docked, Colleen Schmidt
the Logos Hope welcomes visitors aboard. With about 400
serving on board, positions are available for personnel willing
to volunteer with skills such as deck and engineering officers
and ratings, doctors, cooks, electricians, plumbers, welders, COMMENTS FROM HIWT’S
fitters, toolmakers, carpenters, bookkeepers, journalists,
photographers and information technology professionals. SOCIAL NETWORK PAGES
Personnel participate in a broad spectrum of ship community
and public program events. They are committed to bring Abby Zirkle: [I graduated from Hobart] almost
knowledge, help and hope to the world. a year ago and I am top dog welder/fabricator
for the largest scrapping facility in Cincinnati. I
While on board, Colleen will work as a welder to assist with am the only female employed in this company.
various repairs. The ship will then cruise to its home port in Going to Hobart was the best thing and I’d like
Singapore where the ship will undergo switching over engines to thank the best --Ernie Jones [Hobart Institute Instructor,
and various other upgrades that will require welding. Once Retired] -- for all his time and patience!!!!
completed, the Logos Hope will cruise to another yet unnamed
location. It is possible that Colleen will be utilizing her Bloomberg BusinessWeek honored Hobart Institute with
welding training to help rebuild countries following natural a great article: http://www.businessweek.com/printer/
disasters, construct wells to supply safe drinking water and articles/190565-welders-america-needs-you
build structures to provide shelter in third world countries. Several of you liked that article, but Jason R. Gibbs took
When Colleen is not working as a welder, she will be providing time to respond: “Excellent article! Pass it around. I am sure
education and humanitarian relief and missionary services to everyone knows someone who wants to work!”
the local families.
When the same article surfaced on LinkedIN, we received
Colleen has presently committed her time for one year, as she this response:
donates her talent to make the world a better place. While she
will not be earning a monetary salary, Colleen will be meeting Ron Wilson: When one truly ponders the
and working with others, acquiring welding experience and old stigma for the welding profession...you
gaining a multicultural, life experience that money cannot buy. cannot get past the obvious. “What would this
country do without them?”
Learn more about the program at http://www.omships.org
Let us know what you are thinking! Check out our FB page
or e-mail hiwt@welding.org.

8