Page 11 - HIWT World of Welding Fall 2021-Winter 2022

Paseka Enjoys Teaching Welding Skills To High School
Students
inkfreenews.com/2021/06/30/jeremiah-paseka-teaches-welding-skills-to-high-school-students/
Tim Ashley June 30, 2021
Paseka Enjoys Teaching Welding Skills To High School Students

By Tim Ashley, InkFreeNews

Moore had been driving to Warsaw from Kendallville daily and was
looking to get hired to teach welding at the cooperative in Kendallville
to replace a retiring instructor. He asked Paseka if he was ready to take
over Warsaw’s welding program, which is overseen by the Warsaw Area
Career Center. Paseka agreed to teach welding.
“It (teaching welding) was a passion of mine when I was a high school
student,” Paseka said, recalling he used to joke he would one day take
Chris Moore’s job.
Paseka began as a welding instructor in January 2014. “That was a good
time to start because I had only about three months to decide if I wanted
to come back or not,” he said. Of course he did come back.
He now teaches basic shop safety, hand tool use, project building and
fabrication to high school students.
Paseka likes the ability to start with only a pile of metal and a blueprint
and then “make a project come to life,” adding he is building the next
generation of welders.
Jeremiah Paseka, left, is shown with student Thomas Coulter at one of the welding booths in the shop at Particularly when teaching, he enjoys the “light bulb” moments when
Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw. Not visible in the photo is another student, Tyler Monesmith. Photo by
Jeremiah Paseka, left, is shown with student Thomas Coulter at one of the students grasp what is being taught. “I can point kids in the right
Tim Ashley.
welding booths in the shop at Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw. Not visible in
By Tim Ashley direction because students sometimes don’t know what they want from
the photo is another student, Tyler Monesmith. Photo by Tim Ashley.
InkFreeNews life,” he commented.
WARSAW — In a shop area on the west end of Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw,
Jeremiah Paseka teaches welding to high school students, some of whom aren’t sure of their He taught at Warsaw until leaving to take a similar position for the
WARSAW — In a shop area on the west end of Lakeview Middle School
career choice and need some guidance. It seems only fitting, because he found himself in a Pathways Cooperative at Wawasee High School during the 2017-18 and
in Warsaw, Jeremiah Paseka teaches welding to high school students,
2018-19 school years. He then came back to teaching welding again at
some of whom aren’t sure of their career choice and need some guidance. 1/3
It seems only fitting, because he found himself in a similar situation Warsaw.
while in high school and taking an ag mechanics class introduced him to Welding has increased in popularity considerably since it began in 2003-
welding. 04. There were 50 students in the most recent school year and as of early
Paseka is a native of Warsaw and a 2007 graduate of Warsaw June, 84 had signed up for 2021-22. Part of the recent growth can be
Community High School. There was no family history of welders and attributed to opening up the program to sophomores beginning next year.
his interest in welding started while taking an ag mechanics class as a But another major factor is the money to be made in welding. Paseka
sophomore. Six weeks of the class was welding. noted if a student attends a trade school after high school it is only for
“It clicked and I liked it,” he said, so he enrolled in the welding class the about six to nine months instead of four years at a traditional college.
next two years. Then if a student is willing to travel some, they can make good money
fairly soon after schooling.
After graduating from high school, he took his interest in welding a step
further and attended the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, a nine- Even more money than some teachers are making.
month welding program in Troy, Ohio. He graduated from the program in Outside of teaching welding and working part-time once in a while
August 2009. doing welding projects, Paseka has helped with 4-H students involved in
Paseka entered the workforce for a few years and was a welder for the welding, as well as the FFA.
pipe fitters union and elsewhere. Then in November 2013 he received a He is married to Betsy Paseka and they have a 3 year-old son, Henry.
phone call from Chris Moore, who was Paseka’s welding instructor in high Jeremiah enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, kayaking, shooting
school. Moore was the welding program’s first teacher when it began in and spending time with family.
the 2003-04 school year.
Reprinted with permission by Ink Free Press and The Papers in Milford, IN.

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