I knew when I got clean at 40 years old that I wanted to be a welder, as it was my dream since I was a young girl. I was so nervous and apprehensive to enroll in school for many reasons, but my Dad went ahead and made the appointment for us to check out the New Castle School of Trades. I felt very uneasy during the travel to the school, however, once we got in and started talking to the admissions team, they made me feel at ease. We went on a tour of the weld department and even applied for financial aid. Without even a hesitation, I signed my name to enroll in NCST.
By my very first day of school, my fear and anxiety were at an all-time high. I never used any tools before and had absolutely zero knowledge of welding. When we got our toolboxes, I could only identify the tape measure and hammer. I took my toolbox up to the instructors, and they went through every tool with me and its use without any judgment. I also loved how within the first 10 minutes in the shop, we were already laying down our very first welds. I fell in love instantly. I also took a liking to all the weld processes, and the sparks, heat, and smells of welding always make me feel that I made the right decision. Our welding Instructors were very happy to assist us with anything we needed, and they were honest about your welds and what was needed in order to improve. They were very excited for us to learn and get better. I also liked that NCST taught you math, blueprints, details about each welding process, weld symbols, and some fitting. You also got to weld, weld, and weld some more. You got a lot of hands-on time in the weld shop. The finals were challenging, which was a great way to expand our skills.
I felt extremely confident graduating in April 2020 and knew for certain that I could indeed get an entry-level position in the welding industry. Without enrolling in NCST, I would never have passed the weld test for my job. I arrived knowing that I could handle whatever may be asked of me. School got me comfortable with all the weld processes and taught me how to grind out bad welds properly. Without this education and all the welding practice that I did at NCST, I would have never been living my dream career. Lesson learned…don’t ever let your fears sell you short. Become who you envisioned you could be.
– Renee Golubski, New Castle School of Trades Combination Welding Alumni