Student Testimonials
Dana Massey was the first female student to attend ArcLabs Welding School
Life can take different directions for everyone. Much like directions for putting together a swing set, all it takes is staying focused and putting nut A onto nut B. Before you know it you are swinging and sliding. Sometimes there are no directions; however, you may even be missing the whole bag of hardware to put your swing set together.
Unfortunately for me I fell into the latter group. I was missing the whole bag of hardware and did not knowwhere to turn. At thirty four years old I found myself a single mother of two. I had experienced several failed career attempts, and was at a crossroads…one where I was forced to ask myself "How am I going to get my swing set put together?" I knew I had to better myself for my two daughters and me.
I chose to pursue a welding career, which had always been in the back of my mind. I was fortunate to have a part time job at a nuclear power plant driving the night shift shuttle bus for an outage and had contact with welders. During this time, I discovered that the demand for welders was high and there was a good wage to be earned. I did the research to find out what steps I had to take to reach this goal and tech school seemed to be the only answer for me.
I applied for the WIA program which is funded by the state and learned there was an alternative to tech school, one that would help me reach my goal faster. With my situation, time was definitely of the essence. The choice to me was clear. ArcLabs Welding School was an 8 week program that would teach me the basics to get me started in a welding career. My situation would not allow me two years to learn a skill and have the same opportunity for a paying job.
I found ArcLabs Welding School to be a warm and encouraging environment where I was able to gain confidence in myself. The instructors were more than just teachers, they were people who believed in me, and helped me believe in myself at a time when I was more unsure than ever. Pursuing a career in a male dominated trade seemed unattainable at times. They never let me give in to those intimidations. I am very proud to say that I finished the Core Curriculum in 6 weeks, received my NCCER certification, and was able to get my SMAW 6g certification on pipe and GTAW/SMAW 6g on pipe.
These things have afforded me the opportunity to be a pipe welder for DZ Atlantic. I am now one of five women welders at the same nuclear power station where I drove a bus. I am thankful to Angie Green at DZ for giving me this opportunity and I am excited about advancing my career in welding.
I am also thankful to Bob Fellers and Gene Crook at ArcLabs Welding School for their encouragement and knowledge. I am also very proud to say that after some field work I plan on staying involved with ArcLabs Welding School. I believe in the school and what it can do for people who have "lost the bag of hardware for their swing set." I feel blessed and honored to be able to encourage others to work hard, stay focused, and build their own future in this great trade.