John Dowling Odom Welding Scholarship

Ever since I was little, I can remember running around and playing on heavy duty pieces of machinery and when I would stop and sit down, I would notice lines on certain parts of the equipment. I always wonder what that was and now that I'm older, I know what it was. They were welds. I know that because I've been able to weld those same smooth lines over and over again and yet I never get tired of striking the arc or getting into that motion of moving the rod. I've alway been that little girl that paints and draws all over and now that I'm older, welding allows me to be able to spread my art all around. I want to have a career in welding so that I can express my art in welds while also helping the people and businesses around me. I live in a small fishing town of Alaska and every time I go by the ship port, I can see people welding huge steel plates to the ships and it amazes me. Seeing that wants me to be that person, working on the ship, helping the captain fix his boat and helping the community. Once that ship gets welded and back into the water it can continue to do its jobs whether it's commercial fishing or pulling barges. Everyone comes together to help the community, and I want to join in and do my part to help. Once I am able to and have the knowledge too, I plan to start my own welding business and continue to express my passion in welding and also employ others who want to explore the world of welding and help them to express their technique and passion in the metal fabrication industry. I feel once I can put my plan in action that it will become a major way of how I can give back and express my gratitude to my community. I've been accepted into the Industrial Welding program at Alaska Vocational and Technical Education Center (AVTEC) in Seward Alaska in the fall of 2024 and with your scholarship I will be able to help pay for the tuition at AVTEC and continue my goal of expressing my passion of welding while also being able to help the my community and other welders. I hope you will consider me for your scholarship and help me work towards my goal of spreading my passion as a welder.