John Dowling Odom Welding Scholarship

My name is James Ngaluola. I am a 31-year-old Tongan-American, and throughout my life, I have never encountered a professional welder who shares my ethnic background. My people are great workers in construction and electrical trades, but there are no welders. Our community is pretty small, but I feel like I can start the wave of new welders in our community. Back in Oakland, CA, our church had a carport that everyone would gather under to have feasts and dances. One day, when someone was hanging up some decorations, a bar came loose, and it was because of a failed weld. We had to hire a welder to help us, but we're so used to fixing everything ourselves that it made me think about becoming a welder. I've always been a creative person, and when I finally looked into welding as a trade, I noticed how creative it allows you to be. One reason I enjoy welding is that I think it's pretty cool to see how many different ways people find to fix the same problem. Not only am I creative, but I also enjoy working with my hands, so I finally decided to sign up for trade school with the help of my family. So far, I have been going to school for 4 months now, and I'm on my third course, about to be on my fourth course. I have a 4.0 GPA, I have signed up to become a student ambassador, and I've also been invited to be a part of the National Technical Honor Society. I really enjoy going to school to become a welder. I feel like I found my community, and it's also nice being around people who share a common goal. Becoming a welding student has opened my eyes to the possibilities that will open up to me after I graduate from trade school. I could pursue structural welding, where I can help build structures like schools and hospitals, as well as items like railings and fences. I could go into the pipeline and help bring energy, water, and natural gas to homes all over the country. While reading our textbooks in the classroom, I found out that after natural disasters, tradesmen and tradeswomen are considered first responders, so they can help the public get back to functioning properly. That is something I never thought about, but once I read about it, it made so much sense. Initially, I wanted to become a welder because I could potentially be the first Tongan in my community and help my people by being the guy they call when they need a welder. Now, just a few months into school, I realize I can help a lot more people than just the ones in my community, and I can be a part of a trade that helps transform this country.

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.