My name is Katie, I will be 44 years old in a month. As a middle aged, single female I am trying to begin a new chapter in my life. To be honest I'm terrified. Terrified to pick up my life and leave my home for six months while attending school, terrified to go into debt, and terrified to reinvent myself at my age. But I am also excited for those same reasons. Well, maybe not the going into debt part! I have always been fiercely independent and willing to take whatever opportunities were presented to me. This allowed me to live and work in many great places such as New Zealand, Arizona, Texas, Hawaii and California. While my background and love is horse training, life has taken me several directions including working in a physical therapy clinic, joining the Steelworkers Union while employed at a closures factory, Program Director of a therapeutic riding center and grounds maintenance at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. This variety has taught me many skills making me the quintessential Jack of all trades and the master of none. I don't regret this path in the slightest, however not sticking with one career has resulted in me always being in an entry level position and receiving the pay that accompanies that level. As I have gotten older this has become unsustainable and I began looking for a way to put myself in a better position. Welding is a skill that has always been on my bucket list of things I would like to learn. It came into my world view early while working on farms and ranches where it was used to build and fix a variety of things including fence panels and arena drags. It wasn't until much later in life that I would get the opportunity to try it out for myself. I played around with a wire feed and made a boot rack and wine rack out of horseshoes. I had a blast! My wine rack went in a silent auction for the nonprofit I worked for. It was a big hit! And I had several requests to make more. When it came to choosing a new career path welding jumped to the forefront for several reasons. First was the ability to complete initial training in a short period of time through a condensed six month trade school program. Second, welding is a growing field with a variety of career paths to choose from allowing me to find just the right fit. Third, the wages for certified welders is one that will allow me to live in the place I love. And fourth, but perhaps the most important, is welding allows me to have an occupation working with my hands.

My name is Katie, I will be 44 years old in just a few days. As a middle aged, single female I am trying to begin a new chapter in my life. To be honest I'm terrified. Terrified to pick up my life and leave my home for six months while attending school, terrified to go into debt, and terrified to reinvent myself at my age. But I am also excited for those same reasons. Well, maybe not the going into debt part! I have always been fiercely independent and willing to take whatever opportunities were presented to me. This allowed me to live and work in many great places such as New Zealand, Arizona, Texas, Hawaii and California. While my background and love is horse training, life has taken me several directions including working in a physical therapy clinic, joining the Steelworkers Union while employed at a closures factory, Program Director of a therapeutic riding center and grounds maintenance at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. This variety has taught me many skills making me the quintessential Jack of all trades and the master of none. I don't regret this path in the slightest, however not sticking with one career has resulted in me always being in an entry level position and receiving the pay that accompanies that level. As I have gotten older this has become unsustainable and I began looking for a way to put myself in a better position. Welding is a skill that has always been on my bucket list of things I would like to learn. It came into my world view early while working on farms and ranches where it was used to build and fix a variety of things including fence panels and arena drags. It wasn't until much later in life that I would get the opportunity to try it out for myself. I played around with a wire feed and made a boot rack and wine rack out of horseshoes. I had a blast! My wine rack went in a silent auction for the nonprofit I worked for. It was a big hit! And I had several requests to make more. When it came to choosing a new career path welding jumped to the forefront for several reasons. First was the ability to complete initial training in a short period of time through a condensed six month trade school program. Second, welding is a growing field with a variety of career paths to choose from allowing me to find just the right fit. Third, the wages for certified welders is one that will allow me to live in the place I love. And fourth, but perhaps the most important, is welding allows me to have an occupation working with my hands.