I wasn’t supposed to be here. If you had told me years ago that I’d be a single mother pursuing a welding career with Jesus Christ at the center of my life, I might have laughed, or cried. My life used to look nothing like it does now. I was a convicted felon, broken by bad decisions, surrounded by the wrong people, and carrying the heavy weight of shame. I remember the nights I felt like I had lost everything; my freedom, my self-worth, and my future. But in that darkness, God met me. I didn’t find Him because I was strong; I found Him because I was desperate. I cried out, and He answered. He didn’t just save me; He started to rebuild me from the inside out. Becoming a mother changed everything. My son became the heartbeat of my determination, but I knew I couldn’t give him the life he deserved without giving my life fully to Christ. I wanted to be more than someone who told him about Jesus, I wanted him to see Jesus alive in me. That meant leaving my old life behind and walking into something new, no matter how hard the road. Welding wasn’t just a career choice, it was a calling. The first time I struck an arc, I saw more than sparks. I saw possibility. I saw a future where I could build something solid, not just with metal, but with my life. Welding takes broken pieces and fuses them together into something strong, something useful. That’s exactly what God has done with me. In the shop, there’s heat, there’s pressure, and there’s precision. You have to focus. You have to steady your hands and trust the process. My walk with Christ has been the same; there’s been fire, there’s been testing, but there’s also been growth and strength I never knew I had. Every weld I make is a reminder that I’m not the brokenness I used to be. I know some people look at my past and see a mistake. But I look at my past and see a testimony. My conviction doesn’t define me; it refines me. My struggles have shaped a grit and resilience in me that no classroom could ever teach. Now, every day I pick up that torch, I’m not just working—I’m building a legacy for my son. I’m showing him that with Jesus, it doesn’t matter where you’ve been; it matters where you’re going. I want him to grow up knowing his mom fought for a better life, not just with her hands, but with her faith. I am a welder. I am a mother. I am redeemed. And by the grace of God, I’m just getting started.