Hello! My name is Robert L. Wilson Jr and I have a very challenging goal ahead of me while in pursuit of becoming the first of my family to graduate college with an associate's degree. While I am only 23 years young, my wife (5 years married), and my 10-month-old daughter will be supporting me while I start my new welding career. I became interested in welding at a young age when my father showed me that just about anything can be fixed by welding some metal together. I never put much thought into that moment until after I got out of the Marine Corps and began the search for my new career. Like my father before me, I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. While in the Marine Corps, I was a Combat Marksmanship Coach on Parris Island. While on the rifle range, I was in charge of 64 recruits and 4 Marines every day. It was during this position that I learned important traits of leadership such as judgment, tact, fairness, integrity, and decisiveness (to name a few). I also learned things from the Marine Corps that couldn't be taught in a classroom such as how to respond and react calmly to a crisis, how to effectively lead and mentor others, and even how to counsel my peers and those who out-ranked me. It was this effective leadership that allowed me the opportunity to take on additional jobs and responsibilities such as the Tower Non-Commissioned Officer as well as becoming meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal (E-4). I have always strived to serve my community before, during, and after the Marine Corps by volunteering my time at my church for vacation bible school, substituting as a coach for a little league baseball team, and even going store to store asking for donations in order to give food to food banks in time for Thanksgiving. Now a disabled veteran, I've been out of the Marine Corps for roughly a year, I find myself longing for some of the aspects that made my military service enjoyable. The ability to meet new people, travel to new places and complete a job that has meaning are some of the reasons that I chose welding as my new career. After I graduate from the Associate's Degree program, I would like to spend some time getting experience as a welder, then start looking for travel assignments around the United States. I'm in the fortunate position that my spouse will be able to conduct travel assignments with me as well (due to her career in healthcare) and it's something we've had planned for a while. I know that all of this starts with the completion of the welding program at Spartanburg Community College, and I am ready to put all of my time, energy, and effort, into becoming the best welder I can possibly be.

Hello! My name is Robert L. Wilson Jr and I have a very challenging goal ahead of me while in pursuit of becoming the first of my family to graduate college with an associate's degree. While I am only 23 years young, my wife (5 years married), and my 10-month-old daughter will be supporting me while I start my new welding career. I became interested in welding at a young age when my father showed me that just about anything can be fixed by welding some metal together. I never put much thought into that moment until after I got out of the Marine Corps and began the search for my new career. Like my father before me, I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. While in the Marine Corps, I was a Combat Marksmanship Coach on Parris Island. While on the rifle range, I was in charge of 64 recruits and 4 Marines every day. It was during this position that I learned important traits of leadership such as judgment, tact, fairness, integrity, and decisiveness (to name a few). I also learned things from the Marine Corps that couldn't be taught in a classroom such as how to respond and react calmly to a crisis, how to effectively lead and mentor others, and even how to counsel my peers and those who out-ranked me. It was this effective leadership that allowed me the opportunity to take on additional jobs and responsibilities such as the Tower Non-Commissioned Officer as well as becoming meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal (E-4). I have always strived to serve my community before, during, and after the Marine Corps by volunteering my time at my church for vacation bible school, substituting as a coach for a little league baseball team, and even going store to store asking for donations in order to give food to food banks in time for Thanksgiving. Now a disabled veteran, I've been out of the Marine Corps for roughly a year, I find myself longing for some of the aspects that made my military service enjoyable. The ability to meet new people, travel to new places and complete a job that has meaning are some of the reasons that I chose welding as my new career. After I graduate from the Associate's Degree program, I would like to spend some time getting experience as a welder, then start looking for travel assignments around the United States. I'm in the fortunate position that my spouse will be able to conduct travel assignments with me as well (due to her career in healthcare) and it's something we've had planned for a while. I know that all of this starts with the completion of the welding program at Spartanburg Community College, and I am ready to put all of my time, energy, and effort, into becoming the best welder I can possibly be.

Hello! My name is Robert L. Wilson Jr and I have a very challenging goal ahead of me while in pursuit of becoming the first of my family to graduate college with an associate's degree. While I am only 23 years young, my wife (5 years married), and my 10-month-old daughter will be supporting me while I start my new welding career. I became interested in welding at a young age when my father showed me that just about anything can be fixed by welding some metal together. I never put much thought into that moment until after I got out of the Marine Corps and began the search for my new career. Like my father before me, I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. While in the Marine Corps, I was a Combat Marksmanship Coach on Parris Island. While on the rifle range, I was in charge of 64 recruits and 4 Marines every day. It was during this position that I learned important traits of leadership such as judgment, tact, fairness, integrity, and decisiveness (to name a few). I also learned things from the Marine Corps that couldn't be taught in a classroom such as how to respond and react calmly to a crisis, how to effectively lead and mentor others, and even how to counsel my peers and those who out-ranked me. It was this effective leadership that allowed me the opportunity to take on additional jobs and responsibilities such as the Tower Non-Commissioned Officer as well as becoming meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal (E-4). I have always strived to serve my community before, during, and after the Marine Corps by volunteering my time at my church for vacation bible school, substituting as a coach for a little league baseball team, and even going store to store asking for donations in order to give food to food banks in time for Thanksgiving. Now a disabled veteran, I've been out of the Marine Corps for roughly a year, I find myself longing for some of the aspects that made my military service enjoyable. The ability to meet new people, travel to new places and complete a job that has meaning are some of the reasons that I chose welding as my new career. After I graduate from the Associate's Degree program, I would like to spend some time getting experience as a welder, then start looking for travel assignments around the United States. I'm in the fortunate position that my spouse will be able to conduct travel assignments with me as well (due to her career in healthcare) and it's something we've had planned for a while. I know that all of this starts with the completion of the welding program at Spartanburg Community College, and I am ready to put all of my time, energy, and effort, into becoming the best welder I can possibly be.

Hello! My name is Robert L. Wilson Jr and I have a very challenging goal ahead of me while in pursuit of becoming the first of my family to graduate college with an associate's degree. While I am only 23 years young, my wife (5 years married), and my 10-month-old daughter will be supporting me while I start my new welding career. I became interested in welding at a young age when my father showed me that just about anything can be fixed by welding some metal together. I never put much thought into that moment until after I got out of the Marine Corps and began the search for my new career. Like my father before me, I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. While in the Marine Corps, I was a Combat Marksmanship Coach on Parris Island. While on the rifle range, I was in charge of 64 recruits and 4 Marines every day. It was during this position that I learned important traits of leadership such as judgment, tact, fairness, integrity, and decisiveness (to name a few). I also learned things from the Marine Corps that couldn't be taught in a classroom such as how to respond and react calmly to a crisis, how to effectively lead and mentor others, and even how to counsel my peers and those who out-ranked me. It was this effective leadership that allowed me the opportunity to take on additional jobs and responsibilities such as the Tower Non-Commissioned Officer as well as becoming meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal (E-4). I have always strived to serve my community before, during, and after the Marine Corps by volunteering my time at my church for vacation bible school, substituting as a coach for a little league baseball team, and even going store to store asking for donations in order to give food to food banks in time for Thanksgiving. Now a disabled veteran, I've been out of the Marine Corps for roughly a year, I find myself longing for some of the aspects that made my military service enjoyable. The ability to meet new people, travel to new places and complete a job that has meaning are some of the reasons that I chose welding as my new career. After I graduate from the Associate's Degree program, I would like to spend some time getting experience as a welder, then start looking for travel assignments around the United States. I'm in the fortunate position that my spouse will be able to conduct travel assignments with me as well (due to her career in healthcare) and it's something we've had planned for a while. I know that all of this starts with the completion of the welding program at Spartanburg Community College, and I am ready to put all of my time, energy, and effort, into becoming the best welder I can possibly be.

My name is Robert L. Wilson Jr and I have a very challenging goal ahead of me while in pursuit of becoming the first of my family to graduate college with an associate's degree. While I am only 23 years young, my wife (5 years married), and my 10-month-old daughter will be supporting me while I start my new welding career. I became interested in welding at a young age when my father showed me that just about anything can be fixed by welding some metal together. I never put much thought into that moment until after I got out of the Marine Corps and began the search for my new career. Like my father before me, I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. While in the Marine Corps, I was a Combat Marksmanship Coach on Parris Island. While on the rifle range, I was in charge of 64 recruits and 4 Marines every day. It was during this position that I learned important traits of leadership such as judgment, tact, fairness, integrity, and decisiveness (to name a few). I also learned things from the Marine Corps that couldn't be taught in a classroom such as how to respond and react calmly to a crisis, how to effectively lead and mentor others, and even how to counsel my peers and those who out-ranked me. It was this effective leadership that allowed me the opportunity to take on additional jobs and responsibilities such as the Tower Non-Commissioned Officer as well as becoming meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal (E-4). I have always strived to serve my community before, during, and after the Marine Corps by volunteering my time at my church for vacation bible school, substituting as a coach for a little league baseball team, and even going store to store asking for donations in order to give food to food banks in time for Thanksgiving. Now a disabled veteran, I've been out of the Marine Corps for roughly a year, I find myself longing for some of the aspects that made my military service enjoyable. The ability to meet new people, travel to new places and complete a job that has meaning are some of the reasons that I chose welding as my new career. After I graduate from the Associate's Degree program, I would like to spend some time getting experience as a welder, then start looking for travel assignments around the United States. I'm in the fortunate position that my spouse will be able to conduct travel assignments with me as well (due to her career in healthcare) and it's something we've had planned for a while. I know that all of this starts with the completion of the welding program at Spartanburg Community College, and I am ready to put all of my time, energy, and effort, into becoming the best welder I can possibly be.

1.) I am actively pursuing an associate's degree in welding through my local community college. I decided to pursue this career due to the stability of the field, the overall projected job growth, and the ability to provide for my wife and daughter as (I believe) any man should. I became passionate about welding at a young age, ever since my father showed me how to do some rough stick welding during a repair job on a trailer. I quickly learned that I enjoy building and creating new things that can help other people. I learned that there are many different career paths as a welder including art, fabrication, maintenance, travel welding, nuclear, etc. I even planned on joining the Marine Corps as a welder! Although joining the military as a welder didn't workout, I still wanted to pursue my dream after I ended my military contract. This let me to where I am today. 2.) After I obtain my associate's degree in Welding, I plan on getting as much welding experience as possible by getting a job at one of the veteran-owned fabrication companies in town. Being a military veteran myself, I admire the challenges and adversity that other veterans overcome in order to make successful businesses and I aim to be a part of a team like that. Admittedly, I don't like to plan ahead more than 5 years because like Forest Gump says "Life is like a box of chocolates". However, after I gain some experience as a welder, my wife and I agreed that we would like to take a couple of years and persue travel assignments as a welder in order to help other companies out around the United States. I also have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and dream of opening a business of my own one day as a welding contractor. 3.) I am a firm believer that everything in life (good and bad) happens for a reason. Looking back on my family history, my family has never been goal-oriented or financially responsible and I aim to change that. Dispute being having my father in prison for most of my childhood, and my mother being deceased, I have always aimed to better my life from a young age and I truly think welding can help me get there. Although now that I am a disabled Marine Corps Veteran, my main goal is to become a man that my children would like to emulate and prove to everyone that I will not let any obstacles or disabilities get in my way of providing a better life for my family.