Why did you choose Great Falls College?
I chose Great Falls College after looking at different welding programs here in the state. I settled on Great Falls because of the proximity to my family and all of my support group here in town.
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Great Falls. I went to Great Falls High, class of 2004.
What did you do after high school?
So after high school, I joined the Army. I was a communications paratrooper. And after that, it was odds and end jobs. I decided I wanted to be the jack of all trades. I got into caregiving. I went to college, got my bachelor’s in computer science. EMT, wildland firefighting. A little bit of everything. And then I was working in construction, did electrical, plumbing, the whole nine yards.
How was your first experience with college?
I went to, what’s now the University of Great Falls-Providence for my, bachelor’s in computer science…I got out of the Army in 2006 … I started summer of 2007… Honestly, I wish I knew more about college before I started. I feel like there’s a lot that I missed out on, and there’s a lot that I messed up on. As a non-traditional (student), you’re treated just a little bit different, right. You don’t have to go through all the basics… as a non-trad you don’t get housing.
Did you work in the computer science field?
After I completed my bachelor’s in computer science, I did have a couple odds and end jobs, in that field … actually worked for the city of Milan, Michigan to help support the entirety of the city and all their tech needs. And then when I came back to Montana, I was trying to find a job in the IT field … it always seemed that there’s always somebody that had more experience or outdid me in those interviews. So after not being able to find an IT job locally, I decided to find a different field, which made me look into some of my other hobbies and stuff that I did previously and that I enjoyed doing. I taught myself how to weld a couple years ago while I was in the wildland firefighting, and from there I was like, well, why don’t I actually get some technical training on how to weld?
What about welding intrigued you?
Coming from jobs that, you know are enough to get me by from day to day, enough to pay the bills, I decided I started to need to start looking for a better paying career. As a hobby, I enjoy welding. I messed around with it a little bit, but there’s always been stuff that I wanted to learn more about. I also know that this welding education can take me to the automotive industry. It can take me to the aerospace industry. Or if I want to, I can go out in the pipelines and work the oil fields as well. So it would allow me to still be able to travel. It’s a larger career pot that I could choose from. It’s not just this one small niche or work spot or work area that I’d be stuck in.
Was it a single moment or a gradual decision in choosing welding?
Almost a year ago, I was in Missoula and I was working at Montana Endoscopy Center as a front desk clerk and a scope reprocessing technician. And I enjoyed the work. I enjoyed everyone I was working with, but I was like there’s got to be something better for me. So that is when I started looking at new career possibilities.
So, how’s it going at Great Falls College?
I am really enjoying the welding program. It’s been a lot more immersive than I thought. There’s way more to the field of welding than just putting a bead down. Like you need to understand what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, the metals that you’re working with, the different processes and the applications that it could go to. Some of it comes a little bit easier because of previous experience and previous education. But I have been learning a lot every day that I’ve been here.
What do you like about Great Falls College?
Even though I spend the majority of my time here on campus in the welding shop, trades building. (Campus) it feels very accepting. it doesn’t feel like there’s parts of the college that are walled off because I’m not part of that program. Everybody seems to be very happy, energetic, always willing to engage with you. Wanting to make sure that you’ve got everything you need and that you’re set up for success.
What are your future plans, short term and long term?
Well, the short of it, when I graduate here, I’m hoping to get a very decent high paying job. Where it is really doesn’t matter to me too much right now. It’s just, you know, I’ve got bills to pay. I got debt to pay off. The program here has introduced me to a lot of the local vendors and organizations that utilize individuals that come out of the welding program.
And how are the instructors here?
The instructors are great. Todd being the head of the welding department here, he makes sure that he’s present and available as much as he can, if not more than necessary, so that everybody here that’s enrolled and involved with the program is getting all the guidance that they need or that they want to make sure that they’re set up for success as well.
You’re well-traveled and keep returning to Great Falls, what’s special about it for you?
I don’t know if it’s Great Falls itself that makes it special, but it’s definitely Montana. So when I’ve been to all these other places, yeah they had their great sides. They have all these wonderful things about them. But it’s being able to come here and then in Great Falls I can drive an hour in any direction and I can be on a lake. I can be on a mountaintop. I can be on the river. I can be in the forest. Whatever I want to. And then I live just north of town here, and I have some of the most breathtaking sunsets and sunrises every day -Sorry goose bumps- being out in the mountains, in the environment and be able to recharge myself and find my center because I haven’t found a spot yet, that I can go and get the same joy and feeling from fly fishing the alpine lakes than here in (this) state. That has saved my life multiple times, like just being able to go and do that and spend the weekends or weeks at a time just camping in the backcountry.
You said that it saved your life. What did that mean?
Everybody experiences bad times, you know. Bad things happen to good people. When I got out of the military, I spiraled into a really dark depression. And I still deal with that on a daily basis… So, when I found fly fishing and realized what it did for me, it pulled me out of those dark spots. It stopped me from doing the unthinkable.