Class is in Session

"No one had ever told me this was so fun and addicting,” said a student who was enrolled in JD Castillo’s welding course but was too scared to grab an electrode holder. That finally changed when Castillo, ever his students’ biggest advocate, struck a deal with him. The student would be Castillo’s shop foreman during class, but he would eventually have to get certified. They started shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) with 6010 electrodes, and by the end of class, the change was palpable.

Castillo cites experiences with students like this as one of many reasons he became an educator. Now a high school welding instructor, Castillo originally started his career as a carpenter. It wasn’t until a family member offered him a job that he had the opportunity to work with extremely knowledgeable, talented, and skilled welders who were willing to help him learn the craft. He learned fabrication, worked turnarounds and shutdowns at plants, and did repair/maintenance work on heavy equipment, tractor-trailers, and anything else that came through the shop doors.

“My first exposure to inspection was for the City of Austin, Tex., where I served as a fire watch for the inspector performing dye penetrant testing, and I was allowed to observe and assist,” Castillo recalled.

Soon after, he bought a welding machine, installed it on the back of his truck, and started doing mobile jobs for customers. He eventually started his own business. From there, he transitioned into welding sales, where he kept abreast of what was going on in the welding industry.

His networking and professional relationships led him to Austin Community College (ACC), where an instructor encouraged him to consider teaching. Castillo began teaching continuing education welding classes in Spanish, which he enjoyed so much that, when encouraged by a department head, he did not hesitate to enroll himself in welding inspection courses at ACC.

“Someone once asked whether I wanted to sling iron for the rest of my life or choose a path that would be physically easier but would still allow me to work in the welding industry in a different capacity. I did this by becoming a CWI,” he said.

Castillo studied while working two jobs, squeezing in any free second on nights and weekends to work toward his certification. “It was challenging, but learning was easier because it was a subject that I am interested in.” He earned CWI status in 2023.

He found a home within qualification, having spent a great deal of time doing inspection welds on buildings with friends.

His favorite inspection method is destructive testing because he’s able to witness the welders’ and especially the students’ reaction to the results of their weld tests. Castillo encourages his students and others to take time to pursue the inspection process if they are interested. “It is not easy, but it is definitely worth achieving.”

In his current role, he encourages students to participate in various welding events and emphasizes the importance of networking, going so far as to build professional relationships within the community and with companies that need welders, in hopes of helping his students find employment.

Castillo is straightforward with his students. He shares many real-life experiences from his welding career — unfavorable weather conditions, associated dangers, long hours, and the tales of the people he’s met along the way, good and bad — and stresses that the only way to know if welding is for them is to take a class or find a job that exposes them to different types of welding.

“I have found teaching to be the most rewarding part of my career. I hope that by sharing my personal knowledge, I have helped teach my students welding skills that will help change their lives.”

For Castillo, there is no better feeling than seeing the light bulb turn on in a student’s head, a student’s face light up as they finally run a perfect weld bead and position, or a student pass a perfect bend test.

He also highlights all the joys welding has brought him over the years. “There is nothing like reflecting on the interesting jobs I’ve been a part of and having the satisfaction of saying, ‘I built that’ or ‘I was part of that project.’”

Castillo encourages his students to learn something from everyone they encounter, both in and out of the field. Everyone has something different to offer, and there’s always the possibility they may find a different or better way of doing something.

“Knowledge is something that no one can take from you, and the more you know, the more valuable you make yourself. If we don’t give back and help teach or mentor the next generation, we are only hurting ourselves.”

Castillo hopes that he has made a small difference in the lives of anyone interested in welding.

RACHEL BHEECHAM (rbheecham@aws.org) is the assistant editor of Inspection Trends.