How an AWS Student Member Learned about the Industry from a Metals Class

Emily Murray never thought of the welding industry as a possible trajectory in her career. She wasn’t thinking much of a job during her middle school years. Then, 2020 came, and a pandemic shut down most of the world. As schools tried to navigate a worldwide shutdown to ensure students could safely continue in-person, hands-on learning, Murray, a freshman in high school, enrolled in a metal shop class at her home school, Cranberry Area Junior Senior High School, Seneca, Pa. 

“In my ninth-grade year of high school, I was enrolled in a metal class. At the time, we were fighting to stay in school due to COVID-19,” she explained. “We did a little bit of forge welding in a forging unit that we took part in. But when we got to the last month of school, we started our welding unit. We did oxyfuel cutting and stick welding [shielded metal arc welding].”   

The welding unit piqued Murray’s interest because it allowed her independence.   

“I loved the diverse things that welding allowed me to have,” she explained. 

After the metal class, Murray wanted nothing more than to further her education in the welding field. She had the opportunity to go to a vocational school through her school. She jumped at the chance, and during her sophomore year, she enrolled in the welding program at Venango Technology Center (VTC), Oil City, Pa., where she was accepted. Murray started her mornings taking required academic classes at Cranberry then spent her afternoons learning her trade at VTC. 

“My days started with four academic classes followed by a lunch period. After that, I would get on the bus that takes me to VTC. Once I arrive, I have just over two hours to work on my skills and have the chance to learn new ones,” she explained.  

The Benefits of Being an AWS Student Member 

Her instructor, Travis Crate, Section chair of the Drake Well Student Chapter, has mentored her and continues to inspire her to learn more about the industry.  

“He has been my instructor for the whole three years that I’ve gone to VTC,” she said. “He has inspired me so much through competitions and stories of his life that he has told. Through the ups and downs of life and the sad days of coming home from competitions empty-handed, he has always had a piece of advice to keep me going. Times aren’t always easy, but he cares about us and wants to see every one of us succeed.” 

Crate also encouraged Murray to join the AWS Student Chapter before the complimentary student membership started in 2023.  

“He would offer us an AWS T-shirt if we did join, and we would sometimes take a field trip,” she said. “He did this for us because ‘we had some skin in the game,’ the money we paid for the membership. He also encouraged us to join for the ability to apply for AWS scholarships if we planned to do more schooling after graduation.” 

Now, students can enjoy free membership, which allows them to network with employers in the area. This has been very beneficial to Murray. 

“As an AWS member, I have received so many opportunities to see and do so many things,” she said. “A couple of the most-recent things I got to experience were getting to go to the District 10 Conference in Youngstown, Ohio . . . One other really cool thing that I got to experience was meeting the president of AWS [Michael A. Krupnicki]. We were at a weld-off ceremony, and he came and spoke to us. Later on, I got a group picture with all the students that were present. I have also gone to District meetings and seen so many places in my area that I didn’t even know existed.” 

Murray has also participated in welding competitions, including the AWS Weld-Off and National Welding League—Project MFG, and attended District meetings. She held various office positions at the Drake Well Student Chapter, including secretary during her junior year and chair in her senior year.  

“Another great opportunity was getting inducted into the National Technical Honors Society in my junior year of attending VTC,” she included. 

Setback Leads to a New Opportunity 

Murray has shown interest in nondestructive examination, a new avenue that piqued her interest after a health setback.   

“Last summer, I ran into health issues that really put a damper on me and my ability to weld. I was sick all the time and couldn’t eat or drink. Another thing that came along with these health issues was heat intolerance. When I found out that getting too hot made me sick, I was heartbroken and lost. I figured that the one thing I worked so hard to be great at was going to be taken from me, so I started looking for more options.”  

She recalled a past competition where judges performed x-ray testing on her team’s plates. Upon digging and a little bit of research, she discovered nondestructive examination. She figured if she continued on the welding path, she’d most likely go to work upon graduation. However, with the NDE route, she’d have the opportunity to continue her education in this new area in Texas. 

“My future career goals are not 100% set in stone,” she said. “I plan to either go to school and learn what it takes to become a nondestructive testing [NDE] technician or use the knowledge I already have and jump right into the field. Another option that would be amazing to experience is being an over-the-road welder. I would love to travel with my job if the opportunity presented itself.” 

This article was written by ROLINE PASCAL (associate editor of the Welding Journal) for the American Welding Society.