Graduate Connections – Meet Nix Bumgardner

Nix, was born and raised in Somerset, Kentucky, until the age of nine. Her family moved around and settled in Florida when she was 12. She completed the Professional Welding training program at Tulsa Welding School, Jacksonville in February 2025 before completing the Pipefitting program in April 2025. 

Thanks for your time, Nix. What were you doing between high school and welding school?

In high school, I worked on cars and in fast food, depending on what paid more at the time. I then had a few kids and eventually then settled on being a mechanic at Duval Chevrolet. I was at Chevrolet for about two years, although I’ve been wrenching on things since I was eight years old. After that, I became an engineering technician for Johnson & Johnson; I was there for almost two years.

That sounds like a good job at a good company, so how did welding enter the picture?

I had done some welding back in 2019, but I didn’t really have access to the materials I needed to practice and hone the trade. Then one night a couple of years ago I had a dream about welding in a ship. I thought, “Let me Google some stuff,” and Tulsa Welding School was right down the road from me in Jacksonville. I went in for a tour, and by the time I walked out, I had been smiling so much my face hurt.

So, you left Johnson & Johnson for welding school?

No. One day I was on my way home from work at Johnson & Johnson when I got into a motorcycle accident. I wasn’t able to walk for almost three years. Johnson & Johnson terminated my contract, and I was just destroyed. I was depressed and didn’t really care about life anymore. Then, almost three years after the accident and after I had that dream, I toured TWS, got into welding, and it brought my smile back.

You had discovered a passion for welding?

More than that…I always say that welding changed my life. I was walking with a cane, struggling with my water or whatever, but in phase two or three I realized I could walk again, almost by accident. I thought, “If welding can help me walk again when nothing else could, not even nine spinal cord procedures, I’m going to stick with it.”  It brought my smile and my purpose back, and I knew I wanted to stay with it.

Other than that, which is huge, what did you enjoy most about your experience at TWS?

One of the biggest features for me was being told that I could come in, use the school’s materials and practice my welds at any time. In fact, I could go to any TWS campus in the country and do that. I asked what that really meant, and they said, “Honey, you could be here from doors open to doors closed.” I took that seriously. 95% of the time, I was there from 6:00 or 7:00 A.M. until they closed at 11:00 P.M. I really wanted to apply myself as much as possible and get the most out of what I was paying for. I was in the morning class, and then I would just stay for the rest of the day.

Was the program difficult? Did you ever feel like quitting?

In some ways it came easily, but in other ways I’d fail over and over. My roommate at the time was a huge part of my support system. I’d send him pictures of my welds when I was feeling like I needed to give up, and he would send pictures back and tell me, “That’s not what this Nix would say. Give it at least another hour.” Usually, I’d spend another hour and eventually get it. Then I’d stay longer because I wanted to make sure I had really locked that skill in. There are definitely times when you’re going to feel like you can’t do something because you don’t understand it. But there are plenty of instructors, and there are also students and ambassadors who can explain things in a different way. Sometimes that’s what makes it finally click.

Were you comfortable asking instructors for help?

I’d try to figure something out over and over before reaching out to an instructor. Sometimes they’d explain it differently, and suddenly it would click in my head. The instructors don’t care who you ask. They’re all there to demonstrate things and show you as many times as necessary until you understand.

As an ambassador yourself later in the program, did you help other students who were struggling?

Yes, and it made me feel like I was truly where I needed to be in life. Being able to understand something myself and then help someone else understand it was a great feeling. The Director of Training, Jack Dulls, told me to get five years of experience and come back to work for him!

What did you do after graduating from Tulsa Welding School?

I started as a pipefitter because that was the first opportunity I found. Pipefitters are in high demand. I went to work for Stellar Energy. I was there about five months; I didn’t care for the management.

Where did you go from there?

I went to BAE Systems in October 2025. Iat first, I was contracted out to General Dynamics Electric Boat. General Dynamics had secured a section of the yard and was doing submarine fabrication there. I did that for about four months, but I really wanted to work for BAE because of the ship repair side, so in March of this year I was able to transition over. It felt like I had finally made it to my dream job. I thought, “This is where I belong. This is where I fit. This is where I’m happy.” I’m excited to go to work every day. We work on Navy ships, as well as commercial vessels, including smaller cruise lines, tugboats, and vessels like that.

How has the financial side of the career worked out for you?

If I hadn’t accumulated a large amount of debt after my motorcycle accident, I’d be comfortable because I’d be able to live well within my means. For someone with debt who wants to improve their financial situation, travel welding is where the real money is. If you can travel to a job, get the tax-free per diem, come home and weld locally between assignments, it can be very lucrative. I’d like to travel, but my youngest is 10, so I can’t really be gone all the time. I want to be a parent who is involved.

Do you see yourself staying at BAE or trying something else? What’s your long-term career goal?

It’s a little of both. I want to continue growing in my career, but I’m also involved with a local group called Girls Can. It’s a conference-style program where high school girls get together with women from different areas of the trades. We bring the trades to them and show them that we’re just normal people and they can do this, too. I want to promote Girls Can more and help bring more women into the trades. I don’t want young women to think they’re restricted to office jobs or staying at home. I want them to know they can be welders, HVAC specialists, machinery operators, mechanics…whatever they want to be.

Why is encouraging women to enter the trades so important to you?

The more women we have in the trades, the better. Women have been doing this for decades. During World War II, when men were away fighting, women were the welders. Those women paved the way for us. I’ve seen how much impact a little exposure can have. Knowing that I might have introduced someone to their future career at a young age is an incredible feeling. They can take this career and go anywhere with it.

That’s awesome. Good for you. What do you enjoy most about welding?

Knowing that if I put in the right effort, angle, speed, and material, that my weld will hold for more than 30 years. And in shipbuilding, I know that because of my weld, that ship isn’t going to leak and the men and women serving in the Navy aren’t going to be put in danger. That’s what makes me proud of the trade.

Have you maintained relationships with people you met at Tulsa Welding School?

Yes. I’ve stayed in touch with some instructors and students. I still hang out with one of my friends from my very first phase, even though we live on opposite sides of town. You meet people there who have the same mindset and who you really click with. Those can become lifelong friendships. One of my friends even met her fiancé at school. The welding community is really one big family. I’ve run into people I went to school with at different jobs, and I’ve even encountered instructors working at other shipyards.

Do those relationships help with networking and job opportunities?

Absolutely. When I was looking for the BAE opportunity, I stopped at another shipyard and ran into two of my instructors from Tulsa Welding School. You see people from one job at another job, and people pass opportunities around. It’s a small community, so you definitely don’t want to burn bridges.

What advice would you give to someone about to start at Tulsa Welding School?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re not getting something, don’t just go home. Take a break, sure, but keep at it. Give yourself a little more effort and take advantage of the fact that you can be there as long as you need to get those welds in every day. What you put into this school is what you get out of it.

If you’re a TWS graduate and would like to share your success and be an inspiration to others, please email [email protected] to be considered for a Graduate Connection interview. Please include details such as your graduation date (month/year), program, and campus name (Tulsa/Jacksonville/Houston/Dallas/Atlanta/Phoenix).