Graduate Connections – Meet Andrew Rack

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Andrew, 23, from northern Kentucky, completed the Professional Welder program at Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville in April 2024. 

Thanks for your time, Andrew. What did you do before enrolling in Tulsa Welding School? 

I always knew I wanted to join the military, so I joined the National Guard right out of high school in 2020. I also worked for Amazon for a little while, and I worked for Publix for a little bit during Covid, stuff like that. I moved over to working as a diesel mechanic for a short period of time, and I went down to the Tool Shack working as a service repairman for a rental fleet. 

So, you’ve always been good with your hands?

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Yes sir. That’s my MOS [Military Occupational Specialty] for the army; I’m a wheeled vehicle mechanic, a diesel mechanic, for armor.

Thank you for your service. Did you do any welding in high school? 

No. My senior year we could do either a Welders course or an Automotive course at a community college. I ended up skipping the welding course because I was more interested in automotive at the time. When I first started picking up welding, I looked at it as a hobby not as a career. I knew it could be a good career builder, it can get you up on your feet and you can make a good amount of money. But I enjoyed automotive more. I enjoyed working with my hands; I liked wrenching, turning, fixing, repairing, you name it. 

So, where did the idea of going to welding school come from? 

I always enjoyed welding. I first started learning how to weld working on our farm. I was probably around 14. My dad got me started; he ended up giving me a welding hood and other stuff. Then I did it on my own time and while working as a ranch hand. When I first transferred down to the state of Florida with the National Guard, I tried to go to a welding school out near Pensacola, but I never went through with it. I was trying to figure out a way to pay for it at the time. I didn’t know there was the EDD (Educational Dollars for Duty) with the Florida National Guard at that time.

So, the National Guard, is a part-time commitment, correct?  

Yes, sir. Right now, I’m speaking to you while we’re on State active duty, because of hurricane Debby that just passed through. I decided to transfer down here from the Kentucky National Guard to the Florida National Guard to just start my adult life. 

When did you decide welding was the career you wanted to pursue?

It was when I moved out here near Jacksonville. I worked on Camp Blanding at the CSMS [Combined Support Maintenance Shop] for all the Florida National Guard units. I was working in Allied Trades, and I was a WG10 welder. We did a lot of fabrication, fixes and repairs, making things, building things. I’d always thought of welding as a hobby, but I realized that I now had a pretty decent amount of welding experience. From when I first started welding, I was often told I was really good at it, but I never took it further. A lot of the guys told me I should go to welding school, see how I do, and get my certification. I talked to a lot of my buddies who are welders, and they pretty much all said, “Yeah, your experience can help, but go get a certification. Having a certification to back up your work experience can really help you go to companies all over the place and make good money.” So, I did!

What did you enjoy most about your time at TWS? 

I enjoyed quite a bit of it. I enjoyed the instructors. A lot of the instructors treat you like family. If you are struggling, they’ll usually come to you and be like, “Hey, what’s going on? What can I help you with?” Or if you have something going on in your life, sometimes they’ll sit there and just talk to you and make sure you’re doing okay. Same with everybody in the offices too. They’d come through and talk to you. Overall, the school was great. It’s pretty much a big family in a way.

How was the program with your experience? Did you find it easy? Frustrating? 

It was stressful. The program and life around it. I was working full-time and then going to class at night and trying to make life compatible with my military commitments too. It was hard not getting home until almost 11:30 PM, and then being up at 5:00 AM just to go back to work, then go to school and wash, rinse, repeat. There were some things where I was like, man, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get this. I was trying to compare how I was taught things by the people I knew before school. The welding machines were older than I was used to, and they had to be set in a different way. It did get kind of frustrating. 

Where are you working?

I’m still working the same job I had through school. I actually work for two companies. I’m employed under one, TEFCO Transportation as a diesel technician. They have a lot of heavy hauling semis- and specialized lowboy semi-trailers. The other side of the company is Southern Wrecker and Recovery. They have a lot of wreckers, flatbed wreckers, and stuff like that. But I’m doing quite a bit of welding for them too; they have a lot of things they want me to try to do while I’m here. It helped with school because I got to learn a little from the owner of the company. He did a lot of welding in his time; he was teaching and trying to explain things to me.

So, at the moment you’re able to work in both your passions – automotive and welding!

Yes, sir. But I’d like to get back up to Kentucky soon. My mother works at a company up in Cincinnati called Messer Construction. I gave her a call about a week ago as she talks to a lot of different contractors. I asked if she could reach out to anybody and see if I’d be able to do a phone interview with anyone. I’d like to see if I can get a welding job back up there in Cincinnati or Kentucky. The issue is that I’m making really good money doing what I’m doing here, so that makes it tough for me to go to a new company that wants to start me out at a lower dollar figure. I’m living happily right now with what I’m making. 

What’s your plan from here, Andrew?

I want to be able to buy my own land and be able to build a home. To be able to provide for my future family, my wife and kids that hopefully will come down the road. No time soon, but some day! I want to be able to show my family, “Hey, this is what I was able to do. Yeah, I didn’t do the greatest in high school, but look at me now, I’m very successful with my life and I’m living happy.”  

What do you enjoy most about this new trade?

It’s art to me. As soon as you drop your hood, you’re in a different world. You’re in your own world with your own thoughts and you’re just focusing on what you’re doing right there, right now. While you’re welding, it’s just you and you alone. It’s peaceful. I enjoy it. Every time I drop the hood, all I can think about is this is me; this is my work. 

Did you make some connections at school, people you’ll stay in touch with? 

Yes. Actually, I’m still in touch with a lot of the instructors. If I ever need anything, I can always reach them at their work number and I can always go back to school and talk to them. Even classmates too, I have a couple classmates that are really successful, and they always tell me, “Hey dude, come on out this way, come work with me.” Good friends, we talk all the time. A lot of the other guys, they’re doing well. Some are all the way out in Texas, or almost to California now welding, they’re making money too. 

What advice do you have for someone to be successful at Tulsa Welding School? 

I would say don’t stress yourself. Don’t overexert yourself. If you feel like you’ve got to take a second, walk away, breathe, and come back to it. If you’re not doing as well as you want to, go ask. Don’t hesitate. Don’t wait until the very last minute to ask. Don’t just sit there and expect someone to come and talk to you. Go ask for help. Keep pushing yourself to succeed and do better. I pushed myself to be the best and I ended up graduating top of my class. When it gets hard, push through, keep going. When you first start, you can barely see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you will get closer, and in the end, the light is right there. When you get to the end and you graduate, as soon as you get that certification in your hand, you’ll feel relieved. From there you’ve got so many options, so many paths you can take. There’s always going to be work out there for welders. The sky is the limit. You can go anywhere with welding.

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). 

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