Graduate Connections – Meet Ava Coleman

Ava, 20, originally from Texas, completed the Professional Welding program at Tulsa Welding School in October 2024.

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

I graduated high school in 2022. Originally, I was going into the military, but I didn’t have the qualifications, so ended up having to choose something different. I was bouncing around between my mom’s place and my dad’s. I didn’t really do much, it was kind of a gap year for me. When I finally moved to my dad’s place in Tulsa permanently, he told me there was a really cool welding school that I could go to. 

Excellent. Is your dad in the trade?

No, he’s in a completely different field, but he knew about the school. We took the tour, and I decided to enroll. I wanted to do something where I would be active, something physical; I don’t like desk jobs.  

Had you done any welding before, in high school maybe?

I knew of welding, and I thought it looked interesting, but I never got a chance to try it. In high school, there was a carpentry and welding class. To get into the welding class, you had to go through the carpentry class first; that would have put me into the welding class the next year. But unfortunately, I had to move before that happened, so I wasn’t able to get into the welding class.

But you knew you like to work with your hands?

Yes. When I was younger, I’d help my dad with his hobby. He built foam weapons for his LARPing (LARPing is short for live action role-playing). So, I’d be in there helping him out with the angle grinder and all that stuff. So, I got used to working with tools and with my hands just helping him. 

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That’s a cool thing to do with your dad. So, how was the welding program? Did it come easy to you?

It actually came pretty naturally to me. After the first day of stick welding, it got relatively easy. Of course, there were learning curves, but I got into it pretty easily. There were times when I thought, “I might not actually want to do this” but then with each new thing we learned, it became fun again. I’m the type of person that has to have their attention grabbed, otherwise I get bored. On the welding program you learn something new every week, different positions and different techniques. It’s an environment where you always are learning something, so overall the program was actually really enjoyable for me.

Being a great welder means lifelong learning! What did you enjoy most about your time at TWS 

My favorite aspect of Tulsa Welding School was definitely the instructors – not all of them because a couple pissed me off – but most of the instructors were good at their job. They would explain things to you if you didn’t understand what or how to do something. There were times when I would get so mad at the thing we were doing, but they were good at bringing me down and encouraging me take a break. So, the instructors were definitely a really good experience at the school. Dave Wilkins was my favorite instructor! 

Did you enjoy the hands-on aspect of the program?

Yes, I’m a huge hands-on person. If I’m not actively interacting with what I’m learning, then I cannot for the life of me memorize it. That goes into creating muscle memory as well. I have to be hands-on. So, the fact that the entire environment there was hands-on, and you get to interact with the machines and the metal, that’s what kept my attention the most. I really liked that about it.  

So, you graduated three months ago, where are you working?

I work for Reading Truck in Claremore, Oklahoma. It’s spelled like ‘reading’, but they say ‘Redding’, it’s so weird! I get to weld on truck beds and bodies all day.

How did you get the job?

During our graduation paperwork thing, the company had people there giving out merch and handing out welding tests like candy! I thought I’d get on that because I didn’t want to spend more time looking for a job than I needed to, especially as I lived with my dad at the time. So, I went up to the lady and set up a weld test and then I went to Danielle in Career Services and asked her to send them my résumé. I passed the weld test with flying colors and got in there really quickly. We had a couple weeks to get a car, get  an apartment up there and get moved out so I didn’t have to drive as far to get to work. It was a lot in those two weeks, so it wasn’t much of a break.

Congratulations! Do you live in Claremore, and do you miss living with your dad?

I’m living in Owasso currently; it’s between Tulsa and Claremore, about 30 minutes’ drive from work. I definitely miss having my dad around, but it’s also relaxing at the same time!

Two months or so into the job, are you enjoying it? 

It’s nice. At first it was kind of a “wtf thing” because we had to take a week off just after I started because of inventory, and then soon after that it was the Thanksgiving Holiday. So, it was kind of a struggle at first, a bit stop-start at the beginning, but it did smoothen itself out after that. It’s a pretty smooth environment and the people there are amazing, great personalities. There’s a ton of welders there. It’s a huge plant, and they’re planning on an expansion, which means more welders to come.

It’s always good to get in before an expansion! Are happy with where you are financially? 

Yes, oh my God, yes. The fact that I’m starting out at $20/hour, actually $22/hour once I get my shift differential, is insane! I love it! You definitely get paid a lot to be in a specialty trade like this.

How have you found being a female in a male dominated environment? Any sexist issues?

I’ve actually had the complete opposite experience. Yeah, you’re going to get idiots who try to downplay your skills, but from my experience at this job, no one really cares. If you go in and do your job well, you’ll be fine. I think the men there think having women on the team makes for a more natural environment. There are tons of women welders at Reading. In fact, I think they’re trying to get more women on the team than men, they keep hiring women!

What is your career plan from here, Ava?

I’m going to stick around at Reading for a while to build my experience and build up some money, but this is a steppingstone for me. In a few years I want to move out of Oklahoma and go somewhere else, maybe Colorado, maybe back home to Texas, maybe to Arizona…who knows where at this point? One day I’d like to work either with autobody shops or even go to a shipyard and build a ship. That’s where I’m ending up wanting to go, to a bigger job. Eventually I want to have my own little cabin out in the woods, have some projects to work on, and have all of my reptiles and my cat!

What do you enjoy most about your new trade?

Being active and being out of the house doing things for 12 hours a day. I enjoy that welding is physical, it keeps me moving; I just want to be active. I do enjoy the money aspect too!

Did you make some friends/connections you are still in touch with?

I definitely made some friends at TWS. We are currently trying to set up an activity with all of us, but because we have different schedules, it’s proving kind of difficult. But these are definitely friends that I want to stick around with for a while. 

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

My advice would be to pay attention and ask questions! Oh my God, please ask questions! When you first get in there, especially if you have never touched a welder before, you’re going to have so many questions. The worst thing you can do for yourself is not ask them. Don’t be afraid to ask the stupid questions; the question that you think that the instructor is going to be like, “Why don’t you know this?” They won’t say that. They’re going to answer those questions because other people will have them too. 

Also, don’t be afraid to get down and dirty. Don’t be afraid to get burnt, it’s a part of the job. You’re going to get burnt, it’s fine. I’ve gotten burnt a couple of times; I have a couple of scars on me because of backing into a hot pipe or whatever. I’ve got a good one on my shoulder; think of those burns as badges of honor! It’s definitely a trade where you can’t go in being afraid, whether it’s being afraid of getting burnt or of using your grinder for the first time. Be wary for sure and be cautious, but don’t go in just being flat out afraid because you’re going to make more mistakes.

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).