Graduate Connections – Meet Hunter Wallace

Hunter, 19, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, took a summer off after high school before enrolling in the Professional Welder program at Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville. He completed his welding program in March 2024. 

Thanks for your time, Hunter. Had you done much welding before coming to Tulsa Welding School? 

I first welded in high school. I did it all four years of high school. We had a shop class, and I fell in love with welding when I first picked up a stick rod and started burning metal.

At what point did you decide you were going to go to welding school?

I made that decision during my senior year. I started looking around for different kinds of welding schools in the area and stumbled upon Tulsa Welding school in Jacksonville. We were living in the Dayona area at this point.

What made you decide to go to welding school, rather than try & get a welding job out of high school?

That’s actually a good question. I think what really got me to pursue it was the fascinating effects that you can create through welding. I did two different types of welding in high school. I did MIG and stick. Stick really caught my eye with how the beads formed. And then with MIG it was more about how I could actually manipulate the weld a bit more, to make it look prettier. I saw that happening while I was welding and I was like, “Wow, this is really cool.” I decided that I’d actually like to pursue this further in life. I wanted to find somewhere where I could learn more in depth about welding, and then start a career after that.

Any other welders in the family?

My grandfather. He used to weld back in the seventies and eighties, long before I was born. 

I guess it skipped a generation! Did you move to Jacksonville for welding school?

No, I didn’t stay in Jacksonville while I was going to school. I lived an hour and a half south in a little town called Seville in the Daytona area. I actually 

drove there and back every single day for those seven months. 

Wow…three hours a day in the car. What did you enjoy most about your time at TWS? 

The connection of the instructors to the students. The instructors that I had were phenomenal. If I had any kind of question, even if it was just about their experience, or what I could do to get better, they would come to my booth, sit down, and talk to me about it. They’d give me tips on what I could change about what I was doing and tell me things they’ve tried, so I could try different approaches. They have so much more to offer than just the stuff on the program; they shared their own experiences, tips they picked up in the field. They were phenomenal. 

With your high school welding experience, how was the program? Did you find it hard, frustrating?

There were times when it was really tricky, and there were times where it was just really simple. I got through the tricky times by just powering through. My mindset was that I’m never going to get better unless I keep trying. So, I would always just keep trying and if I failed, I’d try again. If I just kept failing and failing and failing, I’d go to my teacher and ask him what he thought about it, get him to give me some pointers, just so I could get better and find a solution for myself. I never went home frustrated or mad, I would always try to solve the problem that day.

Awesome. So, where are you working?

I work for a small welding and fab shop in Palatka, Florida, called Pierce Metal Fabrication. We do a lot of aluminum work, so that’s a lot of High Frequency TIG welding, as well as stick and MIG. We do a little bit of everything. We just got done building some sinks for a restaurant. We build air conditioning unit fences that go on top of apartment buildings to close it off so you can’t see the actual units on top of the buildings. We’ve also done some boat repair, repaired some trailers.

How did you get the job?

Through a local friend of mine. He was working there and told me to drop by, talk to his boss, and show him what I can do. So, I swung by, and he gave me the job. That was early June, about two months ago.

Are you happy with the money they have started you on, and the potential of this career?

Oh, most definitely.  

What’s your career plan from here, Hunter?

That plan is actually in process as we speak. I have got a job offer from a company that actually works with NASA. They are called Precision Fabrication & Cleaning based down on the Space Coast. I have to go down there in the next two to three weeks to do a weld test, background check, and just ordinary stuff to basically get the process moving forward even more. Once I have that all worked out and confirmed, I’ll let Pierce know and give them my notice.

That sounds exciting. Good luck! Does it come with a pay rise?

Yes, the pay there is really good. Their start out pay is $25 to $35 an hour. 

What do you enjoy most about this new trade?

Honestly, learning new things every single day, and also the work environment that you experience every single day is phenomenal. You could either have a bad day with your coworkers and y’all work it out and turn it into a good day, or it’ll just be a good day in general! I enjoy working as part of a team.  

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

Yes, I did. They are all doing well. I do keep in contact with the friends that I made. Friends are great, but they’re also contacts. You never know where we will all end up a few years down the line. Keeping those contacts could also bring new opportunities for us, most definitely.

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

Never give up. Go in every single day, if it’s before class or if you have to stay after class, and just continue practicing. You’ll never get better if you don’t practice. That’s what I did every single day. I did the afternoon shift, and I always went in early and stayed after to continue to practice and take advantage of all the resources they provide. You can burn as many rods as you like, so why not take that opportunity? You should never stop trying to learn as a welder.

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).