Graduate Connections – Meet Rylee Hall

Rylee, 22, from Santa Rosa, California, completed the seven-month Professional Welding program and then the Associate of Occupational Studies in Welding Technology at Tulsa Welding School in February 2024.

Thanks for your time, Rylee. Did you come to TWS out of high school?

No, I graduated high school in 2020, and I started the welding program in August 2022.

What did you do in those two years before coming to Tulsa Welding School?

I went to school to be a Medical Assistant. But once I got deeper into the program, I realized I do not like bodily fluids, and I do not like needles! My clinicals were a big wake up call. I love bookwork, so that’s why I liked it at first. We were still in a virtual setting because of COVID, so I was able just to do all the reading without applying any of it. But once we actually had to go hands-on, I realized this is not for me! I didn’t finish the program because I couldn’t complete my clinicals. I don’t know if this is oversharing, but I faint when I put needles in people and do injections. I didn’t know I was a fainter! 

That’s not good for a medical career! So, where did the idea of welding school come from?

It meant I had to take a step back and reevaluate what I wanted to do. My dad is a welder; he’s done it since I was little. I used to go to the shop a lot with him, so I was kind of already aware of the environment. Plus, I had a couple of school friends that were going into a JC welding program out here in Sonoma county, so I got to hear about it from different people. I also realized I like the blue-collar world. I feel like it’s really helped me thrive and get more of a backbone, which I did not have before. 

Did your dad ever let you fire up the welding machine at the shop?

No, I wasn’t allowed to fire it up. I was kind of scared of it at first. I would just watch him with a hood on at the shop. We also had a little shop at our house; out there he was able to let me use power tools and hand tools, just small ones, stuff like that. So, I kind of got an introduction to it. 

Did he think you would follow in his footsteps?

Honestly, if you were to meet me and from everyone I talk to, they never ever expected me to go into welding. They say it’s the last thing they ever thought I would do. I never showed much interest in it until 2020, when I met a couple people who were into welding. I didn’t understand much of what they were saying, but I wanted to learn more. I love metallurgy, reading about it, the basic components behind it.

That’s where the interest came from, but how did you end up at TWS in Oklahoma from California? 

My parents were moving to Oklahoma; I was still pretty young, not long out of high school, so they said I could come with them, but I had to either find a trade, get a job, or go to some type of college. So, I looked up schools in Oklahoma and found Tulsa Welding School. I had a couple of phone calls and spoke with a great Admissions Rep named Terry and did a virtual tour. I went out for a trip to see where my parents were going to live, and I took a real tour of the school; I really liked it. I said, “Okay, why not?”

What did you enjoy most about your time at TWS 

My instructors definitely played a very large part in the experience. It was just knowing that they have so much information and knowledge that I didn’t know. Then I realized that when you put down the hood, there’s that hum you get when you’re doing it right. It really does cancel out everything else. That really helped me, and it made me realize that I like non-customer service jobs. I can just hang out, do my thing, and put all my focus and intention on this one thing, which I have become very fond of. Your days at school go by so quickly. But when you’re there, you just have to be in it completely. If you don’t put everything that you’ve got into it, then you’re going to spend a lot of time hitting metal.

Did you find the program hard or easy?

Not easy at all. The first month was the angriest I’ve ever been. I was just trying to get a feel for it. Once I got the hang of the first process and was getting it down, we switched to the next phase and started something different. I’d get that hump of frustration all over again, which was really annoying! It’s very intensive, fast-paced. I just had to talk myself down and realize that I don’t know what I’m doing, and that’s okay. Sometimes it felt like they were just throwing you into the fire, and you had to figure it out. 

How did you get past those frustrating days? 

I had a lot of moments where I was like, “What am I doing? Why did I pick this?” And then you do a handful of really good plates and really good welds, and you’re like, “Oh my God, I did that!” You just have to keep persevering and practicing. That’s all it is, that’s all you’re doing. You’re just trying to find the correct movement that works for you. I want to say that’s the biggest difficulty – just trying to find where it works for you. Once you find it and do it enough, it just becomes muscle memory. I like that.

Why did you decide to roll into the Welding Technology associate degree program?

I talked to one of the recruiters because I’d heard a classmates talking about it about a month into the Welding program. She told me more about it and I like bookwork a lot. This sounds bad, but I also like to be able to prove to people wrong. “Nope, you’re wrong and I’ve got everything behind me to back me up.”  

What did you enjoy most about the degree program?

The instructor – Eric Tomlinson – is a gold mine of information; his brain is amazing. I was really excited that I was able to work with him. I hope he gets the appreciation he deserves because he is an amazing instructor. We had a Quality Control phase, and I found that really interesting. I’m definitely interested in inspecting. I like the different non-destructive testing procedures. The mathematical components and the chemistry that goes into it is so interesting. I never knew that from the Welding program. There’s so much more to welding than just putting two bits of metal together. It teaches you how you’re actually doing this, and what you’re doing it for, and explains why certain things are put in the Code. When you know what can happen if a weld fails, it makes you so much more diligent, and I liked that. 

Good for you. So, where are you working?

I’m back in California working for a company called Donal Machine. I started with them in early August. I’m a production welder right now. I’m working on the fabrication of the arms that come out of garbage trucks. So, I do a lot of 200-piece orders of three-part units that I have to assemble and weld together. 

Are you happy with where you have started financially, and the future potential of this career? 

Yes, I am. Sometimes, when I get pretty angry with my welds, I remind myself that it’s going to pay off. I’ll be able to get a barndominium one day!

What is your career plan from here, Rylee?

I’m really hoping to get into inspecting just because I really do like it, so I want to get the experience I need over the next several years, and then hopefully I can do that. I wouldn’t mind being an inspector that travels state to state, I’m actually very open to that idea. I’ve been talking with my AOS instructor Eric, so when it comes closer to being realistic, I’m going to touch base with him to see if he has any pointers.

What do you enjoy most about your new trade?

Dropping the hood, focusing on the weld, and getting it done. It’s helped keep me sane. California is super-fast paced and with welding, you’re able to kind of slow it down a little and just take a breath.

Come across any issues being a woman in a male dominated environment?

I’m the only female in the shop. There are a couple of women in the office, but they haven’t had a female on the floor in over four years. I think we’re still trying to figure each other out. Maybe it’s just because I still am pretty fresh, they don’t want to make any of those jokes yet! Everyone has been super-friendly and helpful in the six weeks I’ve been here. School definitely made me develop a thick skin. I feel, honestly, that some people at school made it seem like it was a lot harsher out here than it is. 

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

Even if you have a really rough day, just come back. I know what it’s like to have those rough days, I had a good amount of them. If you need to take five minutes, take a break and come back. Try not to hate it. Welding is really easy to hate if it goes wrong the first couple of times. During my first couple of months, I was like, “Why did I choose this?” But hopefully, later in life, it’ll be nice to look back and know that I stuck with it and reflect on what this career has given me. If you want to do it, just get on with it.

There will be some people who get it right off the bat. I met a couple of them, and I didn’t like them! I was like, “Why can’t that be me?” and yes, it’s a little discouraging. But don’t compare yourself to classmates because you may not know their story, their experience. Just compare yourself to how good or bad you were last week or last month. That’s the only comparison that matters.

If you just keep showing up and you keep coming at it, it’s going to be better. Try to be positive and realize it’s okay to get angry. You’ll begin to have more good welds, and you’ll get more consistent. That’s all that really matters – just try to go for consistency and you will be okay.

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).