WMU welding student looks to a winning future

BURLINGTON — Many local high school students competed at the Southeast Iowa Skills throwdown at Southeastern Community College in the categories of Auto Tech Pit Crew, Computer Aided Design Autodesk Battle, Construction Tech Blueprint Build-out, Matching Measurement & Re-Engineering, and Welding Tech Stick Skills.

Winfield Mt. Union senior Caiden Ball attended the competition with four of his classmates.

Through competition with 50 other welding students, Ball showed off his best welding skills and took home second place.

“You did a flat and then a vertical weld on the same piece, and then you did three cover passes,” Ball said.

With the help of WMU Industrial Technology teacher Trevor Kongable, Ball prepared for this competition through two weeks of skill tests.

Much like the competition, Ball said that Kongable gave the welding students a limited amount of time to complete their welds.

“He did a really good job showing us to take our time, focus on it, and just stay calm and cool during the weld so we don’t screw up,” Ball said. “He really got us prepared by showing us what to do better to fix our welds.”

Much of Ball’s passion for welding started even before taking classes with WMU.

“My dad actually kind of helped me get started,” he said.

According to Ball, his dad introduced him to the welding trade.

“He showed me how to do it and he kind of helped push me in the right direction for welding,” Ball said.

With the support of his teacher and father, Ball has taken off in the welding trades and plans to continue his education next year after graduation.

“I actually did a competition in Missouri in January at Missouri Welding Institute, which is in Nevada, Missouri,” he said. “I really liked the school down there.”

He did not place at this competition, but he did learn a lot about welding, and his future from the event.

During this other competition, Ball talked with instructors and got a close look into the program.

After that experience, he knew he would continue his future with welding.

“I decided to go down there, and then I got my start date for September 25,” he said.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com