Welding is a class at Nixa High School that isn’t very well known but students find the class to be interesting and enroll in it, causing students to realize that they really enjoy welding.

   One such student, Senior Rider Owensby said that he’s been taking the welding class for multiple years now and is very experienced.

   “In high school I have been welding for three years, and my dad taught me how to weld about seven years ago,” Owensby said. 

   Some students have never learned to weld before enrolling in the class, though as the year goes on they are able to learn more about welding and different techniques. The welding teacher at Nixa High School, Kelly Fields, has worked many years to learn and teach students the proper way to weld along with the different techniques of welding.

   “[Welding in general is] basic, stick, mig, and tig welding are the main techniques of welding that are learned,” Fields said.

   Due to the different types of welding that are taught at Nixa High School, students learn to build and or weld different things for daily use such as trailers and stools.

   “I have made stools, a couple shelves, and right now we are practicing vertical welding,” Owensby said. “I want to make my own custom welding bed for my truck and my own ranch hand.”

   Along with welding, many safety precautions are needed to start the process which can sometimes take a long extensive time to learn depending on the amount of knowledge that a person already has.

   “Eye protection, skin protections and heat protection,” Fields said. “[The main view is to] make sure that you are being safe with what you are doing and being aware of your surroundings.”

   Some students are using welding to their advantage when looking for jobs, or projects in general.

  “Yes, I plan on going to either a community college or a school to weld and get welding certifications,” Owensby said. “Learning different ways to weld… can be very peaceful.”

   Fields said students can take what they learn from class out into their everyday lives.

   “You’re learning the skill you can take with you, and that you can use or if you need someone to use for you,” Fields said.