Michigan Student 1st Woman to Represent US in Welding

Mikala Sposito has wanted to be a trailblazer since she was a kid, and now the 21-year-old from Michigan is about to make history.

She'll be the first woman ever to represent the United States in welding at the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai this September. The community college student earned her spot by winning the USA Weld Trials in Huntsville, Alabama, where she outlasted the country's top welders.

"It was very, very close the whole time, but I was the one who made it to Shanghai," Sposito said.

WorldSkills is known as the Olympics of skilled trades, bringing together the world's best in technical fields like construction, manufacturing, robotics, and welding. Sposito will compete against elite welders from around the globe, evaluated on technical execution and craftsmanship under strict time limits and international standards.

The Washtenaw Community College student is in good company. Her school has produced more WorldSkills welding competitors than any other American institution, including her current instructor and mentor Alex Pazkowski, who finished second in 2013.

Pazkowski is coaching Sposito through 80 hours of weekly welding practice, plus a series of warmup competitions from Canada to Australia before Shanghai. "It's a long, hard road," he said, "but at the end of the day, if you're successful, it's gonna open up all kinds of doors for you."

Why This Inspires

Sposito doesn't focus much on the gender barrier she's breaking. "I don't see the gender aspect of it," she said, noting that welding requires precision and finesse rather than brute strength.

But she knows women remain a small minority in the skilled trades, and she fell in love with welding at just 10 years old. If her success can smooth the path for future welders, she's all for it.

"Being the first female to do it is very cool," said Sposito, who plans to earn her bachelor's degree in welding engineering at Wayne State University. She hopes to inspire "many women in the trades who have possibly struggled."

Long term, she might return to teach at Washtenaw Community College, following in her mentor's footsteps and helping create the next generation of world-class welders.