Trinidad State Junior College held an evening welding class in response to interest from the local farming community. Fourteen students signed up, including some with no prior welding experience wanting to learn basic skills. The month-long class taught by experienced welder Jack Cochran allowed students to improve their skills in areas like pipe welding. The flexible evening format fit the irregular schedules of farmers and others working seasonal jobs. The community-driven class model could be used to offer other useful vocational programs based on local needs and input.

1. Education
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 Valley Courier Page 5
By MARGARET
SANDERSON
ALAMOSA — “If you weld
it, we will come.”
This attitude, generated by
a meeting between Trinidad
StateandtheColoradoPotato
Administrative Committee,
resulted in a month-long
evening welding program at
Trinidad State Junior Col-
lege. Fourteen signed up for
the three-night-a-week class.
Some of the students had
never welded before. Others
brought existing skills along
and then learned even more.
Verla Honeycutt took weld-
ing in an agriculture class
in high school. “I’ve always
wanted to weld,” said Verla
who embroiders for a living.
“I’ve admired Sue Patterson’s
metal creations. (Patterson
learnedtoweldattheTrinidad
StateValleyCampusaftershe
retiredfromteachingart.Her
metal art can be viewed at
Community interest sparks a red-hot class at Trinidad State
suepattersonart.com). “This
has been on my bucket list.
I’m so happy to be here. I love
it. My dad, husband and kids
can all weld. I want to weld
too! Now either my dad will
have to take care of his scrap
pile or I will!”
Because seasonal work of-
ten prevents those who farm
fromtakingclassesduringthe
day, this night class fit their
irregular schedules.
Jon Hathaway recently
returned to the Valley, after
many years away. He works
for a local farm. “I took the
classbecauseIwanttobemore
comfortable welding. I knew
thebasics.InhereI’velearned
how to weld pipe and learned
aboutbeadsanddifferentrods
and their applications. I also
didsomemigwelding(welding
with a continuous wire feed).”
Gene Gevara and Carlos
OrtizworkforSalazarFarms.
“I’ve worked for them for 15
years,”saidGevara.“Ourboss
wanted us to be safe and gave
us the opportunity to take
the class. I’ve never done gas
welding. Six of us are here for
the class.”
Jack Cochran, the instruc-
tor for the evening class, ex-
plained, “Most of my students
work on farms and they have
greatshopstopracticein.They
broughtthingsintoshowme.”
After meeting with the
Colorado Potato Administra-
tive Committee and learn-
ing that the industry was
interested in welding classes
that could be offered in the
evening at specific times of
the year, Jack Wiley, As-
sociate Dean of Career and
Technical Education (CTE)
at the Trinidad State Valley
Campus, met with welding
instructor, Norm Williams.
Williams introduced Wiley to
Jack Cochran. Cochran has
served intermittently on the
Advisory Committee for the
welding program since 1974.
From time to time he has also
workedasasubstituteteacher
in the welding program.
Cochran received his train-
ing while attending Monte
VistaHighSchool.“Theysent
methereinsteadofkickingme
out of high school,” quipped
Cochran who did welding as
a work study the last half of
his senior year. He has been
welding ever since. After at-
tending a night class at the
San Luis Valley Vocational
School (now the Trinidad
StateValleyCampus)in1988
to earn his welding certifica-
tion, Cochran started his own
portableweldingbusinessand
haswornoutfivepick-upsand
two welders.
Cochran agreed to teach
weldingTuesday,Wednesday
and Thursday nights from
6 to 9 p.m. for the month of
February.
“Some of Jack’s students
are pretty good welders, and I
don’t think some of them had
ever seen an electrode,” said
Wiley. “It doesn’t take long
to teach somebody to put an
electrode in the holder and
make sparks, but can you
teach them to position things
insuchamannerthatitmakes
two things stick together?”
Cochran agreed. “Some
could weld and some didn’t
have a clue. I think they all
learned something. I don’t
think I’ve made any of them
any worse! They are welding
two pieces together now and
they understand why I had
thempracticingoverandover
and over.”
Greg Hass, who works in
potatogeneticsattheCSURe-
search Farm, said, “I want to
beabletodosomepetprojects.
I knew zero about welding. I
would take it again.” Michael
Gray who is a research as-
sociate at the same farm had
never welded before and just
wanted to learn to weld for
personal use.
In this hands-on learning
experience no tests or grades
are given, no credits received.
“The beauty of offering the
classasContinuingEducation
is the freedom for the student
to come when he can. I call
them pop bottle classes,” said
Wiley. “You get out of it what-
ever you want. No deposit, no
return. If you don’t put much
intoit,youwon’tgetmuchout
of it. We wanted to provide
some tricks of the trade that
would be helpful. That’s the
limit of what we can do in 30
days.”
The college is considering
other Community Education
classes and input from the
community can help with
what to offer next. The Val-
ley Campus can be reached
at 719-589-7000.
Braydon Wakasugi talked Cade Kunugi into taking the welding class with him. Both young men come from family
farms in the Blanca area that go back several generations. They too want to continue the family tradition of farming.
Courtesy photos by Margaret Sanderson
Carlos Ortiz is using an oxy-acetylene torch to weld two
pieces of metal
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