She credits her instructor’s patience and guidance for her success, recalling how impactful it was to go from
knowing nothing about welding to becoming certified. She takes immense pride in empowering students to develop the same life-changing skills that once opened doors in her own journey.
With her sights set on underwater welding, Krystel continues to expand her expertise, having already completed arc welding, oxy, blueprint reading, MIG, and fabrication, while currently focusing on TIG. Alongside her role at MICTED, she also works part-time at McDonald’s but hopes to gain industry experience at a welding company next year. She encourages others to take advantage of career and technical education opportunities, emphasizing how welding opens doors to a wide range of industries. “In welding, there’s a lot of job choices-it’s a skill you could use for almost anything,” she says. She also values the reminder from her instructor that welding isn’t just a “male” job, encouraging others to pursue their passions despite any doubts from others.