A 21-year-old welding student at Washtenaw Community College is about to make history.
Mikala Sposito is the first woman ever to represent the United States in the International World Skills Welding Competition, and her path to the world stage started at a museum when she was just 10 years old.
Back in 2014, Sposito attended an event at the Henry Ford Museum where the American Welding Society had set up a career trailer with a virtual welding simulator.
“I went on it with my dad and my mom, like any other event that we would do there,” Sposito said. “We went on and tried the virtual welding and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I just never let go of it after that.”
That single moment turned into welding camps, welding classes and, eventually, welding competitions.
Sposito now trains up to 80 hours a week, a schedule that comes with real sacrifices.
“I’ve had to sacrifice a lot to be here,” she said. “I’ve sacrificed time with friends, time with family. This is my second family. I see them more than I see my mom and dad.”
Those hours in the shop paid off when she earned her spot on the U.S. team, becoming the first woman in the competition’s history to do so.
“It feels incredible. It’s super exciting,” Sposito said. “I mean, it’s crazy to make history, basically.”
Sposito trains at one of the most decorated welding programs in the country. Washtenaw Community College has produced more World Skills Welding competitors than any other school in the United States.
Her coach and mentor, Alex Pazkowski, is a WCC alumnus who competed on that same world stage in 2013. He says what sets Sposito apart goes beyond her talent.
“I think the most impressive thing about her is her work ethic and her ability to overcome the obstacles that you encounter when you’re training for this competition at this level,” Pazkowski said. “That’s inspirational to anybody that’s trying to get into this industry — or any industry, for that matter.”
For Sposito, representing her country is only part of the goal. She wants to inspire others to see what a career in the skilled trades can look like.
“I would love to eventually come back here and teach,” Sposito said. “But in between then, I’d love to get some more field experience and maybe work on something cool like rocket ships.”