As companies and colleges across the nation celebrate National Welding Month, Greenville Tech grad Sheyla Maldonado is proud to be part of an exciting new trend: the increase of women in the historically male-dominated industry. We caught up with Sheyla to find out what led her to pursue a career in welding – and where she’s going next.

You discovered an interest in welding in a rather unlikely place – the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program at Greenville Tech. Tell us about that.

All the women in my family are in the medical field, and I thought that was what I wanted to do too. I had taken a Medical Terminology class in high school, and I was also in a college-prep program that offered a couple of STEM courses. I signed up for the STEM – Nursing class, and they took us to the hospital and showed us how to do ultrasounds. That’s how I initially got interested in DMS.

After graduation, I enrolled at Greenville Tech, but a few classes in, I learned that DMS wasn’t what I wanted to do. But I did like that you have to have steady hands for that kind of work. When my brother-in-law casually mentioned that he could use a couple of welders at his cement company, I thought, That also requires steady hands, but it’s a different kind of work. And just like that, I had a new path to try.

Because I am the only woman in a blue-collar-type job in my family, it wasn’t easy at first. I had a lot of people telling me that welding wouldn’t be something I’d like, that I probably wouldn’t even be good at it. But that just made me want to succeed at it even more.

Once you got into welding, what did you like about it?

I love the patterns – the art behind it! If you do it right, the patterns come out super pretty.

Art was always my favorite subject in school. I loved the way comic books looked like they were live-action, and I would often sketch characters from my favorite books or draw little comic strips. I also liked playing with clay and Play-Doh. Ten to twenty years from now, whether I’m working at a fab shop or have a traveling welding job, I’d also like to have my own business where I create welding sculptures and artworks.

I also love knowing that I can create just about anything as a welder. I think it was during my third semester when we made a grill. Initially, I had thought welding was structural and buildings and stuff like that. But when we made the grill, I realized a welder could make anything as long as it’s metal pieces, as long as you have the right tools and sheets.

How was it being the only female in your classes?

I had previously worked as a server at a restaurant, and in that job, I was working mainly with other women. Making the switch to working mainly with men was intimidating at first. But the guys were all super respectful. We joked around. We formed friendships. And if they needed help, I helped them, and vice versa.

My teacher was also a woman, and as I progressed in the program, more women started enrolling. That was a super cool thing to see!

Tell us about your final test.

I took the advanced classes and the pipe classes, and to get my certification, I had to weld out a whole pipe and cut it into strips, and then our teacher had to bend it with a machine. If it didn’t crack or have any big tears, then I passed the test. It was so nerve-wracking, waiting to see if would tear – or even break completely. But I welded out three pipes and all of them passed the test. That was a huge accomplishment for me.

So you passed your final test and graduated. But the support of your instructors didn’t stop there.

My teachers and the director of the Welding program – Mr. Bouwkamp, Ms. Ross, Mr. Shearn –helped me land my initial welding job. I graduated on a Friday and started working at Leadec in Belton, SC, the following Monday. I worked there for about three months. And while that may not seem like a long time, I learned so much while I was there about the construction side of things and how to use different tools and machines that are not specific just to welding – tools that you use for fabrication, measuring things out, drilling holes, etc. at job sites.

Now, the instructors are giving me contacts to companies that offer traveling work. That’s one of the great benefits of welding. If you want to travel – regionally, nationally, or even internationally – you can go that route. If you want to stay local, that’s an option too. I’m so glad I still have those connections and that network at Greenville Tech that I can call on and get help from.

Sheyla and several others were recently featured in the news about the 10% increase in female enrollment at Greenville Tech’s Brashier Campus. Because of the program’s continuous growth, a new, state-of-the-art facility will open on the Brashier Campus in 2026. Watch the media segment here