ABOVE: Fairmont welding teacher and coach Bob Bonin, left, discusses welds with junior Tatum Kabe as Kabe observes Bonin’s example.

FAIRMONT – A team of seven juniors and seniors from Fairmont High School recently entered the Minnesota West Regional Welding Competition as competitors and left as champions.

Unlike other competitions, there isn’t a dedicated welding team. Welding teacher and coach Bob Bonin said all the competitors were chosen from his regular roster of students in his welding class.

“They have to be good with being able to stick weld, they have to be good with being able to MIG weld,” he said. “We’re looking at our upper-level welders that have the experience. We’re looking at the students that can perform each one of the processes they will be judged on at that next level.”

This competition involves safety tests, mathematics and welds that range from the basic to butt joints, T joints and other specific joints meant to represent real-world situations.

“It teaches the kids what to expect when they go out into the workforce,” Bonin said.

This regional competition was no small feat either. It included several schools with PSEO students, meaning they are already taking college-level courses and gaining further experience. To have triumphed against such stiff competition, Bonin said it shows they are on track with their curriculum.

“We’re right on point with what we’re teaching the students,” he said. “Our students are placing high. Pretty much every competition we’ve gone to over the last 15 years, we’re usually the top one, two or three schools of the competitions we go to. A lot of our kids have finished first, second and third as well. It tells us that what we’re doing makes a difference in our students’ lives that sets them up for success with their futures.”

ABOVE: Seniors George Walters and Gretchen Jorgensen talk about a weld in Jorgensen’s hands during their welding class on Tuesday.

This is apparent in their partnerships with local businesses. Zierke Built Manufacturing Welder Nico Flanagan comes in every Tuesday to help students with their welds. This is a quick turnaround for Flanagan, as he only just graduated from Fairmont in 2022. He said this program is really cool for helping students break into welding as an industry.

“Most of the time, at the beginning of the year, the kids aren’t super great with welding,” Flanagan said. “They don’t really know very much. By the time the end of the year rolls around, they’re all like professionals, really good. They know what to look out for.”

Junior Max Nielsen said that, with these events being held by colleges, it is more than just a competition.

“We got to take a tour of the campus too,” he said. “You got to see what it’d be like to be a student there. There’s a bunch of people we can talk to from the industry and more about jobs and welding.”

This is beneficial, as Nielsen said he was drawn to welding because it’s his best job prospect looking forward.

“I enjoy doing it the most,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of openings, a lot of opportunities that I can get into welding.”

For senior Gretchen Jorgensen, she said it’s all about the pursuit of improvement, which has been aided by her teacher.

“I’ve noticed a lot of times I brought something to Bob I want to work on,” she said. “He had faith in me that I could do it when I was trying to quit. He was like, ‘No, you just, you just need to do it.’ That’s really helped me progress the last four years.”

With Fairmont taking home first place, Nielsen said it made all of the hard work feel worth it.

Looking forward, Bonin said they are looking to finish the school year strong. They’re also not looking to take things easy.

“Superintendent Traetow and Principal Brusky, they’re always asking me what’s next so we don’t rest on our laurels,” he said. “I work with Jeremy Hall at Minnesota West, and we’re always looking at, what do we need to do next to make our program stronger and sustainable?”