Michigan student will be first woman to represent US in world welding

Mikala Sposito’s path to WorldSkills began with a long-held goal to be “the first female to do something,” and the 21-year-old now is set to become the first woman to represent the United States in welding at the WorldSkills Competition in China, according to an Associated Press report published May 17.

Sposito, who studies at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, earned the selection through the USA Weld Trials in Huntsville, Alabama earlier this year. She told the AP that the contest was “very, very close the whole time,” adding that she was “the one who made it to Shanghai,” referring to the international competition’s location.

WorldSkills is often described as the “Olympics of the skilled trades,” and it determines top competitors in technical areas that include construction, information technology, manufacturing and robotics—along with welding. Sposito will be evaluated on her technical execution and craftsmanship under time constraints and international standards.

Washtenaw Community College said Sposito is the sixth of its students to qualify in WorldSkills history for the competition. The school also pointed to alumni participation, including Alex Pazkowski, who placed second in 2013 and is described as Sposito’s instructor and mentor.

Pazkowski accompanied Sposito to the American championships in Alabama, and he is expected to coach her at competitions that will take her from Canada to Australia in the months leading up to WorldSkills in September. The AP report said Sposito has about 80 hours of welding practice per week at the community college as she prepares.

When asked about the “first” aspect of her selection, Sposito said she does not view it primarily through gender, saying: “I don’t see the gender aspect of it.” She added that welding does not “take any brute strength or anything,” characterizing the work instead as “very fine and precise.”

At the same time, Sposito acknowledged the broader participation gap in the trade. She said she believes her success can help pave the way for future welders, and she described her win as “very cool” as “the first female to do it,” while saying she hopes to be inspirational for women in the trades who may have struggled.

In the near term, Sposito plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in welding engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit. Long-term, she said she might like to follow Pazkowski’s example and teach at Washtenaw Community College.