An interview with Piper Crabtree; her experience at Bellingham Technical College
By Grace Boyer
Piper is a fiercely creative woman. There has not been one medium I haven’t seen her use. From sewing, to painting, Piper is always finding a space to express herself. It wasn’t until more recently when she decided to pursue a career in Welding.
Let’s get one thing clear. There is no right or wrong way to find a passion for something. There is no right or wrong way to earn a degree. To master a new trade. To try something NEW. And you know what the best thing about education is? There is always something else out there for you to learn.
Piper is from the Seattle area and attended Humboldt State University, after graduating from Kentwood High School. After a semester she decided it wasn’t the right fit and moved on to her next chapter. After making the move to Bellingham, she began to expand her network within the art community here. One of her long-term goals was to create financial stability while producing art and Piper worked a few different jobs within the food industry and as a preschool teacher (which is how we met) while she looked for her path. The one thing I love about Piper is that when there is something she wants to do, there is really no stopping her. The next thing I knew, Piper was a few classes deep at Bellingham Technical College. A few months later, she was hired for a job working for a welder. Turns out her boss then offered to help with the cost of her welding classes at BTC! How cool is that?!
I figured there must be other students who are thinking about pursuing a career in Welding and Fabricating and Piper would be the perfect person to ask about her experience.
Let’s start from the top.
When did you first start considering welding? What sparked this interest?
“I first thought about welding when I was at the quarry. I was helping set up for Shabang (a local arts & music festival) and using a lot of tools and learning simple building skills….. Then there was this lady welding a tub , and I was like, woah, she is bad a$$. I wanna do that. The thought kind of just stayed in the back of my mind. I then got a letter from BTC about all their drop in classes. I decided to check it out, began, and loved it!”
Can you take me along the application process at BTC? Registration and all that jazz?
“Pretty easy.. online, really fast. Someone on the phone asked me different questions on the different programs they have as well as their continuing Ed classes. They really got a sense of what I was wanting out of the classes. I met a counselor in person later and she was really helpful and helped me figure out how serious I was about welding. She was super nice and helpful, and just very knowledgeable about the programs at BTC for welding. The continuing Ed classes are really nice because it's just one night a week, you can get a taste for it, before you can fully commit!”
What are the classes like?
“We would meet for a bit in the beginning, kind of just going over some things like basics and then it was kind of just going at your own pace. You would be on your own, working at your pace, and the teachers would come to you and help you where you were at. I had three different teachers and all of them had different assets. I just felt like I could ask them more personal welding questions too. The classes are small enough that the teachers can kind of tailor to your individual needs which was really helpful.”
Trying something new can be intimidating… how did you manage any nerves you had about it?
“Hmmmm umm, I definitely remember feeling embarrassed at first cause I didn’t want to look dumb. But I kind of just embraced that probably a lot of other people are in the same boat and if it doesn’t go well the first time, it isn’t a reflection of me, or something I am lacking, and just try.
Welding is a male dominated field. What is one piece of advice to future students thinking about welding? Specifically, other women?
“For other women, it's kind of intimidating trying something new, and also feeling like you need to prove something within a male workplace, but it's important to know that you are going to need to learn and ask questions. It is empowering to tell people that there is sexism going on, and to call it out if it happens. Also there are more women than you think. Welding is something anything can do, it's not just a man's job. To other students, it's a great career choice and it's nice to do stuff with your hands. You can be creative. There are lots of different facets to take it. There was a time where I had a teacher make a sexist joke, and it ended up being a learning curve for him. He asked me to show the class a weld, assuming I didn’t know how to do it, but little did he know, I had already learned it in a previous class. He then realized maybe he needed to stop making assumptions. It just proves that we all can learn something from one another.”
What is your favorite part of the continuing ed classes overall?
“I think it was nice because if there was something specific I wanted to do, I could talk to the teachers and we could work one and one and find your own niche, kind of like a little workshop, with different skill levels, and the teachers move along with your own pace. There is no pressure that you need to be at a certain spot, it's up to you.”
How did you pay for materials?
“Prices for classes are really affordable. Free metal scraps. Lots of materials too. They give you the materials you need for the continuing ed courses.”
Where do you see yourself with welding in the future?
“It’s been nice to be able to take classes and do my job, but I also know that I can go back and find more financial stability if I want to go back to school later. I’ve got my foot in the door with it, and am always learning from it.”
Last piece of advice?
“See if you like it… try it out, take those smaller classes. Just try and you can always go back.”
