By Shelby Ruud Jarman
Given the many award-winning welders that Utah State University Eastern’s program has produced, some might think the instructors and coaches in Price have discovered some secret sauce that creates winners. But it’s no secret that the formula is hundreds of hours of hard work and relentless preparation over weeks, months and years.
Welding student Benjamin Cornaby is the latest to earn the gold medal in the individual welding category at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference this summer in Atlanta, Georgia. SkillsUSA is the leading workforce development organization for students, providing opportunities to build professional and technical career skills. A Utah State University Eastern student recently won the top prize at a prestigious national welding competition.
Cornaby has participated in SkillsUSA competitions since he was a junior in high school. His first time competing, he placed tenth at the state competition — an impressive achievement, but Cornaby was motivated to improve and outperform his past self. He placed first at state and nationals his senior year and has continued that success at the collegiate level.
“The progress was really motivating,” Cornaby said. “When you have certain criteria you are trying to hit, you can go back and measure it and see what you need to improve, and then improve one thing at a time.”
Cornaby says his key to success is being overprepared. Long hours in the shop, topped off with a final note review the night before a competition, help him get in the mindset of a winner.
“You train enough to where you can do things perfectly, and then once you’re competing, you can compete really well,” he said. “If you only train to where your welds are good enough, then things might not turn out the way you want during competition.”
Cornaby also credits his instructors in the USU Eastern program for his success, claiming he couldn’t have done it without their guidance.
According to USU Eastern instructors, the program focuses on both the theoretical and practical aspects of welding to prepare students for anything they might encounter in a competition or on the job.
“We include a great amount of welding theory in our courses,” said Jeremiah Garcia, a USU Eastern professional practice instructor for welding who coaches Cornaby. “It gives the students a greater understanding of the welding process. It also allows them to adapt when encountering a difficult weld or a new problem.”
USU Eastern has seen success after success in these welding competitions in recent years. Austin Welch, USU Eastern assistant professor and coach, emphasizes the level of commitment required from these students. Student welders often spend 60 hours a week in the shop in addition to their regular coursework.
“It’s a lot to ask a 19 or a 20-year-old kid,” Welch said. “The fact that they’re willing to set everything else aside to dedicate themselves to training is the only reason USU Eastern keeps succeeding. If the students themselves didn’t have that dedication, then this would never happen.”
Cornaby has another year in the USU Eastern welding program, during which time he plans to continue competing. He currently works at Alloy Solutions, a local company that hired him based on his welding competition successes. After graduating from USU Eastern, he plans to pursue a welding engineering degree from either Weber State or BYU Idaho.