Some people seem to have a knack for turning negative events into positive experiences. A paper mill closing after 20 years of employment would have placed a more "ordinary" guy in his rocking chair. No so with Ricky Santifer of Camden, Arkansas!

Ricky had one advantage already in his favor - a welding shop in his garage. Actually, the welding he did there was more fun than work.

"I love to weld," says Ricky. "I've spent the last 12 years building custom truck bumpers and doing other repairs for customers."

However, when his brother, David, told him about welding classes at Hobart Institute, Ricky didn't waste any time. As a side note, David works at SMI Joist in Hope, Arkansas. SMI Joists sends employees to Hobart Institute for welding training to meet their specific needs. Ricky utilized the Workforce Investment Act for retraining displaced workers and in April 2001, he headed north to Ohio to begin the "Combination Structural and Pipe Welding Program."

Just 3 ˝ months into his nine-month program, Ricky was playing basketball with two of his HIWT classmates, Jason and Wesley Hatfield, when another "negative" event was passed his way. Ricky experienced a compound fracture of his lower leg. After a trip to the hospital and a few days of recuperation, Ricky was sure he was ready to weld again and returned to classes. But when the time came to weld in the overhead position, Ricky was forced to accept the fact that it just wasn't working.

"I was getting slag all over myself!" Ricky commented.

So he took a leave and returned home to Arkansas. Again… not content to just sit and feel sorry for himself, Ricky went into action. He filed the necessary application that requires a six-week lead-time, with the American Welding Society to take the certified welding inspector examination. He then enrolled in the "Preparation for the AWS CWI/CWE Welding Inspector/Educator Examination" course at the Hobart Institute and in December returned to Troy to participate in that class… something he could do while his leg continued to heal. When the exam was given on the last day of the two-week class, Ricky was ready and proved it by passing and being awarded the status of AWS CWI.

With that in his pocket, Ricky easily could have "scrapped" the remaining 5 ˝ months of his skill training at HIWT. But he didn't. On January 7, 2002, Ricky headed back to welding class minus the leg cast and crutches.

"It has taken me 14 months to complete a 9-month course. But the training will be very valuable to me in the future," says Ricky. "I want to pursue inspection and the more I learn about welds, the more valuable I will be on the job site. I will not only be able to tell a weld failure, but I'll be able to explain why - and what to do to fix it."

Spare time will find Ricky hunting and fishing. But he really looks forward to pursuing his new career.

"And I am free to go anywhere the work is," says Ricky.

This is one CWI who we believe will not have any trouble finding a job. He is a living example of the phrase, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"