Gaining skills and confidence through metal work
When Jasmine Surface decided to enroll in welding classes at Oakland Community College (OCC), she admits she was following a bit of a whim. She had an interest but didn’t know a lot about it at the time.
“I had seen metal work videos and done some reading about it,” says Surface, who lives in Lake Orion, Mich. “I decided to take a gamble and try it for a semester and see if I like it.”
Expecting a normal day of class, Surface laughs with Berrier after being surprised with an oversized scholarship
About nine months into the program, she’s glad that she did. Not only did she find a new passion and build technical skills for a career in the aerospace industry (her current goal), but she also discovered confidence, a community, and even a scholarship to further her education.
A unique environment for hands-on learning
Surface gives a lot of credit to Welding and Fabrication Technology faculty member Cameron Berrier, who she says is one of the best teachers she’s ever had. “He really goes above and beyond, and makes sure every student gets the help they need.”
A lot of the classes and machinery felt complicated at first. But as she learned about different metals and began to master techniques for working with them, her confidence grew.
Surface says the program helped her come of her shell. She feels a sense of belonging at OCC that she's never experienced in a school setting before -- thanks to the environment created by Berrier and the other specialists who assist in the program.
She also appreciates OCC’s open lab hours, which gives students access to the equipment to work on projects outside of class. It’s helped her bond with other students and make good use of time between classes when she needs to spend a day on the Auburn Hills campus.
A chance encounter leads to scholarship for welding students
Roger Smith from the Antique Motorcycle Foundation (second from left) presents OCC student Jasmine Surface (center) with a scholarship for welding. Also pictured are Welding and Fabrication Technology staff (and Cameron Berrier.
Outside of school, Surface works at Subway, where a customer struck up a conversation with her one day about what she was studying. Turns out, the customer, Roger Smith, happens to be the president of the Antique Motorcycle Foundation, which offers scholarships to students learning the skills needed to restore and repair motorcycles, like welding.
With encouragement from Berrier, Surface applied. She’d been interested in motorcycles since childhood, including working on restoring an old Yamaha.
One day, she came to school expecting a normal class – only to find Smith there “touring” the lab with Berrier. They surprised her by presenting her with a $1,500 scholarship on the spot. “It was very surreal. If I’d known it would be happening, I would have dressed better that day,” joked Jasmine.
What potential OCC students should know
So, what advice would Surface give to someone who is thinking about enrolling at OCC? She doesn’t hesitate with her answer: Ask lots of questions!
She says she’s learned to not be shy about asking for help when she might need it – whether it’s about using equipment, doing homework in an industrial math class, or working with an advisor to set up your course schedule.
Everyone she’s met at OCC has been eager to help.
Learn more about OCC’s Welding and Fabrication Technology program and scholarship opportunities.