New Walla Walla scholarship aimed at women studying the trades

Machinery hummed and sparks flew as welding student Jaquelin Sanchez, 23, used electricity to connect two pieces of metal. Sanchez just started the welding program at Walla Walla Community College, or WWCC, in January. 

“ I didn’t think I would be doing this, but I liked it, so I’m gonna keep going,” Sanchez said. “I felt like I was stuck, and now I can see a future.”

At any given time, women make up around 15% to 25% of welding students at the college. They’re among those eligible for a new scholarship for female trades students from the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, or AAUW.

“ We’ve been raising money for scholarships for decades,” said Mitzi Jensen, the chapter’s president. “We want to help women be successful no matter what field they choose to pursue.” 

The Walla Walla affiliate of the AAUW has long offered scholarships to women who were returning to school, and more recently to women studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. 

Since 2016, the group said it has awarded more than $125,000 worth of scholarships to women in the region. It raises money through kitchen tours, which occur each year in October, and a book sale, which occurs annually in February. Last month’s book sale raised about $85,000.

The group’s trades scholarship is brand new. Jensen said the idea came from some of the chapter’s roughly 300 members, who said they had friends, neighbors and granddaughters interested in studying the trades. 

“The workforce is changing,” Jensen said. “So this is a great opportunity for us to help women reach their educational goals.” 

Across its three categories — returning to work, STEM and the trades — the Walla Walla AAUW hopes to award 25 to 30 scholarships of $3,000 each. The total number will depend on the number and quality of the applications it receives. 

Interested students should fill out the Blue Mountain Community Foundation’s common application by March 10. If they’re selected, they can use the funds for anything from tuition to required gear.

Kris Margart is a welding instructor at WWCC and chair of the college’s manufacturing trades department. He said the new scholarships are “rad” — and that training tradespeople is critical. 

“You probably didn’t drive here without potentially crossing a bridge that a welder built or filling your car up with gas through pipelines that welders established,” he said. “ Every part of infrastructure is built by the trades.” 

Margart noted that the trades are in high demand and can provide high salaries. In the three years since he’s been at WWCC, he said nearly all of his welding graduates have secured jobs, some of which have paid $50 per hour. 

Margart is proud of the program — and of his female students. “They’re not diversity hires,” he said. “They’re actively doing well, and they’re recognized for their hard work and their talent.” 

One of those students is Jill Lopez. Before starting WWCC’s program, Lopez was intimidated by the idea of entering such a male-dominated field. 

“ This was something that was totally on the opposite spectrum of anything I’d ever been familiar with,” Lopez said. “So I was a little nervous about that to start. But honestly, everyone there is so welcoming and so helpful.” 

Lopez, 23, is in her final quarter of WWCC’s program. She already has started a full-time welding job. 

Though she’ll graduate too soon to apply for one of the new scholarships, she likes the idea of supporting women who want to enter the field. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women make up less than 6% of the workforce in many skilled trades. 

Lopez is happy to have found her place as one of those women, and as a welder. “Right off the bat, I really, really enjoyed it,” she said. “I didn’t want to sit in an office all day.”