First Woman To Represent US In World Welding Competition Is From Michigan

You go girl! A student at Washtenaw Community College will be the first woman to represent the U.S. at the WorldSkills Competition in China, considered to be the "Olympics" of the skilled trades.

According to WWMT, 21 year-old Mikala Sposito of Dexter is the sixth student from Washtenaw Community College to qualify in WorldSkills.

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Adds the news outlet, "WCC has produced more WorldSkills welding alums than any other school in the United States".

What's going on in Washtensaw County that makes them produce such fine welders? 80 hours of welding practice per week, according to WCC instructor Alex Pazkowski, who finished second welding at WorldSkills in 2013 and is Sposito's mentor.

The 48th WorldSkills Competition will take place in Shanghai, China from September 22-27, 2026, where Sposito will be judged on craftsmanship, accuracy, and precision.

Sposito says she first fell in love with welding at age 10 and plans to further her craft by earning a bachelor's degree in welding engineering from Wayne State University, and perhaps someday stepping into a role similar to Pazkowski's.

if her world-class success joining together metals using heat and pressure helps pave the way for future welders, then all the better...Either way, she’s happy to be 'inspirational for many women in the trades who have possibly struggled.'-- WWMT

Wishing Mikala all the best at the competition this fall. Check back in September for updates, with hopes that she brings home the gold for Michigan and the U.S.!