Courtney Brinkman

I was not planning on being a teacher in the beginning. I went to welding school and thought I wanted to be a fabricator. One day 2 years into my career, my high school welding teacher called me with the opportunity to teacher at a school that was starting a brand new welding program. I was hesitant at first but after a lot of thought, I decided to do it. It’s the best decision I have ever made.

It’s hard to pick just one. The most rewarding part of my job is giving students the skills they need to be successful in the welding industry. Once students graduate and start their careers it makes me feel a sense of accomplishment for showing them the way. If I had to speak on my most memorable student, it would be one that had a learning disability and struggled in academic classes. He started my class and truly thrived. He is now a welder and making $30 a hour plus $150 perdeim.

I believe the first thing I would do with the $25,000 would to pay off my student loans as well as put some money towards paying off my mortgage! This would be a huge blessing to win!