Welding technology student Sean Jones is ready. At 26, after a childhood spent moving from home to home, city to city, he’s finally found where he’s meant to be. “This time I’m going to college, and I’m taking all the right classes, and everything is making sense,” Sean said. “It’s like for once in my life…I’m all A’s…it’s clear, it’s understandable, and I just love school.”
Sean has a clear plan, and he’s intent on seeing it through. After obtaining his A.S. in Welding Technology from Solano Community College, Sean intends to transfer to Montana Technological University and earn a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Welding Engineering. Receiving Napa Valley Community Foundation’s Skilled Trades Scholarship is helping him along the way.
From Merit Badges to Successful Welds
Sean was born in Los Gatos, though the divorce of his parents meant he didn’t stay in one place for long. Despite moving multiple times, his involvement in the Boy Scouts of America remained constant. As he worked toward becoming an Eagle Scout, Sean discovered his passion for building and creating.
While his family pursued more academic careers—his dad a lawyer, his mom a chiropractor, his brother in real estate—Sean felt drawn in a different direction, “I like working with my hands, I like getting dirty…I just had this love of making things.”
That mindset continues to shape how he approaches welding today. Just as he once collected merit badges, Sean now pursues welding techniques with the same determination. “I don’t care how hot it gets, I don’t care what type of difficulties are coming against me, I’m going to learn these skills no matter what, and I’m going to learn all of them,” Sean said.
Building on his background in the welding trade, Sean’s goal is to become a welding engineer, overseeing the full scope of welding operations for contracted projects. “My goal is to be there, to have the background knowledge and information of the welder himself, so I could bridge the gap between the welder and what the company wants,” Sean explained.
Finding his Calling
Becoming a welder has felt like a divine calling for Sean. After a difficult period in his early adulthood, Sean found himself searching for direction and turned to his faith. “It was very humbling,” he said when remembering that time. “I called on the name of the Lord… and I’ve been living for Him.”
Sean committed to rebuilding his life and welding became his path forward. “I’ve been being a good steward…letting go of anger, letting go of hatred in my heart…and pursuing college, pursuing welding, pursuing all the things that just make people good human beings…and as a result, here I am.”
Today, welding remains more than a trade for Sean—it’s a way to live out that stewardship every day. “With the skills that God’s given me, I can do anything, I can really make anything,” he said—including a new life for himself.
An Investment in a Stronger Future
Sean sees our Skilled Trades Scholarship as more than an investment in his own education—it’s an investment in a stronger future.
The trades are built on an aging workforce, according to a 2023 report by California’s Employment Development Department. Sean understands what’s at stake if young people don’t fill the gap left when those now in the workforce retire, and he’s grateful that the donors who made this scholarship possible recognize it as well. Their support will pave the way for a new generation of tradespeople who will help form the backbone of our communities.
With the help of NVCF’s Skilled Trades Scholarship, Sean is well on his way to becoming the welding engineer he set out to be.
About the Skilled Trades Scholarship
The Skilled Trades Scholarship benefits graduating high school seniors, GED recipients and current community college students pursuing training and certification in Career Education or Career Technical Education Pathways at Napa Valley College, Santa Rosa Junior College, or Solano Community College. Recipients of the scholarship will receive funding for up to two years while working to complete their certification or degree.