Forged by Fire: Jaclyn Davis Ignites a Passion for Welding
OFTC –For some, fire brings destruction. For others, it ignites something powerful; something unstoppable. That’s what the fires of life have done for Jaclyn Davis.
She learned to take on many responsibilities at a young age due to growing up in a broken home, and says she remembers feeling like her life was on fire. “I resorted to drinking and drugs because it felt like it was my only escape.”
Her life was going nowhere fast, but as she grew older, she found her way to healing. She took her pain and found a way to make beauty from the ashes through art.
Forging a New Path
Davis moved to Sandersville in 2021. A couple of years later, she found her way back into the fire; only this time, she was the one in control.
“In my time of healing, I realized that I left my goals and dreams in the flames,” Davis shared. “So now what do I do? It was time for me to face my fire and take back control of my life and my education.”
She decided to further her education and found a number of program options available at Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC).
“I couldn’t find anything that fired me up with excitement until my husband chimed in and suggested I try welding,” Davis shared.
He pointed out her steady hands and attention to detail and likened it to the wood burned art she’d created in the past.
“I laughed at his suggestion but then started looking at videos and artwork created by welders and my whole world lit up.”
Welding at OFTC
She enrolled in OFTC’s Welding and Joining Technology program and says when she started classes, she was excited to learn something new but struggled with self-doubt.
“I didn’t start with much confidence, and I had major thoughts of imposture syndrome,” Davis said. “I felt that it was silly to continue my education at my age and was terrified of what being a non-traditional student would be like.”
“Let me tell you, those thoughts are a thing of the past now,” she added.
Davis’s doubts were met by caring instructors and a staff who made her feel welcome and seen.
“The faculty at OFTC, especially the staff in student affairs, have given me the warmest welcome from the beginning,” she added. “I’ve been cheered on and encouraged by so many people which keeps me highly motivated to keep pushing.”
She also found guidance and direction from her welding instructor, Tony Simmons, and says his impact on her life has been profound.
“Mr. Simmons is one of the kindest, genuine human beings I’ve ever met,” Davis shared. “He’s patient while I learn, has never made me feel incompetent and motivates me to always do better than the day before, which is something I say to myself daily now, for welding and for life.”
Davis says she’s found a mentor in her instructor, something she’ll never be able to fully express her gratitude for.
“Mr. Simmons is not only my instructor, but I like to think of him as a mentor,” she said. “He has much knowledge about welding and about life, and his leadership qualities are qualities that I one day hope to have. He has truly helped me get on and stay on the path of my future, and I’m grateful to have experienced him as my instructor.”
Now, Davis has all the confidence she needs to reach her goals to become a welder, thanks to people she’s met along the way who’ve helped her see the fire within.
“I now know how competent I truly am, and my confidence is through the roof,” she said. “I’ve never felt like a non-traditional student; my peers and instructors treat me like I’m ‘meant to be a welder and that I belong here.”
A New Kind of Flame
The fire helped Davis find her passion and now there’s no going back. “I’m no longer in survival mode,” she shared. “I’m alert, engaged, and now I’m the one on fire.”
“OFTC has been my resolve,” she added. “It’s been my saving grace, the second chance I needed to believe that fire isn’t always a negative force, but a powerful resource.”
Davis has one semester left until she graduates with her Welding and Joining Technology Diploma and says she hopes to specialize in Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) or Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding for a local shop when she enters the workforce.
She hopes others will be encouraged by her story to try something new. “Something I say a lot when encouraging others to get out of their comfort zone is ‘Be a Pheonix,’” Davis shared.
“The phoenix burns itself in its own flames to complete ash, just so it can rise again and become more majestic, radiant, and stronger than before,” she explained. “Take your second chance and allow the flames to strip away what was once your old life, because it’s not your end. Your past will never define you, but the way you rise from the ashes will.”
To learn more about OFTC’s Welding and Joining Technology programs, visit the college’s website, OFTC.edu.
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