Providing Career Technical Training to Students in Auglaize and Mercer Counties
Welding Instructor Reminisces: Circa 2007
Tri Star’s welding instructor, Aaron Schmitt, recently shared photos of his first welding projects. Schmitt says he was cleaning out his garage and came across the pieces that he had welded as a sophomore in high school. At the time, he was a Celina High School student enrolled in an agriculture class that was provided by and housed at Coldwater High School [during the time period that Celina did not have an agriculture program]. Schmitt recalls completing this project approximately three months after Mr. Dennis Reithman, the Ag. Instructor at Coldwater, taught him how to weld. The project was a combination of oxy-acetylene welding and cutting, GMAW welding, and SMAW welding.
"The opportunity to learn about the welding field in high school was the "spark" that ignited my passion for a career in welding. I owe a big thank you to my teacher" Schmitt states. Mr. Schmitt has been Tri Star’s welding instructor for five years and worked as a welder/welding inspector for 12 prior to teaching.
Pictured with Mr. Schmitt (on right, below) is Gaige Dotson, the 2025 Outstanding Welding Student of The Year. We're thankful Mr. Schmitt shared his past and that he teaches the skills he learned with the welders of tomorrow.
