We proudly spotlight our featured nontraditional faculty member, Martha Vann. Martha is the Associate Dean of Industrial and Engineering Technology and the Department Head for Industrial Technology at Trident Technical College's Main Campus. We asked Martha the following questions:
What factors contributed to your decision to choose a nontraditional career?
Growing up in Ohio’s farm-country, I learned all of the traditional skills expected of a farmwife: cooking, sewing, and gardening. There was nothing nontraditional in my upbringing! However, I was always a very active child and much preferred the great outdoors, even if it involved working in the garden. Vietnam changed the course of life for many young people and I eventually found myself living on the Charleston AFB, working in a restaurant (as a baker so cooking did pay off), and saving my earnings to come to Trident Technical College. In 1981, my first contact at TTC was a counselor working with a grant program called FACET/FACIT, Female Access to Engineering/Industrial Technology. That was the first time I had ever heard the term “nontraditional careers”. I didn’t know what that meant, but the counselor mentioned the Welding program. I had seen a documentary on the building of the St. Louis Gateway Arch that I thought was fascinating. FACET/FACIT was designed to give women an opportunity to explore several of Trident’s “nontraditional” program options. Eventually, I opted out of the career exploration opportunity and went directly into the Welding program. It was a complete leap of faith, I had never met a welder in my life. I’ve never looked back, it was the best career decision I could have made for myself!
What is exciting about my career choice?
Every welding job is different and most days you are working on something completely different from the previous day’s work. Although there are some very repetitive welding jobs, my job was not. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you build a product, it successfully passes inspection and is shipped to the customer. Within the welding industry and depending on your preferences and abilities, you can work in: construction, manufacturing, defense, shipping, aerospace, food and beverage, medical, automation, inside, outside, underwater.
What do you find challenging about your career?
On a daily basis, my biggest challenge was always myself. It never mattered to me what the other welders were doing. Every time I did a specific job, I would try to do that job better and faster than the last time. I am my own toughest critic and in my mind, I never welded the “perfect” weld…but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. I had the opportunity to weld a test plate for a chromium-molybdenum welding procedure my company needed in order to secure a contract. The test had been tried by others and failed twice before. The company was able to successfully qualify the welding procedure with my test plate. Many times you have to apply your knowledge as well as your skills. I don’t think society in general understands how critical many welds are, public safety is at stake. Professional welders need to have an understanding of and/or an appreciation for: welding processes, codes, welding metallurgy, distortion, defects and discontinuities, inspection, and welding procedures.
Did you have a pivotal moment that helped you continue in your career path?
Yes. As I was graduating from TTC’s Welding diploma program, my instructors talked to me about continuing in a General Technology associate degree in Vocational Technical Education and to think about teaching in the future. I was not really interested in teaching, but decided to pursue the only associate degree that I could apply my welding credits toward. Nine years later, I was still welding in industry when an instructor position opened at TTC and I finally decided to apply. It was time to share what I had learned with new welding students.
What suggestions would you have for others interested in nontraditional career paths?
Martha suggests that any career path an individual chooses should focus on something in which they have a genuine interest. Everyone should do some soul searching and determine what makes them happy…working alone or in a team, working with their hands or with their mind, working with things or with people, physical or sedentary work and so forth. Money is nice, but it isn’t everything and selecting a career based solely on money may not always turn out to be a satisfying career choice.
What has your experience at Trident Technical College been like?
Witnessing the “AHA” moments in the classroom and lab is priceless. Nothing is better than having a student bring a weld sample to you when they know they finally “got it.” Welding is a difficult skill to acquire for most students and seeing their pride in that moment is, for me, what it is all about. Although I never planned to teach, I’ve discovered that teaching it is an important extension of a welding career. Welding instructors impact the future of the welding industry, one student at a time. In my eyes, TTC may be the most valuable educational resource in the low-country. We help people gain access to “nontraditional” career education every day.
