Skip to main content

Matthew Mays graduated with a Certificate in Fabrication and Welding Technology in May 2018

Matthew Mays graduated with a Certificate in Fabrication and Welding Technology in May 2018. He acknowledges, “I was able to change careers while attending Ranken’s welding program, which put me in a position for a more hands-on approach in my trade with more upward mobility. I believe going through the welding program gave me an advantage over others when I applied for a position at Airgas.” Airgas is an Air Liquide company, a leading single-source supplier of gases, welding equipment and supplies, and safety products.

Matt was hired as an Inside Sales Associate at Airgas (Pacific location) in October 2017. His prior welding experience and being enrolled at Ranken made him top pick. January 2021, he was asked to join a new Airgas team as an Outside Sales Support Specialist. Matt oversees sales operations at five locations, “from soup to nuts.”


Debra Alexander, Outside Sales Support Manager for Airgas, tells us “I refer to Matt as a rock star! He’s always on time, fully loaded and ready to go. I know when I assign Matt a project, he’s going to get it done. He’s very knowledgeable about our products, as well as the products of other vendors, so he readily offers our customers supply chain solutions.”


Ron Hampton, Industrial Technology instructor, explains “ Matt was always in a good mood and pleasure to have in class. He was a diligent worker and always prepared for class.” Matt recalls one of his fondest memories being “taking selfies in my welding booth while the class was at lunch and our instructor, Mr. Hampton, just happened to walk by. The look on his face was pretty funny. He just shook his head and walked away.”


Matt’s cousin, Jake Hartman, also attended Ranken Technical College, graduating with dual degrees in CST and HVAC in 2019.


Learn more at https://ranken.edu/find-your-career-path/

https://www.airgas.com/

#rankentech #weldingprogram #fabrication #technology

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ranken helps most students obtain a sense of a scheduled, orderly life with rules you must follow no matter how ridiculous students may think they are

 “Ranken helps most students obtain a sense of a scheduled, orderly life with rules you must follow no matter how ridiculous students may think they are,” says Colton Knowles. “The classes were very balanced in ratio of students-to-instructors, which alleviated the challenge of receiving instructive, one-on-one clarity when you simply asked for it.” Students in the St. Louis campus Construction Division programs use their skills to build houses in the neighborhood through our nonprofit Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC). They receive construction training in a “learn by doing” style, supervised by our faculty in every facet of construction. Colton enjoyed plumbing those houses with his class during the winter of 2019. Most of his classmates had never been a part of a “build” before and he enjoyed seeing everybody’s reaction to the physical demands and know-how required when piping a house together. He says, “You learn a lot about the people you thought you knew when yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ermin Velagic graduated in 2020 with an Associate Degree in Network and Database Administration

Ermin Velagic graduated in 2020 with an Associate Degree in Network and Database Administration. He immediately took a position with TekSystems. Last winter, Ermin joined IMPACT Strategies, a full-service commercial builder as a Computer Support Specialist. Ermin tells us his parents emigrated to the United States “seeking a better life,” making him a first-generation college graduate. His academic journey faced serious challenges. Ermin and his fiancé both worked full-time while he attended classes at Ranken to build a more secure future. While juggling this schedule, he distinctly remembers the support he received from Ranken IT faculty member Ashley Reddick, who spent many hours before and after class mentoring and motivating him to pass demanding certification exams. In a personal letter to Mr. Reddick, Ermin’s emotions were clear, “[You] created a never-forgetting impact I will carry with my heart and soul heavily for as long as I will be able to remember it.” Mr. Reddick says, ...
Post a Comment
Read more