Howdy! I am Colton Pfeil, Lead Instructor for 3rd Shift here at Western Welding Academy. How did I first get into welding? Well, my family had a body/mechanic shop and I wanted a chopper bicycle when I was a little kid so my Papa (Grandpa) put a welder in my hand and we made that bicycle from scratch. I was only 8 years old but from then on was so fascinated with being able to put two pieces of metal together. Even though we had to re-weld that bike many times I was so proud of it.
I wanted to become a welder because I really struggled in high school due to my dyslexia. I knew college wasn’t for me and I really liked working with my hands but being a mechanic just wasn’t very appealing to me. I saw welding as a way for me to get out of my small town of RockPort, MO and see the whole USA while making great money!
I graduated from welding school in 2011 and upon graduation, I worked in small fabrication shops for 6 months. After that, I went on to be an ironworker for 6 months. I knew that was not the career I wanted so I got a helper's job in North Dakota where I learned all I could in 8 months. During those 8 months, I put a welding rig together and worked the next 9 years all the way across the country including ND, WY, CO, OK, TX, and now back here to Gillette, WY at Western Welding Academy.
When I am not welding, I enjoy catfishing, wakeboarding, tubing behind the boat, shooting guns, and spending as much time as possible outside with my two beautiful daughters and wife. The best thing is I can do all that within 45 min of my home here in Gillette, WY!
The thing I like most about teaching here at Western Welding Academy is getting to help and guide the kids that might not have been the best in a standard school environment. I love seeing those kids excel with hands-on training as you get here at Western Welding Academy. I really see myself in them and that really makes me happy I get to contribute to their success.
The thing that is unique here at Western Welding Academy compared to other schools is the way we let students work at their own pace and graduate early if they complete the courses.
I love it here at Western Welding Academy!
Western Welding Academy is the only pipe welding school in the country that is solely owned and operated by real pipeline/pipe welders. At WWA we have the most elite, highest skilled welders in the world teaching students how to weld pipe.
