Welding Student Wins Bronze Medal at WorldSkills

tor Austin Welch is extremely proud of the program’s most recent award winner.

“I think any teacher’s dream is for ‘the student to exceed the master,’” said Welch. “That’s very obviously the case with Jordan. His welding skills are literally world-class, as is his work ethic, dedication, humility, and patriotism.”

Packer put his life on hold to fully dedicate himself to ensuring that he performed at his highest potential, practicing between 60-90 hours per week in preparation for WorldSkills.

“I put in an average of 90-hour weeks, and in the few weeks leading up to the competition, 18-hour days were normal for me,” Packer said. “This competition is for the best welders in the world, and you have to train harder than regular Olympians. Unlike Olympic athletes, welders only get one shot to compete on the world stage. All the training and years of work come down to 20 hours in a welding booth by yourself. If you mess up, there aren’t any second chances.”

“I would not be here without the incredible staff at USU Eastern,” he said. “Especially Austin, Jake [Clement], and Jeremiah [Garcia]. They have pulled many late nights working with me and have gone above and beyond to ensure that I had everything that I needed for my success. Your inner circle determines your success, and these three have been my inner circle since day one. They have stuck with me through all the hurdles, and I attribute much of my success to the incredible welding instructors and program at USU Eastern. USU Eastern is what higher education is about and I am extremely proud to call it my school.” �

By Lynnette Harris