At the beginning of April, the DHS welding course won a scholarship in our region from Airgas. Airgas, a subsidiary of Air Liquide, is empowering the next generation of welders by donating welding equipment and providing educational support to welding programs as part of its nationwide High School Welding Education Initiative for the 2025 academic year. Airgas has been supporting schools since 2017, assisting 162 schools, over 12,000 students, with nearly 2,000 students pursuing a career after high school. They do this to prepare for the projected number of new welding professionals needed by 2029.
This year, they were giving out sponsorships to schools in the region. Luckily, Dinuba High School was selected and received $7,500 in product or in cash. The advanced welding class will also receive grab bags that include various welding or safety items, a training session led by a professional Welding Process Specialist for the students and teacher, and more.
This was made possible by a recruiter named Kara Enos. Enos met up with Dinuba’s welding instructor, Tyler Hulsey, and wrote a submission for him, which will later be published. But here are some things she had to say:
“With a student body of 2,119 students, all of whom are enrolled in the free lunch program, the school serves a community where 84.6% of students face significant economic challenges. Yet within this environment, one teacher and his welding program stand as a beacon of hope, creating opportunities for students to transform their futures. Tyler’s dedication to his craft and to his students is evident in the success of the program, which has captured the interest of over 400 students. Tyler holds five classes daily, with 25 students in each class. His passion for welding led him directly into the workforce after graduation, where he worked at an auto body shop before moving on to manufacturing jobs. His passion for welding led him directly into the workforce after graduation, where he worked at an auto body shop before moving on to manufacturing jobs.”
But Hulsey isn’t just a teacher here at DHS; he is also a former student. 15 years ago, he attended DHS. He never thought he would return to Dinuba High School until he received a call and decided to give it a try. Now he is here teaching the next generation of welders, hoping they also pursue their passion.
