San Diego High promotes summer welding program for incoming students

San Diego High School is steering younger students toward a trade before they ever step into a freshman schedule, inviting incoming ninth and tenth graders to join its Summer CTE Welding Program for hands-on work in the shop.

That early push matters in a county where families are looking for practical paths that can lead somewhere concrete. The program gives students a chance to see whether welding fits them before the school year begins, and it signals that career preparation is not something San Diego ISD wants to delay until later in high school. For students who learn best by doing, summer time in a welding setting can be the first real test of whether a trade feels like the right fit.

San Diego ISD has already used the same pipeline with even younger students. In a previous district story, eighth graders were getting a jump start on welding certifications at San Diego High School, beginning work toward Level 1 certification before freshman year. Jessica Quintana served as the welding instructor, with Ruben Villa teaching construction. Freshman Adrian Gonzalez, once a student of Quintana’s, helped teach younger students in the program.

Gonzalez said welding had given him "a plan" and that it was something he liked and thought was good for him. That kind of early confidence is exactly what makes the summer program more than a casual enrichment offering. It is a first step toward certification, and possibly toward internships, apprenticeships, or direct employment after high school.

The Texas Education Agency says the welding program of study includes hand-welding and flame-cutting skills, along with secondary Level 1 coursework. TEA describes career and technical education as preparation for high-wage, in-demand, high-skill occupations. That lines up with the district’s broader CTE message, which has included San Diego ISD teachers and staff representing the district at the Career and Technical Association of Texas in San Antonio to grow, recruit and prepare students for life after high school.

The labor-market case is strong, too. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $51,000 for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in May 2024, with about 45,600 openings projected each year from 2024 to 2034. A Jim Wells County workforce planning document also points to regional gaps in skilled trades, underscoring why a program like this can carry weight far beyond the classroom.

For families in San Diego and across Jim Wells County, the message is clear: welding is being presented as a real pathway, one that starts early, stays local and can lead to credentials with value in the workforce.