AWS-Supported Mikala Sposito Makes History and Wins Bronze at WorldSkills 2026 which were sharing this story because we love finding stories about young people who discover something they enjoy and then work hard to see where that interest can take them.
Mikala Sposito’s story caught our attention because she discovered welding when she was just 10 years old. More than a decade later, she represented the United States at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 and came home with a bronze medal — while also making history as the first female welding competitor to represent the United States at WorldSkills.
We also think this is an important story for parents, grandparents, educators, and young people because it highlights something we don’t always talk about enough: skilled trades can open doors to incredible opportunities. A child doesn’t always know what they want to do when they grow up. Sometimes they need the opportunity to try something new before they discover what they are passionate about.
The information in this article comes from a press release from the American Welding Society (AWS) dated October 2, 2026. AWS supported Mikala Sposito as part of its work preparing U.S. welding competitors for WorldSkills. The organization provides qualifying competitions, technical training, coaching, and competition preparation for competitors representing the United States. We are sharing the information provided by AWS and have kept the details of their announcement while adding our own introduction and thoughts at the end.
AWS-Supported Mikala Sposito Makes History and Wins Bronze at WorldSkills 2026
Sposito is both the first female welding competitor to represent the USA at the Olympics of Skilled Trades, and now she’s also a medalist.
Miami, FL, October 2, 2026: The American Welding Society (AWS) congratulates Mikala Sposito on earning a bronze medal in welding at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, where she became the first female welding competitor to represent the United States in WorldSkills history — as well as its first female welding medalist.
AWS has supported Sposito as part of its role in preparing U.S. welding competitors for WorldSkills, also known as “the Olympics of the Skilled Trades.” Through qualifying competitions, technical training, coaching and competition preparation, AWS helps competitors build the skills and experience needed to represent the United States on the international stage.
“Mikala’s historic achievement at WorldSkills represents far more than earning a bronze medal – it represents what can happen when talent is discovered, potential is nurtured, and opportunity is matched with sheer determination,” stated Carey Chen, AWS CEO and Executive Director. “We are incredibly proud of Mikala and truly honored to have supported her journey. Her success story sends a powerful message to young people everywhere: there is a place for you in welding or other valuable skilled trades, and hard work creates amazing opportunities.”
For Sposito, the journey began at age 10, when she first discovered welding on the Careers in Welding Mobile Experience during a local Maker Faire. That early introduction sparked an interest that would eventually lead her to Washtenaw Community College (WCC), national SkillsUSA competitions and, after more than two years of increasingly intense competition and preparation, the WorldSkills stage.
Sposito earned her place on Team USA at the USA Weld Trials in Huntsville, Alabama, in March 2026, finishing first among three finalists. Benjamin Cornaby of Utah State University Eastern placed second, while CJ Parks of West Side Greers Ferry in Arkansas placed third.
The three finalists had advanced through earlier AWS selection events that tested their precision, safety, technical execution and craftsmanship while completing complex, multi-process welding tasks under strict time limits.
From there, Sposito began an intensive seven-month preparation schedule that included international competitions and training in Australia, Canada and China, along with countless hours in the WCC welding lab.
“Working alongside America’s rising WorldSkills competitors is an experience that is difficult to capture in words,” said Ray Connolly, WorldSkills Chief Expert, Welding, and 1999 WorldSkills Gold Medalist. “Their exceptional drive, unwavering work ethic, technical skill, and mental resilience set them apart, qualities rarely seen outside the demanding world of WorldSkills preparedness.”
For coaches and instructors, there is nothing more rewarding than watching months of preparation transform into performance. At every event, these young professionals demonstrate the focus, discipline, and determination required to compete at the WorldSkills level. Seeing their hard work pay off is not only inspiring, but a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when talent is matched with commitment.
Mikala was surrounded by a team made up of the AWS WSCC (AWS WorldSkills Competition Committee) and her team at WCC (Washtenaw Community College), a driven group of dedicated mentors, coaches, and peers who continually encouraged her to keep the podium in her sights.
The AWS WSCC team’s commitment and shared belief in her potential, combined with her own perseverance, created an environment built for success. Being part of that journey was a true honor, and a testament to the extraordinary spirit of the WorldSkills community.
Sposito was coached throughout her journey by WCC welding instructor Alex Pazkowski, who knows firsthand what it takes to reach the WorldSkills podium.
Pazkowski represented the United States and WCC at the 2013 WorldSkills Competition in Leipzig, Germany, where he earned a silver medal.
Thirteen years later, he coached his student to the podium in Shanghai. The connection at WCC runs even deeper. Welding instructors Glenn Kay and Brad Clink also represented the United States at WorldSkills, competing in 1997 and 2011, respectively.
Together, they bring decades of WorldSkills experience into the WCC welding program — and helped prepare Sposito for her own place on the international stage.
More than a decade after Mikala Sposito first tried welding, she stood with a bronze medal around her neck on the WorldSkills podium in Shanghai.
Her journey from that first spark of interest to the international stage is a powerful reminder of what can happen when young people get the opportunity to discover what they can do — and then have the support, training and determination to take it as far as they can.
This is the part of the story that really stayed with us.: Mikala was 10 years old when she first discovered welding. Nobody could have known that one experience would eventually lead to Team USA, an international competition in Shanghai, and a bronze medal. That is why we believe it is so important to let children try things. They may surprise us.
A child who loves taking things apart may discover engineering. A child who enjoys working with their hands may discover construction or welding. A child who loves computers may discover technology. Another child may find their passion in cooking, photography, automotive work, healthcare, or one of the countless other skilled careers available today.
We don’t have to decide their future for them. Sometimes we just need to give them opportunities to discover it. Mikala’s story also reminds us that there are people behind every accomplishment — instructors, coaches, mentors, family members, classmates, and organizations that recognize potential and help young people develop it.
So congratulations to Mikala Sposito on her historic WorldSkills bronze medal. And congratulations to everyone who helped her get there. A little opportunity at age 10 turned into a place on the international stage. That’s a pretty amazing Greatful Moment.
GreatfulMoments.com
Greatful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
