When Alexia Morgan graduated from high school, she was told the same thing many students hear: choose a path. College or career. Degree or skilled trade.
Alexia never saw it that way. Instead of choosing one opportunity, she chose both.
Today, Alexia is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology online while working full-time as a welder after graduating from Butler Tech’s Industrial Welding program.
“I was stuck between college or welding,” Alexia said. She realized with night classes she can do both.
That decision required determination, planning, and financial support. One of the key factors that made it possible was a scholarship through the Mike Rowe Works Foundation.
“My dad sent me the Mike Rowe scholarship video and said, ‘You need to apply.’”
Alexia spent months working through the application process. “There’s a lot to it and I was scared that I wasn’t going to get it because it’s national.”
After completing the requirements, she learned she had been selected. “I got it and I was really excited,” she said. “I didn’t know how much it was for, but then it paid for over half of my tuition.” The scholarship removed a financial barrier and allowed her to begin training immediately.
The scholarship did more than help pay tuition. It reinforced a mindset Alexia already lived by: do the hard things, keep moving forward, and give every opportunity your best effort. That philosophy closely aligns with Mike Rowe Works Foundation SWEAT Pledge, a commitment to accountability, perseverance, and doing difficult work well. That mindset is evident throughout Alexia’s journey.
Before entering the welding field, she worked as a skills coach with Project Life in Eaton, a program she helped launch in high school. As she explored career options after graduation, she discovered Butler Tech’s Welding program and realized she didn’t have to choose between her interests. She moved her college courses online and chose night classes at Butler Tech.
“I did also look at other programs, but this was more affordable, and in the right time that I needed it to be able to do it right away,” she said. “I didn’t want to wait.”
That decision quickly opened doors. Today, Alexia works for a company that builds structures for data centers. She secured the position after encouragement from Butler Tech instructors and the skills she developed in the welding lab. “I think my instructors have been great because when I’ve needed help with something, that’s who I know i can go to.”
She credits their encouragement with helping her pursue opportunities she might have otherwise passed up.
“Damon pushed me to start applying online.”
That push paid off. Alexia was among the first students in her class to secure a welding job and later encouraged several classmates to apply as well.
Before even graduating from Butler Tech’s Industrial Welding program, Alexia was earning nearly triple what she made in her previous role.
“I was able to get a welding job because I was able to come here,” Alexia said. “And now I can actually pay for my second semester pretty much out of pocket.”
Like many students entering a new industry, Alexia initially questioned whether she could handle the demands of the job. “My first week of actual working, I was like oh my gosh, am I gonna be able to do this?” Working ten-hour shifts in the field was different from welding in a classroom setting, but her confidence grew quickly. After a week on the job, she realized she could do it.
What started as a welding certification quickly became something bigger. The experience helped Alexia discover confidence she didn’t know she had.
“I think something that I’ve overcome is not necessarily a skill exactly, but not being confident in myself. I was scared to go apply places, but now I’m like, ‘Oh, I can do anything. Put me up to any task. I can do it. I’ll give it a shot.’”
Welding hasn’t replaced Alexia’s future goals—it has expanded them. While building a successful career in the skilled trades, she continues working toward a psychology degree with plans to eventually pursue a career in first responder counseling or a related field.
“Right now, I want to weld as long as I can because it makes decent money,” she said. Beyond the achievement of a larger paycheck, it’s the confidence she has gained along the way that stands out most as she takes every opportunity in front of her.
“Getting a full-time job while in college and in welding school—that kind of says who I am,” Alexia said. “I’m still a straight-A student in college. I have to do good. That’s my mindset. I have to push for being my best self.”
Alexia’s journey is a reminder that technical education isn’t about choosing a single path—it’s about creating new possibilities. Instead of choosing between college and a career, she pursued both. In doing so, she discovered a future far more expansive than she ever imagined.