Mikala Sposito wins first WorldSkills welding medal for a woman
Mikala Sposito became the first woman to win a medal in welding at WorldSkills, earning bronze at the WorldSkills 2026 Shanghai competition in September in China. Washtenaw Community College (WCC) celebrated the 21-year-old student and Dexter High School graduate on Oct. 29, with family, educators, industry leaders and supporters attending. Before the event, she gave welding demonstrations in the WCC lab.
WorldSkills brings together young professionals to compete in dozens of technical disciplines. Welding competitors had to prepare, cut and join steel, aluminum and stainless steel plates and pipes, using different methods and working in multiple positions.
Sposito said the tasks tested creativity, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and the ability to brainstorm solutions. She also recalled a strong sense of “camaraderie and connection” among competitors.
Her interest in welding began when she was 10 years old and saw the American Welding Society (AWS) mobile welding trailer display at the Henry Ford Museum. The same trailer attended the WCC celebration, along with one of its designers, Alex Pazkowski. He is now her WCC faculty coach and a previous WorldSkills medalist.
Sposito thanked Dexter High School and the South & West Washtenaw Consortium, where she began developing her welding skills. “I’m grateful that Dexter is part of the consortium (South & West Washtenaw Consortium),” she said. She credited her teachers and coaches with helping shape her path.
Sposito plans to continue her education toward a bachelor’s degree and may then become a teacher and mentor to others.
Source: Celebrating Mikala Sposito’s Historic Achievement on the World Stage - The Sun Times News (thesuntimesnews.com). Spotted via Sun Times News Washtenaw.
Written by the HappyGood desk from the primary source linked above and checked against it. Every story links its source. Corrections: [email protected].
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