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Working together in restaurants for about a decade, Nichols and Robarge felt it was time for a change. With ambitions of opening a shop together one day, the sisters enrolled in the Dunwoody Welding Department.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was researching new career paths and found Dunwoody\u2019s highly regarded welding program,\u201d Nichols said. \u201cIt was always cool seeing what our dad would make in the field of construction. I realized I had a passion to create too. So, I applied.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nichols will earn her degree in May. After seeing the work her sister was doing here at Dunwoody, Robarge followed. Robarge is on track to complete her degree in December.<\/p>\n
Both sisters enjoy hands-on work and have a history of working in hands-on careers with their father and independently. However, they have different goals within the industry moving forward<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a child I would take my dad\u2019s tools and build tree houses,\u201d Robarge said. \u201cI even hung drywall for five years, so it felt natural for me to go into welding. But what I really want to do is use welding in an artistic way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is my dream to work in art. But, I have kids and a house to support so it is not exactly easy,\u201d Robarge said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat people have to understand is welding is an art,\u201d Nichols added. \u201cBy having welding skills, that goal can become easier to meet for my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cFor me I am more straight forward with my welding goals,\u201d Nichols said. \u201cBut I do love to create.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nichols is currently working in the field at LeJeune Steel Company in Minneapolis. The company has completed landmark projects such as the steel work for U.S. Bank Stadium. She is proud of the work she has done and is currently working on the skeleton for the Las Vegas Raiders Stadium, a project that is being worked on locally in the Twin Cities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t been in school for 13 years,\u201d Nichols added. \u201cI came here determined to do well. I even got put on the Dean\u2019s List last semester!\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking forward, Nichols aims to start her capstone project creating a firepit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been 19 years since I went to school,\u201d Robarge said. \u201cWorking with instructors like Denise Bailey, Mark Schwendeman, and Ross Skattum helped tremendously.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur father instilled this in us,\u201d Nichols said. She continues the tradition of driving through Minneapolis, making personal connections with the skyline.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get to drive by U.S. Bank Stadium and say we made that.\u201d Nichols said. \u201cOverall, I don\u2019t know what makes me want to do what I do. But I know I love doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sisters Rene Nichols and Tonya Robarge have distinct memories of driving around downtown Minneapolis as their father pointed at all the skyscrapers he worked on. \u201cCreating is sort of ingrained in us,\u201d said Nichols, the youngest of the two. \u201cThe workshop in the garage was really significant,\u201d Robarge said. \u201cThe tools, the sawdust- that inspired […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4615,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[178],"tags":[266],"class_list":["post-4614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-news","tag-welding-technology"],"yoast_head":"\n