A 2016 GRADUATE OF PAOLA HIGH SCHOOL HAS WON A NATIONAL COMPETITION. COLE ROGERS, A THIRD GENERATION PIPEFITTER, WON THE 2022 UNITED ASSOCIATION WELDING CHAMPIONSHIP IN AUGUST. HE WON THE DISTRICT TITLE IN MADISON, WISCONSIN AND ADVANCED TO THE NATIONAL EVENT IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
NATIONALS WAS FIVE DAYS OF PROJECTS. ROGERS SAYS THAT COMPETING IN THE EVENTS WAS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE, AND IT WAS ALL BUSINESS AND THE PRESSURE WAS INTENSE. HE COMES ROM A FAMILY OF PIPEFITTERS. HIS DAD, IVAN, A 1983 PAOLA GRADUATE, BECAME A PIPEFITTER IN 1985, HIS GRANDFATHER, HERBERT WORKED ON THE FUEL SYSTEM FOR APOLLO 11 FOR NASA THAT SENT NEIL ARMSTRONG, MICHAEL COLLINS AND BUZZ ALDRIN TO THE MOON IN 1969, AND HIS UNCLE LEO AND BROTHER CLAY ARE BOTH PIPEFITTERS.
HE IS A WELDING INSTRUCTOR AT PIPEFITTERS LOCAL NUMBER 533 IN KANSAS CITY AND SAYS IT FEELS STRANGE TO THINK THAT OUT OF OVER 57,000 APPRENTICES IN THE UNION, HE IS NUMBER ONE AT WELDING.
