“I know I’ll have to start out working for a big company like Ingalls, but I eventually want to work for myself,” he said. “That’s really where my dreams are pushing me right now. I like the idea of being my own boss.”
From a military family, Bramlett was born and partially raised in Alaska. South Mississippi is a big change in climate for him. “Yes, it is a lot hotter here. Even the winters here are mostly hotter than summers there. And I am making myself even hotter by choosing welding as my career.”
He said he has been a blacksmith for many years and decided he needed to make money doing what he liked. “I make things for friends and family, but that was not earning me a living. Welding, which is much like smithing, is a way to earn while I continue to do something I really like. What can I say? I like playing with fire.”
In his spare time, he still likes to make a variety of items for people. “I make knives, decorative railings, and things of that sort,” he said. “It’s a hobby, and I certainly enjoy doing it.”
As for the Welding Technology program, he said he is thrilled to be a part of it.
“We have a great instructor who is always helping us better ourselves in the classroom and out,” he said. “He worked in the industry for a long time and knows what we need to learn to get good jobs. I’m glad to be here.”