After deciding that traditional high school classes weren’t for him, Cody Dodrill chose to change his path and pursue a trade. Starting off in Maplewood’s masonry program, he soon transferred to welding, which he said completely changed his life.

With Mr. Palmer as his instructor, Cody was shown the path he needed to succeed. Almost 10 years later, Cody still returns to Maplewood to meet with Mr. Palmer, who became his mentor and helped Cody not only learn welding, but also valuable life lessons. What Cody was able to learn at Maplewood directly correlates with how he started his career in welding.

“I was lightyears ahead of other welders when I entered the workforce,” said Cody. “The company I worked for ended up paying for me to go to CWI (certified welding inspector) school because I was so much further advanced. When I took my CWI test, I felt like the things I learned at Maplewood put me further ahead in terms of welding knowledge.”

Now, Cody is a successful CWI and pipeline integrity technician for Capital Ultrasonics in Mobile, Alabama. He is now doing something he loves, while making a lucrative income.

“Maplewood really prepared me for my career,” said Cody. “They saw me not just as another student, but as an individual. The teachers all had my back and gave me the support that I needed.”