After countless hours in the welding booth and more failed attempts than she could count, junior Bri Jensen finally laid down the weld that changed everything.
This year, Jensen became the first female welder from Bryan High School to qualify for the state competition, a milestone earned through persistence, precision, and relentless practice.
“Leading up to that week, I was practicing and practicing and practicing,” Bri said. “I was working my butt off and trying so hard to consistently do one good weld. I was practicing, and I just could not get it right.”
As she pushed through the frustration, Bri leaned on the fundamentals she had been taught in the shop.
“I remembered all the tips Mr. Lehde had given me—keep your angle nice and don’t move too much so it looks inconsistent,” Bri said. “But you have to move enough so it isn’t built up in blobs or looks like a dotted line.”
When the moment of inspection finally arrived, all of her practice came down to a single weld.
“I got up to the table, and the guy looked at it and said, ‘You pass,’” Bri said. “I let out a huge breath and said, ‘Oh my gosh, thank you so much.’ I got into the other line where they record whether you passed or failed. I was smiling so big and so excited because it looked like the best one I had ever done. I felt confirmed that this is something I was supposed to be doing.”
In the rush of qualifying for State, Bri did not immediately realize the full significance of what she had accomplished.
“I didn’t know I was the first female welder to qualify until the email went out,” Bri said. “I think Mr. Lehde sent an email that said, ‘Congrats to Britton Jensen. She’s the first female welder,’ and I was like, ‘Really—the first?’”
This realization prompted Bri to reflect on her experiences as a young woman in a field traditionally dominated by men.
“It’s been challenging, but here it’s more welcoming than I think most places usually are,” Bri said. “Mr. Lehde and a lot of the guys are friendly and nice. I’ve never had to worry about being made fun of for being a girl. I’ve never been discriminated against in our program, which is really nice.”
Beyond the program’s overall support, Bri has found strength in the small community of girls working alongside her.
“It’s nice to have that kinship of being a girl in a field of men,” Bri said. “They’re 100% the most supportive people. If one of us is having a bad day, the others will clock it and ask, ‘Are you okay? Do you need a second? Do you need to talk? Do you need to beat the crap out of a piece of metal until you feel okay again?’”
That sense of support is something Bri hopes other girls will remember if they are hesitant to step into a male-dominated field.
“You’re going to have really bad days where you want to go cry in the bathroom, and that is okay,” Bri said. “Go cry in the bathroom, then get back in the booth and do it again. You’re not going to get better if you don’t practice. Even if it’s terrible when you practice, you’re going to get better eventually, but you won’t if you stop trying.”
That determination is something her welding instructor, Christopher Lehde, sees every day in the shop.
“She asks, ‘What can I do better? How do I make the best weld possible? What can I do to help?’” Lehde said. “Always asking and willing to lend a hand. She comes in without being told what to do. She goes and just starts working. So it’s a very good work ethic, and I think that you don’t see a lot in kids these days.”
As Bri prepares to compete at the state level, Lehde said his advice is simple.
“Keep doing great, keep being you,” Lehde said. “We have full confidence that she’s going to go in there and dominate. I’m excited to see what she’s gonna do.”
