The Griffon News

She stands balancing two jobs, one as a full-time student and the other as a bluecollar worker. Freshman Darah Winslow works at Atchison Casting, where she is the only female in her job description as an arc air torch operator.

Winslow found her job through the Staffing Center, where she filled out an application and then was called to do a group interview. There were seven men and Winslow at the interview.

“I was the first one they picked and hired out of the seven guys,” Winslow said.

After being employed and in college for only two months, Winslow is learning to juggle her 46 hours per week at Atchison Casting while taking 13 credit hours.

She met freshman Tyler Schildknecht randomly in the Eder hall, where she found out they both attended the same high school. Schildknecht and Winslow both took a metal working class at Central High School.

Winslow did a lot of metal art but wanted to move to the next level, which is welding. She attended Hillyard’s for two years to get her training in welding.“I was the only girl to graduate from my class in the welding shop,” Winslow said.

Winslow learned various types of welding such as stick welding, MIG welding, TIG welding, plasma cutting, cutting torch, filler-rod welding, track torch and the arc air torch.

Schildknecht found it very interesting that Winslow took her skills from that class and now has a job welding. He said that welding is a job that won’t disappear easily. He finds it is cool that Winslow has her college career along with her blue-collar job.

“That’s insane,” Schildknecht said. “Being a full-time student is hard enough. Then having a full-time job on top of that leaves no room for sleep. She is stronger than I am; I couldn’t do it.”

Winslow said that she does have to sacrifice a lot, like sleep and a social life. She also wanted to join a sorority but wouldn’t have the time. Whenever she finds free time, Winslow likes to hang out with her friends, go shopping and get on her computer so she can check her facebook.

Not only is she a welder but also a creative writer. Winslow is planning to major in English.

“I want to teach English to people in Europe,” Winslow said.

Prairie Lands Writing Project had a poetry reading, where Winslow won sixth place. She also met Bill Church, instructor in English at the program. She ended up becoming a student in his English class.

Church recalls Winslow telling him she had to miss class because of her interview with Atchison Casting. He thought it interesting that she is working full time and going to school full time.

“She is really entering a full-time profession while being a full time student,” Church said.

Church finds it interesting that Winslow is a female welder and a poet. Like Schildknecht, Church wonders how she keeps up with school and work.

“I definitely want to do other things like write a book about my experiences doing things that other females don’t do,” Winslow said.