CLTCC Welding Director Awarded National Scholarship CLTCC and Louisiana College Alumnus Seeking MBA

Alexandria, La., June 1, 2020 — From 1974 to 1976, Don Sanders was a welding student at what was then known as the Alexandria Trade School. Now the Director of Welding Technology for Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC), Sanders is returning to the classroom as a student seeking an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.

Sanders was named the recipient of the 2020-2021 William Kielhorn Educator Scholarship, a national scholarship from the American Welding Society Foundation designed to assist current welding educators improve their knowledge and training skills through continuing education or professional development.

“He (Kielhorn) was a welding education professor in Texas,” Sanders said. “He had a real solid work ethic. He died in 2012 and he taught his last class from a bed in the ICU. After reading that, I feel honored and humbled to be chosen for this scholarship.”

That passion for teaching students is something Sanders shares with Kielhorn. “My goal is to first of all improve myself as a teacher. I want to be able to make an impact on the welding students I am over,” he said. “And, even though I am 62, I still want to keep myself marketable in the workforce. I’m trying to improve my education and be an example.”

Ray Peters, formerly with RoyOMartin in Alexandria, is MBA Director at Nicholls. “I’ve known Don for several years,” Peters said. “We both participated in the Manufacturer’s Council in Alexandria. Don shared with us that he had received this AWS scholarship to assist with the payment of his tuition. He was understandably excited. We are as well.”

Peters said Sanders will be part of the 11th Executive MBA cohort at Nicholls. He will be one of 13 individuals from around the state working to earn the MBA, and one of two from Central Louisiana.