Meet Elsa Cody – New Welding Instructor
Elsa Cody’s path to Pine Technical & Community College (PTCC) was anything but direct. After moving to California with her husband, Dan, in 2010, Elsa, Dan and their daughter returned to Minnesota in 2017 to help her father with his property.
She worked a variety of jobs, including a brief stint as an Anoka County 911 dispatcher, before landing at Dowco Marine in 2018. When the company relocated and Elsa was laid off, she found an unexpected opportunity through Minnesota’s dislocated workers program: a chance to return to school.
Unsure of her next step, Elsa took her husband’s advice to explore welding. “He said I was artistic and mechanically inclined,” she recalls. “Working with my hands felt like the right fit.”
Elsa enrolled in PTCC’s Welding Technology program in 2020, beginning with an introductory course while the main program was full. At the time, welding classes were still housed in a trailer, but Elsa quickly found her passion. She graduated with High Honors in 2021.
After graduation, Elsa gained hands-on experience at several manufacturers, developing skills in aluminum, TIG, and MIG welding. She became the first recipient of Premier Marine’s Top Torch Award. She also learned laser cutting and press brake setup. Eventually, she came back to Pine City, where she accepted a position as a PTCC Welding Instructor.
Now in her first semester teaching, Elsa works alongside fellow instructor Dylan to guide about 20 students through the program. She values PTCC’s small class sizes and supportive atmosphere, describing the college as a close-knit community that feels like family.
For Elsa, welding is both a craft and a creative outlet. She hopes to build a small welding shop at home where she can create sculptures—an idea inspired by her grandfather, who passed away in 2021 at age 102.
Today, students in PTCC’s Welding Technology program benefit from learning in a brand-new, state-of-the-art welding lab that provides hands-on training with industry-standard equipment and multiple welding processes. The two-year Associate of Applied Science degree prepares graduates for high-demand careers in manufacturing, fabrication, and skilled trades, with opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications and gain the practical experience employers are seeking.