Macomb Early College alumnus discovers welding, sparks path to Wayne State
Friday, June 27, 2025 12:00 AM
With his eyes on the future and a welder’s torch in hand, William (Billy) Scheinpflug is ready to shape the world one spark at a time.
After finishing Macomb’s Early College program, Billy, 19, is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Welding and Metallurgical Engineering Technology at Wayne State University.
His journey began at Roseville High School, where he enrolled in the Early College of Macomb program. This program enables high school students to take college-level courses and earn an associate degree while fulfilling their high school requirements.
For Billy, that meant spending his junior and senior years balancing English, chemistry, and other core classes with college coursework at Macomb. He earned his associate degree one year after finishing Roseville at no cost.
“It’s a really beneficial program,” he said. “I got to start ahead of everyone else. I was able to take college-level classes and get all my high school stuff finished up.”
Finding a spark in welding
Billy’s Early College classes started with general education and soon after, he took his first welding course. That’s when he discovered his passion. “I knew that’s where I wanted to be,” he said.
Encouraged by Macomb’s faculty, who recognized his interest in working with metals, Billy dove into the college’s welding labs, where he learned the fundamentals of the trade. “They call it arcs and sparks,’” he said with a grin. “That’s what got me hooked.”
Building a foundation at Macomb
Billy credits Macomb with giving him a rock-solid foundation. “Macomb teaches you how to weld with your hands and it really gives you the foundation you need,” he said. “That’s important because when you go to Wayne’s program, you learn to weld with your mind.”
At Wayne State, Billy is exploring the science behind the weld, he said. He’s learning complex issues such as residual stress, internal forces, metallurgy and much more. “It’s a unique kind of knowledge,” he said. “Not a lot of people get to learn what we do.”
Looking ahead
Billy’s goal is to enter the welding field right away to gain hands-on experience while he learns. He hopes to find a job that lets him do a little bit of everything, from welding to metallurgy. “I don’t like doing the same thing over and over again,” he said. “I want to be involved in all aspects.”
If you’re interested in welding at Macomb, please visit our welding program webpage.
After finishing Macomb’s Early College program, Billy, 19, is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Welding and Metallurgical Engineering Technology at Wayne State University.
His journey began at Roseville High School, where he enrolled in the Early College of Macomb program. This program enables high school students to take college-level courses and earn an associate degree while fulfilling their high school requirements.
For Billy, that meant spending his junior and senior years balancing English, chemistry, and other core classes with college coursework at Macomb. He earned his associate degree one year after finishing Roseville at no cost.
“It’s a really beneficial program,” he said. “I got to start ahead of everyone else. I was able to take college-level classes and get all my high school stuff finished up.”
Finding a spark in welding
Billy’s Early College classes started with general education and soon after, he took his first welding course. That’s when he discovered his passion. “I knew that’s where I wanted to be,” he said.
Encouraged by Macomb’s faculty, who recognized his interest in working with metals, Billy dove into the college’s welding labs, where he learned the fundamentals of the trade. “They call it arcs and sparks,’” he said with a grin. “That’s what got me hooked.”
Building a foundation at Macomb
Billy credits Macomb with giving him a rock-solid foundation. “Macomb teaches you how to weld with your hands and it really gives you the foundation you need,” he said. “That’s important because when you go to Wayne’s program, you learn to weld with your mind.”
At Wayne State, Billy is exploring the science behind the weld, he said. He’s learning complex issues such as residual stress, internal forces, metallurgy and much more. “It’s a unique kind of knowledge,” he said. “Not a lot of people get to learn what we do.”
Looking ahead
Billy’s goal is to enter the welding field right away to gain hands-on experience while he learns. He hopes to find a job that lets him do a little bit of everything, from welding to metallurgy. “I don’t like doing the same thing over and over again,” he said. “I want to be involved in all aspects.”
If you’re interested in welding at Macomb, please visit our welding program webpage.