Aims Community College celebrates two members of its welding community who have been honored by the American Welding Society (AWS) for achievements in the field.
Aims Faculty Member and Alumnus Recognized by American Welding Society
September 16, 2025
Aims Welding Instructor Cody Jones is guiding a student on welding simulator technology.
AWS recently recognized Aims Welding Professor Cody Jones and Aims alumnus Connor Schwartz as top people in the profession. Every year, the American Welding Society honors members who have made significant contributions to the world of welding at the national, district and section levels. Later this fall, AWS will officially present the awards.
Welding Educator of the Year Award
Cody Jones received the American Welding Society District 20 Educator of the Year Award for 2025–26. District 20 includes six states, including Colorado. He has been an AWS member for nearly 20 years and previously received the Educator of the Year Award for the Colorado Section in 2022.
Cody Jones instructs students in the Aims welding fabrication lab.
“I am humbled, thrilled, and honored that I’ve been able to touch enough lives to hopefully have a positive impact,” Jones said. “If I can mentor students and give them direction in their life, where maybe they didn’t have any direction before, that’s the absolute best thing I could ever hope for.”
Jones has been a welding instructor at Aims since 2017 and became the department chair in 2020. He often found himself in mentorship roles in welding shops before becoming an instructor. Jones has a passion for teaching and guiding the next generation of welders. “If I could just help one or two people and help this industry continue to support our communities, that's all I want.”
Colorado Welding Inspector of the Year Award
Connor Schwartz on a job site.
One of Jones’ former students, Connor Schwartz, is already impacting the regional welding community. AWS’s Colorado Section, covering the state’s northern region, named Schwartz the Welding Inspector of the Year. He graduated with an associate degree in welding from Aims in 2022.
Schwartz works as a shop foreman at Industrial Constructors Managers (ICM) in Commerce City. He has been with the company since 2021, while still a student at Aims. Over the years, Schwartz rose through the ranks at the organization. One of the things he attributes to jump-starting his career is attaining the Certified Welding Inspector credential through the AWS earlier this year. “That gave me the extra boost I needed,” he said.
For Schwartz, success in welding has come from his determination to keep growing and improving. “I think the main thing is just attitude. It doesn’t matter how much you know, it’s just how much you’re willing to learn.”
Study Welding at Aims
The recognition of faculty and alumni demonstrates that Aims’ welding program prepares students for high-demand careers. Aims provides students with hands-on training in state-of-the-art labs and industry-standard equipment at the Greeley and Fort Lupton campuses. Guided by experienced instructors, students gain technical skills, problem-solving, safety awareness and teamwork abilities essential to success in the field.
“Welding is an industry that's not geographically limited and touches everything in our lives, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the schools that we learn in. It really has a far-reaching ripple effect,” Jones said.
Learn more about the program at Aims at aims.co/welding.
