Rylen Rae Enriquez Dives Into Her Passion for Welding

As a recent Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology graduate, she wants to further her commercial diving education this fall. This will lead her to a career in underwater welding. 

Becoming an underwater welder is a challenging career path combining skilled trades with the thrill of diving. It requires a high level of welding and commercial diving expertise, as professionals perform critical repairs and construction on everything from oil rigs to pipelines. This demanding job offers a high earning potential and the opportunity to work in diverse and often remote aquatic environments.

“If it wasn’t for Aims, I don’t think I would have found my passion today and the desire to continue my career.”

Finding Her Spark

At first, welding wasn’t part of her life plan as Rylen was interested in pursuing a business degree, but once she took part in the Aims virtual reality welding simulator, she found her calling. “I had tried welding in high school and I liked it, but I forgot how much I loved it until I walked into that booth again,” she says. “From that moment, I knew I wanted to do this.”

Rylen’s professional welding journey at Aims began at Severance High School, where she enrolled in Aims’ Career Academy, earning her first certification before graduating. The Career Academy offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credit and complete career and technical education training at no cost. “Career Academy was one of the best decisions I made,” she says. “It set me up financially and academically. I graduated high school with college credits, welding skills and a clear direction for my future.”

By graduating high school in 2024, Rylen had already completed half her associate degree. Accelerated by the credits she had already earned, she only required a year of classes to complete her degree. 

The hands-on learning environment in Aims welding shops helped Rylen gain the skills needed to weld using many different techniques used in the industry. She especially enjoyed the TIG (gas tungsten arc) welding course, drawn to the precision and clean finish of the process. One of her most demanding courses was the pipe welding class, since you often need to work in physically awkward positions, while striving for precision. “Welding taught me a completely new way of learning,” she said.  “I had to shift my mindset and embrace the challenge.” 

Her path wasn’t without challenges; just a month before finishing classes, she fractured her knee and couldn’t weld. Determined to continue, she worked with Aims welding faculty to complete her missed coursework during the summer semester, commuting to the Fort Lupton Campus to secure her degree quickly. This accommodation was just another way that Rylen found support with Aims faculty and staff.

Throughout her time at Aims, Rylen has built lasting relationships with faculty who champion her success. “The instructors at Aims make me excited to come to class. They genuinely care.”

Her welding instructor, Graham Bylsma, has been with her since day one, offering encouragement, checking in, and celebrating her growth. Graham has become a mentor in Rylen’s welding journey. “Graham has helped me wonders. He has not only helped me as a teacher but also as just a person. He’s always there. He’s always noticed if something’s wrong and it definitely gives you a feeling of importance.”

As Rylen enjoyed Graham as a teacher, he liked having her as his student. “Rylen has a strong work ethic and she's a fighter. She is predictable and dependable and it was a pleasure to teach her,” he said.  “Rylen is a great welder, but her integrity alone promises to take her far in the field of underwater welding."

Linda Richardson, an Aims staff member, always lights up when she sees Rylen and shares her accomplishments with others across campus. “Rylen is exciting to me, being a woman in welding and the goals she set for herself,” she said. “I like working with the welding students and seeing the next adventure they will have in their future”.

“They’ve both been incredible,” Rylen says. “Whether I’m having a tough day or celebrating a win, they’re there to support me. That’s what makes Aims feel like a community.”

One of Rylen’s biggest challenges is constructing a pressure vessel for her capstone course. Students must fabricate, fit up and weld a container to hold gases or liquids at a pressure. To pass the class, the vessel must successfully withstand at least 250 PSI (pounds per square inch) without leaks. This challenge requires precision cutting, beveling, MIG (gas metal arc), TIG and stick (shielded metal arc) welding. The project also required a deep understanding of welding physics. 

She’s also proud of a more informal repair: a broken kitchen pot. A former restaurant manager jokingly asked her to fix it. Rylen welded it back together and years later, it’s still being used in the kitchen. “It’s the little wins like that that remind me how far I’ve come,” she says.

Breaking Stereotypes, Building Confidence

As a woman in a male-dominated field, Rylen thrives on defying expectations.

“Only about five percent of welders are women,” she explains. “And even fewer go into underwater welding. People tell me, ‘You don’t look like a welder.’ But I use those moments as motivation to keep going and show what I can do.”

That mindset has already made an impact. Younger students in the Career Academy program have told Rylen that they pushed harder and got more excited about welding after seeing her lead by example. “Even in my Career Academy class, the next group of students was mostly female,” she said. “Some of them said they joined just for fun, but once they saw me working hard, they started pushing themselves more.”

This empowerment has not just inspired others, but has also fueled Rylen’s determination, fearlessness and hard work. “I’m proud to represent women in this trade,” she says. “If someone sees me and thinks, ‘Hey, maybe I could do that too,’ then I know I’ve done something meaningful.” 

For Rylen, learning welding hasn’t just been about techniques and tools. It’s been about growth, resilience, and discovering what she’s truly capable of.

“I used to be really hard on myself. Now, I look at what I create and realize it’s strong, it’s solid, and it could go straight out into the field. My time at Aims has taught me how to be more confident and how to be proud of the work I produce.” 

Jim Vernon, Aims Academic Dean of Business & Technology, observes that things in the industry are beginning to shift in the changing demographics of Aims students in the program. “We have a significantly higher ratio of women and students of color than the industry,” he said. “When I walk into our shop, it’s a diverse mix and it’s nice to see.”

Forging a Future Beneath the Surface

Now that Rylen is a skilled welder, she is looking for a new challenge in the industry. “I want to pursue underwater welding,” she said. “You’re only young once and it’s worth just trying out whatever I can.” 

Underwater welding is a highly specialized and well-compensated career despite the inherent risks, demanding work environment and specialized skills. “It’s dangerous work, but that’s part of the challenge,” Rylen said. “It’s intense and it keeps me learning every single day.”

This fall, Rylen will move to Seattle to begin a rigorous commercial diving certification program at the Divers Institute of Technology, where she’ll complete 13 certifications in seven months. She is especially looking forward to the fast-paced, hands-on environment of the commercial diving program. With her new technical skills in diving, equipment operation and safe welding underwater, Rylen will be matched with an employer once she completes her commercial diving certifications.

This will culminate in her ultimate goal, “I'd like to work on big oil rigs, in the middle of the ocean. There’s a little fear factor in it, but also that adrenaline push.”

With unwavering determination and a spirit of adventure, Rylen is diving headfirst into a career that challenges mind and body — proving that when passion meets purpose, even the ocean's depths are within reach.