Cameren Moran has been a welding instructor at LB for the last 10 years. After graduating from the college’s welding program in 2010, he worked as a full-time welder fabricator and eventually began teaching part-time at LB before accepting a full-time position.
Moran grew up in Albany and graduated from South Albany High School. He currently lives in Philomath with his wife, Alicia Moran, an elementary school teacher, and their four boys ages
9, 7, almost 3, and 1 years old.
What made you want to teach?
The possibility of changing people’s lives. When I started teaching, I worked with a lot of older people. There weren’t a lot of young people in the program because they were being pushed towards a four-year degree, so I was helping older people make a good wage and a good living – changing their lives for the better.
What do you like about teaching?
I like seeing the progress from beginning to end. Just seeing someone who has no experience, or just a little from high school classes, and seeing how fast they develop their skills. And the knowledge base they have when they finish their first year and into their second year is amazing. I also like the personal aspect of it. Having communication with so many different people and developing relationships with people you’d never meet otherwise. People want to be better than they thought they could; they strive for the best.
What’s the hardest part of teaching?
I would say the hardest part is teaching somebody who has already welded, because they have ways they think are correct and trying to correct those is difficult.
What made you want to get into welding?
I didn’t actually want to be a welder, I wanted to be a game warden. I was taking classes at LB to become a wildlife game warden.
At that time, in order to apply to be a game warden you had to have been an Oregon state trooper for seven years. Because of this I didn’t want to pursue that path anymore and I decided to do something I knew I was good at already. I took welding all four years of high school – I’ve been welding since 2004 – and I was actually working as a welder part-time while I was taking classes at LB. So, I switched to the welding program and it worked out really well for me.
I still get to do stuff with police officers sometimes. I trained the Linn County SWAT team how to use cutting processes to expedite how fast they could get through locks and chain link fences quietly.
What made you get into welding in high school?
My dad was a machinist [when I was] growing up. His knowledge of the metal trades and knowing that if I welded, then between the two of us we could build anything together, was always the thought in the back of my mind.
What do you love about welding?
I like the science behind it and the knowledge that goes into choosing the right type of weld you need to do. Also, when you’re welding you’re just by yourself and you’re just focused on what you’re doing, rather than everything around you. It’s like your own little zen spot. Your thought process quiets down a lot and you have a very specific focus.
What is the hardest part of welding?
Probably understanding the effects that you’re making to the metal. You have to understand that what you’re changing inside has effects on the longevity of the part that you’re building. It’s hard work.
Why do you think welding is a good career?
I think welding is a good career because you have a huge amount of growth potential. You may start out as a welder, but there’s potential that you can work your way up [to being] a foreman or weld inspector. You always have an opportunity in the future.
Do you have any other roles at LB?
I am the co-chair of the welding department and I am the president of the faculty association. Advisor for the welding program. I also serve on various committees.
What are your duties as president of the faculty association?
It’s really an interesting role. My main goal and philosophy is to make sure that all of our association is communicated with and understands what is happening within our association and with the school as a whole. I sit on almost all the committees within the association so I help give insight to decisions that need to be made.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Most of my time is spent with my family. Primarily with my oldest two sons doing sports and coaching them; I coach their soccer, baseball and basketball teams. With the younger two, I just try to keep them out of trouble as much as possible. During the summer we enjoy camping and being outside. We spend a lot of time in the backyard – we’re kind of homebodies to be completely honest.
What is something interesting about yourself?
I partially paid my way through college by playing music. I played the drums in multiple bands in my college career. I played country music, jazz and rock and roll.
How did you get started in music?
My dad was a musician. He played the drums and he taught me how to play, then I played with the band in high school.
Do you still play?
Not very often now, and when I do it’s just for fun with the kids. They just like playing with musical stuff and they ask me to play with them, so we pretend to be a band and we make up songs just for fun. In the future I’d like to play music again, but it’s a pretty big time commitment.
Do you have any other hobbies?
Hiking, riding bikes, and hunting. I also do small welding jobs and fabrication on my own time. I also like doing home improvement projects and stuff like that. We’re fixing up our house because it was built in the ’60s, so the usual homeowner stuff.
Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
I’ve been a certified weld inspector for nine years. Becoming a weld inspector is a big accomplishment. You have to take a two-week course in Ohio, and then after a study period you have to pass a six-hour test that involves fundamental knowledge of welding, understanding how to read a code book, and applying that knowledge to scenarios, as well as deciphering information in code books.
Do you have any advice for future welders?
I would say just try it. Either with somebody that can safely show you how to do it, or take an introductory class where all that is expected of you is to try as hard as you can and see if you like it or not.
If you’re interested in getting more information about the welding program, you can contact Cameren Moran at moranc@linnbenton.edu.
