Welding Sparks Passion in Alumnus Dantes Sivilla and Dreams of Outer Space
Growing up, Dantes Sivilla used to get low grades in school. Frankly, he was bored.
In fact, in 2008, a month before graduation, he dropped out of high school at Don
Bosco Technical Institute. Dantes would obtain a GED within a month. In a drastic
change in direction, he spent 10 years working as an actor, but was still unable to
find his passion. In summer 2017, Dantes enrolled at Cerritos College to take one
automotive class to learn how to fix his car and motorcycle. He had no intention of
taking any other classes.
During a short break from his evening automotive class, Dantes walked around campus
and noticed sparks coming from a welding lab. He was instantly captivated. A year
later, in the summer of 2018, Dantes visited the Welding Department to learn more
about the program and immediately enrolled. Ambitiously, Dante decided to pursue a
whopping four A.A. degrees in welding, including Arc Welding, Pipe Welding, Welding
Fabrication and Layout, and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding.
Dantes was a natural. He excelled in all his welding and academic classes, and received
the College’s Academic Excellence Award in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding for his outstanding
achievement in spring 2021. He credits David Perkins (welding), Julie Davis (history),
and other instructors for his success, citing the care and support they gave him along
his educational journey.
The pandemic put one of his four degrees (Pipe Welding) on hold, but Dantes earned
Associate Degrees in Arc Welding, Welding Fabrication and Layout, and Gas Tungsten
Arc Welding this year. He also secured a coveted welding position at SpaceX in Hawthorne.
He now works in its Orbital Tube Welding department, which is responsible for building
the lines that run through engines and other systems that carry various fluids crucial
to rocket operations.
“When I started taking welding classes at Cerritos College, I told myself that my
goal was to work in aerospace and have my welds and projects in space one day. I never
imagined that I would achieve that goal within a few years. That being said, my advice
to others would be to never be afraid to challenge yourself and set your goals high,
they might be more achievable than you think,” said Dantes.
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