04/26/2026
✨Growing up as a Wabasha County, Minnesota 4-H'er, Sidney Leonard spent years watching her brothers and cousins build “rat rods” in their garage. Eventually, she decided to try it herself—learning to weld alongside her dad, a 4-H alumnus, and building her own rat rod truck for the Minnesota State Fair, where she earned the 4-H Award of Excellence.
That project sparked a career path. Using scholarships and money she earned from her state fair poultry project, Sidney attended the Missouri Welding Institute and graduated in February 2025.
Now at just 19, she’s a traveling professional pipe welder who has already worked in six states—and she’s paying it forward by supporting trade scholarships for future welders. 💚
