Rafael Tijero began his career at Corey Delta in May 1991. He had very little construction-related experience and somewhat limited understanding of the English language, but he had a willingness to work hard in order to overcome those obstacles. His first job classification was Laborer and, for the next several years, Rafael worked himself up into higher classifications by specializing in mechanical work. In February 1998, he joined the evening welding class offered by Corey Delta. Rafael passed the stick structural welding certification test in November 1999.

The two years it took him to complete the test may seem like a long time, but like most of us there were other things going on in his life. His wife was going to school to become a nurse, he has two sons, and he had job assignments that were located far away from class. In addition to all that, he had absolutely no welding experience when he started taking the classes. When other people might have quit in frustration, Rafael just kept plugging away until he got it right. All welders know that when you learn to weld, you also learn patience. Rafael continued to take classes and his efforts paid off when he passed the six-inch carbon steel pipe test in April 2001. Now he is working on the food-grade fusion test and he will eventually work his way through all the certifications.

When asked what motivates him, Rafael stated, "If you want to get ahead you have to work hard. I have bettered myself by coming to class to learn something that will help me on the job." People who back up their words with an ongoing commitment tend to achieve success. Corey Delta is extremely proud of Rafael and his accomplishments.