Journeyman Electrician
I’m willing to learn. I work hard. I take pride in my work. I don’t like to cut corners.
JOURNEYMAN ELECTRIAN
I think maybe because I’m a female, I can give a different perspective and let the girls out there know that there are women in the trades.
I remember one of my sister’s friends was over, and she had broke up with her husband. Everything was horrible. She didn’t make enough money. And he couldn’t fix anything or do anything. I remember listening to this and thinking that she was so sad and she had nowhere to go. She was just like, “If he’s gone, I’m done.” And I thought—never—never! I thought, well, why can’t she fix it and do it and pay for it…get a job. I thought, I will never let my life get to where my happiness depends on somebody else. And I never did.
I guess I was pretty independent always. If I got a flat tire, I wouldn’t even think to call someone else to come and change it. I went out and learned how to change it. If something broke around the house, instead of calling somebody and asking them, I’d take it apart and take a look and try. I ruined a lot of things that way, but I learned a lot.
I’ve got a positive attitude, I’m not afraid to try something, I’m willing to learn. I work hard. I take pride in my work. I don’t like to cut corners. I like to know when I’ve walked away from a job that if somebody walks there after I’m done, and looks at it, and knows I did it, I’d be proud.
Kids don’t like to tell you, “Hey, I’m proud of you.” But my son told me that. He has come to work with me on the “Take your child to work” day. And he came back after going to school after all the kids had gone to work that day with their parents and he goes, “Mom, do you know you’re the only one who works for a living?” I was like, “Wow!” He goes, “Yah, the rest like drove around, sat in offices, had meetings.” He goes, “You’re the only one who really worked.”