In Their Voices
To better understand the impact of our programs, we are grateful to those who are willing to share their experiences.
Juliette, Seattle Mentorship Program for BIPOC Tradeswomen
“When you’re out there on the job, you don’t see many other females and if there are one or two, sometimes the guys try to make you accountable for other women’s bad behavior, you know, if they show up late or don’t want to do the tough jobs. That’s why I appreciated this program; I wanted to meet other females in the trades. I could learn from my mentors and have someone to call who’s been through it. Sometimes I felt like I was the only one facing difficult job situations and talking to others let me know I was not the only one. I felt less alone. I like to work hard — do the hard things that sort of kick the guys’ butts (laugh) — and I found others like me who love the work. So many of us connected, I feel like there are women I’ve met I will hang out with for the rest of my life!”
Rona, Seattle Mentorship Program for BIPOC Tradeswomen
“What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to meet women from different trades and find out more about their work. Learning from others is so helpful! I was inspired by the women I met and what they were doing. I got to know about the possibilities and that enabled me to be recruited. I got laid off at one place but was able to be hired elsewhere because I knew what was out there. Because I knew more about things, trainings and the like, I was able to move from flagging (which I loved!) to being a forklift driver. The women who inspired me made such a difference for me, I want to do that for others too so some us mentees started our own mentoring group to give back.”
Tetre’anna, Seattle Mentorship Program for BIPOC Tradeswomen
“It was nice to build community with other women and have their positive influences. I met not only carpenters like me, but operators, electricians, and laborers. On my job site, I’m one of three women. The other two are in different trades and we don’t get to interact very often. And they look nothing like me, so I appreciated being able to sit down with my peers and talk with other women who were experiencing things like I did, not only as a woman but as a woman of color. I got advice on what we constantly deal with on the job site and overall, I liked the camaraderie of the group. The program helped me make lifelong connections and I’m appreciative of that.”
