For most working in the male-dominated profession, beautification essentials would likely never be pondered as a safety precaution. But for three new female welders in training at Southwest Colorado Community College, they\u2019re not only mindful of the cosmetic elements they adorn, but they also recognize they are a minority.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have to work extra hard to prove ourselves,\u201d said Jenevieve Guill. \u201cWe\u2019re stepping into a complete unknown world, and we\u2019re going to have to work harder to excel.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 44-year-old mother to four daughters, Guill is fresh out of a 24-year career as a certified nurses assistant without any experience in metal work. She admits extra caressing and charm were required to convince her husband of the career move. His greatest concern was for her safety, she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been fascinated about how things come together, and I\u2019ve always wanted to do something completely out of the box,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Earning $20 per hour in the health-care industry, the potential to triple her paycheck as a welder helped ease any doubts, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to frame my first check stub,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n
Guill enrolled in SWCC\u2019s associate of applied science in welding technology program in August. On the first day of class, she was elated to see that both Kami Fitzgerald and Marian Yazzie would be her classmates. The three women fashioned an immediate connection emotionally, and look forward to forming literal metal bonds throughout their training.<\/p>\n
\u201cManipulating metal is pretty awesome,\u201d said Fitzgerald. \u201cIt\u2019s just cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a tattoo of Rosie the Riveter on her arm, Fitzgerald has always admired the women of World War II who volunteered to stand up against tyranny by working to build the country\u2019s warplanes, tanks and battle ships. She recently lost a close friend who worked as a riveter during the war, who shared some great advice, Fitzgerald said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what you want to be,\u201d said the 33-year-old. \u201cPut your mind to it, and give it 100 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the women cannot wear a dress to class, Fitzgerald said she could still wear one when she\u2019s not welding. And the threat of dirt under her fingernails or grime smeared on her face, neither are a factor, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all comes off in the wash,\u201d she said, giggling. \u201cI still clean up real nice. I can still look like a sexy girl if I need to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before enrolling in the welding program, 50-year-old Yazzie said numerous people told her she was too old to compete in a male-dominated industry. She didn\u2019t let their doubts stop her. She\u2019s using the two-year welding program as a stepping-stone. Her ultimate dream is to become an engineer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted a new challenge,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to prove that it doesn\u2019t matter how old you are. You can do anything you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 20 men in her class do not intimidate Yazzie, and she works hard to stay in shape for the manual labor aspect of welding. She believes her women\u2019s intuition will even give her a leg up; citing women have more patience and dedication. With three decades of experience in the field, SWCC faculty welding instructor Dave DeLozier agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my 30-year career, I\u2019ve only worked with one female welder, and with the more tedious welding I knew I could always count on her,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was a lot more dexterous with both her hands and her vision, and she was more attentive to detail. Those traits made her a great craftsman.\u201d<\/p>\n
At SWCC, students are taught four basic welding methods \u2014 stick, tig, mig and flux cored welding. There are some 180 advanced welding processes, such as friction and sonic welding, and students are introduced to some of those as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stress to the students, make every move count,\u201d DeLozier said. \u201cMake every weld like someone\u2019s life depends on it, because it may.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Guill, that life is hers, and the example she sets for her daughters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a huge responsibility,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I step onto a job site, and I\u2019m the only female, then I have to do a hell of a job. There could be female welders who follow me, and I don\u2019t want to mess it for them because I did poorly.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for her daughters, who ask why mommy is a welder instead of a nurse, Guill said her message was simple for them and other girls who might be dreaming of becoming a princess when they grow up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you build your castle yourself, you can guarantee that it\u2019s going to be sturdy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n