MONTAGUE — When Nicole Miller was a student at Franklin County Technical School, she was one of only two female students in a male-dominated academic field. Now, as a school teacher, Miller helps connect girls with women working in the industry.
Freshmen met with a panel of women Friday morning at an event called “Women Tradesmen of Tomorrow” at the Jaduke Performing Arts Center. Miller, one of the organizers, explained that this annual event helps female students imagine how they can fit into a male-dominated field.
“We want to let them know that if you choose to follow a male-dominated path, there are many women who will support you,” Miller said.
Despite working in a predominantly male environment, Danielle Marcoux, a manufacturing and engineering technician, loves her job and says she has never had a negative experience as one of the few women in the industry. told the students.
“I hope you guys find that field and don’t let the fact that you’re a young girl stop you because you see a lot of guys around you,” Marcoux said.
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture student Alison George led the panel discussion. She said she remembers attending this event as a freshman and appreciated the opportunity to imagine different opportunities for herself.
“It was very eye-opening to see all the people just like me,” George said in an interview. “I’m happy to meet everyone and get to know who I was a few years ago and who I am now.”
After listening to 16 different female workers discuss their career paths, students had the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from the speakers.
Lily Thompson, a graduate of Franklin Institute of Technology, said she was grateful to be able to return to school and talk to female students about the opportunities available in the industry.
“That’s one of the great things about having ninth-graders experience all the possibilities that exist in the world,” Thompson said. “The money is great. It’s changed the way we think about being in the industry. We’re more inclusive and there’s a thriving network of women across the industry in Western Massachusetts who are supporting each other.”
