March is Women in the Trades Month, and Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES is recognizing the skills and achievements of the young women enrolled in our Career & Technical Education programs.
Each Monday throughout the month, we’ll highlight a group of young women from each of our CTE centers!
Hobbies, Relatives Draw Female Students to Welding Program
Monday, March 10
This past fall, Lilly Carlson walked into the Welding/Metal Fabrication program at the LoGuidice Educational Center, expecting to see maybe one or two other girls in her junior class. After all, she thought, most welders seem to be men.
Instead, Carlson was surprised to learn she was one of eight young women enrolled in the Career & Technical Education program.
“I think it shows you that, really, anybody can do this work,” the Silver Creek student said of welding.
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES is recognizing Women in the Trades Month by highlighting students at each of its CTE centers.
At LoGuidice, Carlson is joined by Madison Hall of Forestville, Mackenzie Lee and Michaela Lee of Lake Shore, Nadya Lebron and Evie Morrison of Brocton, Paige Perry of Dunkirk, and Lillian Teeter of Westfield.
“All these awesome girls are working hard and doing a great job,” Welding instructor Kevin Valentine said. “Just like a lot of things in this industry, it’s about leading by example. These girls are certainly leading the way in what they’re doing here.”
Carlson said she was drawn to welding by a relative in a similar trade.
“My uncle is a really successful construction worker,” she said. “He suggested this program to me because I like things that are hands-on and because I like math.”
Sisters Mackenzie and Michaela Lee were influenced by their father to get into welding. Both remember him working on vehicles in their garage when they were kids.
“Our dad would always weld his truck around me and my sister,” Michaela Lee said. “We really started to get interested in it by that point.”
Added Mackenzie Lee: “Our dad did this kind of thing for a long time, so we’ve always been around it.”
Mackenzie, who is considering a career as a diesel mechanic, believes more girls should get into the welding industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, just under 6% of welders in 2023 were female.
“I think more girls should consider this field,” she said. “It doesn’t need to be male-dominated. Girls can do it, too.”
Michaela Lee said she is looking into becoming a pipeline welder after high school.
Madison Hall has been around welding for years. Often taking part in demolition derbies where she enjoys “smashing up cars,” Hall said the trade skill has become more like a necessary hobby.
“Without it, you basically can’t have a car,” she said. “Everything surrounding derbies sort of revolves around welding, from safety to the different parts that make the car run.”
Like Hall, Nadya Lebron was no stranger to welding when she enrolled in the program.
“I have a couple of family members who were into welding, and I became interested in it just by watching them throughout my childhood,” Lebron said. “I realized that it was interesting and something cool that I wanted to do.”
Lebron has come to view her classmates as family. She, too, was surprised to find several other girls in the Welding/Metal Fabrication program when she arrived at LoGuidice this fall.
After high school, she plans to continue her education at a trade school to “gain more knowledge and practice welding before getting into the trade.”
Paige Perry is also considering a career in welding. Her childhood provided the groundwork for the trade, ultimately leading her to E2CCB.
“When I was younger, my father would teach me how to weld,” she said. “You can really make some cool things through welding.”
Lillian Teeter, who noted that she enjoys working with her hands, was drawn to the program after watching a presentation on welding earlier in her high school career.
She believes more women should consider getting into the welding trade.
“I think it’s important to have more representation and to show that we can do something that is considered male-dominated,” Teeter said.
Evie Morrison was first introduced to the profession by her grandfather, who did a bit of welding as a truck driver and farmer. This past summer, she was taught the trade while at her cousin’s farm.
“I had already been looking at welding, so it solidified the deal,” Morrison said of her summer experience drawing her to E2CCB. “I love the program and my teachers. They really make it fun.”
Juniors Inspired To Enroll In Culinary Arts Program At Carrier
Monday, March 17
A little home cooking can go a long way. Just ask Sophie Wickmark, Delanie Kelley, and Audriana Travis, three juniors enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at the Carrier Educational Center.
All three girls cite relatives for inspiring them to get into Career & Technical Education and are already excelling in the classroom.
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES is recognizing Women in the Trades Month by highlighting students at each of its CTE centers.
“My whole family likes to cook and bake things, so I figured if I joined this program, I could be as good as them and maybe become even better,” said Wickmark, a junior at Silver Creek Central School. “Cooking has really become a family thing at home. We’ve also created our own little family right here in this classroom.”
Wickmark said the Culinary Arts program at Carrier has already had a profound impact on her future goals. She plans to attend Niagara Falls Culinary Institute at SUNY Niagara.
“I love everything about it here. It’s like my second family,” she said. “I’ve already had a lot of great experiences here.”
Delanie Kelley, a junior at Lake Shore Central School, already had a passion for cooking and baking when she arrived at Carrier this past fall. She said her mom helped instill that passion at home.
Kelley said the Culinary Arts program, under the guidance of instructor Sandy Kaleta, has already taught her proper knife-cutting skills and the importance of teamwork and following directions.
“It’s really helped me learn how things need to be in the right place and how to be prepared,” she said. “I’ve also learned about the different types of equipment and how to use them properly.”
Kelley believes more women should consider a career in Culinary Arts.
“I think it’s essential we show that girls can do these kinds of jobs,” she said. “This kind of field, and other trade skills, doesn’t have to be dominated one way or the other.”
Upon graduation, Kelley plans to further her education in culinary arts. She wants to focus on baking and possibly open her own bakery one day.
“I think BOCES has really helped me with my education,” she said. “It’s helping me figure out what I might want to do, and it’s helping me figure out that I actually do want to go to college.”
Like her classmates, Travis didn’t have to look far for inspiration when choosing a CTE program.
“I was very interested in Culinary Arts from the beginning,” the Lake Shore student said. “My mom does a lot of baking and everything. A couple of my friends also enrolled, so I decided that I would try it out.”
Travis said the program has taught her the importance of teamwork, a necessary tool when working in the skills trade. She’s also learned how to communicate better with others.
“Working as a team is very important,” she said. “If you’re not talking with your peers, you can accidentally mess things up. Also, when you work as a team, everything goes by faster and things become more efficient.”
At present, Travis is eyeing a career as an electrician.
“I definitely feel like we need more women in that industry,” she said. “I could also see myself doing more in culinary as well on the side.”
