Q: What’s your biggest challenge right now, and how are you working through it?
“Figuring out what my next steps are going to be. IBEW offers so many pathways — industrial, commercial, tenant buildout, deck work, transformers, PLCs (programmable logic controllers). You can become an inspector or a supervising electrician. My biggest challenge is figuring out that pathway. But I have instructors at school who will drop whatever they’re doing to answer my questions. You can see them in the hallway and say, ‘Hey, I got a quick question,’ and they’ll say, ‘Walk and talk.’ And then you’ll still get an email or a call afterward that goes even deeper.”
Q: What’s a typical day at O’Hare?
“I meet my crew in Bensenville and hop into what we call the ‘church bus’ — a 15-passenger van — and drive into the airport through the secure side. From there, we get our assignments. Right now, I’m doing deck work for the expansion of Terminals 2, 3, and 5. If the ironworkers are outside, we’re outside — even if it’s below 20 degrees, you’re out there.
“As brutal as the cold is, I see it as pushing myself to a new limit. Working out and your whole crew is out there with you — we’re all cold together, we’re all working together. I love that aspect of it. Plus, I’m off early enough to pick up my kids and skip rush hour. And getting paid top dollar to do it! It’s truly a blessing.
“One of the coolest stories I have about working at O’Hare is when the baggage claim area in Terminal 3 had reopened, and I went in to admire the vanity light fixtures that I installed all by myself, and one of the custodian workers told the women in the restroom that I was the one who installed the lights! That was such a proud moment for me, I had to go home and tell my family!”
Q: What’s the most rewarding project you’ve worked on?
“Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm. I was there for two years — I entered as a trainee, got into the apprenticeship three months later, and returned to that same job site. I saw it from demo to completion. I have pictures of fixtures and bathrooms I completed. I did the layout with my foreman. I carried blueprints from the shop to the site as a trainee, and eventually watched those drafts become a real building.
“A lot of people don’t get that experience. Now I do the same thing my colleagues do — driving through downtown Chicago, pointing at buildings: ‘I worked in that building.’”
Q: How has being a Black woman shaped your experience in the trades?
“From an economic standpoint, it’s been great. Going through the apprenticeship, you don’t have to worry about your white male counterpart being paid more than you. If I’m a third-year and he’s a third-year, we have the same skill set — we make the same wage. Black women, on average, make less than almost every other group, so having that even playing field matters to me.”
Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in the trades?
“Don’t be afraid. You only have one life. With the trades, you can provide for your family without student debt — and I see it as a pathway to generational wealth. I’m in a trade where I can do side jobs. Even if something like a pandemic happens, you still have specialized skills that not a lot of people want to mess with. People will build a wall or lay tile, but when it comes to electrical, nobody wants to get it wrong. Those skills make the possibilities endless.
“Be involved in your union. I just got back from Seattle for the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus — being around tradeswomen from across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, everyone with a story that brought them to the trades — it was invigorating. There is always a space for you at the table.
“And be a mentor. I’m currently mentoring five Women Build Illinois graduates. It doesn’t have to be only about career advice — it’s about the sisterhood. Having that support system is everything.”
