ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) More women are stepping into male dominated roles. Many female students at Rock Hill’s Applied Technology Center, better known as ATC, are taking more of an interest in those roles. Many saying they feel empowered to fulfill lifelong career goals.
These students are breaking gender barriers and exploring male dominated careers.
Mandy Wolff, Rock Hill School District’s Work Based Learning Coordinator, says, “The students have a great attitude about breaking through those barriers of women getting in the roles of traditionally male dominated careers. We give them opportunities to go out and shadow or intern or even apprentice with companies. There are a lot of manufacturing companies that offer apprenticeships. So, we try to get them out in these companies to do real world experiences.”
South Carolina has set a goal of 17% of students, men and women, taking on non-traditional roles. Here in Rock Hill School District, they’ve already hit 9% of students breaking those barriers.
Mechanical Design student, Lillian Brooks says, “I don’t feel like anybody should be judged on anything except the basis of their work, especially before you have a chance to see anything about that person.”
These female students interested in mechanical design, emergency services and welding say females can do anything males can – saying gender shouldn’t stop anyone from pursuing their dreams.
Emergency Service student, Rebecca Aguilar, says, “I thought it was just fun and interesting because I want to be in the medical field when I’m older, I want to be a nurse practitioner so this is definitely going to help me getting experience helping people and stuff like that.”
Inspired by her fathers welding career, one student says welding keeps her creative and she hopes to keep what she says is a dying profession alive.
Welding student, Isabella Granados, says, “Over the years we kinda are loosing welders and we’re looking for a lot of them, especially girls. It’s just kind of explaining to show that women can do things men can, and not be stuck — being judged by sitting at a desk or in doing housework or something.”
ATC leaders say they’ll continue encouraging students to take on new roles.
“The majority of the girls that go into them do very, very well and have a bright careers so, on Twitter I always #GirlsCanDoItToo And we encourage the girls to try it,” says Wolff.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with a few of those female students about how they’re breaking new barriers.
