Keila Schmitz

"I was looking for a sustainable income in an industry that was projected to grow, and I’d heard that demand for HVAC technicians was on the rise and thought it would be a good gig to get into while demand was high. I had a friend in the program so I went out on a limb and got into the predominantly-male program myself, knowing very little about HVAC beforehand. It was definitely an experience, but one full of learning, laughing and making a lot of memories. It turned out to be a blast.

My whole class plus the teacher were males and, at the business where I interned, there was one woman in the fabrication shop. My advice to other women in fields dominated by men is to just have confidence in yourself. I had a great experience with this program, but I also want to give a huge shout-out to having some amazing guys in my class as well as an awesome teacher. As long as you prove that you can work hard, you will get the respect you deserve."