"The IBEW has always been a part of my life, with my father a member of Local 98 in Philadelphia, so I knew lots of members growing up. They were like my family, showing up for all my important life events, including my high school and college graduations and my wedding.

But before joining the IBEW myself, I was a C-suite executive doing asset management for a developer. I attended undergrad at Boston University and received my master's degree from New York University. I had an excellent career path ahead of me.

When I was an asset manager, I looked to find contractors who were minorities or women, and I wasn't successful in finding them. My dad suggested that I become a contractor, but he added that a contractor without the work ability was worthless. I kept that idea in the back of my head, but my income at the time was pretty high and I didn't want to backtrack to intro-level work.

I eventually became a mother and stayed home for my son's first couple of years. My dad, who completed his apprenticeship when I was 2 years old, saw this opportunity and said to me, 'Right now you make $0 per hour — why not try the apprenticeship?' I applied, tested and graduated as apprentice of the year in 2020.

I came into the IBEW with experience on the client side of construction but without hands-on experience as an electrician. As I developed these new skills, I tried to evaluate who the high performers were on any job and adopted a perspective of 'I don't know the process yet, but I want to know.' This outlook has been successful for me, and I now bring a unique viewpoint to electrical contracting work having managed the entire construction project timeline.

The IBEW has given me the training I need to be an asset to the biggest companies in the world. Within its leadership channels, I have learned how to navigate contract language, run official meetings and do effective outreach. Marrying my previous experience with asset management to my current work as an IBEW electrician has allowed me to use my theoretical knowledge to create real-world infrastructure, which many people cannot claim.

I am passionate about expanding women's roles in all sectors of construction, and being an active IBEW member demonstrates how it can be accomplished. As president of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus in Atlanta, I join my fellow members in giving back to our community and encourage pathways to leadership through Local 613's apprenticeship programs.

The IBEW has opened up so many avenues for my career, but it also gives me the intangible benefits of my son having a mother who is a tradesperson. Having a skill set that ensures equitable employment and benefits as a single mother has been transformative for me."