by Breanna Willeford

Sophomore year is my first year of Construction class and so far I like it. I gained some experience in construction/carpentry from my father and learned how to use power tools when I was young. I wondered what guys may be thinking about a girl in a Construction class so I interviewed a student at Williston High School named Anthony Eymann, and also a graduate student named William Barnett from Gainesville, Texas who is currently working in the oilfield in Williston, North Dakota. I asked these two what stereotypes they often heard as well as their opinions on women working in construction.

Anthony’s opinion on women working in the construction/carpentry business is that “it is a good thing women are able to work in these jobs because these businesses could use different opinions and ideas from the women that work there.” He mentioned he hadn’t heard any stereotypes about the topic.

William Barnett took shop classes in high school that included young women and he said many of them worked just as much as the young men did.  Barnett grew up listening to stereotypes that were made against women being in the oilfields and construction because they can be seen as a distraction or “just didn’t work hard enough” or “didn’t know what they were talking about” when it came to a man’s job. Mr. Barnett doesn’t have much of a strong opinion about it but he said: “Women could get the job done just as much as the men could; it’s pretty equal on both ends.”

As the only girl in a construction class and in a position of a foreman, I don’t feel like I’m treated differently or feel like because I’m a girl I can’t do it. I enjoy that class a lot and we all manage to have fun but also get things done. I plan to do other shop classes in high school and possibly move on to more construction experiences after graduation.