The First Day

I stepped into the shop lecture room, and heads turned to stare at me. I took a seat in the front row, and dug around in my backpack for a pen and my notebook. I tried to look intent on what I was doing as people filed in, but I couldn't help but notice that most of the guys already knew each other. Not only was I the only female, I also didn't know a soul.

Teach came out and told us that class was going to be short that night. He didn't want to go over anything important until he knew who was going to add the class and who would drop. He gave us our list of materials we would need to get (gloves, an arc helmet, vice grips, slag hammer, etc.), and told us that we needed to wear 100% cotton, long sleeves, boots and safety glasses at all times, no matter what.

One of the advanced students looked down at my feet under the table, from where he sat on the counter across from me. I was wearing low-top Converse All Stars. "You have boots?" he asked. Um, hello, I was a teenager in the 90's, all we wore were boots. "Yes I do." He looked at me skeptically.

Teach gave us a rundown of the program, telling us how long it had been around and a general overview of the things we would learn.

He told us that welding jobs in the county were scarce, but if we were willing to work outside of the county, we were sure to get a job. Thank god, I do NOT want to stay here. They were currently working with one of the plants locally to put together an internship program for us, to help us get job skills and hopefully a job. The advanced student who asked about my boots looked at me and said "And they will take women too, they don't descriminate." Well good.

Afterwards, Teach came around and asked everyone their names so he could mark us off the role sheet. "And you must be," his eyes scanned the roster, "Wendy," he marked me off. He seemed to vaguely remember me. "Ever done any welding before?"

"None."

"Didn't take it in high school?"

"We didn't have it in high school."

"Where did you go to school?" I told him that I wasn't from around here, and we got into a discussion about the school budget and how shop classes were closing right and left in high schools. Not wanting to date myself, I didn't mention that I was in high school twelve years ago!

I went home anxious for the following week. I was ready to learn, ready for my new skills, and ready to kick butt.