“Say nothing, Prove everything.”– Unknown
At first, Christy didn’t tell anyone. Not her family, not her friends, not even the people closest to her. When she entered welding school and eventually joined Ironworkers Local 75, she kept the decision to herself, carrying both the excitement and uncertainty alone.
Highlights from Christy’s Story:
Christy is a 29-year-old apprentice ironworker working in Arizona. Nearly two and a half years into her apprenticeship, she confidently climbs steel, installs grating, bolts structural components into place, and helps complete the structural details that keep these facilities moving toward completion.
Growing up, Christy didn’t envision a future in the trades, she shared that “I didn’t have goals at that time and I didn’t know what I wanted to do.” Although both her father and brother worked as ironworkers, she knew little about the profession. In fact, she didn’t even learn her father had been an ironworker until after she had already joined the union herself.
Her path into construction began after a knee injury forced her to slow down and reevaluate her future. Christy shares it also changed another path she thought about, “I was trying to get into the military at that time, but once I got injured, I just knew that was a red flag that that’s not going to happen.” During recovery, she found herself coming across a video of a female welder online. Something about it resonated, “I wanted to be independent, to be financially okay and I wanted to do something for myself.” she shares. That moment of inspiration led her into making some personal sacrifices in order to better herself. Christy started a seven-month welding program where she entered an unfamiliar world with no prior experience. Every few weeks brought new tests, new challenges, and new opportunities to question whether she belonged. Like many women entering male-dominated industries, Christy carried some doubt at first, but that didn’t stop her.Christy shares that confidence wasn’t something she arrived with, it was something she built time and time again by choosing to succeed doing difficult things no matter what anyone says or believes.
The ironworking trade can be physically demanding, mentally exhausting, and unforgiving to those who lack confidence. Walking iron for the first time was intimidating and being one of the only women on the jobsite brought its own pressures. Christy often felt like people were watching, waiting to see whether she would succeed or fail. Despite those feelings, every day she returned, she learned and every day she proved something to herself.
Then Christy, who once questioned if she belonged, began noticing something different, tasks that once made her unsure, became routine. Instructions and details started making more and more sense, and problems became easier to solve. Christy shared that one day, after completing work independently, she stopped and realized something had changed. “…I noticed that I did it on my own and I didn’t need any help.” she shared. That moment marked more than a successful day at work, it also marked the beginning of believing in herself in her trade. Now she is helping newer apprentices learn things, solidifying that she has the knowledge and capability as she continues to learn. “My foreman started to see my confidence.” She says, when she was being asked to complete tasks she needed little direction.
Currently, Christy is performing detail work that ranges from installing channels and grating to create pathways for other trades. From her current project to those that she had been on in the past, she shared that she experienced one of her favorite milestones in construction: watching a structure rise from the ground and achieve topping out, when the final structural beam is set into place. For Christy, ironworking isn’t just about steel, it’s about seeing the progress in construction. It’s about knowing that
something exists because a team showed up every day and worked hard to build it together. She shared that instead of being sidelined, several co-workers also saw she had it in her to succeed. Christy shares that when some of her coworkers would call her over: “…come on get up here, you are going to learn…” and hearing them say “You do belong here.” really boosted her confidence. She doesn’t stop there, she says “Once you prove yourself and keep proving it, again, and again…” showing that skill and knowledge continues to grow as long as you keep showing up.
She shares that over time, she discovered something in the trades she wasn’t really expecting at first: support. While she initially heard plenty about the “brotherhood” within the trades, it was relationships with other women that really helped reshape her experience. Through connections with women like Rachel, Letty, and Angie, Christy began to see what genuine encouragement and mentorship could look like in the industry. Those relationships reminded her she didn’t have to navigate the industry alone and just as importantly, they reminded her she didn’t have to become someone else to succeed. “I like to be myself. I like to be feminine. I like to be a woman.” It’s a message she now shares openly with other women entering construction. Rather than blending in, Christy embraces who she is, whether it’s painting her tools pink, keeping her positive attitude, or simply showing up as her authentic self, she believes women don’t need to sacrifice their identity to earn respect. “Don’t let the world change you.” That perspective has become one of her greatest strengths.
Goals/Achievements:
Recently, Christy was featured in a magazine publication (Move Over Bob) that is distributed to several schools and students. The magazine showcases women in various trades and construction roles and Christy had a section that highlighted her as an ironworker. For someone who once doubted whether she belonged in the trades at all, the recognition was both humbling and meaningful. “Never in my life did I ever think I would see myself in a magazine like that.” More importantly, she hopes her story reaches someone who needs to hear it – the quiet student sitting in the back of the classroom, the young woman searching for direction, or the future apprentice wondering whether she belongs, because Christy understands that feeling better than most. Christy shares that for those new to the trades or considering joining, “Your work ethic speaks for yourself, and it opens doors for you.” Reinforcing that the respect is not handed to you, it is earned.
Often in the early mornings before work, she takes a moment to look toward the sky before sunrise. It’s a habit that she roots in gratitude, perspective, and faith. A reminder that every challenge, setback, and success has helped shape the person she is becoming. For Christy, ironworking became far more than a career, it’s something that she can prove to herself that she can achieve anything she sets out to do, one day, one lesson, and one beam at a time.
You can Follow or Connect with Christy at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweet.tyytyy_/