Page 17 - Q4_2022 Rosendin Corporate Newsletter

MY JOURNEY TO NOW into the guts of the NEJATC school. Pointing to perfectly
I earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy at the age
of 19. Not wanting to go straight to graduate school to
focus on ethics in the abstract, I decided to move to a
fully income-sharing commune in rural Virginia. For two
years, I helped cultivate food and maintain buildings and
vehicles on those 400-plus acres shared by 100 people.
It was here that I discovered my love for the craft trades.
Still, by the age of 21, I was ready to set off on my own
again. I worked as an educator for the next several years,
receiving a master's degree in education while teaching
English in Shanghai, China. Next, I pursued another
master's degree in social science research in Taipei,
Taiwan, focused on environmental standards in the island's
heavy industry. My background in English language arts
led me to edit for professors, graduate students and
eventually the now-defunct China Post newspaper.
But after five years of wandering, living the
expatriate life in Asia plus several months in
central Europe, I felt determined to find a home
where I could potentially make a difference.
Moreover, years spent hitting the books and
toiling away behind computers soon took
their toll on my spiritual well-being and my
physical health. I longed to realign my
work life, moral convictions, and a sense
of community, like what I experienced
on the commune. By 2021, I was ready
to return to a more active lifestyle.
JOINING AN APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAM
Thankfully, I discovered the Music
City Construction Careers (MC3) pre-
apprenticeship program while emerging
from the coronavirus lockdown. Mingling
with representatives from several union
trades, I realized how the culture of
trade union solidarity could potentially
be that missing link, my gateway to
integrating my values and my work.
I was not completely sold on walking the
electrician’s path, however, until I met
the president of local 429, Kim Sansom.
She was teaching a class for the MC3
program, and she happened to ask me
what trade I was considering. I told her
about sheet metal work, because of the
intricate designs and unique aesthetic
beauty of architectural sheet metal.
After I mentioned this, she led me and
some other students through a door
laid out lines of shiny electrical conduit, she described
the skill and craftsmanship involved in pulling off these
carefully wrought electrical designs—designs that
would power the very heart of the building and enable
the learning that happens within its walls. I was sold.
Moreover, living in the US and seeing the work needed
to improve our infrastructure, I realize the centrality of
the electrical trade. Power generation and distribution
is central to our mission to limit greenhouse gas
emissions and transition to ecologically regenerative
systems. Even training as an inside wireman, my
chosen field contains keys to understanding and
innovating what makes our homes livable, our economy
moving, and our fingertips able to access the wealth
of human knowledge with the stroke of a finger.
Now as an apprentice with local 429, I work each day
to build a LEED Gold-certified data center, powered by
100% renewable energy and using 80% less water
than a typical data center. My fellow workers
vary widely in age and experience level; I work
with teenagers fresh out of high school and
with Vietnam veterans nearing retirement.
When it comes to the younger workers around me,
I am confident that the future of construction will
be in the hands of a competent generation
of craftspeople less bogged down by the
machismo stereotypes that burdened our
elders. Now workers discuss things like
mental health issues and work-life balance
concerns. You are no longer expected
to suck it up and grit your teeth rather
than ask for help when you need it.
My more seasoned male colleagues have
also warmly welcomed me on site. A few
have told me they are not used to working
beside women, but I have found it relatively
easy and rewarding to earn their respect by
working smart and working hard. My supervisors
offer patient instruction and advice, making
me much more confident with the tools of
my trade—from wire strippers and hydraulic
pipe benders to forklifts and flatbed trucks.
Now as I embark on the latest stage of my
journey, I am inspired by tradeswomen like
Kim Sansom who paved the way. Perhaps
one day I also will become a mentor
to a new generation of craftswomen.
Together we can build a more ecologically
flourishing world and a healthier, more
inclusive construction industry. n
Samantha Sprole is a first-year apprentice electrician who is studying at the
Nashville Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NEJATC).
THE FEEDER | 17