Local Girls Learn About Nontraditional Career Choices
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Anna the Architect? Pam the Pilot? Cathy the Cop or Ellen the Electrician?
Tuesday, about 200 sophomore girls from seven area high schools learned about future careers they may not have otherwise thought were open to them. The sixth annual Nontraditional Employment for Women Workshop was held at the Center Lake Pavilion.[[In-content Ad]]During the workshop, students heard from keynote speaker Dottie L. Davis. After her presentation, the girls rotated around to different tables to hear five other career women from a choice of 31. Among the presenters were a pilot, air traffic controller, environmental scientist, truck driver, electrician and a meteorologist.
Davis is a 26-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Police Dept. In March 2003, she graduated from the National FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.
Since 1992, Davis has been a family violence trainer, and has trained thousands of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, advocates and judges throughout the nation. She's received numerous awards.
Davis told the students that while growing up, she thought she could only be a nurse, teacher or secretary because that's the idea she got from her parents.
But on Sept. 25, 1981, Davis was sworn in as an officer. Five other women had already joined the Fort Wayne agency. Today, Davis said, there are more than 50. But she didn't become a member of the FWPD as a token officer. She earned her way and graduated from the academy just like her male counterparts.
It wasn't easy along the way. Her first training officer told her on her first day to "just get in the car, don't touch anything and we'll get along."
Women have been involved in law enforcement since at least 1910, Davis said. During World War II, women served as police while the men were away at war. After the war and men returned to their jobs, women fought to get back their jobs. But, historically, women have been held to different standards than men.
Davis said education is extremely important in the criminal justice field, especially for women. Women have higher expectations placed on them, they are paid less than men in most careers, and previously couldn't carry a firearm and had to wear high heels and a skirt.
As a photo of three of her female friends from Fishers was shown on a screen, Davis said the women have broken every barrier there was. One is on the SWAT team. "Here's another stereotype," said Davis, "They're all feminine."
Davis said, "I have guys who tell me every day, 'you have lipstick on.' And I say, 'yeah, want some?'"
She told the girls to be true to themselves. It was when she wasn't true to herself, Davis said, that she almost lost her identity, job and life because she was involved in a relationship that made her forget who she was. And it changed her life, luckily for the better, she said. She learned that she didn't need another person to be who she was.
"He was all that and a bag of chips," Davis said. He was good looking, mannerly, fit, smelled good and had a nice car.
When she got involved with him, she was a dispatcher and he was a police officer. Right away, there was that disparity between them, and he tried to keep her down, she said. He laughed at the idea of Davis becoming an officer and told her she was too feminine. The more successful she became during their six years together, the more they fought. It became physical.
"Someone that you love should not put their hands on you in that fashion," Davis said.
He wanted to be with her constantly, choose her friends and paged her all the time. "All that happened because I lost sight of who I was," she said.
Luckily, she got out of the relationship and learned from it, she said. The higher up she goes, however, the more stereotypes she faces, she said.
"It's all about being sure of yourself," she said.
Wawasee student Keiandra Ferm said she thought Davis was pretty neat. She was inspired, she said.
"I thought it was really interesting that a person in a high-ranking position in a police department could be a woman," said Warsaw student Maggie White. "... I liked her realistic view on feminism and how much harder it is for a woman to get a job than a man."
Ferm said the workshop was a good idea. "I think it's good," she said. "It shows that we can do the same thing that men can do."
"I think it's a good experience because you get to learn about jobs you never thought girls could do," said Linzi Ousley, Tippecanoe Valley.
"It gives you more options to look at," said Jaclyn Stiffler, Valley.
After the round table discussions, the students got to try out different jobs. Toby Price, with Weigand Construction, showed girls how to caulk expansion joints. Michael Rosier and Russell White, Bricklayers Union Local 4, taught students how to lay bricks. Other "try-it" demonstrations included firefighting, carpentry, woodworking and meteorology.
Warsaw student Miriam Vogel said, "It was pretty nice. You get to try out new stuff and there was a lot of stuff I didn't know was interesting."
Anna the Architect? Pam the Pilot? Cathy the Cop or Ellen the Electrician?
Tuesday, about 200 sophomore girls from seven area high schools learned about future careers they may not have otherwise thought were open to them. The sixth annual Nontraditional Employment for Women Workshop was held at the Center Lake Pavilion.[[In-content Ad]]During the workshop, students heard from keynote speaker Dottie L. Davis. After her presentation, the girls rotated around to different tables to hear five other career women from a choice of 31. Among the presenters were a pilot, air traffic controller, environmental scientist, truck driver, electrician and a meteorologist.
Davis is a 26-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Police Dept. In March 2003, she graduated from the National FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.
Since 1992, Davis has been a family violence trainer, and has trained thousands of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, advocates and judges throughout the nation. She's received numerous awards.
Davis told the students that while growing up, she thought she could only be a nurse, teacher or secretary because that's the idea she got from her parents.
But on Sept. 25, 1981, Davis was sworn in as an officer. Five other women had already joined the Fort Wayne agency. Today, Davis said, there are more than 50. But she didn't become a member of the FWPD as a token officer. She earned her way and graduated from the academy just like her male counterparts.
It wasn't easy along the way. Her first training officer told her on her first day to "just get in the car, don't touch anything and we'll get along."
Women have been involved in law enforcement since at least 1910, Davis said. During World War II, women served as police while the men were away at war. After the war and men returned to their jobs, women fought to get back their jobs. But, historically, women have been held to different standards than men.
Davis said education is extremely important in the criminal justice field, especially for women. Women have higher expectations placed on them, they are paid less than men in most careers, and previously couldn't carry a firearm and had to wear high heels and a skirt.
As a photo of three of her female friends from Fishers was shown on a screen, Davis said the women have broken every barrier there was. One is on the SWAT team. "Here's another stereotype," said Davis, "They're all feminine."
Davis said, "I have guys who tell me every day, 'you have lipstick on.' And I say, 'yeah, want some?'"
She told the girls to be true to themselves. It was when she wasn't true to herself, Davis said, that she almost lost her identity, job and life because she was involved in a relationship that made her forget who she was. And it changed her life, luckily for the better, she said. She learned that she didn't need another person to be who she was.
"He was all that and a bag of chips," Davis said. He was good looking, mannerly, fit, smelled good and had a nice car.
When she got involved with him, she was a dispatcher and he was a police officer. Right away, there was that disparity between them, and he tried to keep her down, she said. He laughed at the idea of Davis becoming an officer and told her she was too feminine. The more successful she became during their six years together, the more they fought. It became physical.
"Someone that you love should not put their hands on you in that fashion," Davis said.
He wanted to be with her constantly, choose her friends and paged her all the time. "All that happened because I lost sight of who I was," she said.
Luckily, she got out of the relationship and learned from it, she said. The higher up she goes, however, the more stereotypes she faces, she said.
"It's all about being sure of yourself," she said.
Wawasee student Keiandra Ferm said she thought Davis was pretty neat. She was inspired, she said.
"I thought it was really interesting that a person in a high-ranking position in a police department could be a woman," said Warsaw student Maggie White. "... I liked her realistic view on feminism and how much harder it is for a woman to get a job than a man."
Ferm said the workshop was a good idea. "I think it's good," she said. "It shows that we can do the same thing that men can do."
"I think it's a good experience because you get to learn about jobs you never thought girls could do," said Linzi Ousley, Tippecanoe Valley.
"It gives you more options to look at," said Jaclyn Stiffler, Valley.
After the round table discussions, the students got to try out different jobs. Toby Price, with Weigand Construction, showed girls how to caulk expansion joints. Michael Rosier and Russell White, Bricklayers Union Local 4, taught students how to lay bricks. Other "try-it" demonstrations included firefighting, carpentry, woodworking and meteorology.
Warsaw student Miriam Vogel said, "It was pretty nice. You get to try out new stuff and there was a lot of stuff I didn't know was interesting."
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