NEW Workshop Gives Girls Look At Alternative Careers
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
In a week, more than 180 sophomore girls from seven area high schools will gather at the Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw, for the annual Nontraditional Employment for Women Opportunities Workshop.
Schools represented Oct. 26 will include Fairfield, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee, West Noble and Whitko high schools.
From 8:50 a.m. to 2 p.m., students will hear women in careers like police, trucking and engineering talk about how they got into their respective fields and what they do in their jobs.
The theme this year is "Spark Your Future - Blazing Hot Careers for Women".
This workshop is an opportunity for young women to see the possibilities for their future with a career that each may not have thought about or known was available to them. The purpose of the workshop is to expand the career possibilities for young women to consider and hopefully they will find one of interest to them.
After the five round-table discussions, the girls will be able to "try" activities related to the various fields presented at the workshop. In the past, those activities included laying bricks, woodworking and dog training.
Keynote speaker this year is Phyllis Malis. She is scheduled to speak at 9 a.m.
Malis is the first female welding instructor in Indiana.
Malis taught welding for 25 years at the Hammond Area Career Center. She retired from teaching in June.
She received her welding training at U.S. Steel, Gary Works, where she completed her three-year apprenticeship in 2-1/2 years.
While working at U.S. Steel, Malis started working on her teaching degree. She graduated with distinction from Purdue University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in industrial education. She then received her master's degree in industrial education from Indiana State University in 1988.
While at U.S. Steel, Gary Works, Malis became the first woman, after World War II, to become an A-Rate welder. She also became the first woman welding teacher in Indiana when she was hired by School City of Hammond.
During her teaching career in Hammond, she taught high school students during the day and adults in the adult education department in the evening. She also taught welding at Ivy Tech.
Malis served as a department chairman and on many committees while working in Hammond.
Additionally, Malis was a swim coach at Hammond High School for 10 years. She taught American Red Cross swim lessons for 30 years.
Her professional memberships include Alpha Chi Honorary Society, Indiana Theta Chapter, Purdue University Association of Career and Technical Education and American Welding Society.
Awards include the Inland Ryerson Outstanding High School Teacher/Area Career Center in 1992, and the Area Career Center Outstanding Teacher in 1998 and 2004.Other round-table presenters scheduled for the Oct. 26 NEW Workshop include Rita Price Simpson, radio broadcasting; Christine Johnson, air traffic control specialist; Gina Beckner, pilot; Abbi Richcreek, computer repair and maintenance; Darci Zolman, environmental scientist; Charlene Johnson, police investigations; Melissa Sanchez, automotive instructor; Lori Everest, equipment operator; Tina Hamman, CNC machinist; Melissa Rees, administrative education; Wanda Davis, truck driver; Elizabeth Perepezko, engineer and research scientist; Katy Perry, computer technician; Patti J. Taylor, attorney; Dr. Rachel Johnson, optometrist; Janet Shaver, ministry; Cindy Shank, electrician; Cindi Clawson, meteorologist; Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, architect; Kathy Sokolowski, journeyman carpenter; Jennifer Bates, certified athletic trainer; Katie Cockrill, mortuary science; Ginny Stephens, EMT; Janelle Fancil, Shirley Fetrow, Jonna Stinehour, firefighters and EMTs; Laurie Lemler, senior detective; and Marcia Gould, dog trainer and behavior modification specialist.
