Sophomore Girls Learn About Non-Traditional Career Paths
Sophomore Girls Learn About Non-Traditional Career Paths
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Sophomore Girls Learn About Non-Traditional Career PathsNine women stood on the stage Tuesday morning.
Two area high school sophomore girls volunteered to guess the type of work each of the professional women did. The two students were given signs to match the women with their jobs, while the other 203 audience members helped them decide and cheered them on.Choices on the signs included truck driver, funeral director, police detective, firefighter, computer repair, law enforcement, auto mechanic and military. There were only eight signs, so one woman's job wasn't represented.
When all the job signs were passed out, the crowd discovered the volunteers guessed five wrong and four right.
The "game" was an opening ice breaker for the 2009 Non-traditional Employment for Women Opportunities Workshop at Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw. The seventh annual event included sophomore girls from Wawasee, Warsaw, Whitko, Tippecanoe Valley, Fairfield, West Noble and Triton.
Tracy Roberts, director of Career and Technical Educational Services for the Wawasee Area Career & Technical Cooperative, said occupations have stereotypes. She added that people need to get past the stereotypes created by gender, the media and other factors.
"Just remember all of you are responsible for your own image," she said.
During the lunch break later, Roberts said the workshop "really gives young women a new outlook, new ideas on careers."
She said, "What you think you want to do in high school could be different from what you end up doing. It's all about the opportunities presented to you."
This year's keynote speaker was Dottie Davis, Fort Wayne Police Department. Davis also was the keynote speaker in 2008.
Davis told the sophomores she just celebrated her 28th year in law enforcement. When she started, there were very few women in law enforcement.
Growing up, she knew she could be a lot of things - a teacher, nurse, mother or flight attendant. When she told her parents she wanted to become a police officer, they were shocked. Her husband, already a police officer, wasn't supportive either. He told her she was too feminine and small.
When she got into the police academy, she found she loved it. She excelled.
"It was a perfect match for me," she said.
Her relationship with her husband at the time changed. Their first physical fight was over whose law enforcement agency was better.
Davis didn't tell anyone of the incident because of the shame she felt then about it. The relationship lasted six years.
In 1983, Davis received her first of two Meritorious Service Citations. Her husband took out his jealousy on her.
"Our equality was changing and I was doing better than him. I was also making more money than him," she said.
Also in 1983, their daughter was born. When the violence turned toward their daughter at 2-1/2 years old, that's when Davis knew it was time to leave the relationship.
When Davis works with survivors of domestic violence, she talks to them about the gut feeling.
"Make a promise to yourself you'll listen to that gut feeling. It'll keep you safe, help you make good decisions," she said.
She encouraged the girls to have a vision about what they want for their careers. Davis said they shouldn't rule anything out.
When she was in high school, Davis never thought she'd be the third highest-ranking officer in the Fort Wayne Police Dept. Now, while she is the only woman in her division, she has 78 officers under her, helping to protect more than 92,000 residents.
"If you make it, take someone with you," Davis said. "Take and find a mentor."
She also praised the NEW Opportunities Workshop.
"I don't know of any program like this in the state of Indiana. Fort Wayne Community Schools doesn't have this kind of program. You are very blessed to have it," she said.
She said she hoped the young women would leave with a strong voice of not only who they are, but also who they will become.
After Davis' speech, there were five roundtable discussions. Each sophomore got to pick five professional women to listen and talk to about their careers for about 20 minutes.
One of the choices was U.S. Navy veteran Lt. Tracey Yeager. She served in the Navy for 9-1/2 years as a helicopter pilot.
Yeager said the workshop was a "fabulous opportunity for young women to have a forum of professional women from all walks of life gathered in one area. I thought it was neat they had different high schools gathered in one area."
The young women responded well to the guest speakers.
"I think it's a good experience for us. It shows what we have to look forward to," said Warsaw sophomore Taylor Bartrom.
"I think it's showed us the opportunities for careers most people don't think girls can do," said Hannah Burr, Warsaw sophomore.
