Karen Trusty United Pipe Fitter and Welders Associates Local 230 Executive Board Member and welding instructor, San Diego “I’ve been a welder for 28 years on the job, and at night I teach welding at the union’s plumber and pipefitter school. The guys I hung out with in high school were either in the trades or their fathers were, and they would brag about how much money they were making. I figured I could do that, and it all followed suit. It was hard at first, but it was just a matter of persistence, doing the work and not giving in. Once I got their respect, they’d do anything for me; we were partners. I think they felt it was a better work place with me there. They would get a few laughs when I would say something stupid or naïve, but I got a few laughs at their expense too. Everyone has their own experiences. You’ve got to accept guys being guys and accept yourself being a girl, and realize there are things you can’t do. But if you do the best you can do every day, you can make it.

“The joy of teaching is something you can't explain. When you see it in their eyes, that moment, when after all the frustration and difficulties, suddenly something clicks. There’s a glitz, ‘I got it.’ They’ll come up to me and thank me, and then they tell their friends, ‘Take welding from Karen.’ I'm just giving back what they gave to me. I'm really proud of the plumbers and pipe fitters and just being part of the construction trades.”