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I started working in fast food in the tenth grade. My mom was single and I wanted to help her out. I became a supervisor and eventually an assistant manager. I worked at KFC for 11 years, Wendy’s for 3 and Subway for a while too.

I promised myself that I wouldn’t work in food service for the rest of my life. I had a friend who had a plumbing company, Cat Lady Plumbing & Heating, and she gave me my start. It’s an all-female company. For the first year I worked from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the plumbing job, and then from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Wendy’s.

For my plumbing and gas-fitting tickets I went to NAIT and got really good marks; I got an Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Scholarship and two NAIT scholarships. Before I started going there people had said that NAIT was a world-class institute. After only five sessions there, I agreed. The teaching quality is really excellent. They provide a really good mix of theoretical and practical information.

I work for the City of Edmonton now. I’m the first female plumber they’ve ever had. There's a female carpenter, welder and electrician, but otherwise it’s male-dominated for trades.

They say it’s tough for women to be plumbers, but once you get your ticket you can practically choose what you want for work. The skills in I learned in restaurant management have transferred over too. They actually taught me a lot about responsibility and day-to-day management.