Though she was a skilled welder, Erika had to learn a lot of technical skills when she started at the manufacturing plant. “I learned how to connect, braze, lash, and motor. I learned how to surge test the motors. And then I learned one of the machines that physically winds and puts the copper coil into the motor.” She did her job so well, she became a quality technician, which means she is the last person to see a motor before it leaves the plant.

Erika’s job requires a high level of coordination between different departments and individuals. “You have to work with the person behind you. I work in a production facility, so the two positions behind mine would be nameplates and paint. So if they’re wanting to go slow on the painting or they’re having an off day anyway, you kind of have to help perk them up to encourage them.” Because she works second shift, Erika is also responsible for communicating with first shift engineers, to ensure smooth transitions between shifts.  Erika identifies attention to detail, good communication, and teamwork as the most important skills she depends on every day.

Though she has been professionally successful, Erika has had to prove herself over and over as a young woman and a working mother in manufacturing. She says, “It takes a lot for people to overcome their own mentality of what they perceive you to be. So they think, ‘Oh, she’s just a young 26 year old. It takes a moment for them to realize, okay, no, she’s in this position cause she’s serious.”