Cool Women: Profile

Vermont Works for Women often profiles cool women in the community.  Drop us a note with your nomination today via our Contact Us form. Click on the names below to read our current profiles.

• Chris Audesey
• Sandi Pierce
• Nadia Khan
  

Listen to a radio interview with Step Up graduate

Chris Audesey

Chris came to Step Up after working in security jobs that paid the bills but didn’t satisfy her need to grow and advance professionally. She is currently working as an Apprentice Carpenter, refining her skills in roofing, siding, framing, flooring, and interior trim work. She’s the only member of her crew with a CDL license which adds to her value on the work site.

“When working on a building site, there are different projects that need attention every day. Each smaller project is part of our effort to build a finer home. I love being part of something like that.”

Chris’ goal is to become a successful entrepreneur as a “handy woman”, targeting her services to meet the needs of elderly and female heads of households who may feel more comfortable with a woman on the job. Although Chris continues in her day job for now, she launched her new company Charm and Hammer in December 2003

"Step Up gave me the tools of confidence and drive that I needed to successfully present myself to potential employers in the field of carpentry and I was hired!"

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Sandi Pierce

Sandi enrolled in Step Up after a successful 20+ year career in the semiconductor industry. Sandi’s intelligence, strong work ethic, and superior mechanical skills positioned her well to launch her second career as a plumber.

Sandi is a Second Year Plumbing Apprentice at Thomas Mechanical and is enrolled in apprenticeship classes. On the job site, Sandi performs basic plumbing, pipe insulation, and duct work. Her goal is to obtain her plumbing license and, eventually, teach plumbing classes to those aspiring to the field.

“A sense of humor has been a positive asset that is helping me to succeed in the trades. This has helped me tremendously in getting acclimated to the job. And the guys---most of them---are pretty nice.”

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Nadia Khan

Nadia’s path to Step Up involved earning an English degree and working in a health store. She is smart, ambitious, and willing to put in the “sweat investment” required to realize her dream of becoming an ecologically sound master carpenter and furniture maker.

After graduating from Step Up, Nadia worked for Womenbuild, an all-women construction crew. She advanced from crew member to crew leader as her skills were refined. Nadia then completed an internship at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont where she learned about sustainable building and woodworking. She has worked as a carpenter at Black Horse Builders in Charlotte, Vermont and for Red House, Inc. in Burlington.

As she looks toward to the future, Nadia hopes to divide her time between green building projects and fine furniture making. She is particularly interested in building unique structures; there may be a grand, eco-treehouse in her future.

“Step Up reminded me that we are all capable. All we need is motivation and an opportunity. Step Up was that spark that lit a fire inside me.”

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