Crafting Success: Women 3 of 3
Crafting Success: Women Thriving in GP Tech Trades Programs
3 of 3 in the Crafting Success Series
Firefighter/EMT & Criminal Justice
By M. Churchwell
I don’t think being a woman has held any of us back at all.
- HAILEY RIVERS,
FIREFIGHTER/EMT STUDENT
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we interviewed several women enrolled in Great Plains Technology Center’s trade programs where they are crafting their own narratives of success while gaining real-world skills and exploring careers that many still consider male-dominated. With determination and tenacity, these students are breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes, and—in many cases—honoring family values and legacies on their paths to fulfilling careers.
In this three-part series, we visit with these women who have found their calling in the skilled trades. From wielding power tools on construction sites to saving lives in emergency situations, they are working to improve not only their own lives but their communities as well.
Firefighter/EMT
Students: Rachell Briggs, Joana Prosser, Hailey Rivers
What motivated you to pursue a career in firefighting?
Hailey: For me, it was that there is only one other female firefighter in Lawton. I think it will be pretty cool to be one of the only females in the field.
Joana: As a nurse aid, I help take care of people for a living. I figured why not give back to the community. I’m already a volunteer firefighter at Pecan Creek.
Rachell: I love people in general. I’m a people person. I saw the firefighters playing basketball one day when I was walking out of church, and I just thought, “I wonder if I could do that.”
What challenges have you faced as a woman in the firefighter program?
Hailey: I would say the physical aspect of firefighting could be a challenge. This morning when we were doing our PT and working with the weighted ball, I was throwing it as hard as I could, and it still wasn’t comparable to how hard the male students can throw it. So that is something that I have to constantly work on and focus on because I don’t want to be the weakest link.
Rachell: But as a woman firefighter, I’m not trying to be stronger than the men. I do believe, though, that as a woman, I bring my own assets to the table. I am only 5 foot tall. I am a female of very small stature, but that can be beneficial in certain situations, like if there are very small crawl spaces or when I have to help people in very small spaces. Young children and women, our patients, and people we help may not be as intimidated by a female firefighter.
What kind of support or mentorship have you received from your instructor Mrs. Howell, especially considering she is also a woman in this typically male-dominant field?
Rachell: What I’ve noticed is that there is no differentiation of firemen or firewomen. We’re all just firefighters.
What are your career goals?
Joana: I definitely want to make firefighting a career.
Rachell: Since discovering the EMT aspect of this class, I’ve caught the EMS bug, so I want to enroll in the Paramedic program and apply at the Lawton Fire Department as a paramedic firefighter.
Hailey: I want to work for Lawton Fire and earn my paramedic while I’m working.
What advice would you give to other women considering a career as a firefighter?
Joana: Come in full throttle, determined, and committed. Don’t quit. You have to know your limits, but give everything you can. That’s what you get back.
Hailey: I don’t think being a woman has held any of us back at all.
Rachell: It wouldn’t hurt, if you’re planning on coming into this program, to start working on your physical agility. That’s for a man or a woman. Firefighting is physically demanding. I would suggest training before joining the program. Also, we’re still women, and I’m okay with that. I don’t expect to be stronger than the men, but it is important to find our assets and what we bring to a department and a community.
I don’t expect to be stronger than the men, but it is important to find our assets and what we bring to a department and a community.
- RACHELL BRIGGS,
FIREFIGHTER/EMT STUDENT
Criminal Justice
Students: Dany Kong, Morgan McKinney, Lexus Moore
What motivated you to pursue criminal justice?
Morgan: My stepmom was a police officer, and she told me about all of her interesting stories and all the adventures she was a part of when she was a police officer. After hearing about what she saw on crime scenes as a detective, I decided I didn’t want any other class.
Lexus: My mom is a dispatcher. I thought it would be neat to go in the same direction, so I figured I’d just try this class to see if I liked it. I love it, by the way. I love the law enforcement aspect of criminal justice.
What kind of support or mentorship have you received from your instructor Mr. Martin?
Lexus: Mr. Martin treats us exactly the same as he treats the males in the class. He actually says women tend to be more aggressive and determined, especially in the hand-to-hand, defensive tactics activities.
What are your goals moving forward?
Morgan: I want to use what we’re learning when I go into the military. I also want to join a police force after military service.
Dany: I want to be a dispatcher.
Lexus: When I enrolled in the program, I thought my career pursuit was the military, but because of this program, now I want to go into law enforcement. I’ll probably do both or maybe military police.
Can you discuss a particularly rewarding experience you've had in the criminal justice program?
Dany: I like doing the building searches. It’s fun to go against and catch the bad guys—my classmates.
Lexus: I like all of the real-life scenarios, things we would actually encounter as a police officer.
Morgan: I like learning the different handcuffing techniques. Overall, the whole class has been an eye-opening experience. You get to have hands-on experience and opportunities.
The stories of these hard-working, goal-oriented women in GP Tech’s trades programs serve as testaments to the transformative potential of education and determination. Despite challenges, they are thriving in programs where their presence was once uncommon. These students are not only reshaping the perception of what it means to be a tradesperson but also improving their communities and paving the way for future generations of women.
