Page 28 - BusinessWest January 23, 2023

A Chicopee Comp student said the recent trades event helped her step out of her comfort zone.
the way down,” Oliveira said. “It’s a lot easier to deal with that stuff. I know a lot of women get scared coming into construction, think- ing that they’re going to have to deal with it, but we don’t have to deal with it. They take care of it.”
Tracy Routhiee, a senior project manager for Fontaine Brothers, added that it’s important to have a support system that has every- one’s back and strengthens the entire team by cultivating camarade- rie and standing up for what’s right.
However, it’s also important to begin with a measure of a con-
Continued on page 31
“It’s cool to be wiring up the auditorium and realizing that those lights
are going to be shining down
on those kids someday that
are going to be playing in their first concert or basketball game. It’s kind of neat to know that.”
>>
fidence, said Pat Sweitzer, operations manager for Sweitzer Construction, who told BusinessWest that as long as women carry themselves with confi- dence and respect the work, men will respect them in turn.
“I did have one case where that
did not occur,” she recalled. “I found that, as long as I stood up for myself, the dynamic changed, and the respect was then forthcoming to me on that particular project. It was an interesting experience for me to have that happen and then realize, ‘wait a minute, I know what I’m doing, and I know how to do this.’”
Building a Future
Liz Wambui, director of Diversity and Community Impact for Fontaine Brothers, added that stepping into a new environment, especially one where people may not take a woman seriously,
can cause something like imposter syndrome. She said women in construction may have moments where they question if they’re good enough or doing the right thing, but the solution begins with refram- ing one’s mind and not taking no for an answer.
Most of the women we spoke with explained that, once they get out of their own way, the doors and opportunities are endless, and the feeling of success after completing a project is one of the most satisfying experiences in this industry.
Charlene Metcalf, accountant for Fontaine Brothers, said that, even though she’s not directly on the sites, she is proud to drive by different places that Fon-
taine Brothers has built Women
and can’t help but share
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28 JANUARY 23, 2023
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