Students like Vanessa Vega, who was inspired by her father, learn useful skills for a potential career in Longview High School’s plumbing program.
LONGVIEW, Texas — Young women are leading the way in a plumbing class inside Longview High School.
“This is the plumbing lab. They’re in here. They’re soldering copper pipe together. And working on those things,” said Longview High School Director of Career and Technology John Gross.
In the program, students like Vanessa Vega, who was inspired by her father, learn useful skills for a potential career.
“I learned a lot of soldering, cutting pipe pipe together. So we use a torch and we have to heat it (the copper) up,” Vega said.
The project they featured during Longview High School’s CTE showcase was just a small project to practice on as they go on to compete against other schools.
“They do school SkillsUSA and they go and this basic skills and plumbing they go and they compete with those basic skills,” Gross said.
In a male dominated industry, Vega said this getting positive feedback means a lot to her.
“They (peers) say, ‘oh, you can’t do it because you’re a girl,’ but it’s (plumbing) good, it’s not hard at all,” Vega said. “They think it’s scary, but it’s really not.”
Gross said he’s proud of them and added the students will be successful.
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