STUDENt sensation Bess Granholm is following in the footsteps of a long line of family construction workers. Bess is a student in Santa Fe College’s degree program for Building Construction, which her father and brother both attended. In addition, she serves as the president of the Student Builder’s Association.
the future of Women in Non-Traditional Pathways by DCAE Staff
The Building Construction program provides handson training opportunities like the building of a Habitat for Humanity home. This year, the college is finishing its 12th home. It’s scheduled to leave the Northwest Campus and be delivered to the family at the end of April.
Non-traditional pathways have opened the door for women across the state to pursue passions that interest them, even if they are not traditional. Our student highlights this month, Melissa and Bess, are doing just that – following their hearts and dreams of working in non-traditional pathways.
Upon graduation, Bess plans to transfer to the University of Florida and attend the Rinker School of Construction Management. Currently, only 14% of construction industry professionals are women. Women like Bess are paving the way for future generations of women to be confident in pursuing a career in a non-traditional pathway, like construction.
Melissa Martinez-Barbosa is a senior at Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida. Melissa is an allaround phenomenal student, starting school in the United States at eight years old with English being her second language. Melissa defied the odds. She has worked diligently to overcome many obstacles and is changeing the perception of women in nontraditional fields.
On April 18, 2022, the Florida Department of Education is hosting a Non-Traditional Summit. The summit will address issues related to the enrollment and success of students in Career and Technical Education programs that train for work in fields non-traditional for their gender. For more information on the summit and its outcomes please contact Bruce Harrington at Bruce.Harrington@ fldoe.org.
Melissa is a member of the marching band and the National Honor Society. She also takes welding classes at Lively Technical College in Tallahassee, while maintaining a 3.8 GPA. She is in her third year of the welding program and plans to pursue a university degree upon completion. Melissa will be leaving high school with a diploma in hand and trade skills that will serve as the building block for her future. Among welders, 7.5% of them are women. Melissa hopes to set an example for other women who want to pursue a career in welding. She hopes that she can inspire others to courageously break stereotypical norms. 5
