Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have lived in Lethbridge all my life. It took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do; I worked in retail, restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. One night, when I was working a night shift stocking shelves, I heard an ad on the radio about the College running a new course. I joined the first Intro to Trades course, and from there, I found work in commercial construction, where I worked as a labourer for a year. The company signed off on my apprenticeship in carpentry, and I continued my apprenticeship working in a mobile home factory and residential building. A friend who was a student in the Drama department told me they were hiring in the Scene Shop, so I took a shot and applied. I was a fourth-year apprentice who had completed the education part but just needed to complete my hours when I joined the Drama Department in 2002. Jay Johnston, the Head Scene Shop Carpenter, signed off on my hours in 2023 for me to complete my Journeyman ticket.
How long have you been at ULethbridge, and what do you do here?
I started at the University in September 2002 as a casual contract. In 2004, I got a permanent contract as the Scene Shop Assistant. For my summer months, I was an International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) permittee and worked on the movies in Calgary. In 2007, I became a mother and then spent my summers with my children. In 2015, I became the Head Scene Shop Carpenter and in 2019, I became the Head Scene Shop/Props Carpenter. The University provided me with the opportunity to learn how to weld, and just in the last few years, I have been working on my sewing skills.
What's the best part of your job?
My favourite part of the job is working with the students. Mentoring students on how to use the tools and seeing their confidence grow through the semester makes my heart happy. I am very lucky that I am always building something different and not doing the same job day in and day out. I also like the challenges this position gives me like making fake things look real or building with materials in ways they weren't intended for. I learn something on every show I work on.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I like spending time with my family and helping out my husband with his business. My children keep me busy with their sports in roller derby and football. When I get time for myself, I like working on stained glass projects.