There are sisters bonded by blood and sisters bonded by true friendship. Either way, memories between sisters are held like special souvenirs for the rest of their lives. Local nonprofit This One’s For the Gals—an inspiring sisterhood that encourages girls to change their lives with construction, energy and manufacturing jobs—knows this to be true.
This One’s For the Gals started as an idea to get a dozen girls on an overnight trip to Galveston for a conference and turned into an entire movement in the Coastal Bend. The organization collaborates with educational institutions, workforce development programs and industry partners to build bright futures for women in STEM. Participants learn about opportunities in STEM-related industries through conferences and exhibitions with the support of different employers who inform the girls about industry jobs. These conferences and exhibitions hold demos allowing for exciting experiences such as handling equipment with welding, crane and semi-truck simulators.
“The girls see what it’s like to explore different careers and [we] let them know ‘Hey, there’s a place for you in that world,’” said This One’s For the Gals founder and Chief Visionary Officer Stephanie Hajducek. While growing up, Hajducek was unaware big companies similar to Valero were just minutes away from her. “I had no clue I could go right down the road and get a great job with a great company. Nobody ever told me,” she said.
This ignited a passion in Hajducek; she was determined to step up and redefine career opportunities for young women, giving them hope in the STEM workforce. Today, she’s insistent on ensuring quality futures, not just for the women of today but for generations to come, inspiring them to get curious, discover new passions and build solid foundations for tomorrow.
“I think just helping them find their place sooner is going to be a game changer for the next generation of women,” Hajducek said. This One’s For the Gals has created a sisterhood, with a mission to educate women who need direction in their career path, declaring that potential futures exist through skilled trades and STEM for every gal in the Coastal Bend.