Superpower: Passion
Heavy Equipment Technician, Caterpillar Machinery and Ambassador, The Jessi Combs Foundation
Kirsten Williams isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
Growing up, Williams was a self-proclaimed “girly girl,” not accustomed to anything resembling the work she does now. But it was getting her first car that spurred an interest in knowing how things work. That led to two years at the Fayette Institute of Technology studying automotive technology and then further education at the University of Northwestern Ohio. “Once I was fully into automotive technology, diesel technology, and heavy equipment, I decided to keep pushing,” she says.
She earned a scholarship from The Jessi Combs Foundation—which empowers the next generation of female tradespeople—where she remains involved today. Williams is set to soon be training to instruct a welding workshop for the foundation and travels the country with it as an ambassador, educating youth and, particularly, women who want to get involved in male-dominated industries. “We show that it’s not as intimidating as they think by having women lead classes,” she says. “It’s a little bit easier for someone to pick it up and be like, ‘Oh, OK, let me try something new.’”
At the end of the day, Williams wants everyone to have exposure to all the options that exist to them and the education needed to pursue them. “Growing up in a world where I just didn’t have things or I wasn’t pushed to really succeed in anything, it pushed me to find a purpose and a drive to better my life overall,” she says. “And I really want that for the children and the youth of West Virginia. I want them to know what is out there outside of the borders of West Virginia and what they can bring back to West Virginia to continue breaking these generational curses.”
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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
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