Faces of Thacker Pass: Mary Y.

At Thacker Pass, every story matters. Our Faces of Thacker Pass features aim to share the behind-the-scenes stories of the people, their diverse roles and the vital part they play in advancing our project. Where are you from and where is home? I’m originally from Glendora, California and now I live just outside of Reno. What drew you to being an ironworker? I’m a second-generation ironworker. My dad and I spent Saturdays together working, so I always had a “stinger” in my hand (the clamp that connects the electrode to the welding machine), and he was always telling me to go weld or do something. Now, I get paid to learn by doing. The training program has been one of the biggest benefits. The higher-level ironworkers took notice, saying “you put in the effort and have a hard work ethic, so we’re going to invest in you.” And now it’s all coming together. The education piece, the knowledge piece. What is bull-rigging? It's a mechanical means of moving something heavy that you can't lift yourself, so it involves chain falls (hand-operated chain hoists used to lift heavy loads) and come-alongs (hand-operated ratcheting winches that use a cable or chain to pull heavy loads) and using those either simultaneously, or one at a time, to get it up to where you need. You need special training to make sure you’re selecting the right rigging equipment. What advice do you have for women considering a career in the trades? Be ready to work, be ready to learn, and show up every day no matter what happens. I learn what I can and I do what I learn. Just keep doing that, and you’ll arrive. What’s something people might not know about you? I’ve driven a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena (in 2010). I was part of the whole planning and construction. The float had a big frame and was hydrostatically driven, so it wasn’t like a truck or a car. It was over 50 feet that year. You could only see a little bit, like 90 degrees, and my partner had 90 degrees. You can see the line they put on the ground, and then you’ve got liaisons telling you how far to go. So you’re counting on yourself and everybody else to make that TV corner (where media are positioned for the live broadcast)! The TV corner is the most restricted area of the route and for a float driver, it’s a challenge to maneuver a large float with limited visibility and a tight turn, all live on national television. Find Your Path at Thacker Pass Mary's path to Thacker Pass was forged on Saturdays with her dad, shaped by a college degree and powered by her simple strategy to learn what you can and do what you learn. Whatever your path looks like, Thacker Pass has opportunities to learn, grow and help build the largest lithium project in North America. To see open opportunities at Thacker Pass, visit: Lithium Americas jobs page Bechtel jobs page Sawtooth Mining jobs page Target Hospitality jobs page