Colleagues,
A female graduate of Nashoba Valley Tech makes school history and gives back to her Alma Matta! Makeanna stated, “ “We’re always going to need electricians, so I’m not afraid of being out of work,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to learn a trade.” Congratulations Makenna!
David
MAKENNA PEARLMAN IS FIRST FEMALE GRAD TO EARN JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN LICENSE
Dan Phelps MAR 09, 2023
On the Brattan Industries job site in North Andover with Makenna Pearlman are from left, Tom Gendron, David Patulak, Colin Mitchell, John Mansfield, and Eric Legere.
When Makenna Pearlman earned her journeyman electrician license on February 23, it was a historic day not just for her, but also for her alma mater.
Pearlman, at the tender age of 22, became the first female graduate of Nashoba Tech to earn a journeyman’s license.
In January 2020, about a year and a half after graduating in June 2018, Pearlman landed a job with Brattan Industries, a commercial electrical firm based in Littleton. Three short years later, she achieved something no other NVTHS grad had.
“Every year, we hang up posters and spread the message that girls can do it, too,” said Robert Baker, one of the Electrical Technology instructors at Nashoba Tech. “Up until Makenna, it kind of felt like wishful thinking. But Makenna changed that. I can now look my students in the eye and tell them, ‘Girls can do it, too. If you don’t believe me, ask Makenna Pearlman.’
“Makenna did it,” he added. “She worked hard in shop. She went out on co-op. She worked full time, all while taking code classes at night. And now she passed the exam and is a licensed electrician. She’s a trailblazer.”
That’s a word one of Pearlman’s co-workers also uses.
“She’s definitely a trailblazer,” said David Patulak, who works with Pearlman on a work site in North Andover. “She’s blazing forward for others to follow.” The current job site involves the wiring of conveyor belts, not an easy task for seasoned electricians, much less a newly minted journeyman. “Makenna knows some of the intricacies of conveyors,” said her foreman on the site, Tom Gendron. “If there’s a path to getting there, she’ll get there. She’ll be pulling plans apart if she has to.” “She makes it easy for the rest of us,” Patulak said. “She’s not afraid to jump in and get to work. One day I was carrying a 150-pound pole with someone else – I didn’t know who