Stephanie hajducek

Coming out of high school, Stephanie didn't have a lot of motivation to go to college and she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do for a career so she went straight into the workforce and went from one job to another not really finding what she was looking for.  In 2007 her life didn't quite look like she had planned it would.  She found herself divorced with two small children to provide for.  She decided to take a six-week AutoCAD course at a Horn Drafting and CAD Center.  With that certificate in one hand and her resume in the other she walked into a job fair being hosted by Bechtel in Houston, Texas.  She didn't have a college degree or a mountain of experience but what she did have was a willingness to learn.  That was the turning point in her professional career.  She was hired on with Bechtel in an entry-level position and worked her way up over the next several years.  She went back to college and started working on her bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering Technology which she completed in December of 2018 through an online program with The University of Southern Mississippi. 

Stephanie founded This One's for the Gals in an effort to help educate high school age girls on the opportunities that are available to them in non-traditional, male-dominated occupations.  She feels that if she would have had someone to help show her that there was a place for her in the industrial workforce, she wouldn't have spent so many years spinning her wheels trying to find a career that was interesting, rewarding and provided a comfortable lifestyle for her and her family.

Stephanie has made it her mission to Fuel the Future of Women in Industry and she can't wait to see the impact that This One's for the Gals will make on girls in her community.