Finding her place in a niche trade

In high school, Daniella balanced creativity and athletics. She explored everything from painting and drama to climbing and jiu-jitsu. When choosing a career path, she considered creative fields but ultimately wanted something that offered long-term stability. Architecture briefly crossed her mind, but a conversation with her dad—an airplane mechanic who once worked in the lesser-known field of non-destructive testing (NDT)—introduced Daniella to a different possibility.

Straight out of Grade 12, Daniella enrolled in the Quality Engineering Technician – Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) program at Mohawk College.

While the course topics initially felt unfamiliar, she found herself in an environment that challenged her to grow. Surrounded by older peers with trade experience and navigating a program that leaned on verbal instruction, Daniella, a visual learner, developed an enterprising mindset to find her footing.

Determined to move forward with her education, Daniella pushed herself to speak up, ask questions and stay engaged, even when it felt uncomfortable.

In a program where she was one of just three women, that meant learning to advocate for herself and take initiative to get the most out of the experience. Along the way, she’s discovered that the community, regardless of gender, can be supportive when she reaches out.

“It’s such a small group compared to the engineering classes, for example, which are a lot bigger,” she says. “I feel like you get a lot more comfortable with one another and I don't feel nervous to ask questions. Everyone’s really nice and we all kind of just mesh well as a group.”

Read Daniella's full story on the Mohawk College blog. 

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