Get to Know Journeyman: Kerri Danay

Money aside, what really attracted me is that this kind of work is not monotonous. It’s not boring or stationary, and I love that. I enjoy working with my hands instead of working at a desk. I also enjoy the challenge of learning. To work this type of job, you have to know a lot and it doesn’t always come easy, but I like pushing myself to constantly be learning.

Like I said before, I love the challenge and reward that comes with learning, especially from working with others as I may learn how to do something 10 different ways by working with 10 different people. I find it motivating that there is always more to learn. Adding on to this, I find it really rewarding to change someone’s mind or preconception of me. Sometimes people have an impression of me when they first see me on a job and then they realize that I am just here to work, and I work really hard, and I can see that they are impressed by that which feels gratifying to me.

The celebration of “Women in Construction Week” is just one of the signs that this industry is changing for the better. I think women offer a different point of view because when if you don’t have the “muscle,” you have to outsmart whatever you are trying to do, and you may even end up figuring out a better way to do it all together.

I hope to see more positivity and a focus on being the positive change because this industry has already changed drastically from how it was before. I hear horror stories about how the construction industry used to be, not just for women, but the general lack of technology as well. It is nuts to see how far we have come. All that to say, I hope we continue on this positive trajectory of change.

To me, success looks like the pride you get when you accomplish difficult jobs. A lot of times, I get worked up and stressed the night before some jobs then the morning comes, and I complete whatever I was dreading or worried about with no problem. So, just getting over your fears and going out there and doing it is an incredible feeling.

I like running. I have done several half marathons and two full marathons. With those races, my mindset is always that it doesn’t matter how fast you go or if you walk or crawl, as long as your cross that finish line, you did it. I also enjoy running for fun on my own and always find it to be incredibly therapeutic.