Students Learn Concrete Facts at Cement Masons

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)"I have walked on concrete sidewalks plenty of times but I never realized how much manual labor goes into finishing it!” That was an observation echoed by many of the Building Futures students at the end of their second hands-on day at Cement Masons Local 891 last week. Instructor Rosella Scott “has that process down to a science and he made sure we learn the basics," said another student. Female students added that they were also very impressed with Local 891 Business Manager Mary Battle's welcoming remarks on the first day. "Many will tell you that, as a woman, you will not succeed in the trades" said Battle, the first female Business Manager in the history of the local. "But I tell you, whether you are a man or a woman, if you really love what you do, no one can talk you out of it but yourself." “This strength of character and enthusiasm that our students see in Mary Battle and Rosella Scott is powerful, infectious, and an inspiring example for those who -like our students- are looking to join any one of the building trades,” said Sylvia Casaro, Client Services Coordinator for the Community Services Agency. - photo by Sylvia Casaro