— Photo by Mike McCagg

Hailey Lawrence, a Berne-Knox-Westerlo student, is one of just a handful of females in the Commercial Construction/Heavy Equipment program on the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School Schoharie Campus. “I came here for a tour when I was a sophomore and it looked like fun. It’s a good career, so why not do it?” said Lawrence, who completed her first year of the program in June and will be returning as a senior. Lawrence said she likes operating heavy equipment and wants to pursue it as a career. “I like hands-on things. I learn better when I am doing it,” she said. Lawrence said she has no concerns about entering a male-dominated industry. “The guys sometimes give it to you, but I can take it and give it back,” she said.