April M. secured her current position at Y-12 through hard work and determination.
With foundations in the Declaration of Independence, the American dream envisions a society where every individual, regardless of background, can attain a better life through dedicated pursuit of happiness and freedom. While achieving that 250-year-old dream can be a challenge, Y-12 Enriched Uranium Operations’ chemical operator April M. is living proof it’s alive and attainable through perseverance, hard work, and the security provided by sites like Y-12 that protect every American’s freedom to continue dreaming.
April was introduced to the concepts of perseverance and hard work early in life. “I saw my parents make a little of nothing into something. They sacrificed for me in ways that I didn’t realize until I got older and had a family of my own,” she said.
One of the “somethings” April’s father modelled for her as a young girl was self-reliance.
“I got my work ethic from my dad,” she said. “He showed me how to do hands-on work and taught me how to check my oil, put air in tires, and not have to rely on someone else to do those things for me.”
April M. still has a close relationship with her parents, who instilled the importance of hard work in her from a young age.
Thanks to those early life lessons, the choice was clear for April when it came to deciding on a career to support her family as a single mom. She was determined to follow her father’s example –– even if it meant forging her way in a field that was highly uncommon for women.
“I went to trade school for industrial electricity and maintenance. My dad was a maintenance man, so that’s the main reason I chose that specific trade,” she said. “I was the only girl in the class. Everyone was like, ‘Are you sure you can do this?’”
April, a self-proclaimed “girly girl,” shocked her fellow classmates and instructors with her performance. She left the school at the top of her class and was hired as a machine operator prior to graduation.
“I didn’t go with the status quo. Being different from typical applicants and working hard to have the skills to back it up made me valuable to employers,” said April, who was resolute on not simply becoming a “statistic” but rather proving her worth.
On top of the already-difficult job of operating complex machinery, April noted that being an outlier came with its own challenges. She recalled that one of her employers had to build a women’s restroom because she was the first woman they had ever hired. “People thought I’d view it as the end of the world when I hit a stumbling block, whether it be unfavorable situations or negative things people said to me. They expected me to sit down and give up,” she said.
But April was determined to prevail, looking at challenges as opportunities. In fact, one of those challenges led her to Y-12.
“I was laid off in 2009 during the Great Recession,” she said. “That’s when I applied for a job as a material clerk for the Y-12 ARRA project without knowing anything about the site or that the job I had taken was only temporary.” During her 2 years on the project, April noted that she especially enjoyed the work–life balance Y-12 offered because she was finally able to spend more time with her two boys. However, with the ARRA project coming to an end, she was soon faced with the challenge of looking for a new job yet again.
"I kept an open mind and remained willing to try new things,” she said. Because of her thorough performance ordering all the materials and supplies for the ARRA project, she was hired into a permanent position as janitorial staff. Now, 16 years later (and after another stint as a material clerk), she’s enjoying her first year as a chemical operator ordering and maintaining supplies for anyone who comes inside the material access area of the plant. She even shared her perspective on the various career opportunities at Y-12 during Future Force: Introduce a Student to STEM Careers, held in April.
“Y-12 is a valley of opportunity,” said April, who added that she’s found a “home” at the Y-12 site. And now, she gets to help preserve the American dream she’s living out through Y-12’s mission –– a fact she holds near her heart each day she crosses the blue line coming into work.
“Knowing that everything that’s happened throughout my life has led me here and that I’m actually doing something to protect my children’s and grandchildren’s futures through contributing to the nation’s defense makes every challenge I’ve faced worth it.”