Staff photo by Lizz Bottrell

Nineteen-year-old Mandy Mercer welds wing stops onto a main frame for one of Seed Hawk’s machines.

Staff photo by Lizz Bottrell

Mandy Mercer, now a welder, began working at Seed Hawk in January as a welder trainee.

By Lizz Bottrell, Citizen Staff

At first glance, people would not notice anything unique about the welders in the welding shop at Seed Hawk - that is until they spotted nineteen-year-old Mandy Mercer. The blond hair, blue-eyed young woman hangs out with guys all day long, constantly proving that women can indeed do anything they wish.

No one seems more proud of her accomplishments, both as a young person and as a woman, than Tim Morson, Facilities, Grounds, and Support Manager, Seed Hawk. Morson, who hired Mercer five months ago, says he’s impressed with how far she’s come in such a small amount of time. “She started out as a welder trainee, but she’s definitely classified as a welder now,” said Morson. “She’s getting a lot of experience and basically doing everything everyone else is doing. She’s moved up to the main frames. We’re very proud of where she’s come.”

When Mercer began working as a welder trainee a few months ago, she had very little experience with the trade. “I did a little bit of arc welding but mig welding only once before,” said Mercer. Today, she does mig welding all the time, making her quick advancement from no experience to a welder on main frames a very impressive one.

She credits a lot of her skill to all the help she’s received from the guys around the shop, which also means they don’t give her any slack for being a female. “It’s been pretty good,” said Mercer. “The guys help me out quite a bit.”

If the fact that she’s a young female welder who made it to main frames in only a few short months is not enough to impress a person, the fact that she’s the first female on main frames should definitely impress. “Maybe if a young guy picked it up that quick it wouldn’t have caught my eye,” said Morson. “We’ve had three or four other women welders, but she’s the youngest and she’s really shown a lot of progress.”

Mercer’s now spent about three weeks on main frames, a place she never thought she’d be when she started. However, with the dedication and passion she’s shown towards welding, it was a given that the young women would end up in the position eventually. “It’s exciting, it’s really rewarding too,” said Mercer. “I think my favourite part is when everything is done - I like to see the end product when it’s all done. ”

When Mercer isn’t hard at work welding, she’s likely busy fixing up the farm house she recently purchased near Whitewood, which was part of the reason why she applied at Seed Hawk to weld. “I bought myself a little acreage in Whitewood and I needed a job,” said Mercer. “I did a little bit of arc welding and Dad said I was good so I tried there.”

Now since Mercer’s classified a welder, her Dad couldn’t be more proud. “He’s pretty excited,” said Mercer.” I think he brags about it quite a bit.”

In the future, Mercer plans to work towards her welding apprentice through a program Seed Hawk offers, in which she will gain her certificate. Then, further into the future, she hopes to one day open up her own business, but it’s not for what one would assume. “After here, I’d like of like to get my own business milking horses,” said Mercer.

That’s right, horses. Before starting at Seed Hawk, Mercer spent three months over in Norway learning how to milk horses. “Dad saw a documentary about it then we went online and found this website,” said Mercer. “So I called the lady up and asked her if I could come there and learn. There’s no research for it, but she sells it to a lot of cancer patients because it’s good for their immune system.”

It’s clear that the young woman is determined to do anything she puts her mind to, which makes her someone to definitely watch for in the future.