Laney College’s Liisa Pine Schoonmaker (chair of the Welding Department) is featured prominently in an article on the Oakland North published on December 7.
The beginning portion of the article, “Oakland women welders spark inspiration in next generation of tradeswomen” by Anne Wernikoff, highlights Pine Schoonmaker as one of the Bay Area professional welders who are helping increase the visibility and numbers of women entering this male-dominated profession.
From the article:
“A woman with a commanding voice stands surrounded by a dozen teenagers. She’s wearing a dark blue work shirt that has “Weld-Ed” stitched on the left breast. Her dark brown hair is swept into a side braid, and on her head sits a snug-fitting denim cap with polka dots. She looks intently at each student. “This is a really fun job,” Liisa Pine Schoonmaker says. “It’s hands-on all day, until you decide to be in charge and tell everyone else what to do.”
Most of the teenagers stare silently around the room, seemingly unimpressed. A few, mostly girls, nod along as Pine Schoonmaker offers reasons why they should all become welders….”READ MORE
