March 6, 2024

https://www.youtube.com.mcas.ms/watch?v=zn1cDqaIpEU

Growing up, Tool Repair Mechanic Cindy Mesko’s mother taught her skills she now realizes most girls—and even boys—never learned.

“My mom said if I was going to drive her car, I was going to have to take care of it. She took the wheels off and made me learn how to put them back on. She made me change the oil. I couldn’t believe she was serious at the time, but it made me who I am,” Cindy said.

As the world celebrates Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day* in March, Cindy is proud to be the only woman working in FirstEnergy’s Akron Tool Repair Shop. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics*, women made up just 4.7% of the country’s maintenance and repair workers in 2023.

She says people are often surprised to learn what she does for work.

“Their jaws drop and they tell me they never would have guessed I am a mechanic, which makes me feel good because I know I am unique,” she said.

Cindy has been behind her workbench in Akron for five years, helping to repair tools that our line workers use in the field. To ensure the safety of the company’s field employees, Cindy and her fellow team members also conduct routine inspections on several tools and apparatuses used by workers across our six-state service territory.

“It can be messy work, and it’s not glamorous work at all, but I really enjoy it,” she said.

After starting her career in the meter reading department in 1998, Cindy was always up for new challenges and tried a variety of jobs within the company before she landed in the Tool Repair Shop.

She attributes a lot of her success to her mom, who she says always pushed her to put herself out there, try new things and take opportunities.

“My mom taught me not to hold myself back, and I want other girls and women to be encouraged to pursue their dreams because they have such great potential that they may not even be aware of right now,” she expressed. “FirstEnergy has always made me feel like I fit in and am a part of the team.”

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