Danielle Brideau, a Cabinetmaking student at Rosemount Technology Centre, was recognized at an awards ceremony in Quebec City at the Chapeau, les filles! (Hats Off) 2025 gala.
The competition pays tribute to the determination and work of women enrolled in a vocational training or technical training program, or a bachelor's program in science or engineering, that leads to a career in a traditionally male-dominated occupation.
Teacher Eliane Kinsley noted that Danielle, or "D" as she is called, ranks among the top five students she has had in any of her classes over the past 25 years. "She has shown an exceptional combination of technical excellence, amazing work ethic, and good cheer," says Ms. Kinsley. "A colleague recently told me they would hire her anytime if they had a shop. I agree, one hundred percent. You could always count on D to step up to whatever needed doing, whether rising to the challenge of designing a production jig or buckling down to get a routine task done efficiently.
"If she finished her own work early, D would help classmates, or she pushed herself with extra projects like devising ways to use wood scraps and minimize waste. She was highly creative both in designing furniture and in finding solutions to workshop problems. Another thing that impressed me about D was that for all her high standards, she was very forgiving of others and their weaknesses. She would pick someone unpopular to be on her team, fix someone else's mistake, or take up the slack of an immature teammate who left something undone - improving the overall spirit in the shop and fostering other people's improvement. I believe she was and will continue to be a great role model for other women in the trade."
Danielle was at RTC for 14 months and completed her studies last fall. My time at RTC was pivotal in my journey as an artist and woodworker," she said. "Although I had previous experience in a woodshop setting, I was able to gain so much valuable knowledge in a short time, covering a wide range of subjects. The instructors at RTC, especially Elaine, were always supportive and encouraging. I'll be able to expand on the techniques they taught me well into the future."
Danielle is presently working in the theatre industry building sets, as well as doing small contracts and woodworking projects on the side.
