Sakina Nicholls is a polished, part-time model who loves to have her hair done, nails manicured and weave in place.
But the 19-year-old is also an apprentice mason attached to the Ministry of Transport and Works who builds walls and mixes concrete.
“I am young but I believe that every woman should have a skill, regardless of what it is,” she said.
“It could be nails, tiling, masonry or anything. You go to school and get your education but sometimes things don’t always go well.
“But if you have a skill that you can fall back on and use, then you are going to be good,” she told the MIDWEEK NATION during a recent interview, as she worked on a road project in St George.
Nicholls said she was at home with nothing to do and decided to go and learn a trade. She signed up for a masonry class.
“I guess it is probably a gene thing for me because my father is also a mason and a carpenter,” she said, “and when my mother was pregnant with me, she tiled our whole house herself.”
The model with the New Horizon Modelling Agency landed a three-year internship with MTW after her masonry course.
She says masonry is not the typical job a woman would choose, but “I am fully enjoying it”.
“I enjoy everything about being a mason, especially the attention I get from everybody. They don’t expect me, such a small person, to be doing this. I enjoy building blocks and plastering and proving people wrong because sometimes people don’t think I can get it done,” she said.
Every day on the job is different and every day she learns something different from the experienced men on the job who “don’t treat me like a girl; they treat me as one of them”.
“It [the job] is not that hard but it has its ups and downs,” she admitted.
On the job, the former Springer Memorial student and athlete, who is currently a national netball player, keeps her body hydrated and protects her skin from the sun.
“I drink plenty of water and wear a hat that actually covers my face,” she said.
After she completes her apprenticeship, the Wednesday Woman wants to study to get involved in construction management and architecture.
“I also have a dream to open my own clothing store,” she admitted.
“I also want to become more involved in the fashion industry, where I want to give back to people what I am learning now as it relates to walking, workshops and other things.”