From Camper to CIT: Ember’s Rosie’s Girls Journey 

By: Jillian Scannell, VWW Marketing Manager

At Vermont Works for Women’s Rosie’s Girls camps participants are introduced to skills and career fields that are non-traditional for their gender through hands-on learning in a supportive and empowering environment. Camp gives girls and gender-expansive youth opportunities to strengthen their self-confidence, make connections with others, and expand their sense of what’s possible. That’s exactly what happened for Ember Pangman.   

After spending three years as a camper at Rosie’s Girls BUILD and WELD camps, Ember returned this summer as a counselor-in-training (CIT) for both camps. VWW’s Marketing Manager, Jillian Scannell, caught up with Ember to hear more about her experience.

Getting Involved in Rosie’s Girls  

Ember’s grandmother first signed her up for Rosie’s Girls WELD in 2021. She had never welded before but thought it could be cool to try. “As a camper I gained more self-confidence in using tools I’ve never used before, like a welder. Without Rosie’s Girls I probably never would have learned those skills,” Ember shared. After enjoying her first year at WELD, Ember learned about VWW’s BUILD camp and she did both camps in her second and third year.   

“I saw growth in how I weld and do carpentry; I definitely grew a lot. Especially looking back as a CIT I was like – woah, I know how to do stuff now that I didn’t know how to do before Rosie’s Girls.”  

Staying Involved as a CIT  

After three years of learning tools and enjoying camp, Ember decided she wanted to stay involved, so she applied to be a counselor-in-training. As a CIT Ember was responsible for helping campers with projects, answering questions, and sharing her skills. “My favorite part was seeing campers make their projects and getting to share my experience and skills.”   

When asked about Ember’s journey from camper to CIT, our Youth team shared, “The peer relationship between CITs and campers is incredibly impactful. As adult staff we tell participants they are capable of developing technical skills, but nothing instills that message quite like seeing the confidence and capability of CITs like Ember in the workshop. It has been so amazing to see Ember grow over the years. She was always an ambitious camper, and this past summer has taken on a real leadership role as a CIT. Whether it’s using a welder, jigsaw or any tool in between, Ember has the knowledge and skill to pass on what she’s learned to others which is such a powerful thing to watch!”  

During WELD camp this summer, Ember was also interviewed by WCAX about her experience. 

Plans for the Future 

This school year, Ember is entering ninth grade at Peoples Academy in Morrisville. She’s interested in becoming an electrician, as there is a good path from her high school to the electrical program at Green Mountain Technology and Career Center. Ember also plans to keep using her carpentry and welding skills as hobbies.  

When asked what advice she has for other girls and gender-expansive students who might want to get involved with Rosie’s Girls, Ember shared “Just do it! It might seem scary or hard but just try. If you are worried about getting hurt, trust that people aren’t going to let that happen, and don’t let fear stop you from doing something that’s really, really cool.”