Celebrating Career and Technical Education Month: Meet Aubrianna

By: Jillian Scannell, VWW Engagement Manager

Vermont Works for Women is celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month this February by highlighting young women excelling at their local tech center in programs that are non-traditional for their gender. Check out the other features of Leah and Jael.

Aubrianna (Bri) Mayette, a Junior at Enosburgh Falls High School, didn’t always want to become an airplane mechanic, but now she’s taking advantage of every opportunity to reach her goal. 

Habitat for Aviation 

Bri first visited Habitat for Aviation while doing an appearance for Miss Vermont, but then “As soon as a I started working on the plane, I got hooked.”  

Habitat for Aviation is a non-profit, founded by Beth White, that is working to grow an apprenticeship program to train the next generation of aviation specialists. Currently, a multi-generational, all-woman crew is working to build a Rans S-21 airplane. Considering themselves “Modern-day Rosie the Riveters”, the group is trying to advance gender equity in the field of aviation.  

Bri’s favorite part of Habitat for Aviation is what she described as a “second family”, feeling welcomed and supported by her fellow plane builders. In this community, Bri has developed confidence and enjoys mentoring other students on build days. After only two weeks of working on the plane, Bri was already teaching others and offering advice. Bri shared, “My proudest moment has been helping kids learn in an environment we were told not to be in as women, and seeing how my knowledge can help other women overcome stereotypes in the trades.”  

This newfound excitement for aviation then led Bri to enroll in the Automotive Technology program at Cold Hollow Career Center.  

Launching Inclusive Futures in Trades 

The summer before enrolling at Cold Hollow, Bri also took part in Vermont Works for Women’s weeklong summer trades program for high school girls, Launching Inclusive Futures in Trades, or LIFT.  

At LIFT, students gained hands-on experience in a variety of traditionally male dominated fields. 

“I looked into it [LIFT]and liked the idea it presented so I applied. I was able to join LIFT in the summer of 2024, we were taught by female instructors of a trade who taught us how to do a small project. Over the course of a week we touched trades like Carpentry, Construction, Electrical, Beekeeping, and Automotive. I was really looking forward to automotive because I was just recently accepted into my local tech school for automotive. LIFT is a great place to meet other girls with similar interests that you may have and also opens many doors of opportunities that you have that might pique your interest.”

Automotive Technology at Cold Hollow 

The Automotive Technology program at Cold Hollow Career Center is a two-year program focused on providing students with the skills needed to work in an entry-level automotive technician position or go on to post-secondary education.  

I asked Bri about the connection between automotive and aviation and if she finds that one helps inform the other.  

“I mean, when you are working on a small Cessna plane engine, it’s not that much different than working on a Subaru,” said Bri. 

In Automotive, Bri appreciates the respect she receives and the way her instructor treats the students like a tech in the field.  

As one of only three girls in her program, when asked what advice she had for other non-traditional CTE students Bri shared, “It’s ok to be scared here and there, but don’t be so afraid that you don’t take a chance at all. If you don’t try something once, then you can’t say you don’t like it. I thought I didn’t like mechanics, but now I’m literally building an airplane.”  

After graduation, Bri’s goal is to become an A & P Airplane Mechanic in the Air National Guard.