Stefanie Estes’ path to shipfitter journeyman began nearly 5,000 miles away and included overcoming her fears.

Estes, a native of Germany, came to the U.S. several years ago with her mother and American stepfather.

Trained in her native country as a social worker and caregiver, Estes first landed a career in the U.S. helping people with disabilities in their homes. 

After the births of her two children, Estes needed a means to provide for her growing family. She worked various jobs before being hired at Ingalls.

“I'm a single mom, so I needed to make money,” she said. “Working those other jobs meant I had to go on government assistance, and I didn’t like that. I applied for every Ingalls job online and started in Paint.” 

 

Just as she was learning about the painting craft, she and her crew were offered the opportunity to join the Hull department as shipfitters due to changes that were taking place in the company at the time.

 

“I didn't know anything about what a shipfitter did,” Estes said. “I didn't even know what welding was, but I knew I wanted to stay at Ingalls.” 

 

Along with her lack of craft knowledge, Estes faced another obstacle – she was afraid of fire. 

 

“Working with a torch was a nightmare because I wasn’t even comfortable using candles,” Estes recalled. 

 

With the help and encouragement of her supervisor Jenni Jones, Hull administration manager and chief of staff, Estes overcame her fear and began exploring ways to progress in her craft to become first class.

 

“She didn’t feel confident she could pass the tests, but she took the blueprint reading class and aced the math test with a near-perfect score,” said Jones.

 

Now, Estes has established herself as a journeyman shipfitter, giving her the ability to care for her family while having a career she enjoys. 

 

“I am proud to have made first class,” Estes said. “I owe a debt of gratitude to Jenni and all the people who encouraged me during this process.”