Alexandria Davison knows how important your character is and that it is something no one can take from you. From not knowing how to read a tape measure to recently accepting a new position as a sheet metal foreman, her rise within the company is a testament to her work ethic and the desire to belong at the shipyard.
“I’m still just trying to process everything,” said Davison. “It's just a blessing and right now, I'm just trying to get this under my belt, and then who knows where we will go from there.”
Davison’s father served in the Navy, which sparked her interest in Ingalls. Being brand new to shipbuilding, her journey started in 2015 when she was hired as a fourth class sheet metal helper’s apprentice (HA).
At the time, Davison was faced with the challenge of being the only woman in her crew and was determined to earn the respect of her peers in the hopes of fostering more women leaders in the yard.
“If you want something bad enough, you put in the work and you just have to know how to take that energy and fuel it,” said Davison. “That applies to not just women, but to everybody as a whole.”
In 2020, Davison became a third-class sheet metal HA. Eager to learn and develop as a shipbuilder, she continued to progress and excel in her field.
“Faith as small as a mustard seed will take you a long way,” she said. “If you plant and water those seeds, eventually you will start to reap the fruits of your labor.”
Now three years later, Davison is a recent graduate of the Vanguard program, which focuses on enhanced training for new foremen. Her goal as a new leader is to always be a supervisor who can relate to her crew.
“I like to say leadership is in you, not on you. A title should not make you entitled,” she said. “Being a leader, you have to know your people and reach them on their level in order to inspire your crew.”
Davison is taking things one day at a time because she knows she still has much to learn. As she grows her career at Ingalls, she hopes to inspire others and help her team break down any barriers that may be holding them back from their own professional growth.
“Being in a leadership position can either do one of two things: create a diamond or bust pipes,” she said. “You have to be bold, courageous and strong enough to be willing to step in the gap and be the change that you want to see. And if I can do it, you can do it too.