Abriel Thompson of Grand Bahama has found success as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician.
Thompson, 33, says she is stared at and asked whether she knows what she is doing, mainly by men, to which she answers “just let me show you.”
The certified technician says she got her start “working for a local air conditioning company.” She went further stating, “I was working in inventory and like the warehouse and I was working with the parts and stuff like that and I just took an interest.”
Today, Thompson heads A Team Construction on the island of Grand Bahama. “I do a little of everything but my main field is HVAC, which is air conditioning and refrigeration. But I do appliance installation, I do electrical, I do some construction.”
Thompson also advises other women wanting to break into unconventional industries not to give up.
