Seeing what’s possible: Girls explore hands-on careers at Spire  

Students connect with women in the field and discover new ways to imagine their future  

There’s nothing quite like watching a young person realize what they can achieve in real-time. That moment of excitement radiated through Spire’s training center in Shrewsbury, Missouri, on April 2 when nearly 30 girls stepped into the world of skilled trades.  

They put on their hard hats, climbed into big dump trucks and operated heavy machinery with guidance from women who work in the field every day.  

Ranging in age from 9 to 13, these girls learned how to assemble natural gas meters, watched a live excavation demonstration and built their own metal pipe keychains.  

What stood out even more were the conversations they had with female professionals —  from construction supervisors to pipeline gas workers — who brought their depth of knowledge and real-world experiences to each interactive station.  

The visit, hosted in partnership with the St. Louis-area nonprofit Girls in the Know, was designed to spark curiosity and show students there are multiple pathways to success.  

“I hope this opportunity will inspire these young women to consider skilled trade careers,” said Samantha Wenzelburger, a construction supervisor at Spire’s Shrewsbury location. “I would love if each one of them walked away with a new sense of confidence, serving as a reminder that they can succeed in a hands-on career.” 

Jayden Chisholm, a student in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, left with that same thought in mind – all while recognizing the effort that goes into these roles.  

“I would like to do it as a career, just by seeing it,” she said in an interview with KTVI-TV (FOX 2). “Also, I think it might take a lot of time to learn, and this might be really hard.” 

Check out more photos from the day below: