Students from the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls spent the morning designing their own cities alongside women working in engineering, architecture, and business during a mentorship session at the Penn Pratt Co-Educational Unit.
The initiative was coordinated by the Human Resources and Administration team and led by the women of Bron Ltd. (BRON) on Friday, March 6, as part of the company’s International Women’s Day activities under this year’s theme, “Give to Gain.” The outreach was designed to introduce young women to the wide range of opportunities available across Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls, a residential rehabilitation facility operated by the Department of Social Services, provides support, mentorship, and developmental programming for young women facing social and personal challenges.
Women Sharing Their Career Journeys
During the visit, several BRON professionals shared their career journeys and the challenges they overcame along the way.
During the visit, several BRON professionals shared their career journeys and the challenges they overcame along the way.
Senior Accounts Manager Terae Cadet spoke about entrepreneurship and pursuing her passion, sharing how she built a growing beauty business while maintaining a professional career. Drawing from her experience operating multiple beauty locations, Cadet encouraged the students to see how creativity and business skills can come together to build successful ventures.
Crystal Hanna, Principal of Architecture and BRON’s first female principal, spoke about how her early interest in art and design evolved into a career in architecture and the perseverance it took to pursue her studies abroad. She reflected on the determination required to navigate a demanding field where women remain underrepresented, accounting for only 10% of the country’s licensed architect workforce.
LaToya Johnson, Project Manager with an engineering background, spoke about navigating a traditionally male-dominated field and the importance of resilience and confidence. She encouraged the students to believe in their abilities and remain focused even when facing challenges.
Students Design Cities of Their Own
Students were then divided into teams and challenged to design their own city, considering everything from infrastructure and environmental protection to housing and public spaces. The activity sparked lively debate as teams collaborated and presented their ideas.
Inspired by conversations with the BRON professionals, several teams incorporated ideas such as mangrove buffers, hurricane-resistant buildings, shelters, geothermal energy, and windmills designed to help communities withstand storms. The exercise encouraged students to think about how different disciplines, from engineering and architecture to environmental planning, work together to shape communities for the future.
Supporting Skills and Creativity
The visit concluded with a donation of cosmetology supplies to the centre’s newly established beauty skills program. Additionally, each young lady received a personal gift bag.
“Our goal was to show these young women that there are many different paths they can take, and that their interests, creativity, and determination can lead to meaningful careers,” said Tonya Bethel, Senior Director of Human Resources and Administration at BRON.
“By sharing their own experiences, the women of BRON hoped to encourage the girls to see that the possibilities for their futures are truly unlimited.”
With women representing 44 percent of BRON’s team but still comprising a small percentage of professionals in fields such as engineering and architecture, the company says initiatives like this help spark interest among the next generation of Bahamian women considering careers in STEM.
