9 YEAR OLD HAILEY VISITS REED PAINTING FOR A DAY
Its 6:30 in the morning as Hailey eagerly jumps in the car and begins the 45 minute commute to work. Yes, that’s right—work. This day is quite different than every other day in the life of a 9 year old; thanks to the National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Hailey gets to join a parent at work, gaining valuable exposure to career options and in the process build self-confidence. She had the choice to join mom in an office setting but opted for a more active pursuit and joined dad instead. Kris, a crew leader with Reed Painting Company, welcomed the opportunity to show his daughter a day in the life of a painter.
Hailey looked the part in Carhartt bibs and RPC work shirt as she walked into the shop—she came ready to work! The day started with an introduction to owner Randy Reed, complete with professional hand shake, and then the work begins. First there is a quick look over the job board, a bit of painting in the shop and then it’s off to the job sites. The first stops of the day were to residential projects, where Hailey was able to meet homeowners and get a tour of all the jobs in progress. Nexton the list is the Seattle Art Museum. It was there that Kris taught his daughter how to prepare a room: lay a drop cloth, mask the walls and trim, and sand areas in need prior to painting. Hailey worked hard all morning and the reward for a job well done was lunch at the Rusty Pelican Café. After a few more hours of work our friends at the Museum surprised Hailey with a private tour and even let her get a “behind the scenes” look at the inner workings of the museum and the Nick Cave Exhibit. It certainly was a nice way to end the work day!
Hailey noted in a paper she wrote for her class project, “…over all I had a good day at work and I learned a lot.”
For more information on this educational program please visit the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation Website at
www.daughtersandsonstowork.org.
