SHIPYARD WOMAN OF STEEL JESSI HATON KNOWS HER HARD WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST She’s only worked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for four years, but Jessi Haton’s short career can already be described as remarkable. Jessi was the only female welder and the only apprentice burning hull cuts on the USS La Jolla (SSN 701) conversion project, completing the first of 10 when she was still just a freshman apprentice. Bursting with good-natured determination, Jessi is recognized as a talented and reliable welder on the shipyard waterfront, and she even graduated from the apprentice program six months early. “Jessi Haton is a Godsend,” said Shop 26 Supervisor David Simmons. “She is a very special person, head and shoulders before her time, with an impeccable skill set when it comes to operating track torches or any cutting operation, no job is too big or small for her to accomplish with first time quality. Each and every time I gave her a welding or burning job, it was done with very little supervision and right the first time with no rework. She takes pride and professionalism in all work assigned to her.” Jessi joined the shipyard family in 2014 after applying for the apprentice program.
“It was my first job ever doing any type of manual labor and I’ve loved every minute of it,” said Jessi. She didn’t know much about the shipyard, but Jessi grew up in a Navy family and quickly understood the importance of NNSY’s mission. “Both of my parents were active duty and we’ve always had a lot of military pride,” she said. “I’m a little more unique and
jobs, like when she’s working in a coffinsized chamber inside the bilge of a submarine during the middle of the summer. “I was on my elbows and my stomach all day,” she said. “It was hot outside and I was drenched in sweat. When I got that job finished and everything passed by the quality assurance inspectors, it felt amazing. They’ll tell you when don’t do a good job, and a lot of people have told me my welds look great. That positive reinforcement makes me feel confident in my work. You’ve got to find the positive in everything.” Jessi, whose second baby girl is due in October, is currently working as an administrative assistant for the Structural and Welding Groups (Codes 920 and 926), but she’s eager to get out from behind the desk. “Before I got pregnant I was getting my nuclear pipe welding qualifications,” she said. “I’m ready to get back to it. I know it’ll be an adjustment period when I get back because it’s a very physically demanding job, but I just really like to be good at what I do, I want to be the best. It’s not even about being the one of the best female welders, it’s about being one of the best welders.” When she’s not climbing in tanks or
“I want to be the best.”
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artistic, and I don’t want to be held within any limits, so the military wasn’t a great idea for me. But coming here, I get to support the military and people like my mom, who is still active duty.” Jessi calls the job challenging but enjoyable, and she seems to have found a new passion mastering a trade she’d never considered learning. “I discovered I was naturally good at welding and burning even if I don’t always understand the science behind it.” The drive to be the best at what she does keeps Jessi going through the most difficult
10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT Jessi Haton 1. Purple is my favorite color. and lavender is my favorite smell. 2. My favorite movie is "Four Brothers" 3. I lived in Rota, Spain for three years and I loved it.
PHOTO BY ANNA TAYLOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST
4. Mark Wahlburg is my celebrity crush.
cutting submarines apart, Jessi’s priority is her family. “My five-year-old daughter keeps me busy, especially in the summertime,” she said. “Every chance we get we’re at the beach or going to the aquarium and just trying to keep busy.” She may be setting records as a woman, but Jessi is more concerned with succeeding as a welder than breaking any gender boundaries, and her male counterparts have learned not to treat her delicately. “They don’t take it easier on me because I’m a girl. They know I’m a good worker, so they push me harder. It keeps me motivated because I feel needed. It makes me want to come to work.”
And while she doesn’t minimize her responsibility as a role model to two daughters, for Jessi it’s less about gender and more about taking pride in the work. “Don’t wrap your head around the way people perceive women at the shipyard,” she said, offering advice to others who may follow in her footsteps. “Don’t come in as a female trying to make it in this environment. Don’t see yourself as different from anyone else. Your mindset should be, ‘I’m not doing this well as a woman, I’m doing this well because I’m good at it,’ and in that way you earn a lot more respect.”
5. I love gardening! 6. If they make a movie about my life, hopefully someone cool like Mila Kunis will play me. 7. I'm always singing something in my head, I love a lot of songs. 8. I would love to own a Toyota Tacoma or Toyota 4Runner. 9. The dress was blue and black! 10. I love strawberry cake with cream cheese icing.
ABOVE: The hull of USS La Jolla (SSN 701) is split into three sections during its conversion to a Moored Training Ship. Photo by Shayne Hensley, NNSY Photographer. JULY 2018 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 21