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While Tonya Hicks admittedly has been through some tough years as her business has gained traction, her biggest return has been “empowering women economically,” she said. “Being a boss is giving other people an opportunity to make money and to help them grow,” she said. “Not until you are building up another person are you a true leader.”
Her fortune changed during her summer break when she landed work as a laborer at a paper mill. “It was exciting,” she said. “I saw how the industrial electricians were using math all the time.” She forfeited her scholarship and did not return to college in the fall. “My family thought I was a complete failure and letting everyone down,” she said. Her challenges continued. When Hicks applied for the apprenticeship program at her hometown electrical union, she found herself being interviewed by five white men. “They told me, ‘You know three white women tried before you and failed,’” she recalled. “‘Don’t you think it’s going to be hard you being a black female?’ And I said, ‘Nope.’”
Tonya tells Chicago Tribune's Kerry Hannon about how she never settled.
