Willow Discovers is a series in which a curious young girl gets to experience the many facets of manufacturing. The true story of my daughter, Laila, being curious about my work was the inspiration to create a way for young children to go on adventures with Willow exploring how things are made and how they work, as well as, learning to read. As a female first in the welding industry, I believe this series can be a place for children to create, innovate, and explore manufacturing industries that may otherwise not be displayed often.

Formato	Tapa dura
Número de Páginas	24
Lenguaje	Inglés
Editorial	Yellow Bricks & Rosie Lips
Fecha de Publicación	2020-03-15
Dimensiones	8.5" x 11.0" x 0.25" pulgadas
Serie	Willow Discovers
Letra Grande	No
Con Ilustraciones	Si
Edad	4-7

Gilliam, Kelli

Kelli Gilliam is a North Carolina native, wife, mother of 5, and professional welder by trade. She is a United States Navy Seabee veteran; she completed 8 years as a Steelworker. Gilliam recently concluded 10 years of shipbuilding at the world's largest shipbuilding yard, where she achieved numerous recognitions including being their Apprentice School's first female Welding Craft Instructor. The Apprentice School at HII-NNS is where she was able to receive her welding apprenticeship and Associates in Business Administration. In 2018, Gilliam was 1 of 30, to receive the national recognition of Emerging Leader STEP Ahead award from the Manufacturing Institute in Washington D.C. In 2019, Gilliam was 4th Runner Up at the Mrs. Virginia America pageant. Through her platform "Changing the Perspective of Manufacturing" she speaks, mentors, and champions various STEM programs and organizations that bring about career exploration for K-12 students. She is the cover story for The WELDER magazine September 2018 issue. "Willow Discovers Welding" is her first book of many to come. The time she spent at her children's career days opened her eyes to the limited visibly of the many great career opportunities. After she became homeless for a period, with two small children, she had to rely on her welding knowledge for a job and it has since become a career, given her ability to build her family a brand new home, and now she gives back to make sure that others can be aware of the opportunities in the Manufacturing industry.