Kayleen McCabe chose a career in construction, which may seem a unique choice for female high school students in pondering their futures.

She spoke during presentations on Monday at Jemison High School and Thorsby High School about the opportunities that exist not only in construction but other trade programs as well.

McCabe talked about her own real life experiences as a production assistant on “Trading Spaces,” as well as working on a variety of HGTV construction shows before starting her own show “Rescue Renovation” on the DIY Network.

“This was such an interactive group, McCabe said. “I have never had an all-female crowd. That’s awesome.”

The presentation was made possible with the aid of “Power Up: It’s a Mother Daughter Thing,” which is a program based in Birmingham that encourages young women to consider a career path in construction.

“People recognize the need and the value for it hear in our state,” said Mittie Cannon, the founder of Power Up. “It has been something that I haven’t really had to sell the importance of it,” said

The advantages that were highlighted in trade jobs compared to more traditional office jobs are the ability to move around and involve physical attributes in the workplace.

“I’ve always been the type to get my hands dirty,” Jemison senior Rosa Gomez said. “As soon as she started speaking, I knew for sure that was something I wanted to do.”

Gomez had an idea of exploring the field of construction prior to attending the event, but was assured that it was the right decision for her following Monday’s presentation.

“I don’t want to knock college, but I also want to remind people that they have options,” McCabe said. “In construction, you can swing a hammer, wear a hard hat or wear a lab coat. It all depends on where you want to go.”

McCabe stressed to the audience that she had to go through a long process before she discovered her love of construction.

McCabe said she wants everyone to be aware of what is out there so that they do not make the same mistakes in finding the passion in their lives.

“Be afraid of losing your fingers on the jobsite, but don’t be afraid of failure,” McCabe said.