2 women carve unique paths at CUC

In the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor, linemen became the face of Saipan’s recovery and restoration efforts. From the installation of the first power poles along Chalan Pale Arnold in August to the installation of transformers and drop lines in December, the community took notice of the men in hard hats and reflective vests who rebuilt the power grid from scratch.

Prior to Nov. 15, 2015, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. employed only linemen to climb power poles, maneuver bucket trucks, and sag power lines. That all changed on Nov. 16, when Nicialynn Duenas Cabrera began her first day on the job as the CNMI’s first lineperson.

The 19-year-old Cabrera didn’t know she would be making history when she left her family home in Kagman to report for her first day of work at CUC Power Division headquarters in Oleai. At the time, Cabrera was simply following her interest in utility work that was sparked by watching CUC crews serve her community.

“When I was younger I saw one linemen climbing a pole at my house to install my streetlight and I was like, ‘Wow, I want to do that!’ And then I noticed there weren’t any girls so I went for it,” she said.

Cabrera was also inspired to apply by her parents, both of whom work for CUC. Her father, Edgar, is a mechanical foreman who spent the past 20 years with Power Generation, while her mother, Prisca, is a financial accounts technician with four years of service with CUC.

“She’s my baby and I’m happy for her. Working at CUC is like a family tradition. I like seeing her out there and the guys treat her how to be safe,” her father said.

Nicialynn’s mother, Prisca, echoes husband Edgar’s sentiments and says their daughter isn’t letting her male coworkers take it easy on her.

“I’m happy for her. She told me how the guys are with her. She told me she feels that she’s spoiled but then she doesn’t let that actually happen; she’ll just go out and do it with her bare hands,” she said.

While others have applied in the past, Cabrera is the first woman hired by CUC as a trades assistant, lineperson, and the proud product of Kagman High School says she appreciates the opportunity she has as well as her place in local history.

“All eyes are on me now. If I mess up, everyone’s going to know because I’m setting the pace for everyone else,” she said.

Getting hired as a lineperson is just the first step of the journey for Cabrera, as it can take as long as two and a half years to earn her certification through the Pacific Linemen Training Program. Despite the lengthy and strenuous process, Cabrera says she is up for the challenge.

“I’m willing to learn and wait. I heard it’s hard but I can do it,” she said.

As for now, a typical day on the line for Cabrera includes street light maintenance, clearing vegetation, performing visual inspections of transformers, power pole hardware, lateral lines and drop lines with the Papa 5 team under the supervision of lead man Ibut Mongami.

“It’s fun. He’s a really great teacher, he’s very patient, and if I ask him a question he’s always willing to really go into details with it. That’s why I really appreciate what he does,” Cabrera said

A 16-year veteran with CUC, Mongami and his team spent countless hours rebuilding Saipan’s power grid, primarily along Feeder 4. He is impressed with Cabrera’s enthusiasm for the job as he prepares her for the challenges ahead.

“It’s good to teach women to be on the line. She’s doing well and she’s interested in learning. It’s going to take awhile because she has to go through the training; that’s when the instructors teach them how to connect the lines, the hardware, to assemble stuff safely. Safety is the main thing,” he said.

While Cabrera is the first woman lineperson in the CNMI, she welcomes other women to share in her CUC adventure.
“I really encourage them to come out and try it out. It’s really fun; it’s hard but it’s so worth it. You see things you’ve never seen before, go to places you’ve never seen or heard of before and it’s a really great experience.”

Keeping pace

While Cabrera sets the pace for females with the line crew, Koblerville native Janice Celis is following in the footsteps of women who traded convention for fresh air as a fiscal assistant, meter reader.

Celis began her first day with CUC in October after looking for a career that would allow her to work with people while outdoors. She says working as a meter reader with CUC was the perfect fit.

“It’s a good experience to get to know the customers. We’re the first point of contact to greet the customers and they share their concerns. It’s better than doing an office job,” she said.

Though she is not the first female meter reader in the CNMI, Celis appreciates her unique status. While unfazed by having all male coworkers, Celis says she would gladly welcome more women in the ranks.

“It’s great. The guys don’t treat me any different, they treat me just like any other employees. I feel proud because I’m the only female in the department. I love my job and I know other women will love it, too, “she said.

Acting CUC executive director Gary Camacho said that Cabrera and Celis are representative of CUC’s direction.

“CUC is today’s utility and we’re moving forward. We’re an equal opportunity employer and they’re taking advantage of an opportunity that’s been available for many years. We’re all very proud of them and we encourage the men and women of our community to come in and apply for all positions if they’re interested in joining our team,” he said.

For more information, visit the CUC website, www.cucgov.org, or contact the CUC Customer Call Center at 664-4CUC (664-4282). (CUC)