GEN NXT: Emmalyn Sides

Photos: Emmalyn Sides


This month, the MCAA got the chance to talk with 19-year-old Emmalyn Sides who is at the beginning of her journey in the masonry industry. Her love for competing and improving her skills is apparent and her love for the craft is the exact reason she was picked for this month's GEN NXT Interview

Emmalyn Sides’ journey into the masonry industry began unexpectedly in the 7th grade. During a Girl Scout project, she found herself involved in building a fire pit for a local church. Guided by her teacher, Emmalyn discovered her knack for masonry, igniting a passion that would carry her through her high school years. Although her initial attempts to form a masonry club in her sophomore year didn’t pan out, her junior year marked a significant turning point as she immersed herself in the craft and began participating in competitions.

MCAA: How did your journey in the masonry industry begin?

Emmalyn Sides: The first time I ever heard about masonry, I was in 7th grade and there was a Girl Scout Project, and they were building a fire pit for the local church. And so I went there, and I learned how to do masonry from my teacher and that was when I really learned how to do masonry. I tried to do a masonry club my sophomore year of high school, and then the school ended up doing away with it. But I did a little bit of masonry, my sophomore year. My junior year was when I really started learning how to do masonry, and my teacher started talking to me about the competitions and stuff like that.



For Emmalyn, the most rewarding aspect of being a mason is the competitions. These events provided her with an opportunity to test her skills against others and see how she measured up. The competitive atmosphere allowed her to gauge her abilities, and to her delight, she found she was quite adept. The sense of achievement and the ability to see her hard work pay off through these competitions made them her favorite part of masonry.

MCAA: What's been your favorite part about being a mason?

Emmalyn Sides: I think my favorite part has been the competitions. The competitions have probably been my favorite part because I’m able to actually compete against other people. And since I don't technically do it as a job I was able to see how good I actually was. If I was good, or if I wasn't good, it turned out that I was pretty decent at it, so I enjoyed it. It felt like my work kind of paid off whenever I was able to evaluate myself compared to other people.

 

Being a female in a predominantly male industry comes with its own set of challenges. Emmalyn recalls a particularly disheartening moment during a team competition when a male teammate doubted her ability to contribute beyond holding tools. However, these experiences only fueled her determination. Rather than being discouraged, Emmalyn uses such challenges as motivation to prove her skills and break stereotypes in the masonry industry.

MCAA: What kind of challenges have you had to overcome so far?

Emmalyn Sides: Well, being a girl in masonry, I would say there's definitely some challenges. I remember there was one comment. We had a competition where there was a 5 man team building a wall. And one of the men on my team made a comment about how I was gonna help them, and if I can just hold the tools. So there have just been instances like that where it’s not as easy being a girl in masonry, but it keeps me motivated.

 

Emmalyn's passion for masonry is sustained by her love for learning and continuous improvement. Each day in the classroom presents an opportunity to refine her skills, and she takes pride in the progress she has made since her beginnings. The combination of learning and competing keeps her engaged and eager to return to masonry each day.

MCAA: What keeps you coming back to masonry every single day?

Emmanlyn Sides: I really like learning and improving my skills every day in the classroom. Being able to look back and see how much I’ve improved since I started, as well as being able to compete in the competitions is something I really love also.



As she transitions into her sophomore year of college, Emmalyn's future in masonry is still taking shape. Currently undecided in her major, she is exploring various interests, including agriculture. While she contemplates her career path, Emmalyn plans to keep masonry as a side pursuit, allowing time to see where her interests ultimately lead her.

MCAA: What are your plans for the future?

Emmalyn Sides: So right now, I kinda don't have any set plans for the future. I’m going into my sophomore year in college, and I'm technically undecided because I can't declare the major that I want until this fall. I'm also getting more into agriculture, but as far as masonry, I might stick with side work for now, and see where my future takes me.

 

To those considering a career in masonry, Emmalyn offers simple but powerful advice: "You never know if you'll like something until you try it." She emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of available resources and reaching out to the welcoming community within the masonry industry. Emmalyn assures that many are willing to teach and support newcomers, highlighting masonry as a viable and rewarding career path for those willing to give it a try.

MCAA: What kind of advice would you give to somebody who might be on the fence about joining the masonry industry?

Emmalyn Sides: I would probably say that you never know if you'll like something until you do it. So you might as well try, especially if you have the resources, and if you don't have the resources, there's a lot of people that do. You can definitely reach out to most of the people in the masonry industry, a lot of people are really friendly. And so if you just talk to them about it, they're always up for new people that want to try it out, so they'll definitely be willing to teach and help. And it's really a good industry. And I think it's definitely a feasible thing like I said, you just got to go for it if you really want to, or if you think you want to. You never know if you don't try.