Marion Murphy was the first female lineman on the Long Island Railroad. It felt good, she says, and it’s an accomplishment that she’s still proud of today. But that’s hardly the most exceptional thing about her. She was also the best pole climber in her department—a leader and a teacher who passed her skills on to the new lineman.
She learned it all at Job Corps.
Her mother was the one who convinced her to give Job Corps a shot. Marion had been attending college but came home after her father passed away. She had already been wondering whether college was the best fit for her. The idea of sitting behind a desk all day didn’t appeal to her; she would much rather spend the day outside. Marion also has severe dyslexia that made traditional academic learning more difficult for her. So, when she toured Oneonta Job Corps and found out that most of her training would be real, practical learning, she was sold.
“Having the ability to learn hands-on was absolutely huge for me,” she said. “It’s part of the reason I was able to excel so well at Job Corps, because it wasn’t just textbooks.”
Excel she did. Marion started in the Facilities Maintenance program, then tried her hand at Electrical. The Overhead Line training program was the one that really compelled her. Funnily enough, one of her instructors was a longtime friend. He was a newer instructor and appreciated having Marion around, as she was able and willing to step up to help her peers. Marion likes teaching and finds that it comes naturally to her.
“One of the best ways to learn is to teach,” she said. “That definitely helped me a lot, and I know it helped the other students. It’s different coming from a peer.”
That experience, plus the credentials she earned, helped Marion land her job with the Long Island Railroad after graduating from Oneonta Job Corps in 2013. She worked there for about six years before taking a position as a signalman with the Canadian Pacific Railway in 2020, so that she could be closer to home. She’s grateful to Job Corps for all the opportunities it provided her to be as successful as she is.
Her advice for other women considering a career in a male-dominated field? Just do it. The hardest part is the work itself.
“You’re going to be the only [woman],” she said, “but if you’re good at what you do and you like what you do, it doesn’t matter. Don’t let anybody discourage you from doing what you want to do.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: April, 2013 Employer: Canadian Pacific Railway Hometown: Schenevus, New York Phone: 607-437-5888 Submitted by: Hannah Purdy Notes:
Source: ETR operator, Scott Dunham, Vice-President – Operations & Support, scott.dunham@etrky.com and Chris Kuhn, Academy Director, Kuhn.Chris@jobcorps.org
Salary: $40/hr