Orlando
P&DC Maintenance Mechanic Gladys Brignoni
Don't ever tell Gladys Brignoni she
can't do something because she may prove you wrong.
When a work colleague told her she would never
become a maintenance mechanic, she rented a hotel room and studied for three
days.
"This man said I wouldn't get it because
of my ethnic background, and I'm a woman," said Brignoni, who worked
as a custodian. "I thought, I'm going to show him."
She passed the 1½ hour exam, completed the
required training, and has worked as a maintenance mechanic at the Orlando
P&DC since 2020.
"I like that women have the
opportunity to take the test and get promoted," she said. "To be a
maintenance mechanic, you must know the basics of electricity, air
conditioning, motors, and welding. It was a big challenge for me to prove to
myself and other employees in the plant that I could do it, but I did it."
Brignoni, a single mother of two who moved to
Florida from Puerto Rico in 1996, said she enjoys doing things with her hands,
whether building or fixing something. Hence, it made perfect sense for her to
seek the position. "I love this type of work. In the beginning, it was
challenging, but now I find it quite interesting."
There are no other female maintenance mechanics who work on her tour. "But I would love if more women did," she said. "I feel that the work I do is quality and stands on its own."
Brignoni began her career as a Mail
Processing Clerk in 2010. "I have degrees in Communications and Accounting, so perhaps down
the road, I might like to pursue other career opportunities at USPS. But for now, I love what
I'm doing."
