What type of miner are you and how long have you been mining? Where are you currently mining?
Underground miner currently at Vulcan Materials
What led you to a mining career?
After several different jobs that I hated, I was looking for a career instead of a job I dreaded going to. First tour underground I fell in love and never looked back.
What's a misperception you think the general population has about mining or the biggest thing people should know that they don't know about it?
The majority of this nation believes we can do away with mining. What they need to understand is that if we can’t grow it we have to mine it, the luxuries people have become accustomed to like electricity, driving cars, golfing, concrete etc are all made possible by mining
If someone questioned if they would like mining, do you have any advice on questions they could ask themselves about their personality etc. that could help them have a better sense of if they should give it a try?
- Do you mind not seeing the sun for long periods of time.
- Can you eat a cold lunch everyday, or not eat at all
- Can you have the back of someone you dislike “because we are our brothers keeper underground”?
- Do you have thick skin? Underground miners don’t hold back and could care less about your feelings
- Can you go long hours without your family?
- Finally can you work yourself to the point of exhaustion and then dig in deeper to keep going for one more round
If there was one thing you could change about the mining industry, what would it be?
Stop making a person management just because they went to college every boss should have to come up through the ranks and know what it’s like to sweat and bleed with us
