While Laborer Michelle Corona is the first woman to join the Belt’s Mechanical team, she said, “I’m going to start with the same expectations as anyone else. This is exciting for me, and it’s a good long-term career move.”

Formerly in the hospitality industry, Corona heard about the Belt from a friend and was immediately interested in working for a company founded in 1882.

She recently praised those who are training and mentoring her, and said she feels supported by her new teammates. 

“Safety is king here, and it needs to be,” Corona said. 

She knows the train crews use the locomotives she helps prepare as their workspace.

“I want to make it as comfortable as possible for them,” she said, noting her mission is similar to her experience in hotel management. 

Outside of work, Corona and her husband, Joseph, have two cats and a 6-years-old dog who “still thinks he’s a puppy.”

I’m going to start with the same expectations as anyone else. This is exciting for me, and it’s a good long-term career move.

— Laborer Michelle Corona