Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins: ‘Be brave and be honest – that goes for everything in life’

I’m talking to Katelyn Cummins days before the Dancing with the Stars semi-final. The Rose of Tralee has no idea that in just two weeks, she will be crowned champion and take home the famed disco ball. I catch her in the middle of rehearsals and her Rose duties, while she is also prepping to talk at ETBI’s National FET Conference, where she will be giving her perspective on empowerment, skills and the future of apprenticeship opportunities. 

The break to chat is a much-needed breather. Since her win in Tralee in August of last year, the 20-year-old has thrown herself into the role with abandon. Being so young, this type of pressure, the constant go of it all, could tire even the stronger soldier, but Katelyn has taken it all in her stride and shows no signs of wanting to stop. 

“The team down in Tralee have been so good to me,” she explains. “And they tell me that I don’t have to do everything, but I’m the kind of person who loves to do as much as possible. I’m more of a ‘yes’ person than a ‘try to figure it all out’ person. I try to fit in everything. And for the year that is in it, I want to do it all. I want to make the most of the opportunities that come my way. It’s the type of year you only get once.”

From Dancing with the Stars to panel discussions, from exclusive events to trips abroad, the opportunities have been endless for Katelyn. It’s a glamorous life, one she never expected or envisioned for herself. Growing up on a dairy farm in Ballyouskill, on the Laois-Kilkenny border, her love of the outdoors blossomed early. She admits she was never a fan of school or academics, and knew early on that she didn’t want to attend university. “I had no desire to move out and be broke every day,” she says. “That was my biggest concern. I also can’t study properly; I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy college life and study at the same time. I just don’t have the self-discipline for that.”

It was her father who suggested she try a trade once she finished her secondary education. This moment would ultimately shape the path she follows today.

“He asked me, ‘Why don’t you do a trade or something?'” she recalls. “I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he suggested an apprenticeship. So I went to do work experience for a week with a local electrician down the road. I loved it. The creativity side, all the different jobs we were doing every day. One day, we’d be at a cheese factory, a lighting warehouse, or a normal house. Each day was so different. I thought, ‘Oh my God, there’s so much I can do with this job, it’s not just wiring houses or factories.’ You could do swimming pools, too, which I didn’t even know electricians were involved in. It was eye-opening to see how broad it could be.”

Once she began her apprenticeship, Katelyn quickly knew that she had made the right decision. 

“I just loved every part of it,” she explains. “You’re learning, and you can still enjoy life. I’ve been able to travel while doing my apprenticeship, take holidays when I needed them, and still enjoy myself, something I don’t think a lot of college students can do because they’re so worried about money.”

Electrical apprenticeships are traditionally male-dominated, and for many women, breaking into the field can be a daunting challenge. However, Katelyn says the men she works with have been nothing but welcoming and supportive. “From the start, I felt part of it,” she says. “But that’s not to say I wasn’t scared. I was absolutely terrified on my first day. Then, when I get nervous, I just talk and never stop. So on my first day, I asked a million questions over and over, and the lads got to know me very quickly. I never felt out of place, and it just went from there.”

The exposure from The Rose of Tralee and Dancing with the Stars has been significant, but Katelyn is eager to return to work and to use her platform to create opportunities for women in the electrician industry.

“Personally, I would love to work in the industrial sector,” she explains. “It’s just so unique and organised. Every job is completely different. If I worked in the domestic sector, it would be house after house with much of the same situations, but in the industrial sector, each project is completely new. But I also love to dream big, and I want to eventually create a women-only electrician business. To be able to employ and educate other women in the industry, that would be amazing.”

With that in mind, what advice would she give to other women thinking about entering the trade?

“Be brave and be honest, and that goes for everything in life,” she says. “Honesty is always the best way to go, especially if you’re struggling. If you’re finding something difficult to learn or grasp, just say so. When I started work, I was very up front. I told the lads that ‘I can’t do this or I can’t do that.’  And the response was always, ‘Okay, you’ll learn eventually.’”

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help, that’s what people are there for. Everyone is learning at the same time, and they’re willing to help. The lads I worked with were really welcoming and supportive. They never said, “You’ll figure it out yourself.” They were always there to help when I struggled, and that made a huge difference.”

Soon, it’s time for Katelyn to say goodbye. Rehearsals are calling, and despite the exhaustion, all her hard work eventually paid off. Her year as the Rose will be memorable for myriad reasons, her win on Dancing with the Stars just one of many. 

But if she were to sum it all up in one word? “A whirlwind,” she says. “A once-in-a-lifetime whirlwind.”