Arlington Teen Works as an Electrician, Family History Consultant

ARLINGTON — Along with helping her dad in the family electrical business, teenager Mya Valdez has another passion: family history research.

Mya, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spends her spare time serving as a family history consultant where she helps other teens in her youth group set up family history accounts so they can access their family tree and learn more about their ancestors. 

In family history, “we can connect these images of people to real life to an actual spirit who has passed on. I think this is the major part of family history that I love because you are doing God’s work,” she said.

Mya was just 16 years old when she began learning more from her father, Erik Valdez, about electrical work, and now she enjoys juggling that with her love for family history. “I want to learn this because I feel that knowing these things can help me later in life,” Mya said about her work with her father. “Being able to do these things myself seems very empowering and as a bonus, it helps save money.”

Mya said holding her arms up with tools for long periods of time or pulling wire are the hardest things about being an electrician. “Both of these take a lot of arm strength!” she said. She enjoys changing lights and fixing switches since she is comfortable doing those tasks.

When she’s not working with her dad or doing homework, she, as well as other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide free family history classes and help at 3809 Curt Dr., Arlington, TX 76016 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at various times. 

For more information visit https://arlingtontxfhc.org or email [email protected].