Since then, the twins have been pretty much unstoppable. Both were able to earn their apprenticeship hours while at KPU, received scholarships and awards to help with their education costs, and went on to become Red Seal Certified Welders.

The job opportunities haven't stopped either. Suveen and Shmyla are currently working together on the largest clean energy project in Canada: the Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment Project in Ontario.

Working in nuclear has the highest standards for safety, and the experience has been demanding but fulfilling. The high level of expectations in that environment and the natural competition between the twins pushes them to become better welders, they say.

"We're at the highest point in our careers," says Shmyla. "And it's because of the experience and knowledge we got at Kwantlen."

Suveen and Shmyla still keep in touch with the friends they made on their KPU Eagles basketball team.

They have also found a community of people who, like them, have built successful careers in the trades because it works for their lifestyle.

"We've met people in the trades who started out in completely different fields, couples who are in it together and ladies who started at 35," says Suveen. "It's something you can always fall back on."

They don't hesitate to encourage other women who are considering entering a trade.

"I would tell any girl that anyone can do it," says Shmyla. "We all struggle, but there's a reward. You'll never regret it."

Today she laughs thinking about the time she cried in class.

"How successful I've ended up being," she says. "And I always look back at that one day I broke down and had Al Sumal and Rob Nelson telling me to keep practising," she says.

"If I didn't get that extra attention from the teachers, I don't think I would be where I am today. We're completely different people because of the program – it made us stronger."

Shmyla and Suveen still keep in touch with their instructors, to get advice on a job or to rely on their experience.

"When I got my first job, I called Al Sumal and said, 'What do I do?'" says Suveen. "They are my mentors. They actually care."

Just five years since they completed the KPU welding program, they say they've found a career that they're excited about, that offers them financial comfort and the opportunity to travel.

"It's exciting," says Suveen. "I love it everyday still."