Unfocused, unsuccessful, and unmotivated are words that I thought truly described me in high school. It was frustrating to be viewed in this light. I graduated high school in 2020 very concerned and confused about my future. Two days after graduation I went to work with my dad the HVAC project manager. I was clearly starting at the bottom rung as the shop kid. I ran errands and swept floors at first. The work was heavy and the hours were long. Being up and useful at 6:30 a.m. was new to me. I didn’t know if this really the future I wanted. As time went on I noticed a change in the way people treated me. I had been listening and storing information. I had been learning and growing as a person in the workforce and as an individual. People were coming to me with questions. I started feeling confident, and everyone expressed that my work ethic and knowledge was exceptional. My personal definition of myself had changed. I enrolled in Elgin Community College to get my associates in HVAC. I am on my second semester and I have a 4.0. My life is work and school. It is tiring, but I see a great future for myself. I know that I will be able to support myself and my family some day. Often people go away to college, accrue debt, and do not finish, or do not use their degree. I know that with my skill set I am needed, and I am already using what I learn in school. I am a union member now. I am from a union family. There is a lot more stability and necessity in the trades than society seems to recognize. The world would not function without the tradesmen, but it is not often recognized. Children are taught that a traditional four year college is the sign of a productive United States citizen. There is little mention of the motivation, determination, and education of a tradesman. I believe society should start celebrating the and encouraging the trades. I feel very lucky that I have found my niche, and I have a bright future ahead of me. I have always looked up to my father for his work. I have watched him climb the ladder in the trades, and I hope now it’s his turn to watch me. When you put your efforts into something you were meant for it shows. I feel that I am respected by my family, coworkers, and friends now. I am a proud tradesman, and some day I hope to teach another generation of tradesmen.

Unfocused, unsuccessful, and unmotivated are words that I thought truly described me in high school. It was frustrating to be viewed in this light. I graduated high school in 2020 very concerned and confused about my future. Two days after graduation I went to work with my dad the HVAC project manager. I was clearly starting at the bottom rung as the shop kid. I ran errands and swept floors at first. The work was heavy and the hours were long. Being up and useful at 6:30 a.m. was new to me. I didn’t know if this really the future I wanted. As time went on I noticed a change in the way people treated me. I had been listening and storing information. I had been learning and growing as a person in the workforce and as an individual. People were coming to me with questions. I started feeling confident, and everyone expressed that my work ethic and knowledge was exceptional. My personal definition of myself had changed. I enrolled in Elgin Community College to get my associates in HVAC. I am on my second semester and I have a 4.0. My life is work and school. It is tiring, but I see a great future for myself. I know that I will be able to support myself and my family some day. Often people go away to college, accrue debt, and do not finish, or do not use their degree. I know that with my skill set I am needed, and I am already using what I learn in school. I am a union member now. I am from a union family. There is a lot more stability and necessity in the trades than society seems to recognize. The world would not function without the tradesmen, but it is not often recognized. Children are taught that a traditional four year college is the sign of a productive United States citizen. There is little mention of the motivation, determination, and education of a tradesman. I believe society should start celebrating the and encouraging the trades. I feel very lucky that I have found my niche, and I have a bright future ahead of me. I have always looked up to my father for his work. I have watched him climb the ladder in the trades, and I hope now it’s his turn to watch me. When you put your efforts into something you were meant for it shows. I feel that I am respected by my family, coworkers, and friends now. I am a proud tradesman, and some day I hope to teach another generation of tradesmen.