Wall of Fame

I worked at a job for 16 years content with the way my life and pay was. For years I worked rotating shifts but as my kids got older, I started missing a lot of time with them and my wife. I decided it was time for a change, so I started looking for work elsewhere, but my skills were limited at that time because all I knew was warehouse work, being an operator & driving forklift. I found a job doing inventory, but it was not what I wanted to do and once again started looking for work. I got a job at a winery thinking this is pretty much all I can do but once they decided to start me on night shift, I knew it was time for a major change. By this time, I was 38 & had no idea what I was going to do. I remember my cousin telling me he had went to charter for HVAC/R & honestly, I had tried it back when I was 18 years old. I went to UTI in Arizona but at that time I was a kid who didn’t want to do anymore school, so I dropped out & came back home. Fast forward 20 years later & I was right back in the same situation but this time with a family. They were my inspiration as were a friend of mine & my cousin who both went back to school to better themselves, their lives & their family’s lives. I was scared & did not know what to expect but with the support of my wife, I enrolled and got my life back on track. During my time at Charter College, I made a lot of new friends, and the instructors were nothing but amazing dedicated people who tried their best to share their knowledge with you and help you succeed. I obtained a job at Yakima Fruit & Cold Storage in Wapato a few months after graduating as a refrigeration technician and I could not be happier doing what I do. I love working my hands & using my brain & skills to troubleshoot and problem solve at work. I thank God, my wife/kids, and my instructors for their guidance to becoming the best version of myself. I am proud to say that I am an industrial refrigeration operator and no I do not know everything, but it is ok to ask for help along the way because we all want to be better versions of ourselves. To do the best we can & for myself be a good role model for my kids. I truly hope this helps. It does not matter if one person believes in you, even if that one person is yourself, you can make anything possible, you can make your dreams come true.