"Before coming to the IBEW, I was jumping between jobs and contemplating college, though I had no clear idea what to go for. My uncles were in the IBEW. So was my grandpa. He always talked highly of it, and I figured I would give it a shot. I started as a CW, then attended classes while working at getting into the apprenticeship.

Going through the apprenticeship and earning good wages has given me the opportunity to not only help myself but others around me. I was able to build a house with my wife and afford reliable vehicles.

Being in the brotherhood also gave me opportunities to grow, at work and outside of work. We started a RENEW/NextGen chapter at our local where we've volunteered for many local organizations and hosted small get-togethers and food drives to help the community.

The IBEW has taught me leadership, and that's continuing as I am now vice president of our local and an instructor for some apprenticeship classes.

Sharing our history is paramount and making changes to progress further even more so — moving forward together, bringing members young and old together to talk about our past and where we hope to be in the future.

I'm extremely thankful to be an IBEW member and be where I am today."