"I've been in the San Diego area my whole life. My mom was a county worker, so she was in a union, but it wasn't like the labor trades, negotiating contracts and stuff along those lines. Once I got to working age, I went to college, and it really wasn't for me. I worked a lot of hours at Starbucks and Panera, but I really wanted to get into the trades.

I knew someone who worked in construction, working with concrete, and I did that work for one summer. If I were to put my body through that year in and year out, I wouldn't make it for long in the trade.

Electricians are known to use their brains as well as their bodies as tools. I'm not talking down any other trade, but when it comes to dealing with power or any type of circuitry on a jobsite, it's important to know what you're doing. So I decided to apply for the IBEW apprenticeship.

The training program was very competitive. You take a written test and then present yourself in front of a panel of board members. And if you've never done our type of work in the trades before, you're probably going to need experience.

I had the construction experience, and it still wasn't enough. I interviewed and didn't get into the program at first.

At Starbucks, I had a regular guest who would come through my window. He was an electrical contractor, nonunion. I got an opportunity with his company to work a starting position. With that experience under my belt, I got into the apprenticeship.

Now I'm in my second year as a sound apprentice. I love the apprenticeship and how they've structured it, and I love working and being with my crew. The schooling and the journeymen and foremen that we have in place on our jobsites keep the work secure and safe.

The IBEW has definitely brought a sense of financial security to my household, along with the stability of our pension and our health care. Being able to cover my whole household with our benefits package is the best feeling — as is owning a home in San Diego, one of the most expensive U.S. cities to live in. I love to spoil my wife, and my pay allows me to do so. We have a 4-year-old, and my wife has a daughter from a previous marriage. My daughter goes for checkups and there's no copay. It's just the icing on the cake.

I wouldn't want to imagine my life without the IBEW. It gives us members the opportunity to be more than just acquaintances, not just 'I work with this guy.' We are family, like brothers and sisters, probably further than blood at this point. My experiences being mentored, and helping wherever I can in turn, I hope to have for the rest of my life."