Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Cosimo D'Alessio


 

2022 Southern California Commercial Electrical Valedictorian Cosimo D’Alessio credits WECA with giving him a better understanding of the electrical field and a concrete base from which to build upon, while preparing him to exceed, thrive, and advance in his career.

“The impact this program has had on me both personally and professionally might be impossible to quantify,” says Cosimo, who works for WECA Member Contractor Enovity. “The time I’ve spent learning and absorbing the material within this program’s classroom environment over the last five years has been an invaluable asset; giving me the tools in which to develop and succeed.”

Cosimo says his apprenticeship consisted of a combination of hands-on training in the field and an accommodating classroom curriculum that kept him engaged and thoroughly tested his newfound knowledge and comprehension of the electrical field – though completing the program wasn’t without its challenging moments.

“Even though it might seem like an arduous path, spending five years attaining your certification, I promise you it’s an endeavor well worth your time and effort. It certainly was for me. I’ve always believed that perseverance and hard work will always certainly contribute to one’s success” says Cosimo.

Moving forward, Cosimo plans to “continually expand my knowledge of the electrical field” and start his own electrical business. However, he acknowledges that his success would not have been possible without his parents.

“I’d like to thank my parents, without whom none of this would’ve been possible,” concludes Cosimo.

Congratulations, Cosimo! We’re glad that our Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program formed part of the foundation of your success, and prepared you to exceed, thrive, and advance in your career – which you surely will!

Austin Schroeder



2022 WECA Southern California Low Voltage Apprenticeship Valedictorian Austin Schroeder says that WECA provided a fully hands-on education due to being tasked with completing projects from start to finish and seeing them become fully operational.

“Starting a career in low voltage and joining WECA, I was unsure of what to expect or if I would even enjoy this line of work, as I was still unsure of what career path I wanted to take. I started my journey with [WECA Member Contractor] Bergelectric here in Southern California, and shortly after was indentured with WECA as an official apprentice,” says Austin. “But WECA helped me learn more in depth all the different low voltage systems, and it has been a great experience to get to where I am now.”

During his apprenticeship, Austin cites the preparation for testing to get their licenses and to run their own work as providing an education toward several different career options such as programmer, project manager, foreman, and superintendent.

“WECA provided us with the details of different positions that go into completing a job, and which tasks they oversee. Since graduation, I have been promoted to a foreman role with Bergelectric, and am already running my own work on Naval Base Coronado [in San Diego],” says Austin.

In the future, Austin plans to move up within Bergelectric by continuing to “learn more and more” moving forward.

Austin would like to “thank my family and friends for the support along the way, which motivated me to get here, my superintendent, and of course my awesome WECA instructor Mr. P [Neil Pesarillo] for all the help along the way, making this possible.”

Bryce Picone

2022 WECA Southern California Commercial Electrical Apprentice graduate Bryce Picone describes his WECA experience as fun and practical.

“It was fun. From the friends and colleagues you make, to the teachers who get to watch their students learn and grow. It also taught me practical skills, but teachers and other students were able to show real-life applications as well. So, if we weren’t familiar with a specific topic, we were still able to learn hands-on and become familiar with it,” says Bryce.

Bryce also credits his WECA apprenticeship with helping him apply the lessons taught in class to practical on-the-job tasks from bending pipe and pulling wire, to doing voltage drop calculations in the field. Additionally, Bryce credits his family and his tenacity with his success at WECA and in his career, stating that “Everything I’ve done has been for them [my family]. I also strive to be good at what I do – I truly enjoy being an electrician, so why not be good at it?”

Bryce says that the apprenticeship provided a positive challenge for him, especially when going over the code book and the calculations. But he implores apprentices to “Keep asking questions; you’re still learning. Even when you’re finished with the program, the learning doesn’t stop.”

After graduation, Bryce’s priority is raising his newborn son and continuing to work at WECA Member Contractor Helix Electric with the goal of hopefully someday becoming a superintendent.

“I would also like to shout out to my amazing wife for always believing in me, and my mom and my two brothers. And all the superintendents and the journeymen I have had the pleasure of learning from. And lastly, my teachers and fellow students – without them, these past five years wouldn’t have been as fun.”

Congratulations, Bryce, on your graduation and your growing family! You have so much to look forward to, and we here at WECA are excited to see you accomplish your goals!