Being an electrician is a great career for people who like to work with their heads and their hands. That’s certainly true for Nathan Urioste, the Salutatorian of the WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2025.

“I found an interest in electrical working on cars and having to troubleshoot circuits and using wiring diagrams. I liked the mental challenge it provided,” said Nathan.

Nathan characterized his apprenticeship with WECA and WECA Arizona Member Contractor Corbins as fun, rewarding, and challenging.

“Working on NTT data centers [on-the-job] was fun. I acquired a lot of knowledge on that site alone and the experience working on medium voltage has been rewarding and inspirational,” said Nathan. “Going to WECA was very rewarding—whether I was learning something new, or expanding on things I already knew, Keith Smart was an awesome instructor, keeping things interesting and making it easy to grasp and understand new concepts and topics.”

Nathan found a lot of support during his apprenticeship. “I would like to thank Jose Iriondo, Logan Stroop, and Eliseo Velazco, just to name a few, for the many opportunities to grow in my career and expand my skillset and setting me up for a successful and fulfilling future,” said Nathan.

After graduation, Nathan plans to continue growing his skillset and take advantage of travel work opportunities that come his way.

Congratulations on your graduation and Salutatorian accomplishment, Nathan! Thank you for setting a great example of hard work and working through challenges for fellow apprentices and future apprentices alike.