Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Valedictorian Logan Stroop

For 2023 WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Valedictorian and WECA Arizona founding Member Contractor Corbins employee Logan Stroop, his WECA educational experience can be summed up in one word: “amazing.”

“It was an excellent blend of electrical theory and hands-on labs,” Logan says. “My WECA education gave me a strong foundation in ‘why’ we do what we do. It elevated me from a basic installer to a legitimate electrician capable of problem-solving based on the underlying principles of the issue.”

Logan credits a strong support system – in the classroom, on-the-job, and at home – to his success in WECA Arizona’s Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program.

“First and foremost, I’d like to give a shout-out to my wife, Lindsey. She is my serenity. Next, Instructor Keith Smart never shied away from a code challenge or failed to take the time to explain something until he knew I had a full understanding. He is an asset to the electrical community, ensuring that the next generation of electricians in Arizona have the tools to be successful. And my leadership at Corbins – David Pollard, Andy Blahak, Darin Johnson, Teryl Crank and Matt Apodaca, to name a few – always pushed me to be better and never accepted ‘good enough’ because they themselves strive to be great,” Logan says.

Logan’s striving for greatness doesn’t end with graduation – he acknowledges that the pursuit of education and advancement is a lifelong journey.

“You determine the quality of your life,” Logan says. “Take responsibility for your education and give it 100 percent. It will return whatever you put in tenfold. Never stop learning; always remain teachable. I am going to continue to grow as both an electrician and as a leader with Corbins. I have already begun to look at courses related to Construction Management, among others, to deepen my knowledge of this ever-growing field.”

Congratulations on your graduation, Logan! Your tenacious and enterprising work ethic will take you far, and WECA looks forward to sharing in your journey!

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Graduate Jordan Herrick

2023 WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship graduate and WECA Member Contractor K2 Electric employee Jordan Herrick says that transferring to WECA from his previous educational institution was a “night and day transition” and cites WECA’s Apprenticeship model – with classes held during the daytime for two weeks per semester, allowing Apprentices to receive on-the-job training the rest of the time – as “the best of both worlds”.

“I switched from learning from a book to working hands-on with systems I encounter in the field,” Jordan says. “My instructor, Keith Smart, provided many real-world examples of the subject matter we were learning, and was able to help me understand content instead of just handing it to me. WECA is an enjoyable program that taught me things I use on-the-job every day; it gave me great problem-solving skills, the versatility to complete tasks, and progressed me to my full potential.” 

Jordan also credits WECA’s Apprenticeship program with helping him develop more confidence on-the-job.

“After my final semester at WECA, I became a journeyperson and began working as a foreman. Being in the position to make decisions that directly affect a jobsite can be stressful, but with the code knowledge I learned at WECA and on-site training with my employer, I now feel comfortable making those decisions and leading others,” Jordan says.

But the determination to succeed, drive to perform to the best of his ability, and desire to continually improve both personally and professionally all comes from Jordan, buoyed by support from his family, employer, and instructor Keith Smart.

“My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me from a young age and supported me throughout school and in life in general,” Jordan says. “I’m also grateful to K2 for investing their time and resources into progressing my skills and my future, and to Keith for his patience and willingness to make sure all students were confident with the curriculum and understood its importance.”

Post-graduation, Jordan looks forward to continuing his successful career at K2 and pushing himself to continually improve.

But before Jordan sets off on the next stage of his commercial electrical journey, he encourages current and future WECA Apprentices to “Enter class every day with an open mind and a willingness to learn. WECA will make you a better electrician, but you have to want to learn and succeed for yourself. If you are willing to put in the hard work to succeed, WECA will help you achieve.”

Congratulations, Jordan! We’re glad that WECA was the right program to help you accomplish your goal of becoming a journeyperson and a foreman, and are proud that our Apprenticeship program helped give you confidence to join the next generation of leaders in the Arizona electrical industry!