Valedictorian Isaiah Cook
Working on small projects around his house—like replacing outlets or light switches—fascinated WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2025 Valedictorian Isaiah Cook. Later, Isaiah got the opportunity to interview with an electrical contractor and made the switch to an electrical career from a previous unsatisfying one.
Isaiah enjoyed a valuable and productive apprenticeship with WECA and his employer, Arizona Member Contractor Corbins. Isaiah especially enjoyed the opportunities to work on a variety of job sites and supplementing what he learned on-the-job with coursework in WECA’s classrooms and labs.
“One of the interesting jobs I worked on was base housing at Luke Air Force Base. Over several days, I gained all kinds of hands-on experience, including diagnosing issues with light poles, locating underground circuits, replacing blown transformer fuses, and even replacing a panel that had melted due to an arc blast,” said Isaiah.
What’s more, Isaiah said “The ability to step away from field work for a couple of weeks and focus on your knowledge of electrical theory is incredibly helpful for understanding how things work and why.”
Isaiah succeeded in his apprenticeship because he conquered challenges head-on with wisdom and leaned on his mentors and teammates for support.
“I believe one of the biggest challenges anyone will face is overcoming the fear of failing,” said Isaiah. “Mistakes are inevitable—you might kink a pipe, nick a wire, or misread a print, to name a few common ones. But what matters most is owning those mistakes and learning from them. Ultimately, it’s those experiences that help you grow and become a better professional.”
Additionally, Isaiah said “During the early years of my apprenticeship in the service department, Kenneth Morris, Dale Griffith, and Richard Frescas shared so much knowledge and were never stingy with their guidance. Kenneth took me under his wing and spent the time teaching me what he knew when I quite literally knew nothing about electrical work. I wouldn’t be the electrician I am today without their support, and my appreciation for them is immeasurable.”
After graduation, Isaiah will continue to work on medium voltage with his “amazing team” and will focus on continuing to learn as much as possible. Isaiah hopes to become specialized in medium voltage and someday lead his own team.
Congratulations, Isaiah! Your humility, work ethic, and strong teamwork helped you succeed and become the Valedictorian of your class. We know that these traits will help you succeed and mentor the next generation of electricians in the Arizona commercial electrical industry.
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Salutatorian Nathan Urioste
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.
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Graduate Matthew Galindo
WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2025 graduate Matthew Galindo is unique among his cohort because he came to WECA with 10 years of electrical field experience.
Many years ago, Matthew made a career change and got a job as a helper for a fire alarm contractor. He enjoyed the work and challenges that the electrical trade brought and continued crafting a career in the field.
Eventually, Matthew applied for the WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program and began working for WECA Arizona Member Contractor Corbins after his acceptance into the program.
However, Matthew acknowledged that “being labeled an apprentice was a challenge” when he began his apprenticeship with 10 years of experience in the electrical industry. Matthew said he was often asked “why now?”, to which he answered that he had never had the opportunity to pursue an electrical apprenticeship before.
During his apprenticeship, Matthew looked forward to learning at WECA every six months and said that the most fun job he had during his apprenticeship was working on the Lucid Motors project.
“The variety of work and my coworkers at the time made that project very enjoyable for me,” Matthew said.
When looking back on his apprenticeship, Matthew thanked WECA Arizona Apprenticeship Manager and Lead Instructor Keith Smart for his tutelage and for “being the only other one besides myself who could appreciate the 80s”, and his employer Corbins for “seeing the potential in me and deciding to invest in my future.”
Congratulations on your graduation, Matthew, and thank you for choosing the WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program to further your electrical industry education!