Path to Pro: Students Share Their Skilled Trades Journey


08/28/2023


As summer comes to an end, a new learning season begins. The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program, in collaboration with SkillPointe Foundation, is transforming the back-to-school experience by providing students with the necessary tools to guide them on their journey.

Students are expressing their reasons for choosing a career in the skilled trades. Lazaro Samano has always had a passion for construction and wants to help build homes and work on complex commercial construction projects. He enjoys watching the development of these large-scale projects and plans to pursue a job as a project coordinator, project estimator, or construction management assistant after graduation.

Sabrina has always had an affinity for math and figuring out how things work. She studied Civil Engineering in college and decided to pursue Construction Management after speaking with a student advisor. As a woman with ADHD in the skilled trades industry, she knows the road ahead may be challenging, but she is determined not to let that stop her.

Aaron has worked in various trades over the years, including insulation installation and vessel engineering in Alaska. He is currently studying HVAC while caring for his fianceé and their four children. After graduation, Aaron hopes to become a commercial or residential service technician.
 
"I enjoy working with my hands and diagnosing / repairing machines. It's what I've always done and always will do," Aaron Kirby.
 
Meredith’s childhood was characterized by playing with Legos and Lincoln logs. In elementary school, she assisted in constructing technical theater sets and later, as an adult, joined disaster response teams. She has always been passionate about constructing things with her own hands. Currently, she is pursuing woodworking studies and plans to undertake her own home renovation project after completing her studies.

"I have a passion for sustainable housing and reusing resources as much as possible, and hope to bring that passion into my business, finding ways to repurpose materials from one project to another", said Meredith.
 
To know more about The Home Depot Foundation’s commitment to trades training, click here.