Looking Ahead to EPA Results

Justin touched on the EPA. The results should be back next week.

Everyone studied very hard — not just for the certification itself, but for the full EPA Universal exam. I know how much effort went into that.

Our Bigger Goal

Our goal isn’t just to get you certified — it’s to get you hands-on experience, the right mindset, and a foundation for your future in HVAC.

Adding to Your Skill Set: OSHA 10

We also offer OSHA 10, which is happening on the 6th and 7th. Hopefully, you can attend and add that to your growing library of skills and certifications.

A Quick Note About Our Next Guest

Now, one individual didn’t take the EPA. Honestly, I didn’t think he’d be able to pass it.

But rather than just explain, let’s take a look at the video. You’ll understand.

Staying Real About HVAC

[Applause]

It’s definitely not easy being an HVAC technician. You’re going to face some difficult roads. You might not get your first job right away. Sometimes, it takes several interviews.

You know how many companies I called? That’s one thing I forgot to mention.

Calling 72 Companies

I called 72 companies.

This was during the slow season — around November — and that’s a time when big HVAC companies tend to lay people off. The good companies? They keep their employees even through the slow times. That says a lot.

So yeah — I called over 72 places. I’ll never forget that. Either they didn’t pick up, or they told me no. And having a record definitely played a role.

There was one company that looked promising, but here’s the thing — I was only calling companies that had three key traits:

1. They were professional.
2. They ran their business the right way — with integrity, not trying to scam clients.
3. They focused on growing and developing their technicians.

If a company didn’t meet those standards, I didn’t call them. I did thorough research — looking on Google, calling around — to find the right places. These 72 companies weren’t random — they were carefully chosen, and still, I got no response from most of them.

The Message: Be Persistent

So what’s the point? Be persistent.

Now, it’s summer season, and a lot of companies are hiring. But you still have to be mindful of who you work for.

If you want to cut corners and scam people — that’s your call. But if you want to do good work, grow in the trade, and become the best tech you can be, do your research. Choose your employer with the same level of scrutiny you’d want someone to use when choosing a tech to enter their home.

Perseverance and Attitude Matter

Perseverance is key — but so is attitude.

As G was saying earlier, it’s about treating the resident with respect, doing a thorough job, and doing the right job. When you do that, great things follow.

You’ll get trusted to go out on a van, handle service calls on your own — and that’s a big deal. That kind of trust? That’s kudos. That’s growth.

So congratulations — seriously. On a personal and professional level, you deserve it. I’m proud of you.

Confidence and Challenge Go Hand in Hand

No matter who you are, no matter your background — it’s always going to be a challenge. Always.

That said, I like to give each person a chance to come up and say a few words.

Some of you may know this — or maybe not — but we do videos in here. There are a couple of reasons for that:

One, it helps increase our visibility online. But more importantly, it builds your confidence. That’s something special — being able to show people, wherever they are, what you’re learning and doing.

And that’s pretty cool.

So with that, I’m going to take this down for just a second.

Acknowledging the Growth

Understanding what Mrs. Smith’s problem is — and how we can fix it — that’s important. Choice matters. And of course, respect.

As Elaine said, the level of respect here from everyone was amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Confidence Over Time

On day one, not a lot of people were very confident. A few thought they were — thought they knew what they were doing. I’m not going to single Jose out at all, so don’t even look that way. (I’m just teasing.)

The level of confidence from day one all the way through was very noticeable — by me and, I think, by everybody. Especially the family members.

Recognizing Hard Work

It’s important that we recognize the hard work these individuals put in for six weeks. It was very, very hard.

Introducing the Instructor

Now, one of the instructors… That’s not fair. One of the instructors — I’m going to have him come up here for just a few moments and say a couple of words.

Sometimes, when he talks, I can’t get him to stop — but today, I’ll ask him to tone down the profanity just a little. (Not that he ever had a potty mouth.)

Andrew, come on up here, please.

Andrew’s Reflections

Hi.

It was a really good group. We’ve had — what — 30, 40, maybe 50 of these classes by now. And there’s always this similarity: you all come in here not knowing each other, and by the time you leave, you’ve somehow created this strange, amazing connection.

I’ve never seen anything like it. Just the way you mesh together as a group — it’s something special.

Tough But Purposeful

Now, I’m not always a nice guy. And yes, I can be pretty… vibrant with my words — all five of them. But it’s all with purpose.

At the end of the day, it’s about helping you understand what’s really out there — because this is the industry. When you’re shaking hammers, this isn’t an office job.

I think you learned that. Some of you probably learned it more than others.

You Got Lucky… Sort Of

You guys were the start of the heat season — you got lucky. You weren’t out there sweating every day. The next class? Yeah, they’re going to hate me even more. They’ll be out in the afternoon heat while I stay cool in here in the morning.

Impressive Growth

But the growth I saw from all of you — it was immense. Really.

From day one, some of you came in not knowing anything about HVAC. The most hands-on thing you’d done before was maybe build an IKEA furniture set. And now? Now you’re out here putting air conditioning systems together.

It’s impressive to see where you started and where you are now.

So please — congratulations.

Acknowledging the Class

It is impressive — the level of progress that everyone has made. And it reminds me of just a couple of terms ago, we had a young individual come in here who had absolutely no sense of HVAC. I hate to say it, but he was a little bit lost in life.

And I like to think that we were part of that transition — just like we’re part of all of y’all’s transition — to make life so much better.

Introducing a Former Student

With that, I want to introduce a young gentleman who was here a couple of terms ago. He’s going to say a couple of words — hopefully not more than what, say, Peter would say. (Sometimes I say things out loud that I shouldn’t. Geez.)

All right — come on up here.

G’s Return to Speak

Thank you. I see you, too. Here you go — you’ve got to use this. Y’all can hear me in the background? No? You’ve got to use this because of the microphone. Look. Sorry. There you go.

So yeah, I didn’t know we were doing this — I thought it was going to be at the end!

My name is G. I was in this class back in October and November. I graduated on November 22nd, 2024.

Why I’m Here

Pretty much, I’m here to express my gratitude toward the staff here at Second Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy — Danny, Andrew, Robert (is he here?), Chris, and everybody else who played a part.

What I Thought in the Beginning

To some of you just starting out — if you were thinking like me — you may have thought this was a small class, a small school, and maybe not the “real deal” compared to major schools. But I’m here to tell you that the value you get from this school is tremendous.

Putting It Into Practice

I took the knowledge and applied it in real life. I’ve been in HVAC since January 3rd. I work for a company in Orlando, Florida.

My manager told me, “You know more than any other first-time employee we’ve hired straight out of school.” That just goes to show the value we get here — this school is very hands-on, and what you learn is immediately applicable.

Full-Time in My Own Van

After just two and a half months, I was placed in my own van, running service calls by myself. Unless there’s an install, I’ll usually work solo — or sometimes with a helper and senior tech.

This isn’t just from the classroom. I’ve continued to educate myself — and you will need to do the same if you want to take this career seriously. There are books, YouTube videos, live events — keep learning.

My Background — Why This Matters

I want to share a bit about my background. This is Second Chance University — and it’s named that for a reason.

I have a checkered past. I did four years in prison and got out on July 29, 2024. I’m currently on house arrest. And yet — I’m in HVAC. I made it.

It’s not something I celebrate, but I share it to say: You can do it, too. No matter your past or current struggles — if you want something, you can go get it.

More Than a Career

This school doesn’t just teach HVAC — it instills moral principles and values you can build on to become the best version of yourself.

Whether you want HVAC as a lifelong career or just a stepping stone, this is a solid foundation. There are so many opportunities that can come from this.

Thank You and A Quick Story

Thank you to Andrew, Elaine, Danny, Robert, Chris, and the whole team at Tropical Air. I also want to congratulate all of you students on completing this course.

Now, quick story — when I found out about the school, I called Danny right away and said, “I want to join.” He said they already had nine students, and someone else was being considered for the tenth spot.

I told him, “Danny, I’m going to be that tenth person.”

At that time, I was just some random guy on the phone — but I knew I was going to make it happen.

Funding and Determination

I got funded through CareerSource, and I’m grateful to them for expediting the process. It usually takes three weeks — but I needed an answer by the next day to get into the school. They helped make it happen.

Where You’re Headed

Did you guys get your EPA results yet? Not yet? You confident? Not confident? (I’m just messing with you. It’s all good.)

What you’re doing now — this is just the start. I instill this in you because this can be you.

Lessons That Last

One of the biggest lessons Andrew taught me was to be thorough and do things the right way.

At work, even when I’m told to hurry or cut corners, I stick to what I learned here. I take pride in my work — and it shows. I get great feedback from clients who call the company just to praise what I’ve done.

My managers recently had a review with me. They told me, “People love the way you explain things. They appreciate how professional and thorough you are.”

That’s a direct result of what I learned here — especially from Andrew.

Final Words

Be thorough. Do it the right way. Keep educating yourself. Whatever this path leads to — I wish you the best.

Congratulations again for completing the course.
Thank you.

Introduction

A lot of stuff has been said, but I’d like to ask Robert to come on up here. We’ve heard a lot about him — and most of y’all know his name. A couple of the students, one in particular, forgot his name — but that’s okay.

Robert’s Opening

Well, hello everybody. It’s always nice to see the group and everyone showing up — as much as your family can — for this. This is always a really neat experience for me.

I had my own business for 28 years and have been in the industry for… I can’t even fathom anymore — it feels like forever.

I’m still in the industry, but now I’m passing on all the knowledge I’ve gained through my trials and tribulations — and let me tell you, they didn’t come from a school.

Learning the Hard Way

There was no school for me. When I started doing this, the unions were closing up, things were shutting down — there just wasn’t anything. So, I had to learn by making mistakes.

And when you learn by making mistakes, you learn not to do them again. That’s how it works.

To make a mistake is not a bad thing — it’s just a new learning experience. So, I always tell people:

Don’t be afraid of making a mistake.
If you make one — so what? Learn from it. Move on. Don’t make a big deal out of it.
Look forward — don’t look back.
You can’t change the past, but you can change your future.

Watching Students Grow

This is always fun for me — watching everybody struggle. And I mean that in a good way. This is my fourth class, I think.

It’s always interesting to watch the first few weeks. Everyone struggles — flopping around like fish on a boat. But pretty soon, we figure it out. We throw them back in the river, and they start to swim.

And eventually, they make it to the ocean. They’re swimming on their own. They’re doing their own thing.

And it’s just really neat to watch.

Why I Teach

That’s what motivates me in this. I wanted to retire. I got bored.

I thought, “What can I do?” I didn’t want to work 8 hours a day anymore. I’ve done that forever, and I’m tired. My body is tired.

So I went to Danny and said, “Danny…”
And he said, “You’re gonna be a good teacher.”
I said, “Oh no.”
And he said again, “No — you are gonna be a good teacher.”
So I said, “Okay, okay. I’ll give it a try.”

Now I’ve gone through my fourth class, watching students really learn and comprehend this stuff — watching their sense of pride grow.

Closing Message

It’s just neat.

I just want to thank this whole class — because you guys have been really fun to teach. I mean that. It’s been a real blast.

Sure, there have been times I’ve had trouble with people — but that’s part of the process. You’re supposed to struggle. That’s how you grow.

We’re here to challenge you so that eventually, you get it. And it’s neat to watch all of you — the students, your families — it’s just a great experience.

I just want to say thank you.
Thank God.
And way to go, guys.