🌟 Opening Remarks on Community Support

A lot of different things. One thing I’d like to expand on — he did mention CareerSource. Our program depends on a lot of help. CareerSource of Central Florida has helped us — and helped many, many people — change their lives. So thank you, CareerSource. Truly, we wouldn’t have made it this far without you. We also have UCO supporting us, RSES, the HVAC simulator, Dirk, and KaoSat in Clermont. They help, they donate, and I appreciate all of them. They definitely deserve some form of recognition, especially CareerSource. And thank you for being here and representing. I appreciate it.

🛠️ Behind the Scenes and Instructor Recognition

It is hard — what they’re doing. And people don’t understand how difficult it is. Andrew understands — he’s been in the business for, how many years? Three. A long time. Three decades. Robert — over 40 years. Three days. Robert’s been doing this a long time. Chris graduated here, I think, three years ago. We kept him on, and he’s a huge asset. Ten people max, two full-time instructors, one TA who’s really an instructor, and myself — okay, I balance everything out. But that’s pretty good. That’s why these guys can’t get away with anything.

🎬 Lead-In to Next Video

And I know that our next person tried to get away with a couple of things now and then. I’m not going to mention his name yet. So let’s watch his video. Any guesses who it might be? I’m just really pissed.

🌟 Instructor Acknowledgment & Lead-In

Need I say more? I don’t think so. But truly, in the very beginning, I did have my doubts — because of the phone issue. But after a little bit of understanding and a lot of hard work, he’s made some huge, huge stepping stones, and I’m very impressed with that. You didn’t give up. You didn’t say, “Screw this, I’m just going to stick with what I know — cars and things of that nature.” I know you and your business partner have a huge future ahead. I understand you have an interview Wednesday? I didn’t know that — just guessed. I know you’re going to do well. So come on up here, say a couple of words, and accept this.

💬 Personal Reflection

Oh, um, I missed like about two weeks of this course. I’m not going to lie — almost a week and a half. It was very overwhelming. I’m not good at this, I’m sorry. But I want to thank Andrew, Rob, Chris who’s not here, Danny, and Elaine. I went over this like three times, man. I do have a lot going on. The phone issue was because I do window tints. I tint cars and I’ve been trying to keep up with that. I also have a lot of legal stuff going on. But I really needed this course. It paid off. I made it. And I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of everybody who also made it. And I appreciate my classmates for helping me catch up when I needed it — and the instructors as well. Pretty much it. Thank you all for showing up.

💡 Empowered by the Journey

I appreciate that.

There’s no doubt that the path we help people get on can be truly empowering.

What a cute little baby. That’s not fair.

Yeah — it can be very, very, extremely empowering. And it’s like that for all of us.

I want to make sure everybody knows just how hard people work to get this job done. It takes real effort.

Now… the next person.

Well — let’s go through the video.
And then if y’all want to take a break…

No — just kidding. I know.

💬 Personal Growth & Reflections

There was a truth shared earlier — when we came here, we all got together, united, and became good friends and good contacts. I was able to be part of a group of people here who, in one way or another, helped shape me as an individual. You might be thinking, “How is that possible? You’re an older guy.” But you never stop learning.

The process of learning is a continuous motion that never stops. I come from a background with deeply rooted Japanese culture. In that culture, we use the term Kaizen — it means continuous improvement and learning.

Now, there’s a saying: “Don’t ask me what time it is because I’ll tell you how the watch is made.” So I’ll try to go through this the best I can. Over the past week, as I reflected, I wrote down some notes and isolated every single person who made this happen for me. But before anything else, I want to say two words: Thank you — to all of you. Everyone here. Please clap for yourselves.

🤝 Gratitude & Support

First, I want to thank our Lord. Without His strength and guidance, I wouldn’t have had the patience to endure the transition I’ve gone through. This wasn’t easy. Let me be honest — this is not a simple task. If anyone out there thinks this was a cookie-cutter process, have them call me. I’ll explain it to them.

A special friend once told me, “In the road of life, you’re going to run into obstacles. And sometimes, you’ll hit roadblocks.” Those words stayed with me. One of the best things I got from this program was the first two hours each day: Mr. Huffman’s life skills class. It completed a part of my life I hadn’t realized was missing. When he taught us about life crossroads, I learned that hitting a roadblock doesn’t mean life stops. There’s always a way forward. So whatever roadblock you face moving forward — like Mr. G said — don’t stop. “72 calls.” That was a very motivating message. Hats off to you, sir.

I also want to thank my family for holding things back to help me stay focused. Mr. Danny, you know what I mean. I had no idea my mother was in the emergency room for weeks while I was in this program. My wife kept that from me to help me stay focused. Thank you to all my family members for protecting my peace so I could succeed.

To my wife — you are my rock and my foundation. Every day, “Hey, it’s 5:30, time to go to school!” Tropical Air. “Danny’s waiting for you.” I think I’m going to get a tattoo that says “Danny” — because that’s all I talk about.

And on the other side, “Pat.” Mama, thank you for helping me make this transition.

To the incredible folks at CareerSource Central Florida — thank you for helping me find direction and focus through all the chaos behind me. You led me to this haven of knowledge and friendship, and a foundation for a second chance in my career.

🛠️ Program Impact & Lessons

Miss Prada, thank you. My career counselor is here, and I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me.

To my instructors — Mr. Andrew, thank you for your energy, humor, and your way of making learning stick. You were the nail that held us together. Without your guidance, none of this would have been possible.

Mr. Robert — I still have nightmares about parallel and series wiring! Thank you for being understanding, for seeing each of us as individuals, and for sharing your knowledge in a way that connected. You didn’t treat us all the same — you taught us in the ways we needed. That takes a true educator and motivator. Thank you for being there.

Mr. Chris — I know you’re not here, but your sabotages were legendary. The cardboard under the evaporator? Every one of those had a purpose. You challenged us, and I appreciated every bit of it.

Mr. Danny — you brought this all together. You connected the dots for so many of us — not just in HVAC, but in life. You always had an open door. If anyone needed to talk, you’d stop what you were doing and listen. Thank you for being a mentor and a friend. That means the world to me — and to all of us.

And last but not least — Brazil. Thank you for keeping this operation running behind the scenes. From your HR work to every moving part of this program — I see your dedication. I’ve worked in environments like this before. I know how much you give, even when others don’t see it. Thank you, Miss Lane.

🙏 Final Thoughts & Message to Class

As I wrap up — we’ve talked a lot about the Four C’s. But today, I want to add one more thought. We made it. We made it through this program. And now we’re going to make it out there. Nothing will hold us back. We’ve been given not just tools — but knowledge. Knowledge that will help us make an impact in our communities, our jobs, and our families. God bless you all. And I wish every one of you the absolute best in your future. Thank you so much.

💪 Dedication Beyond the Requirements

Everybody has a lot of things going on in their life. There’s no doubt about that.

The next individual has a lot going on in his life too — just like all of us. I wasn’t always confident at first… well, okay — I can’t lie. I was.

From day one, I saw a lot of focus, dedication, desire, and commitment — a real drive to provide and to excel in everything he did.

He was always early, never complained, and always did more than what was required. He even kind of pushed people out of the way just to get his job done — but hey, there’s nothing wrong with that… as long as it’s respectful.

And let’s be honest — he’s bigger than most of us, so he gets a pass.

Let’s take a look and see what he had to say.

All right. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys said.

Yeah, I prepared something for you all, so I’m going to look at it — sorry.

First off, I just want to say how proud I am to be standing here today — not just for myself, but for each and every one of us in this room.

Completing this course is no small feat.
It’s fast, intense, and demands everything you’ve got — and we all gave it.

To my classmates — my brothers, my sisters, Miss Ryan — what a ride.

Ten of us walked in as strangers and are walking out as a team.
We laughed, we struggled, we pushed each other, and we grew together.

We built more than skills — we built a bond that’s going to stick with us wherever we go from here.

None of this would’ve been possible without the love and support of the people who stood behind us while we chased this goal.

For me, that starts with my parents — thank you so much for believing in me, even when I didn’t quite believe in myself.

To my wife Rachel — your patience, grace, and constant encouragement were my foundation through every hot day and every long night of studying.

And to my baby girl Luchia — every second I spent away from you was to build a better future for us. You are my why.

Thanks to this program, I think better. I wake up every day striving for more.
Thanks to the efforts of my wonderful instructors, I got confirmation that I’ll be starting Monday morning at a great family-owned company in my neighborhood.

Andrew, Robert, Slay, Chris — you guys kick Siri’s butt. Seriously.

Now, as we step into the next chapter, let’s remember: this isn’t the finish line — it’s the starting line.
The world needs skilled, motivated people like us.

Now that we have the knowledge and tools to rise, the next few years won’t be easy — but nothing worth having ever is.

We’ll face challenges.
We’ll keep learning.
And we’ll keep showing up — just like we did every day of this course.

Congratulations to all of us. We’ve earned this.

🎯 Recognized for Perfect Attendance

Perfect attendance.
Never complained.
Always here — and always sat on the right… of complain. No.

Justin, come on up.
[Applause]
Go around this way.

🗣️ Class Support Made It Work

All right.
I had a perfect speech — but he stole it. He said everything.

It is a strenuous process here,
but with all the classmates and the staff members — Andrew, Robert, Danny —
they help you get through it.

When I felt like I wasn’t learning, I’d go to my classmates,
and we’d learn from one another —
that made the process easier for me.

❤️ The Push From My Wife

I found this place because of my wife.
Sorry — I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my wife.

She found the place for me.

I tried going into law enforcement. Tried three times.
Passed everything — physical, PT test, interview.
But at the end, they made me wait six months and said,
“We have no availability for you.”

I was down.
I was working out, going through the process.
I gained some weight.

Like I said — my wife found this for me,
and I feel like HVAC and handyman work go hand in hand.

I flip houses on the side with my father-in-law.

🔧 What’s Next

And I’m here now. I passed.
Can’t wait to see my results.
Can’t wait to see everybody else’s results.

We’re here now — we’re going to go out there,
we’re going to rock.
We’re going to do some damage.
We’re going to be dangerous.

And when I need that phone call,
I’m going to call you —
but I’m going to make sure I check everything first.

All right.
Thank you, guys.

👏 Recognizing José’s Contributions

Very good. Oh yeah. With that — come on up here.
The good thing about this gentleman is he had an advantage. He knew a lot already, and because of that, he was able to help, build relationships, teach, and mentor.
His attitude and willingness to do that — it was wonderful.
Thank you.

🎉 Passing the EPA & Giving Thanks

Thank you. Give me your hands.
I don’t know about you guys, but I passed the EPA. I ain’t worried about it — I know 100% I passed.
So first, I want to thank God, because without Him, we are nothing.
Second, I want to thank my girlfriend.
AC — don’t get mad at me, bro — but my girlfriend was the one who found this school. She read the reviews and did the research.
I had been looking for a good school. I even went all the way to Yongyang to see another one that offered 13 months of night classes twice a week. It was tough — I work, I live in Deltona — that was far.
I walked through that school, and it was mostly books. I said, “I want to learn how to braze. I want to do this hands-on.”
They told me, “If you get into a company, then you can practice that.”
I said, “No — this is not the school.”

🔍 Finding the Right Fit

So we kept looking, and she found this one — five stars. I liked Danny’s attitude.
He said, “Before you start, I want you to come and see if this is the right fit for you.”
I came by, there was already a class in session. He walked me through, and I definitely liked everything about it — because it’s hands-on. That’s what I was looking for.
Even though I had prior experience, I had to put everything I knew to the side so I could learn the right way.
And trust me — in just six weeks, I realized how many things I was doing wrong before.

🍕 Gratitude and Humor

Meanwhile… [Music] [Laughter]
Yes, I want to thank Mr. Dan, Andrew — great teacher — Rob (did I change his name?)
I’m bad with names, but yes, amazing teacher.
You guys know your stuff.
Elaine — I love Elaine. The only part I don’t like is that she charges me. Just two reasons.

💑 Personal Support

I want to thank my girlfriend again — she’s been very, very supportive.
She told me, “I got you. Go do your school.”
And when she says, “I got you,” she means everything. She really did get me here.
She’s a great woman. She’s a blessing.

🧡 Shoutouts to Classmates

I want to thank all of you — my classmates.
Because I’m bad with names, I’m going to say as many as I can.
Yolani, Kamar, Peter, Justin — where’s your name? Lucas, Cisco, Sarah (who’s not even here), Pat…
I think I got all of you, right?
Where’s my older brother? Danny — my older brother.

🧠 A Conversation with My Brother

I want to say something very quick.
I was talking to my older brother the other day. He was complaining about his life.
He’s an alcoholic and maybe has other struggles. We talked for over an hour, remembering our childhood.
We’re eight siblings — four sisters, four brothers. Our father wasn’t the best. He went to jail.
He’s been gone 15 years now — passed at 55 — but my brother still blames him for everything.
He was crying, and I just listened.
Then these words came to me:

“I know the enemy likes to use your testimony to destroy you. He throws it at your head to make you drink more, to make you give up.
But if you put yourself in God’s hands, He will use that same testimony to help others who are going through what you’re facing now.”

It’s up to you.
The enemy will keep saying: “Because of your father. Because of this. Because of that.”
But if you stop listening to that voice and give it all to God, He’ll turn it into something powerful.

🙌 From Excuses to Solutions

So it’s up to you.
We all have excuses: “Because of this, because of that.”
But focus on the solution.
Stop giving energy to the problem.
When you focus more on the solution, the problem starts to feel smaller.

I won’t be as long as Pete — [Laughter]

🏹 The Story of David and Goliath

David — the important director — right?
We were watching House of David (is it on Netflix or Prime? Prime!)
It’s amazing. It really impacted me.

Goliath — that guy — the whole army was scared of him.
But David was just like Yolani — young, the youngest in the family.
Not tall — but he heard Goliath talking bad about God, and he wanted to fight him.

His brothers said, “No way.”
But the king said, “Go ahead.”

Here’s the point:
When you face a giant in your life — don’t run away.
Run toward it.

If you run away, the giant grows bigger.
But if you run toward it and fight, like David did —
Take its head off. End it.

Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, fear — whatever your giant is, attack it.
Don’t avoid it.

And that’s it.

👏 Recognized for Growth

 Watching that, there’s a sense of confidence that is very obvious — and that is going to show in everything he does.

It’s been an honor to see the growth.

You may not see it, but I see it. Andrew sees it.

And I believe everyone here who worked with you has seen a great deal of growth — personally and professionally.

You know your stuff. You definitely, 100%, know your stuff.

So, come on up here for a few moments.

Thank you, Andrew. Is that good enough? You might want to take that down.

🙏 Giving Thanks

 All right, cool, cool.

Well, I just want to first of all give thanks to the Most High.

Definitely want to say thank you to my mom specifically — she’s my rock.

Everything you are… I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.

Your guidance, your love, everything you’ve done for me.

To my sisters — thank you so much.

My sister helped me pay for this, so God bless your soul. I’ll definitely make you proud.

My beautiful sister right there with her newborn — her one-year-old means everything to us.

💬 Appreciation for the Program

 I just want to thank everybody — specifically from 2nd Chance University.

Danny, Andrew, Robert — my guy — we had plenty of talks.

Elaine, thank you so much for the pizza. That pizza was real. I’m not going to lie.

We all came here and made sacrifices. I know I made a big one — I moved all the way from Colorado to figure my life out.

I know I’m not the only one.

A lot of us had to put things to the side — family, work, whatever it was — but we were here and we were dedicated every single day.

Even when Yolani missed a little time, he still came, still asked questions.

That’s really all any of us can ask for — come with a clear mind and a goal to finish.

🤝 From Strangers to Support

 I appreciate all my classmates.

We didn’t know each other — I’m not going to lie.

When I first came here, I was like, “Man, I don’t care about none of y’all. I’m just here to focus and get out.”

But I definitely made a bunch of friends, and I appreciate all of you.

We had a good time playing dominoes yesterday.

I only got one win… but it’s whatever. I’ll be back.

Justin, my guy.

Komas, Pete, José, Danny, Yolani, Pat, even Sarah next to me — I had to get on her, you feel me?

But really — I appreciate everybody.

📱 Final Words & Encouragement

 It means a lot that everyone came.

I hope all of us students go out there, get in the field, and just know — y’all got my number.

We made that little group chat.

Don’t be scared to call me. Call me before you call Andrew with some dumb stuff — I’m telling you now.

Call me first. He don’t want to hear that nonsense.

But really — I appreciate all of y’all for coming.

🧠 Mentorship & Meaning

 Danny — I appreciate you as well.

We had some serious talks. I thank you for guiding me and teaching me.

All the stuff in the morning — it meant a lot.

I truly learned and grew from your little sermons and the videos you showed us.

You know I’m the first one to start tearing up.

But no — I appreciate this.