Commencement Jan 2025 Opening

Definitely a Difficult Task

When you think about HVAC, it’s definitely a difficult task. From 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon, we’re here every day. We don’t really get much of a lunch—just a quick break—because, in the workplace, you don’t get much of a lunch. We try to mimic and simulate the best we possibly can, so when you get out there, you can’t call me and say, “Hey Danny, this is too hard.” Yeah, it is hard. It’s very, very difficult, and that’s something everybody knows. When you’re out there, it’s tough.

When you’re working with fiberglass and ductboard, you’ll feel it—I had a couple of people getting a little itchy. Get used to it. Be careful with that.

As Andrew mentioned, I’m more curriculum-based. That’s my background. The students know better than to ask me for anything technical. I’ll help you when it’s a safety issue, but honestly, I’m not a technician and don’t pretend to be one. I leave that to Andrew, Chris (who isn’t here today), and Robert.

Andrew has been in the business for what—25 years? About 23? Okay. He’s been all over and is very well-respected in this industry. Robert, who should be showing up any second, has been in the industry for over 40 years. That’s a lot of experience. That’s true—I never even called his reference! But one of the things I insist that everybody does here is make a video.

Typically, these videos are short—three to four minutes in length. Some have been as short as a minute, but it is what it is. The purpose of these videos is to showcase what you’ve done, what you can do, and also to give potential employers a glimpse of your personality. It adds a lot of value. More than that, it builds confidence.

When you watch yourself, you’ll think, Wow, six weeks ago I didn’t realize I knew this much. The truth is, you all know a lot now—you just don’t realize it yet. But you will, very soon.

So, one of the things I want to talk about today is the videos. Speaking of which, we’re going to watch a video of the first student coming up shortly. I’ll ask each of you to come up and share a little bit about your experience.

I put this here for a reason—on this particular screen, you’ll see HVAC TA (HVAC Technical Academy). That’s where a lot of our videos are stored. They’re also on Facebook and YouTube. I had a student, Austin Keen, who was here last year. His video has 974 views! I was just told that by Tom. 

I’m showing you this because it matters. This right here is just our website, but when we go to HVAC TA in the News and Students Sharing, you’ll see how important it is.

I’d also love to take a group picture—it’s always fun. If you know someone, say in Canada, and you want to show them what you’ve been working on, share it with them! (Nobody cares about Canada anyway—I only say that because I know a few of you are from there.)

Alright, first up, let’s take a look at this individual’s video. After that, I’ll say a few words, and then I’ll invite them up to share their thoughts.