Arhtur’s acceptance of the completion certificate at the January-February workshop commencement.

Recognizing Hard Work and Growth

Is Pedro in the house? No? Well, this one has your name on it.

Why do you think it has your name on it? You blew it up!

From all of us, I’d like to give this to you as a gift. So here—please just pass it down and see. Put it in your Hall of Fame.

Now, Arthur—everyone has different personalities, different ways of learning, different everything. That’s the uniqueness of being an individual. Arthur is very creative, which makes things a little difficult for me at times because the way we learn can be challenging. But he has come through in so many great ways.

That’s the beauty of having small class sizes—we can work one-on-one, two-on-one, and really help you progress. Not just physically, but emotionally, psychologically, and with your hands-on skills.

So I’d like to introduce Arthur, thank Arthur, and invite him to come up here and say a few words—or as many as he wants. I look forward to seeing you earn your EPA certification and take the next step.

Come on up here—thank you!

“

A Journey of Growth and Gratitude

Well, um… my passion is art. So, I’m an abstract artist, an expressionist. I’m going to say that first because that is the passion of my life.

I was always rebellious in school, in the Supreme School of Arts in South America, and I was never a submissive, systematic student. So, this was very challenging for me because it was totally against my frame of reference and the way I learn as an artist. And therefore, it was very precious.

I know I had a lot of, like, AO faces when I was in the back, listening to Andrew or something, and I was just like… ugh. And it was really because I was ticked off at myself—because I needed more expansion in my mind, in my heart, in the way I perceive life and my learning capacities.

And at 47… it’s never too late to learn, you know?

This opportunity was precious. My mom—well, she can testify, probably crying—because of the situation I came out of, which I’m not going to get into. But as I went through this process, at first, I wanted that certificate. Everyone wants that certificate. They want to gain more income, take more steps forward, make their family feel good that they’re progressing, that they’re succeeding economically. And I have nothing against that.

But in the process of this… it wasn’t just this class. I found myself looking at my past, my present, and my future. I was analyzing. I was thinking—What are the things I’ve missed? What are the things I appreciate more, even in the middle of the stress of learning?

And then, wow… Some of these guys, some of the things they said, some of the remarks—they really touched me.

I remember one thing Andrew said. Out of all the systematic teaching he gave us, he said one thing at the end, and it really hit me hard. I even talked to my mom about it.

I told her, This German guy—this German guy said something powerful. It was so simple, but so powerful.

He said: “I love my job.”

No, no—he said: “I love this. I don’t consider this a job, because if it was just a job, I wouldn’t love it.”

And that hit me hard. Through the heartache, the struggle, me being ticked off, me yelling sometimes out front—through all of that. But isn’t that what happens in a relationship?

So, I started thinking about it—This is like a relationship. You know what I’m saying? That’s how relationships go. You get ticked off with each other, you have struggles, but what proves you’re persevering and successful is that you still love each other.

It’s the same thing. He has a relationship with his work. And even though he might get ticked off in certain situations, he loves what he does. And I saw that. The way he explains things, the way he teaches—he loves it.

And in the end, I saw everyone’s heart. I saw my own heart, too, even as I dealt with my own attitude problems sometimes.

But all in all, this was a precious experience.

I really appreciate you guys for teaching me. And I’m not just saying that. Because, look—I never even knew how to use a drill before this. I didn’t even know how to take a screw out properly. I didn’t know you had to press this button!

I never had a father to teach me these things. I had other father figures—art professors and mentors in the creative world—but my natural father never taught me these things. And I’m not saying this for pity, it’s just the reality of my life. That’s part of my testimony.

So when I saw what you guys were doing—teaching me these things—I was like, Wow… these guys are teaching me like a father would.

And when they say, I treat you like my children, I know some of the younger guys might not take that seriously, but I was like, Damn… this guy really means it. He said it a couple of times.

To have an experience like that, with such passionate instructors—that’s one in a million, man.

To have a year’s worth of knowledge condensed into six weeks? That’s insane. And like Andrew said, we don’t even realize what we’ve learned yet.

I used to teach. I used to teach English when I was younger—not that I know everything, but I had that little experience. And I know what Andrew means when he says you won’t realize what you’ve learned until you’re out in the field.

Because I’ve been there. When you’re out there, that’s when it clicks. And that’s when you look back and think, Man, I should’ve hugged my professors and thanked them while I had the chance.

So, to the younger guys in this class—what I want to say is this:

Right now, in this moment, be aware of what’s happening. These instructors gave you everything they had. Take a moment while you’re here to appreciate that, because you’ll realize it later, but you might not get another chance to tell them.

For me, the biggest success wasn’t just the certificate.

It wasn’t the money.

It was this moment—when I went to that air handler, looked inside, and recognized what was there.

The wires… the G, the Y, the heat strips—I understood what I was looking at.

And I saw the light in my mom’s eyes.

That’s success to me, man.

My mom said, D, you’re still learning at 47.

That’s the best success you can have—when you see the light in your mother’s eyes, your father’s eyes, your family’s eyes, knowing you’ve learned something new.

The certificate means a lot. The money means a lot.

But what truly matters is the heart.

When someone looks at you and sees that you’ve grown, that you’ve gained knowledge—that’s success.

I really appreciate this moment.

I wish I could stay here longer… but I just want to say thank you.