Andrew’s comments at the May – June 2025 workshop commencement.

🎤 Setting the Stage and Using the Mic
At 6:00, I’ll ask whoever comes up here—and people will come up here—to use the microphone. People in the back, and myself as we all know, don’t hear very well. So hopefully this will help with that.

Up on the screen, you’re going to see 200 or 300 PowerPoint slides showing all the different things people do here.

🏢 Our History and Why We’re Here
Tropical Air is part of this. Like I said before, HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University—we came to this facility back in 2016. We absolutely loved it. We knew right then that this was our home.

We actually started HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University back in 2012, when we launched a program for homeless individuals in Sanford and Longwood. And it just took off.

🛠️ Why the Program Exists
Because we’ve worked with—and own—Tropical Air of Central Florida, we’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to find solid HVAC technicians. Not just people with technical skill, but people with the right attitude, aptitude, and awareness of what the work really requires.

That’s why we built this program.

⚡ The Capacitor Lesson
On the first day, I always hold up a capacitor. And I tell everyone, “This is a capacitor. Don’t ask for it. I’m not going to give it to you.”

You have to earn it.
You have to build the knowledge to understand how HVAC systems work—all the parts and components.

It’s a challenge for a lot of people. And like I told everyone from the beginning—I create frustration on purpose. I want people to feel challenged, even a little anxious. That’s how you learn. You don’t learn by being comfortable. You learn by doing, by being pushed.

🧠 Learning by Doing
When Robert or Andrew shows you how to do something, they’ll show you the first time. The second time? You’re mostly on your own, just to make sure you’re actually learning it.

If someone shows you everything, you don’t retain anything. You learn by making mistakes. You learn by figuring it out.

And as a few people here have learned—capacitors will shock you. So will low-voltage wiring. There’s always a lesson in it.

📸 Mistakes and Recovery
You’re going to see some “boo-boos” up on the screen. One of them—let’s just say the look on his face says it all. It was rough. But he recovered. And that’s what matters.

🤝 Why We Do What We Do
We’ve been doing this a long time. And it’s always an honor to help people. It’s a commitment—me, Robert, Elaine, Andrew. We do this because we want to help people find direction. We want to give them an outlet.

We don’t care about your background. Doesn’t matter where you came from. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done.
HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University is about creating a path forward.

👨‍🏫 Introducing Andrew
Now, one of the instructors—Andrew—I’d like to have him come up and speak for a few minutes.

Andrew’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember. He used to be a good kid… but, you know, he grew up.

He’s an excellent instructor, a true mentor. He knows this trade inside and out. People from all over call him for advice—former students, industry contacts, anyone who needs a second opinion. He’s earned that respect. He’s built that network.

So Andrew, if you don’t mind, come on up here just for a moment. I know how much you love to talk.

🎙️ Stepping Up to the Mic
Into the mic, huh? Yeah. I’m usually pretty loud, so I don’t know if we need this.

Good evening, guys. I’m glad you made it this far. I’m a little disappointed a couple people aren’t here.

💪 This Isn’t Easy—for a Reason
Kind of like Danny said, this is not easy—what we do here. I’m not easy to deal with for six weeks. I can be rough. I can be mean. But I’m just a sliver of what you’ll see out there in the field.

Yes, we joke, we laugh, we have a good time—but you need that. Because you’ve come a long way.

📅 From Day One to Week Five
We talked about expectations on day one. Now here we are in week four, week five, and you’re doing things you probably didn’t even think you could touch when you started.

One of you is about to go install a new system for your mom’s house. The rest of you—hopefully—are going to have jobs lined up when you leave here.

🧠 The Goal: Make You Dangerous
The goal was to make you dangerous—and I think we’ve done that. Not reckless, but confident. You know what not to do. Will you still do it? Yeah, probably. But the point is you’ll know how to fix it when it happens.

You’ve all shown that you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. You’re thinking through things. That’s what matters.

👏 Keep Going
So congratulations on making it this far. Don’t stop now. You’ve done the work—and it shows.