from high school and tried to go to college. He said that college just wasn’t for him. He went back home to Taylor, TX, and became a fry cook at the local Chicken Express. With limited job opportunities in Taylor, he and a buddy decided to join the Army. He enlisted and was sent to Fort Benning in Georgia, but ended up stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). He was a cavalry scout but did not deploy. “Aer four years, I thought about staying in,” Jay said, “but then I felt I was still young and could find something else to do. I actually stumbled upon the VIP HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) service technician program. I saw a notice regarding a meeting for the program, and I thought it would be an awesome opportunity, so I went to the meeting. I was im- pressed right away.” Jay said he went home and talked about it with his wife, who also thought it would be a great way to get a leg up regarding Jay’s transition out of the military into civilian life. Jay said, “I was completely intrigued by the air conditioning side of HVACR. I always wondered how that worked. I was also looking for a career I could stick with. I didn’t just want a job. I applied and got into the program. Dave Gibson was my in- structor, and he was awesome. ere were nine of us in my class. Dave used to let us bring a buddy to class, so they could just check out the program for a day. Anyone who came for the day wanted to apply. As it was getting closer to graduation, and when it came time to choose where I wanted to continue on with my apprenticeship, I looked for a local union that was close to my house. Taylor is about 20 min- utes outside of Austin, so I asked if I could continue with my apprenticeship at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 286 in Austin. Today, I’m a third-year ap- prentice at Local 286, and I love what I do. ere is a lot of work in Austin.” Jay said his transition was really smooth. He graduated from the program on September 16th and started working on the 29th of September for Dynamic Systems, Inc. (DSI), a local mechanical con- tractor that he con- tinues to work for today. “e military was like a family to me,” he said, “and now going to the union hall for school and meet- ings has taken the place of that com- radery that I had in the military.” “is profession has changed the way I look at life,” Jay added. “It’s helped me shape a new life, and it has shown me that there is something more than just the military. I actually thought about stay- ing in. at’s always the easiest decision when you’re faced with transitioning, but when I saw this opportunity, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. I love my job at DSI. I have my own truck and all of the tools that I need. e work is never the same day aer day. It’s never boring. You are constantly learning, and you will never know everything there is to know in this field. ere is a very good support system when you’re on a job. If I don’t know something, I can just call or bring in another journeyman. Oentimes, I’m with a jour- neyman. I will typically meet him on the job. You CAREERops A Career that Boosted A Family’s Lifestyle 10 Jay P eterson Jay Peterson graduated