14 CAREERops teaching environment is always there. It has not stopped for me. If I have a question, everyone takes time to explain. If you are willing and eager to learn, the instructors and other journeymen recog- nize that and respond to that.” In the field, Colton catches himself taking on small leadership roles. “I want to know everything about the trade,” he said. “In the military, I got combat meritorious Lance Corporal on my first deployment, and I took a lot of patrols out, and I was point man and got meritorious Corporal after my second deployment, where I was a squad leader in charge of three fire teams, training, and prepar- ing them for their first deployment. I know I could be a leader in the field, but right now, I like the cre- ative side of welding.” In September, Colton was chosen by his local union leadership to attend a Local Union Officers Seminar in Denver, CO, alongside his local union’s top leadership. The General Office’s goal for invit- ing select apprentices was to expose them to the business side of the International Union as a whole. He was the apprentice representative from his local union, and the experience was well worth it. He said, “At Local 43, Larry, our Business Manager, talks a lot about the inner workings of the local union. I understand the roles of the local union of- ficers, but I can learn a lot more. The value of com- ing to this conference has been eye-opening, and I will be volunteering in our community more. It helps me mentally to stay busy, and it wouldn’t be hard to get my crew to go along as well.” This year has been a notable year for Colton. In addition to being selected to attend the Local Union Officers Seminar, Colton was also chosen as the Tennessee Valley Authority Apprentice of the Year and was honored at a presentation at which UA General President Mark McManus and UA Special Representative for TVA Dave Tolley, Local 43 Business Manager Larry Morrison, and other UA dignitaries were in attendance. Colton remarked, “Several years ago, Larry asked me to give a presentation at Tennessee Valley Authority about the VIP program. Public speaking wasn’t my thing, and it was something I would never have seen myself doing. But now, the local union lets me know when other VIPs are coming in, and it’s been my honor to help them in any way I can, and to promote the program.” Colton attests to the fact that the work can be tough. He said, “Everything you do, you can feel and see and, in the end, it is so rewarding. Most of the time, you work with a team, which is always reassuring. I’ve gotten so tight with my crew that I legitimately missed them while I was in Denver. I knew they started a new project. I’ve been with the same guys for the last five months—two journey- men and two apprentices—and now and then, someone else is attached to us. It’s been the same crew, and that has been awesome. We all have the same thought processes, and we flow well with one another, and our leadership recognizes that.” Colton responded to the question of what he would tell someone interested in the program by stating, “If I were talking to someone interested in the program who was getting ready to transition out, I would tell them that it is hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding. I would say to them that they will find a bond and a brotherhood, and that will make their transition easier. I would say that the local unions will recognize the leadership capa- bilities that they are bringing from the military. They already have a sense of what to expect from you since you’ve been in the military.” He continued, “This program has given me so much to look forward to in my life, and I’m just so thankful and excited. When people ask me where I see myself in five years, my imagination goes a little bit wild, because I know there are so many possibil- ities. I have a bunch of buddies, and we sometimes talk about traveling together to work, but I know these guys at Local 43 well, and I know my leader- ship capabilities, so I could easily stay here—ex- actly where I’m at—until I feel like I need a change. All of this is possible because of the VIP program and the UA.” “At work, the teach- ing environment is always there. It has not stopped for me. If I have a question, everyone takes time to explain. If you are willing and eager to learn, the instructors and other journey- men recognize that and respond to that.” – Colton Jackson UA General President Mark McManus congratulated Colton Jackson on being named TVA Apprentice of the Year.