In April 2013, at a mere 22-years old, Alex graduated from what would become our Highway Construction Skills Training. FSC trainer Ranard Morris helped Alex up through the ranks, and they were excited for Alex to jump into the construction industry. However, when it didn’t immediately happen, Alex became frustrated. His family lived in a small Green Bay apartment, and he had watched others from his class get placed with contractors in the area. Dejected, he found work elsewhere.
However, Ranard knew Alex’s potential and wouldn’t give up on him. After losing contact for a brief time, Ranard went looking for Alex. He found him corralling carts at a local grocery store. “I knew that if this kid could do this all day, every day,” Ranard says, “we had to get him back in.”
And they did.
That was ten years ago, but from that point on, Alex and Ranard have been in each others’ lives. “He’s like a son to me,” Ranard says. “Until last year, he refused to call me anything but Mr. Morris. Just recently, he’s begun to refer to me as ‘old man’,” he relates with a chuckle. “I simply couldn’t be prouder of this young man.” A decade on, Alex now owns his own home in Green Bay, and plans on starting his own business.
But listen to Alex’s story in his own words in this video from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
For other amazing HCST stories, check out this playlist. Interested in a job in highway construction? Check out the HCST program!
