Juan grew up in the Little Village area of Chicago and also in the towns of Cicero and Berwyn, where he currently resides. He learned the value of hard work since the age of 12, when he would help his father train horses at Hawthorne Park. His parents were separated and he was always concerned about the well-being and future of his mother. Juan started working regularly in his sophomore year in high school to help his mother. He was tempted to quit school, but knew that if he did not finish high school, his prospects for a good job would be greatly diminished. So he pushed himself to the finish line and graduated from Morton West High School in 2019.

Upon graduation, he enrolled in a technical institute to become a diesel mechanic, but he soon realized that that field was not his passion. He heard about an Electrical Pre-apprenticeship program that was offered by HACIA (the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association) and St. Augustine College’s Institute for Workforce Education. He enrolled and successfully completed this program, which is designed to prepare participants for jobs and entrance into apprenticeship programs in the construction trades, particularly in the electrical field. This program prepares participants to successfully perform the tasks required of an Entry Level Electrical Trades Member.

In this program, he developed his self-confidence and skills that helped him land a job with Blue Spark Electric, an electrical company that provides electrical services to the commercial, industrial, residential, retail and hospitality sectors.  

“I was a bit discouraged before and this program was heaven-sent. Right away, I realized that my interest in electricity was not a just a child’s infatuation, but my passion. I enjoyed the learning process and, upon graduation, I was able to get a great job with an opportunity to develop and reach my goal of becoming a fully licensed electrician”, stated Juan. He is grateful for the window of opportunity that this program has opened for him. “Thanks to this program, my future, and my mom’s future is looking brighter than ever”, he added.