Graduate Connections – Meet David DeLeon

David, 28, is from Surprise, Arizona. David completed the Electro-Mechanical Technologies (EMT) program at RSI in March 2024 after recovering from addiction. 

Thanks for your time, David; what did you do before coming to RSI? 

I did a lot of manual labor jobs that I couldn’t see myself getting ahead in. I mean, I was good at them, but at the same time, they were jobs people would work for a week or two and then be like, “Oh no, this is hard. I can’t do this.” It was mostly working outside doing landscaping, construction, I installed data cable. They were jobs to get a paycheck. There was no career, no future that I could map out ahead of me.

After eight or nine years of that, what changed?

There was a period where I got really heavy into drinking. I had to start over from ground zero. I went through treatment and ended up in a sober living house. From there I got a get-well job at a scrapyard. Again, I was only there to get a paycheck to pay my rent and eventually get a car. I told myself I’d only be there for a year before I got something better, but at the same time, I really had no idea of what I wanted to do. 

I’d tried school before, for medical assisting, but it wasn’t the right time. I was still dealing with those issues that I mentioned. One day a girl I was seeing asked if I’d consider going to school, or if I was content at the scrapyard? That made me think. I wouldn’t say I was content. It paid my bills, but it wasn’t something I wanted to do my whole life. Then a couple of people I’d met in the sober program, who I got to know on a personal level, were going to school to become Behavioral Health Techs. I started to think that I should look into getting into a trade. I should learn something I can make a career out of, instead of just doing a job I don’t like because I don’t know what else to do. I guess just seeing the people around me doing better made me want to take a step into something where I’d be able to get certified and do better. 

How did you discover RSI?

I came across an ad on YouTube. I thought, “It’s always really hot here, people are always going to need air conditioning in Phoenix.” I contacted the school and enrolled shortly after, and as they say, the rest is history!

Why did you choose the EMT program?

I asked about the Welding program because that looked cool, but then they mentioned the EMT program – Electro-Mechanical Technologies. It sounded intimidating at first. I didn’t know anything about any of that! But they broke it down, gave me a tour of the school, showed me some of the stuff that I would be doing. I saw people troubleshooting on the boards. I just thought it looked interesting; I wanted to try it. I got one of my buddies who I worked with at the scrapyard to enroll with me, we started at the same time.

That’s cool. But you had no foundational knowledge at all?

No. Basically I knew how to use some tools, but that was about it.

What did you enjoy most about your time at RSI?

Honestly, I liked wiring up the boards because reading blueprints and things like that came pretty easy to me. I’d done some work reading blueprints when I did construction, so I had an idea of what I was looking at. 

Did you have frustrations, days that were difficult??

There were definitely a lot of situations where I thought this wasn’t for me. It was hard, especially when it came to trying to learn the mechanical parts. It felt like they were talking to me in a different language. I just had that strange thing in my head where I was like, “No, maybe I should just not come back.”  

What kept you pushing forward and not quit? 

I definitely feel lucky that I made friends in my class who were willing to help me. Rather than just have them give me answers, I wanted to learn how to do it, but I just didn’t know how. They’d explain the process of how to figure out these things. The same with the instructors. Honestly, I was really nervous about asking them. I thought they’d think I was a little slow! Once I discovered other people were willing to show me what they were doing, that gave me that little bit of confidence to ask the instructors for help.

So, that confidence came to engage with the instructors?

Yeah, definitely. I would ask, “Can you help break this down for me? I’m not looking for any answers from you, I’m just trying to figure out how I can get to the answer.” When I asked that, I would see pretty much every instructor’s face light up. I knew they were going to try to help me. 

If students knew everything, we wouldn’t need instructors! So, where are you working?

I’m an install apprentice with Parker & Sons. 

Congratulations. How did you get the job?

It’s actually a funny story. I started applying at a bunch of HVAC places in the last months of my program, but I had zero luck. I actually applied at Parker & Sons. I followed up and they told me that had my résumé, if they decided they’re interested in me, they’d call. I thought, “Oh man, have I wasted my time?” 

Then a couple of days after I graduated, I got a text from Cooper in Career Services. “Hey, are you busy right now?” He told me he had some people from Parker & Sons doing interviews if I was interested. I got dressed quickly and shot over to the school. I was completely nervous because I’d already applied. But I showed up anyway, and the interview process was really smooth. I mean, I have tattoos on my face – that was one of my biggest worries going into the interview – but they didn’t even mention them. We talked, they asked me some questions kind of like we’re doing now, and then they told me that I’d be a great fit for the company. They told me about some of the opportunities they offer, and I was completely sold on it. 

That’s awesome! Are you happy with the money you have started on and the potential?

I can definitely see that there’s an opportunity to grow here. They offer to pay for these tests so you can get other certifications. I’m definitely planning on going that route because I want to make myself as valuable to the company as possible. I can then try to open up the doors to where they’re like, “Let’s send this guy out in the field on his own”, or “Let’s move him over to service”. I’m not going to be an install apprentice forever. In time I want to try to become a lead tech, and just see what else I can do at the company. 

What do you enjoy most about this trade? 

I definitely want to say the troubleshooting and problem solving; for some reason it makes my mind tick. And  if I can be valuable to the community in any type of way, that would definitely be a plus.

What’s your ultimate career goal? 

I want to become a Master Tech and run my own company. I want all those certificates on my wall and have those patches on my shirt that tell people I’m extremely well qualified to do this. I just plan on getting as many of those certificates as possible, so I have zero doubt in my mind that I can run my own company.

Did you make friends/connections at school that you stay in touch with? 

Yeah, I definitely did. I ended up with a study group. Whenever we ran into situations, we would just kind of group up. Eventually that group got up to eight people. If one of us didn’t understand something, at least one of the other seven did. That was cool. That definitely added to the experience because it wasn’t like in high school where they’d say, “No, you can’t work together.” They encouraged us. They’d say, “If you guys want to work together, try to figure this out, go for it.” The school had no problem with any of that. We still have this group text going on and we’re constantly in touch to see how everybody is doing.

What advice do you have for new students to be successful at RSI? 

Stick to people who look like they really want it. Find a group who are really invested in their schooling. I’m definitely grateful for the people I surrounded myself with. They definitely played a big role in my being able to see it through. So yeah, just stick with the winners and go for it! Also, put your hand up if you have questions. It took me a little while to get that reassurance and confidence to be able to do that. The instructors are great, more than willing to show you. I’d often ask if I could show up early, and the instructors would come in early too. They’re more than willing to put in their time if you’re willing to put in the effort.

If you’re an RSI graduate and would like to share your success and be an inspiration to others, please email [email protected] to be considered for a Graduate Connection interview. Please include details such as your graduation date (month/year) and program.