Graduate Connections – Meet Enrique Stiward

Enrique, 25, moved to Arizona when he was three or four years old, and grew up on the west side of metro Phoenix. Enrique completed the RSI Electro-Mechanical Technologies (EMT) program in May 2024. 

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

I was in community college on a kind of educational journey. Education is something I didn’t really appreciate until late in high school; I was never the type to really study or read. At the last second, I thought I should go to college. I liked college a lot, I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. The want for knowledge was there, and I was working towards something, but I didn’t know what exactly. I was trying to get an Associate Degree in Applied Science time because it’s pretty broad, I could do a lot of things with it. 

Did you finish college? 

No, I was playing the slow game; I did school part-time, worked part-time, then COVID happened. I was fed up but needed to work. I got a job at a car dealership as a lot attendant. I talked to people, set up appointments. I did that for six months and through hard work and just showing up on time, they moved me to detailer. They taught me about detailing, waxing vehicles and whatnot. It was fun, but I knew I wanted to do other things. Next, I got a job with CarMax as a vehicle condition inspector. It was an increase in pay, and close to my house. They taught me a lot and I thought, “Maybe I want to work in cars?” I worked in the auction department; I familiarized myself with vehicles and the business and started my own side business buying cars at auction and selling them on the side, which was mostly profitable. I spent two years at CarMax.

Where did the idea of going to RSI come from?

I’d always looked up to people with skills. I used to work with my stepfather, and he does carpentry. I always wanted to be a person with a lot of skills. In the back of my head, I’d thought about electricians’ school, or another trade, maybe welding – that sounded cool too, but I was always too scared to pull the trigger. I knew I wanted the education. I liked hard work, and I put in hard work at CarMax, but I knew there was going to come to a point where that next position didn’t come. I was capped as to how far I could go. It’s a corporate company, so growth is difficult if you don’t have a degree or a real skill.

So, you took the plunge to go to RSI?

I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and go back to school. I’d been out of school for about three years at that point. I did a lot of research and went to RSI for a tour; from the second I pulled into the parking lot, I saw people welding, working on projects, and although it’s pretty serious, it looked like they were having fun. People were laughing, there was a sense of community you find there. I took a tour of the campus and we first talked about the Electrical Applications (EA) program. It’s a seven-month program, and that’s three months shorter than another school I was considering. We talked about the six-month HVAC program (Refrigeration Technologies) and I thought that makes sense, it’s really hot out here! I thought that could be good too, maybe I could do both. Then we talked about the nine-month EMT program, which combines electrical and HVAC courses. I enrolled and quit my job. I had a lot of savings from my little car sales business.

Were you excited to start? 

I’ll be honest with you; I was so scared. it’s not easy to go back to school when you’re 25, and to do it full time. I tend to overthink things and on my first day of school I was in a classroom packed with people. I mean, it felt cool to be there, and I was like, “Damn, I’m really starting this. I’m really starting my life right now. I need to stick to this, take myself super seriously, and hold myself accountable.” Then two weeks in, I still had that scared feeling and I had to ask myself, “What is going on?” I’d been out of school for such a long time; I wasn’t used to taking tests, doing assignments, and all these new words. But I saw the results, and I was like, “Damn, these teachers are good. What they’re teaching me means something.” Whenever they assigned work, I knew I had to do it. Everything they told me to do just clicked. I’m going to give them credit; their teaching is really good, and it stuck, whatever they did.

What did you enjoy most about your time at RSI?

Specifically, the hands-on time. When I started familiarizing myself with the tools they provided, and then when I knew how to use them after a couple of weeks, that felt really amazing. It felt really empowering. Specifically in Phase two, when you’re wiring a house, wow, it’s such a good feeling to just turn on the lights and see a light bulb go off. You’re like, wow, I did that! There is quite a lot of bookwork, and you have to read and do the assignments, but then when you get to work on the boards or on the units, or you do some troubleshooting, having that balance of bookwork and hands-on time helps you get to know why you’re doing something, rather than just knowing how to do it. I like knowing why I’m doing something. 

Did you have any experience at all with HVAC or electrical before you went to RSI?

I was green, but the desire to learn a trade happened because of my stepdad. I saw how hard he worked, and I thought I can work hard, but there’s more diagnosing in HVAC or electrical, you use a lot of brain power, and sometimes less muscle. I thought more of a balance between mental and physical would be great for me. It would give me some longevity. My friend, Reyes, is a welder/electrician, and he’d have side jobs. I’d go with him, hangout, and he’d show me how to use a tool or whatnot. So, I have to give him credit for giving me that insight, especially on the electrical side. That time with him really ignited the spark in me.

How was the program? Was it hard, or did the program come easy to you?

I’ll be honest, it didn’t come easy for me 

How did you handle the difficult days?

What motivated me to continue was how I felt at CarMax with no path for growth. When I thought about that, I was like, let me study a little harder, let me ask my teacher questions, ask my classmates, ask my peers, let me reread this section I didn’t understand. Let me look at a YouTube video. It was not easy for me, but I didn’t want to be back at CarMax. That was all the motivation I needed. Just to think back and be like, “Hey, I can’t be at square one again. This is the new standard for me, and I can do this.” 

You graduated just three weeks ago. Who are you working with?

I’m working with DMS Facilities, a facility service provider. They sign my paycheck, but I’m contracted to Valley Metro; they work the light rail all over the valley. My position is Maintenance Engineer. 

Congratulations! How did you get the job?

Cooper in Career Services at RSI lined it up. I’d never heard of DMS, but the opportunity sounded really cool. Cooper sent me a text, “Hey, this is DMS; this is what they’re about, and I can send your information over.” I said, yes, and it all just fell into place. It was so fast. My first day was a week after I finished school.

What do you do as a maintenance engineer?

Maintenance of the stations, air conditioning and other things. It’s a lot of hands-on work. I fix doorknobs, the other day I replaced a faucet, that was really fun. I’m learning new things and it’s a little of everything, which is exciting. I like to do something different every day, so it’s exciting to not know what I’m going to learn today. What am I going to do tomorrow? The other day I was on top of a building wearing a harness. A lot of our work is inspection. They’ll send us out and we will document what an AC unit needs. That creates a work order, which we then hop on and start working.

Are you happy with the money you have started on?

At CarMax, I topped out at $21/hour. I went to school for nine months and they hired me on at $26/hour, no questions asked. When you’re green like I am, I consider that $5 jump amazing. It means something. It means they respect that I went to school and I’m going to use my certificate and what I learned for their benefit.

What’s your career plan from here? 

It’s pretty broad, but I do have ideas. I’d like to master one specific thing, whether it’s HVAC or electrical. I see myself doing that in a union. I have a lot of respect for union work, and it’s kind of a dream for me to be in a union and learn their way. I want to be a lifelong student, and maybe an apprenticeship would be ideal for me. Becoming a journeyman of some sort is a goal, but I’d want to be a student and then maybe even a teacher teaching these sorts of things and working on all sorts of projects. 

What do you enjoy most about this trade? 

You know what, I’ve always liked riddles and puzzles, so it has to be troubleshooting. It has to be the sense of accomplishment. The research behind it, reading the signs, “I’m not sure what this is. Let me check this, let me check that. Could it be this? Could it be that?” Then the “Eureka” moment at the end when I’ve figured it out. Then continuing and having a learning experience from that. So, definitely troubleshooting.

Did you make some friends, connections, people you will stay in touch with at RSI?

Definitely. There are peoples’ names I’ll never forget and peoples’ numbers I have kept. I still text them, ask them where they’re working and stuff. We also have a group chat. We’re constantly checking up on each other, sending each other photos of the stuff we’re doing. It’s pretty exciting to keep up with each other. I generally care for these guys, and I am happy that they’re doing what they love. I’m not going to forget these guys and I’m going to know them for a while. 

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

Get really involved. Get involved with your peers, your network, your teachers. Ask questions. Definitely get out of your comfort zone. Doing that can turn into future opportunities once you graduate. Get involved with your school. I got into the Ambassador program because I was helped with tutoring by those in the Ambassador program before me. Know what’s going on at the school, talk to the people in Student Services, talk to Career Services. If you need help, ask for help.

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.