I am from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I was only 17 years old when I decided to emigrate to the United States in 1982. With great illusion to move forward in life and to work, I arrived in Chicago, Illinois. It wasn't long until I saw that it wasn't as simple as I imagined, but that's when my drive to succeed intensified.

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I began working at a restaurant as a dishwasher and busser. But I have always loved to learn, so I learned to cook and worked as a chef for three years. 

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At the restaurant, I met someone named Pedro "Pete" Salas, he had a construction company. After my shift at the restaurant. I worked part time with him. The job consisted of labor, cleaning, sweeping, and much more. As I watched him work as an electrician my enthusiasm for learning about electricity grew and I asked him to teach me. I have great memories of him for being the one who taught me so many things about remodeling.

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I have always been the type of person who likes to overcome and decided to register at the "Coin Institute" school, where I applied many times and wasn't accepted because I didn't know English and because my math level was low. But I've always been stubborn, and I think I applied so many times that the school got tired of me, and they finally gave me the opportunity. I studied there for 9 months in 1990.

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When I finished school, I struggled a bit to find someone to give me an opportunity because I didn't have experience in electricity. But thank goodness I found the company "Winchester Electric" who gave me the opportunity to begin working as an electrician. I worked there for five years. 

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After that I decided to begin working on my own accord in electricity and remodeling for around another five years. In 2008 my mentality of wanting to succeed made me get OSHA Safety Awareness for Construction Course and study at the Heating and Air Conditioning school "HVAC Technical Institute". I got certified as a technician under the section 608 of the Environmental Protection Agency in 2009.

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Andres Alvarez and his friend Ramon asked me to teach Heating and Air Conditioning to them, and I told them I wasn't a teacher, but their request set a new vision and challenge for me. Very nervously I began to teach them in the basement in my house for about a year until I rented out a place in Cicero, Illinois in 2016.

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I formally registered the school and decided I needed to be more prepared, so I took a lot of courses with Esco Group and got certified in Air Conditioning, as an Inspector of Carbon Dioxide, Electricity, Commercial Refrigeration, Heat Pumps, and Gas Heating. In 2021 Esco Group gave me the opportunity to become a proctor.

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After six years, for good or bad luck, the building where the school functioned was sold and I lost the lease. Something that has been consistent in my life is that I have always searched for new opportunities.

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I moved to Kansas in 2022 and registered a new school in Independence Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. I was there for two years and lost my lease once again, which forced me to look for a new place.

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Now in 2024 my responsibility and need to help and teach others in the community continues to grow. People like me who arrive to this country with a lot of hope and drive to work and keep learning. The school "HVAC Training Center" was born and exists to help the hardworking migrants who want to succeed in this great place. We do not require SSN, GED, or even English to study with us. All you need is interest, willpower, and passion to learn this job as a Technician in Heating and Air Conditioning.