“To understand the power of Alex’s story, you have to go back to April of 2013 after he had graduated our program,” says Northeast TrANS instructor Ranard. Alex was working as a cart-runner earning minimum wage. He and his fiancee were struggling to support their three-year old daughter, before he found his first job in construction. His career took off from there, until finally in 2015 he got his shot at his dream job working at Northeast Asphalt.
“I wanted to succeed so bad,” Alex tells Ranard. “It was just finding my niche, with different forms of construction. Going to and finding the one you can see yourself doing every day.” Alex earned his CDL at Fox Valley Tech, helping him advance in the field, and last season he earned an apprenticeship with an Operating Engineer.
This year, he’s starting his fifth season with Northeast Asphalt. He’s able to support his family and even took them to Florida for vacation last year (pictured below). When asked what this job means to him, he says “All I can say is, it’s not a job anymore. It’s a career. Honestly, in the construction industry – everyone should well know this. You want to be with your crew, or you want to be with your family… When I work at Northeast, you’re family.”
Phenomenal work, Alex! Congrats!
Watch the full interview with Alex to find out what drives this young man to work double-time at everything he does – and learn why his secret to success is like asking McDonald’s for the secret to Big Macs.
