My name is Rodney Spinks, from College Station, Texas. I wanted to share my story with you and to say thank you to the people who have contributed to the Foundation over the years.
Passion for a Job Well Done…that’s what got me into plumbing after Hurricane Ike destroyed my house in Texas in 2008. I was bothered at the time when I saw some plumbers cutting corners in their work. It re-ignited my desire to own a job, to be just as passionate about the quality of a project as the functionality.
A good work ethic and passion are great, but it has been PHCC and the supporters of the PHCC Educational Foundation who have given me the opportunities to make them count for something.
Let me go back for a minute. In 2010, a PHCC member company, R.E.C. Industries in College Station, Texas, took me on as an apprentice. They sent me through the four-year apprentice program at the PHCC Plumbing School. That PHCC classroom training, plus the hands-on work I did in the field, was hands down the best foundation for anyone new to the trades.
I finished the apprentice program at the top of my class, and I placed first in a state-wide apprentice contest.
Then it was time for the major leagues – the PHCC Educational Foundation’s National Plumbing Apprentice Contest at CONNECT 2015 in Hollywood, Florida. That was an experience!
At CONNECT, the Foundation brought in presenters to educate us and give career advice. Then they set us loose at the apprentice contest to showcase our talents.
I’d say that it boosted our pride, competing like that at the national level and it exposed us to a just how big this industry really is. I had worked hard to prepare myself, but I got to thinking about what it took to set this all up for me and the other contestants – the huge effort required to put the Apprentice Contests together.
The benches, the materials, the equipment, the prizes and just getting all of us apprentices where we needed to be – it required a huge amount of Foundation staff work, plus lots of contractors volunteering their time too!
And I can also assure you that the work they put in is 100% worth it.
That contest and the other opportunities that the Foundation, its volunteers and sponsors opened up to me have been incredibly valuable. It convinced me that I had made a smart career choice.
When my boss put his trust in growing me from an apprentice to a superintendent-in-training, the PHCC Educational Foundation was there for me again, with a two-day workshop this summer, loading my toolbox with management advice and tips that will make me successful in my new management position.
Because of what they have done for me, I’m also very proud that my boss Craig Lewis is serving as Chairman of the PHCC Educational Foundation. I know he would not be involved if it wasn’t a worthy organization. And from what I’ve experienced again and again over the past 7 years, I can personally back that up too.
That’s My Story, But This is Really About You!
I got started on my own, but the people who have made contributions to the PHCC Educational Foundation put me where I am now. I can’t thank you enough for that and I want to make sure that the next guy like me has the same opportunities.
So I’m asking you to please consider making a gift in support of the Foundation today.
It’s easy. Follow this link to make a quick gift to the PHCC Educational Foundation through their Invest in Your Future Campaign. Your support now will help PHCC and the Foundation to get the next generation of skilled workers trained and ready to work, like they did for me.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Rodney Spinks
Plumber/Superintendent, R.E.C. Industries, Inc.
P.S. – I am your real-life testament to where the contributions you make are going. I owe my opportunities to all those who have supported the PHCC Educational Foundation in the past and I hope you can continue opening doors for others like me. Thank you.