My older sister Beth is a high college guidance counselor.
- She easily enjoys those kids, and works difficult to deliver them the best future they can, but for some students that means going to college, however higher education isn’t for almost everyone.
The hardest area of her job is encouraging certain students to look elsewhere and not worry about attending the school. Every once in a while she calls me up and asks me to take 1 of the students on a ride-along for 1 of our HVAC shifts. Most young people aren’t aware of how much money an HVAC tech can make, so it’s nice for them to see how well a skilled tradesman can do for themself. I never went to college, instead I got our first HVAC job as a specialist’s assistant right out of high college. Beth went to college, and while she is still paying off her loan debt 20 years later I am making a good living as an HVAC tech with no student loans to worry about! Studying for your HVAC certification is not self-explanatory, however it is also not nearly as high-priced as college. Anyone can prepare for the HVAC exams for a fraction of the cost of attending a school for 1 year. I hope that some of these kids listen to the wisdom I am giving them, because they could make a good living in the HVAC industry regardless of what kind of grades they get in college. For that reason, I never mind giving 1 of these kids an HVAC ride-along.