Christopher Orona has worked in all different kinds of fields, from customer service to hard labor, but with his daughter graduating and heading off to college he decided his own learning was not done.
“I’ve been all over the board. I know a little bit of enough to be dangerous in a conversation,” Christopher shared. “My daughter is 18. She is going to college and that just leaves me. I feel like I did a good job raising her so now it’s time to invest in myself a little bit.”
It’s not the first time Christopher has invested in himself. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in business, but what he wanted was the skills to start and run his own HVAC company, from the ground up. That’s how he discovered UEI College in Mesa.
“I was looking at social media and a video came up. I thought ‘Why not?’ I called them and set up my initial visit and signed up right then and started a week later,” he said.
Christopher had some experience with Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) years ago. His goal enrolling in the program was to become even more knowledgeable and to achieve some licensing.
“It was something I wanted to do, and I don’t shy away,” he explained. “I was raised by a single mom so ‘I can’t’ has never been a word I could use in my vocabulary. Outside of school I’m always learning stuff. In my current role I’m always asking my boss what else can I learn? Maybe that comes with age, but I want the challenge and I want to work.”
Going back to school was a challenge, but it wasn’t difficult for Christopher, even while working full time.
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“Once I learned the expectations of the school and the teacher, I had my assignments done days in advance,” he said. “I’ve always been driven. Having that drive to always want better and not settle, I get from my mom, and it has carried on to me and my adulthood. I believe being a parent to my daughter, watching her getting accepted and getting to the university, just has me wanting more out of life.”
While UEI focuses on the basics, some of which Christopher was already familiar with, it also gives students all the skills and knowledge they need to not only get started but really build a future in the industry. That’s exactly what Christopher was looking for.
“Sometimes you have to take a step or two backward in order to jump forward,” he said. “I feel like our only limitations are the ones we set for ourselves. The end goal for me is to eventually open my own company and hire some of my peers. They’ve already told me they would be more than happy to work for me. I’ve got to get a little experience under my belt first.”
Christopher finished the program at the top of his class and is looking forward to getting back in the field.
“The program was good. I loved the hands-on approach,” he said. “The teacher I ended with; I could call him a friend. We all built relationships with each other as peers, but I know if I needed my instructor, he would be there for me. It was a good experience. Why wait until tomorrow? Let’s register today and get started! Don’t be afraid to start over. You might like the story better.”
