M
y name is Reginald Dykes, and I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. I’m 42 years old and the father of a 4-year-old son. In 2003, I started to see myself go down the wrong road and decided that I needed a change in my life. That change began with construction. I started my construction journey as a laborer. I was a laborer for five years and was able to work under an Electrical Journeyman, where I gained a lot of knowledge and experience. But in 2008, the construction industry took a big hit, and I was out of a job. With no current work and singular skills, I asked myself, “What will I do now?”
I relocated back to Chicago and figured I would step back into the construction industry. I found CEC and Rachel Ivy and had an inspiring conversation with her. Ms. Ivy suggested that I try getting into a skilled trade to broaden my opportunities within construction. I told her that I was interested in being an Electrician, and she pointed me in the right direction. With every obstacle and successful milestone, I am proud to share that as of December 14, 2018, I became a first-year apprentice for Local 134 IBEW. Thank you so much CEC for all of your hard work and guidance on my journey.
At that point, I decided to move out of state to pursue other job opportunities. In 2016
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