Nathan Voge, a mentee who has not only been learning from his mentors but also teaches them a thing or two. It’s a win/win when both mentee and mentor learn from each other.
Nathan has recently completed his apprenticeship and has worked hard for the last four years to become a new journeyman carpenter at Riley. The carpentry apprenticeship consists of 3-4 years of field experience and classroom instruction at the Carpenter Apprenticeship Hall. Riley pairs an apprentice with a seasoned journeyman carpenter. Nathan has been working with Superintendent Chris Ruffalo and Carpenter Foreman Jason Baltic.
Often, mentors learn and benefit from their mentees. This is the case for both Chris and Jason, who had great things to say about their mentee, Nathan. “He has drive, work ethic, and his drive to be the best at what he does” is what Jason appreciates about Nathan. Chris also shared great things, “Nathan is a hardworking kid. He gets up and goes to work every day, and really cares about the quality of his work.”
Jason has benefited from watching Nathan evolve. Nathan has taught him that it is worth the time and effort to invest in young apprentices. It’s great to see it led to new opportunities within a profession.
Nathan has taught Chris something as well. Chris would give Nathan a project to do and then explain how to do it. Nathan asked Chris to give him a chance to try a different approach. It turned out Nathan was right! This led Chris to learn to trust him and give Nathan more space to try things his way.
This is a great example of how no matter the person, or the role, we can all learn from each other. Jason, Chris, and Nathan have shown us the importance of the HIFI way. They have shown that through humility and flexible thinking, great things are possible.
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