Derek's journey into the trades sector wasn't accidental. Right after his military service, he found himself drawn toward the trades."I had a passion to be in the trades," he admits. After he completed his technical trades training, he tried his hand at different jobs within multiple industries before ultimately landing in HVAC management at Thornton & Grooms in Farmington, Michigan.His education played a crucial role in this journey. It was more than just a piece of paper for Derek."It allowed me to be able to expand my horizons. It gave me the opportunity to see what was out there,” shares Derek.Derek's education didn't just open doors; it helped to create them.* "My education has allowed me to push past and do what I wanted to do." He worked tirelessly to reach his goals and credits his education for helping him build a foundation so that he could eventually rise to become a top leader at his company.Watch his video to learn more about his story!For more information regarding the HVACR Technician training program at Universal Technical Institute, visit https://www.uti.edu/programs/hvacr.For additional information into specific courses, tuition and admissions, see the course catalogs at https://www.uti.edu/programs/catalogs.For more examples of how Universal Technical Institute has shaped the careers of many of today's technicians, visit https://www.uti.edu/why-uti/graduate-...To find the nearest UTI school near you, visit https://www.uti.edu/locations.To stay up-to-date with some of the latest news regarding UTI, join us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UTI/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/utitweet Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uti.tech/*UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.