GLEN DALE — Three John Marshall High School seniors signed not to play a sport after graduation, but to continue their carpentry education by joining the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

John Marshall CTE students Joseph Rogers, Jude Kesner-Rankin and Landen Nelson were joined by their families, John Marshall Carpentry teacher Matt Ali and Carpenters Regional Council Representative Jody Bonfini at the signing held at the high school on Friday.

The three students will soon begin their four-year apprenticeship with the union, racking up 1,400 work hours and five weeks of training per year. Bonfini said they would be learning the “nuts and bolts” of being a carpenter and receiving on-the-job training.

Bonfini noted that all three John Marshall students had a leg-up entering the apprenticeship as CTE completers at John Marshall, meaning they have met the requirements for a CTE carpentry concentration. He noted they were starting the apprenticeship with many skills they already needed.

“These CTE programs are essential in bringing in these young men and preparing them for what they’re going to see with us compared to a guy that comes in off the street and hasn’t participated in a CTE program,” Bonfini said. “We have to teach people with no experience how to measure and swing a hammer, so these guys have a little bit of edge in the field. They will start learning more advanced skills right from the get-go as opposed to learning the essentials.”

Ali said the signing day was held to recognize what the students had achieved in high school and celebrate the next step they had decided to take in their carpentry career. He noted his students had completed a large commitment of their time as CTE completers at the school and were now heading onto an even larger commitment in the apprenticeship.

In addition to recognizing their achievements, Ali said the signing day also brought attention to the “blood, sweat, and tears” the students would be putting into their future careers, like collegiate athletes.

“I was an athlete all through high school and went to college to be an athlete, and I learned when I got into the building trades that you have to be an exceptionally fit person of mind and body to go out and do this type of work,” Ali noted. “The infrastructure that we’re building, whether it’s roads or gas plants, requires long hours. It’s hard to do that if you’re not physically in shape, plus it’s mentally challenging as well, so that’s what the apprenticeship gets you ready for.

Ali added he was proud of the three students signing, particularly because they paid attention to the lessons he taught them and took the initiative to look for and apply to apprenticeship programs.

“It can be a big challenge as a high school graduate to have the whole world waiting for you and not know where you’re going to go or how you’re going to make money,” Ali said. “An apprenticeship does all those things for you in a setting and method that has proven successful for over 100 years. The Carpenters Union is one of the oldest organized trade unions in the United States, dating back to the 1800s, so it’s a recipe that works.”

Nelson was excited to take the next steps in his carpentry career after graduation, as he had been interested in the field growing up.

“My grandpa was a carpenter, so it’s something I was always exposed to growing up,” Nelson said. “It opened a lot of doors for him, and I hope that it will open the same doors for me. I’m really excited to make a career out of it.”

Nelson added he was confident going into the apprenticeship, as he had already learned how to work with the tools and wood he needed, along with gaining an understanding of the trade in general.

“The real world starts now for me, and I’m ready for it,” Nelson said.

Cover Photo by Emma Delk