Justin Johnson was on track to graduate from high school when circumstances threw a wrench into his plans. He dropped out of school to go to work, to help support his family. He worked odd jobs for years before deciding to get his GED at Wake Tech. “I wanted to make something of myself,” he says.

Justin earned his GED, but he wasn’t ready to stop there. He wanted to further his education and decided to enroll in Wake Tech’s plumbing program. Why plumbing? “It was hands-on,” he says, “and it challenged me. I knew I didn’t want a desk job!”

While still a student, Justin got a job at Guilford Plumbing Supply Company and started learning the nuts and bolts of the industry. He says he’d like to own his own business someday, but for now, he takes great pride in being the first in his family to go to college – and satisfaction in knowing he’s building skills that can help him create a better life for himself and others. “It’s a pride thing,” Justin says. “I want to look back and say I helped people.”