Graduate Connections – Meet Gerald Lalane

Gerald, 29, was born in Paris, France, but moved to Palm Coast, Florida, with his dad and twin sister in 2012. Gerald completed the seven-month Refrigeration Technologies (RT) program at Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville in January 2026. 

Thanks for your time, Gerald. Did you speak English when arrived from France?

No, I had to learn everything from scratch when I came. I was 15, so I finished high school here. I had to learn quickly.

What have you been doing since high school? Did you have another career or try college before TWS?

I was in college working on my Associate in Arts (AA) degree, just general college courses before working on a specific major. I started it after graduating high school, but I had to stop because of financial issues. I wasn’t able to pay for school, so I took a break. Once I was able to get financial aid again, I went back and finished it. I actually graduated with my associate degree last May, about a month before I started at Tulsa Welding School. As far as work, I was working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). I did that for about five years, and I enjoyed it. But it’s totally different from what I’m doing now!

Congratulations on finishing your associate degree, why did you?

Mostly because I had already started and wanted to finish it; I wanted to have more than just a high school diploma to my name. While I was finishing it, I was already looking into Tulsa Welding School. I told myself once I finished my AA, I would sign up for TWS. That’s why it was only about a month apart.

So, you worked as a CNA while working on your associate degree, and then while at TWS?

Right. I worked overnight and then went to refrigeration school in the afternoon. I’d sleep a few hours in the morning before school. It was pretty challenging and a very tight schedule.

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What made you decide to pivot into HVAC instead of going to nursing school or something like that?

I thought about nursing, but I felt like I was better off working with my hands, doing more hands-on work. That’s why I decided to join TWS and work in HVAC.

Was HVAC something you had any experience with, or did you know someone in the field?

I know people back home who do HVAC, but I don’t have family here doing it. It just interested me. 

What did you enjoy most about the program? 

The hands-on parts. Whenever we were able to actually work with equipment and tools, I really enjoyed that. Like I said, I like working with my hands, being involved, touching things, and using tools. I found a lot of joy in that and felt like it might be the perfect trade for me.

Did you know going in that it might be the right trade, or did you discover that during the program?

I didn’t know for sure. I gave it a shot to see where it would take me. I knew I wanted to try it, but I didn’t know it would be perfect for me.

With no experience beforehand, how did you find the program? Was it difficult?

It was a bit challenging, like most things in life. If it were easy, everybody would do it. 

Were there days when you thought about quitting, or did you stay focused on finishing?

To be honest, sometimes I did think about it. But most of the time I just wanted to finish because I had signed up for it. I’m the type of person who likes to finish what I start. I also paid money for it, so I didn’t want that to go to waste. I just stuck through it. As you can tell from me taking 10 years to complete my associate degree, I’m not someone who quits easily.

That’s true! So, you graduated a month ago, who are you working for? 

I’m a maintenance tech trainee for a company here in Jacksonville called A/C Designs.

Congratulations! Did they come into the school? How did that connection happen?

There was a job fair at TWS in January, just after I finished class. I adjusted my schedule so I could attend. There were a lot of different companies there, but A/C Designs stood out the most to me. I talked to the representative and liked what I heard about the company. Ms. Marilyn in Career Services helped me with my résumé and getting everything ready, and I applied to A/C Designs and a few other companies I was interested in. A few days after the job fair, A/C Designs called me. I started last week, February 16.

That’s awesome. Did you take a little time off first?

Yeah. I finished class on January 13 and took a couple of weeks off to reset; it was a long seven months.

You’ve only been there a week, but are you excited about getting your first refrigeration paycheck?

Yeah, it’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m not earning what I was as a CNA with five years’ experience, but I’m fresh out of school and I know I’ve got to go through the process of being a rookie. I think it’ll take me maybe a year to get back to where I was financially. They pay hourly, but I can also make commission if I sell services or repairs. I’m looking forward to learning that side of it too since I’ve never been in sales before. I like this company because we just explain what we see, and what issues there might be, and give the customer their options; it kind of sells itself.

So, what’s your career plan from here? 

My goal is to gain experience with A/C Designs and move up within the company. Right now, I’m in maintenance, so eventually I’d like to move into service and maybe installs over time. I know I have to start somewhere and take it step by step. I want to learn more deeply; there’s a lot to learn. TWS gives you the basic foundation for sure, but there is so much more to this field than you can learn in seven months at school.

Can you explain the difference between maintenance and service for people who may not know?

Maintenance is more like routine checkups, while service is when something is broken and needs fixing. Right now, I go into people’s homes, check their units, and make sure everything is running correctly. If I find something that needs service, I report it and they send someone out from service to fix it.

You’ve only been there a week or so, are you working on your own, or going out with a trainer?

I’m with a trainer for another three weeks to a month. After that, I’m supposed to get my own van and take it home. That’s exciting. 

What do you think you’ll enjoy most about this trade going forward?

For me, it’s about helping people. Being a CNA was also about helping people in need. I feel like I’m a helpful person by nature. Now I get to help people while also working with my hands, fixing things, and checking their A/C units. That’s something I enjoy. I’ve already noticed in my first week that there’s a lot more to it than what I learned in school. It can be stressful sometimes, but I’m trying to stay positive and take it day by day.

It will get easier with time. Did you make friends at school, people that you might stay in touch with?

I met a few people who I was cool with, and we talked while we were in school, but since graduating I haven’t really reached out to anyone. I’ll probably look to create a group chat; that could be useful down the line to reach out to each other about job opportunities or even help each other when we’re on a job to get some help or advice!

What advice would you give to new students who are about to start the program?

Be determined and don’t quit on yourself. Be patient because nothing in life comes easy. Put your mind to it and stay on top of your work. Try not to fall behind because that’s when stress builds up. Also, if you don’t understand something, there’s always help at the school. Ask questions – even after class if you need to. Sometimes I didn’t like interrupting during class, but there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Always ask. Usually if you have a question, there are others in the class wondering the same thing.

If you’re a TWS graduate and would like to share your success and be an inspiration to others, please email [email protected] to be considered for a Graduate Connection interview. Please include details such as your graduation date (month/year), program, and campus name (Tulsa/Jacksonville/Houston/Dallas).