ABC-SEMI Issue 1 2018

Southeast Michigan Contractors  Issue 1 2018 9 challenge wasn’t enough. His heart pulled him back to the city of Detroit to help the youth he refused to leave behind. Using his experience as an ABC instructor as his foundation, Smith left the comfort of a traditional day job to begin train- ing young students full time in July 2017. Smith teaches three electrical classes from 7:45am–4:30pm at DJC Monday–Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday nights he teaches his regular 3-hour classes at ABC, and he instructs at Macomb Community College on Wednesday nights. Ricardo said that he has a special connection with his students because he can relate to their personal struggles. “I can forgive their imperfections quickly,” he said, noting that other adults often don’t get past certain behaviors or traits that are common in impoverished or troubled youth. As a black youngster himself raised in Detroit, his students’ challenges were not all that differ- ent from his own growing up. Smith frequently serves as an ambassador for the ABC training program to the outside community. His continuing relationship at the Randolph School in Detroit has allowed him to connect dozens of his students with employers, while also often recom- mending they transition from their pre-apprenticeship training to the ABC program. ABC student Ryan Szymanski succinctly described Smith as having “outstanding character” and the student said his teacher “uses his talent to help less fortunate people.” While that tall, intimidating security gate still surrounds the Detroit Job Corp campus, Ricardo Smith serves as a bridge that connects the city’s youth to the skilled trades and shows them a path to self-sufficiency and hope. An inspirational leader and mentor like Smith doesn’t come around often. ABC is lucky to call him one of their own. INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD ...Ricardo Smith serves as a bridge that connects the city’ s youth to the skilled trades and shows thema path to self- sufficiency and hope.