12 Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. SEMCA For many after high school, the path to college seems like the obvious and only choice for a successful career. For Nathan Olson, he thought about pursuing the college path and playing soccer for the school of his dreams, but the thought of going into the trades and ultimately building a company alongside his dad, who is a plumber, was a better dream. So, Nathan enrolled into his first semester at the Southeast Michigan Construction Academy in the fall of 2023 to study electrical. He was an apprentice for State Electric Company while attending school. His passion and hard work ethic got him far, and he was even interviewed on the job site by Detroit Channel 7 about his work installing electric vehicle chargers. “Nathan was a kind, caring and goofy person. He was the kind of kid who buckled down and worked hard to get where he wanted to go in life, and he never wavered on his values,” said Melanie Olson, Nathan’s mom. “He was a loving son, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. Nathan had a love of mentoring others and often would turn to people with special needs who could use a smile like Nathan’s to stand beside them.” Nathan’s cousin Jakob Knott said he was a natural born leader and when they were kids, everyone looked up to him. Nathan’s sister agreed with that statement saying she turned to her big brother for everything. Just 15 months younger, Cassidy said she was lucky to have someone to grow up alongside and share every turn in life with. This close-knit family had the unimaginable happen when they discovered that Nathan had died by suicide at 19 years old. He was experiencing hardship in his life at A SEMCA Lasting Legacy How the Olson Family Turns Heartbreak into Support for Trade School Students. Nathan Olson as a senior in high school. Nathan was an avid hunter and loved to go out with his dad.
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