Born and raised in Milwaukee, Kenneth Johnson was a member of the first graduating class at Kingdom Prep (KP). He came to KP as a sophomore after spending a year at Riverside University High School. He shares that he came to Kingdom Prep because he was seeking the wealth of opportunities that private schools provide.
During his senior year, he received an internship with Weather Tight, Wisconsin’s leading remodeling company who is also invested in building up the next generation of youth and equipping them for a successful post-secondary career. KJ joined the team as a determined window installation technician. Twice a week KJ woke up no later than 5 AM to catch an hour bus ride from the north side of Milwaukee to West Allis, so he could be ten minutes early for his reporting time at 7 AM. KJ learned how to prioritize both his academics and his internship, staying late on days he was at school to receive extra help from teachers and working overtime on weekends to ensure assignments were done.
Needless to say, during his time as an intern, he not only received the chance to build a strong work ethic, but also to build hard skills associated with the trades. As an intern, he learned how to use various power tools, construct and install windows, conduct demolition procedures, in addition to learning elements of carpentry.
KJ’s determination and eagerness to learn extended throughout the entire school year. He became a certified youth apprentice, achieving a minimum of 450 hours of on-site work, in addition to completing his OSHA 10 certification. By the grace of God, he was offered a full-time position with Weather Tight upon graduation.
KJ has been employed at Weather Tight for three years now. He recognizes and appreciates how much growth he has made since starting as an intern, and attributes a large part of his growth to his supervisors who have mentored him throughout his tenure at Weather Tight: “I get to work with the best coworkers and boss. They are very understanding and reliable people to work with.” His growth has earned him the ability and trust of his supervisors to take on tougher projects. He recently turned an ordinary window into a sliding door!
As KJ looks to the future, he is excited about continuing on in the trades. He desires to learn as much as he can from Weather Tight, in addition to exploring other aspects of the trades.
