supporting the foundation

M e e t s O M E OF o u r S C H O L A R S

2023 Scholarship recepients

Kennedy

Central Valley High School 2022

David

The Trade School 2022

Terrence

The Trade School 2022

Esteban

The Trade School 2022

2022 Scholarship recepients

Zachary

The Trade School 2022

Oscar

The Trade School 2022

Wyatt

Shasta High School 2022

2019 Scholarship recepients

Phillip

The Trade School 2019

Sarn

The Trade School 2019

Jose

The Trade School 2019

Nassima

The Trade School 2019

Nassima

N a s s i m a B o u l a z r e g

My name is Nassima Boulazreg. I'm 34 years old and have spent many years trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. When I found out that Shasta Builders Exchange was an option to find a new career I wanted to find out more. I spent about six months researching what an electrician does, what kind of work they do, what kind of things they might encounter and I knew that that was right for me. I love the fact that electrical work is always changing, its never the same, never boring. I decided right then and there that I was going to choose a new path and going to the Shasta Builders Exchange has been life changing for me. I love working outdoors, working indoors, working in the elements everyday it's something different something new I'm always learning and that's what I love. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be able to apply for the scholarship at the Charles Candelaria Memorial Foundation. I'm a hard worker and strive to do my best in everything that comes my way. I love working every single day and sometimes even on the weekends when jobs arise. If you ask any one of my friends or family they will tell you that I am one of the hardest workers that they've ever met. I'm strong and courageous with a love to serve others and help out my community. Watching people's faces light up when I fix their problems or install new lighting it makes my heart happy and puts a smile on my face. I am forever grateful for the opportunities that I have and the path I've chosen.

Jose

J O S E G u z m a n, JR.

My name is Jose Guzman Jr. I’m 19 years old and I got into the trades (Plumbing and some HVAC) at 18 years old. I come from a humble household of six and I am the oldest out of four boys. My mom and dad are very hard working and have done their best to provide for me and my younger brothers. They have always taught me that “a hard working man (or woman) never goes hungry and is always welcomed everywhere.” I’m thankful to have such hardworking parents that taught me to be hard working.

At age 16 I got a job cleaning horse stalls at a local horse hostelry, A & B Hostelry, at which I still clean stalls with my mom and younger brother after work or on the weekend. They're great people and they appreciate having someone they can rely upon. My second job was working at Little Caesars at age 17. I knew I didn’t want to stay there forever because I wanted to do something better for myself and for my family, something I could be proud of! Something that would make me more beneficial to society and impact people’s lives in a positive way!

During my senior year, at Enterprise High School, I asked my woodshop instructor, Ed Boontjer, if he knew of any nearby trade related companies that were hiring for an apprentice. He mentioned Wallner Plumbing Heating and Air. Mid-July of 2018 I was hired to be the shop boy and, on occasions, a helper. Ever since I’ve started to slowly build my tool collection and try my best at every job I went out on! My hard work was noticed and eight months after I started working there my boss enrolled me into the plumbing apprenticeship program! I’ve very grateful for that! I love thinking about the future and how much I will be able to help my parents financially more and more thanks to the trades and my hard work. I will start to learn HVAC along with a Plumbing. For now I will focus on earning my Journeyman Plumbing License.

Sarn

S A R N S A E C h A o

My name is Sarn Saechao and I was born in Thailand but immigrated to Redding with my family in 1990, so that makes me bilingual in both the English and Mien language. I have been married to my wife for 12 years and together we have 3 kids: Mackenzie, Charlotte and Bailey. I enjoy golfing and fishing on my free time. Tiger Woods is one of my favorite golfers.

Before deciding to go into the electrical industry, I worked as a pharmacy technician for about 10 years. I love working with my hands, but my kids are the main reason I decided to go back to school. I am excited to start a new journey in my life and get into a field where hopefully someday I can start my own business and give my kids a more promising future.

P h i l l i p P o r t e r

Hello, my name is Phillip Porter and I am a 27 year old student at Shasta Builders Exchange Trade School. Ever since I left college to help my father at the local woodworking plant in Hayfork, I have wanted to become an electrician. It wasn’t until I discovered the program at SBE that I found a realistic path to achieve my goal. I was born in the small town of Weaverville while my family was on vacation in Trinity County. I lived in San Pedro until I was 12, at which point both of my parents were incarcerated, so my sister and I moved to Hayfork to live with my grandmother. As a great grandmother who raised 5 children over her lifetime, she was not physically able to raise 2 more teenagers, so we were sent to live in a foster home. Two years later my father was released and moved to Hayfork so we could live with him. After finishing high school with honors, I attended Santa Barbara City College for a year, but even with financial aid was unable to keep up with the expenses of the school. Eventually I moved back to Hayfork to work at Jefferson State Forest Products, a struggling plant where my father was a supervisor. The plant closed down after a year, and was reopened as Trinity Mountain Products where I worked for 6 months before being laid off due to a shortage of work. I stayed busy working some labor and landscaping jobs until November of 2017 when I found out I had a child on the way. This inspired me to get back into school and finally pursue my dream.

I am now a second year electrical trainee, having finished each semester with an A and even being first in my class last semester. I also won the Ideal Electrical Competition event held at the school two years in a row and plan on competing every year. Life's challenges have taught me not to let anything stop me from reaching my goals. I hope to become a licensed electrician and own my own company one day, Emerald Electric, named after my daughter Emerald. Without my daughter or my wife I may have never decided to take the first step down the path toward my career goal. Thank you for considering me for the Charles Candelaria Memorial Fund and I would be honored to be a part of his legacy.

Phillip

Wyatt

W Y A T T H E L W I G

Wyatt sought us out via a social media ad that we placed. He has the distinction of being our first direct from high school scholar, first Shasta High grad, and the first local high school to Shasta College trainee recipient.

Wyatt immediately impressed us with his work ethic and professional demeanor in his interview as well as his diligence. His resume did not disappoint with several years of work experience in different fields already at his disposal. His references and former work managers sung his praises as well!

Wyatt is currently attending the welding program at Shasta College and sent us this report several months after he received his scholarship:

"I want to thank your foundation for the scholarship you awarded me. I have been able to buy all the safety equipment, tools and books I need to acquire my degree and acquire some experience in the field. Your foundation has already helped me immeasurably and I am beyond thankful. "

O S C A R L U P E R C I O

Oscar participates in training at The Trade School in Redding and also currently works in his profession. He has this to say about his experience:

College is not for everyone, get into a good trade and become the best at what you do, and you will have a good life. I have been busy working and learning a lot, it seems like I learn something new everyday,

In commercial work you get a chance to see multiple trades at once working over each other, and it is really cool to see what other trades can do. You get to see experienced workers and most of the tome they have a younger person with them, and when you go to different job and you get to see the same workers and notice how the apprentice is starting to learn and make the foreman's job easier that is something great to be able to see.

The Charles Candelaria Memorial Foundation to me is different than any other scholarships out there. They take time out of their day to come and meet us. That is very important, instead of just handing out money. When I go to these interviews or meet with everyone who got the scholarship my daughters ask me where I am going, I explain it to them and hope that they learn from this and one day they want to do the same. I hope to one day have the money to be able to help someone else out that needs money to finish their trade school, if I end up not being able to do that I hope that my daughters have done a lot better than me in life remember what the Charles Candelaria memorial foundation did for their dad and it motivates them to do the same.

Thank you guys for doing this, it is not just helping certain individuals it is showing their family and friends that good people are still out there. You don't see too much kindness in the world right now. When you see someone, in this case Charles Candelaria memorial foundation not only help out financially but also want to meet the people they are helping and in a way build a relationship with them. It can make someone day.

Oscar

Zachary

Z A C H A R Y A L B E R T S O N

Zach is an apprentice electrician who trains at The Trade School. He has the honor of being our first repeat scholar when he applied and received a scholarship for both the 2022 and 2023 training years. As a trades transfer, he switched careers because his old sales and management job didn't pay well and he sought to do something more fulfilling. Zach currently works in solar installation as he completes his education.

E S T E B A N D E L A T O R R E

Esteban formerly worked in road construction and registered for training at The Trade School after hearing great things and being inspired by his cousin. The understanding, dedication and excitement he demonstrated about his new craft is what caught our attention most during the interview process. Ultimately he desired to switch careers so he could be more present with his family, but it was in experiencing his cousin's joy and mentorship that caused him to make the switch. His cousin is fellow CCM Two time Scholar and Alumni Oscar Lupercio. Few things are more important in the trades than one on one mentorship like this and we are proud to get behind both cousins as they support each other along the way. Esteban's ultimate goal is to own his own business in Redding doing electrical work.

Esteban

Terrence

T E R R E N C E H A R V E Y

Terrence made a huge impact on us during interviews where he shared stories from his life that prove he is willing to overcome any obstacle for his professional success. Through his involvement with Hope City and the California Heritage Youthbuild Academy, he found his way to the Trade School when he met Chad Scott, Executive Director of Shasta Builder's Exchange, at a leadership class. Terrance got further exposure to the ins and outs of The Trade School through training on the ground at the exchange for flagging and other certification classes offered there. Terrence currently works for Horizon electric while obtaining his license to be an electrician.

d A V I D M E R A D i T H

David came to Redding all the way from Nebraska 10 years ago. Prior to deciding to switch careers he worked as a welder. But when his company shut down during the pandemic in 2020, he started looking to do something new. In his research he found The Trade School and desiring to work in a trade he knows will never go away, and inspired by his Dad who worked (and still works) at the University of Nebraska Omaha as the department head of electrical engineering operations on campus, he made the leap to start training as an electrician. David currently works in his field while training, plans to reach journeyman within a year, and hopes to use his skills to operate and expand a remodeling and rental house business a long side his wife.

David

Kennedy

k e n n e d y l a i n

Kennedy Lain is undisputedly one of the shining stars of Central Valley High School's 2023 graduating class. A stellar athlete, a dedicated honor student, and a beloved friend to many, she has set herself apart in a variety of ways. Thanks to her hard work, Kennedy could have chosen any field and taken her pick from many schools.

Her truest passion though? Kennedy wants to become a construction manager in order to, in her words, "strengthen our community."

A Shasta County Student Athlete of the Week in 2021, YMCA Athlete of the Week in '22, and Record Searchlight Scholar Award winner in '23, she also boasted a 4.41 GPA at graduation. Simply put, she could do anything she puts her mind to and she wants to change the world by building things.

In addition to academic excellence, her social club involvement, and sports activities, she spent 6 years working along side her Dad who manages a non-profit construction business called Self Help Home Improvement Project, Inc. There she participated in various building projects including some under federal grant funding. And this, no doubt is where the seed was planted.

She will be leaving for UC Merced in the fall of 2023 to study civil engineering, but Kennedy says ultimately she's choosing to become a construction manager because she loves to see a finished product from the ground up, she loves to be outdoors, and she loves to work with her hands.

Ms. Lain also has the distinct honor of being our first ever CVHS Alumni Scholar, receiving a specific CCM scholarship created during the pandemic lockdown. When we were at risk of losing our entire funding sources for the year, a successful online donor campaign funded mostly by former CVHS students and teachers allowed CCM to continue to function. Prior to that year, our organization was event based and funded exclusively by in-person activities. During the first year of the online campaign, roughly $3500 dollars was raised specifically from monthly online donations, and in subsequent years, those donations continued to provide vital funding for our mission. In May of 2023 the CCM board of directors voted to give a total of $5,000 dollars away to the first award winner, Kennedy Lain.

Kennedy was a freshman in 2020. That means behind all her demonstrated excellence there was also a necessary resilience to cope with and overcome extra obstacles on top of the typical amount of hard study work and training it takes to excel in sports and academics. All of this during a global crisis that nobody on earth had a blueprint for. We could not be more proud to have bestowed this honor upon such a stellar student and we know she will do great things for our community for a long time to come.