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Cullen Kennedy, a 2023 Valley High School graduate, was recently awarded the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship’s Central Alabama Region 5 Apprentice of the Year. 

For nearly two years, Kennedy has been working as an electrician apprentice in Auburn University’s Facilities Management Department. Auburn’s FMD has been recognized as a Statewide Best Practice in Work-based Learning by the AOA.

According to a press release from Auburn Facilities Management, the Apprentice of the Year accolade recognizes those who have demonstrated exceptional growth, commitment and diligence throughout the year.

Kennedy knew he wanted to pursue an electrician program for a while. After working on a farm and learning the basics from his dad, it had sparked an interest in him.

“I worked on a farm for like all my high school years, and I learned a lot of different stuff, and kind of helped well-round me, so to speak. And I did a little bit of electrical stuff with my granddad and my dad,” Kennedy recalled. “We wired up a building of our own at the house.”

He’d even gotten a full ride at another program when he learned about the 3-year electrician apprenticeship at Auburn University. The program is a 6,000 hour apprenticeship that allows you to work and learn at the same time. At the end of three years, he will get to take his journeyman test and become a licensed electrician. 

“I kind of always really thought I liked electricity and thought I wanted to pursue it when I graduated high school, and this has just been a really good fit, because they’re paying me while going to school.”

Throughout the program, Kennedy has learned a lot about electrical work and met a lot of great mentors along the way. Recently, he’s enjoyed wiring transformers and doing fire alarm systems. His favorite part is getting the lightbulb moment, so to speak, when he’s finally able to troubleshoot a problem. 

“I’ve enjoyed the experience in my schooling and everything. It’s been intriguing, learning all of the new stuff and kind of taking it all in with the electrical career,” Kennedy said. 

Since joining the program, Kennedy has had many mentors who have made an impact on his journey, including Jim Penny and Nicholas Horton. 

“[Penny] made a pretty good impact. He kind of helped me kind of get that bottom line of electrical stuff that I needed to know. [He] helped kind of build my foundation a little bit,” Kennedy said.

When he found out about the recognition, Kennedy said he was very surprised. 

“I got an email and I read it, and I had to read it twice. At first, I thought it was a scam. I was like, What in the world? Why are they emailing me?” He recalled. 

When the news sunk in, his first call was to his parents, who were very proud of his hard work. The AOA picks an Apprentice of the Year for each region in the state. Region 5, where Kennedy works, includes 13 central Alabama counties. 

After he graduates, Kennedy will be awarded a placement as an electrician through the program. However, he will also be a licensed electrician and hopes to start his own electrical business back home in Valley.

To upcoming high school graduates, Kennedy encouraged looking into the Auburn University FMD programs. They offer registered apprenticeships in many fields, including HVAC and plumbing.