Darias Bristol grew up in East Peoria, Illinois. The only son of a single mother, he helped his mother and sister as best he could. As a teenager, there weren’t many options to make a living while still attending school. Even so, Darias did the best he could to be as successful as possible at both work and school. He got decent grades, but school wasn’t his strong suit, nor did he have a passion for it. He got a part-time job working at Walmart and planned to go full-time after graduation and become a Walmart OTR Semi Driver. 

During his senior year, Darias was originally denied entrance to the East Peoria High School co-op program, but was admitted by the instructor, Ms. Michelle Lake, on advice of Principal Khassandrae Brown. Khassandrae knew Darias had a strong work ethic and took pride in his accomplishments. She recalls the day Darias had completed two years working at Walmart. He showed the notification of his two years of service to everyone that day, beaming with happiness and pride. Khassandrae notes Darias “is so appreciative and truly thankful for the opportunities and experiences he has been given.” 

Once in the co-op program, Michelle told Darias about SkillsUSA Illinois and the programs and exposure he could gain from being a part of it; most specifically, the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) through Morton Industries. In September of 2022, Darias attended a Manufacturing Field Trip at Morton Industries. There, Michelle introduced him to Mr. Steve Stewart, Director of People and Culture, and told him about Darias’ drive and work ethic. 

During the field trip, Michelle also reconnected with Mr. Scott Knoll, a former student of hers and current Welding Supervisor at Morton Industries. 

While chatting, Scott and Darias hit it off and Darias received a business card along with encouragement to apply. Darias considered all he’d seen and experienced on the field trip as well as what he’d learned from Michelle about the RAP. He’d appreciated the exposure to strong male role-models as well as enjoyed the professional yet friendly environment. Darias made the decision to apply, was hired, and enrolled in the RAP at Morton Industries. Darias has enjoyed the exposure to the industry and learning all aspects of working at Morton Industries. He knows this early start has given him a leg up to move up in the company. From being in a place where he had no plans to continue his education past high school, he now hopes to complete the welding basic levels and move into heavy machine operation dual classes at ICC. From there, he intends to get a degree and move into a management position. He has already experienced what it means to make a good living, be able to truly help his family, and to have the stability that comes with a good work-life balance. 

Darias’ supervisor, Mr. Mark McIntyre, has nothing but great things to say about Darias. Mark currently supervises approximately fifteen of the RAP apprentices at Morton Industries and, while he believes they are all great workers and an asset to the company, he admits five or six stand out. Darias, he says, is at the front of that group. Mark describes Darias as versatile and credits him with having a great attitude and incredible sense of teamwork. He consistently shows a willingness to improve and is driven and motivated. He recalls a time there was a call-in and he went to find Darias to see if he could help. Darias was already at the station working, explaining he figured they were short, so he wanted to jump in and pick up the slack, Steve agrees, noting Darias has a way of naturally setting himself apart from the pack. He doesn’t stand around waiting to be told what to do and that work ethic and initiative stands out. He also says that, while the SkillsUSA RAP is one of several strategies they have employed over the last few years, the high school student turnover has been minimal and the quality of employee coming out of the high schools has been great. Darias is a great example of that. 

Steve goes on to say that they don’t treat their high school students any differently than the other employees. They are the future workforce, so by not giving special treatment, the students pick up on that and understand they are being treated like an adult, and therefore they are more inclined to act like adults and rise to the occasion. Students who have the SkillsUSA Illinois foundation are uniquely prepared for just such an environment and, with well- developed personal and workplace skills and pre-training, they are able to hit the ground running. 

Steve commends Mark for being a wonderful mentor to the students as well as an exemplary supervisor and Darias agrees. At the end of last year, Darias made it a point to thank Mark for helping him give his mother and sister the best Christmas they’d had in a long time.

Michelle says that is just how Darias is; he wants to be successful to take care of himself as well as those around him. She recalls a time when the school went to a Welding Program showcase and he took her aside to tell her he had money for any of the Freshmen who couldn’t cover their lunches. He had been that Freshman and he didn’t want anyone to go without. She saw this young man who was working to take care of his family, and who still didn’t want anyone to go without lunch. 

Steve concludes by pointing out that Morton Industries works hard to give their workers a positive and supportive working environment. He knows from feedback from his employees that morale and retention is heavily influenced by a positive work environment and the quality of people surrounding them. Intentional hiring and competitive pay round out that edge and Darias recognizes all those things at Morton Industries. 

Darias is incredibly grateful for the opportunity he has been given by working through the RAP at Morton Industries. The pay, opportunity for credentials, future tuition assistance, and positive male role models and peer group has given him a chance to truly succeed if he has the drive to utilize them; and if history is any indicator, Darias intends to take this experience all the way!