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Headshot of WMCI graduate Billie Beresford

The WMCI hard hat story of 

Billie Beresford

Cabinet assembler - First cut millwork

 

Billie graduated from CA Frost High School in 2023 and joined the West Michigan Construction Institute (WMCI) as a Senior. They enrolled in the Carpentry I class to learn the foundations of construction and explore all the pathways students could enter for the construction industry.

Billie was first introduced to the trades when their father gave them a purple toolbox and had them start helping around the house on projects. Billie remembers one of their favorite projects was building pens for the animals on their farm in Lowell, Michigan. Billie still has the plastic hammer from the set to this day.

When Billie was a Junior, their father was connected to WMCI and took Billie on a school tour for possible enrollment their senior year. Billie fell in love with the program immediately.

A group of 5 WMCI work based learning students celebrate graduation in front of the West Michigan Construction Institute hard hat wall.
WMCI graduate Billie Beresford learns to assemble shelving in WMCI's Carpentry I course.
Billie Beresford hones their carpentry skills in a WMCI construction lab.
A group of 5 WMCI work based learning students celebrate graduation in front of the West Michigan Construction Institute hard hat wall.
Billie Beresford is joined by fellow classmates on a field trip to Buist Sheet Metal.

I couldn't believe the caliber of machinery and equipment available for us to use as high schoolers and the passion that the teachers had to show us everything they could in a short year.

Billie Beresford is joined by fellow classmates on a field trip to Buist Sheet Metal.

During Billie’s time at WMCI, they loved the field trips to various job sites around West Michigan. Their favorite was First Cut Millwork because Billie loves the details that go into cabinet design.

After graduating from CA Frost and WMCI, Billie enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College for an associate’s degree in Pre-Construction management. After a year away from the lab, Billie decided it was time to come back to the hands-on aspect of construction. Billie has been working for First Cut Millwork for the last 2 months. They are currently working on cabinet design and building in addition to laminating. They have loved their experience so far and hope to continue to grow and strengthen their design work at First Cut.

In their spare time, Billie is still in school finishing their associate degree and teaching classes to younger students at West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology in Fashion Design.

Learn more about Billie's hard hat story from their recent interview on WGVU!

What's your hard hat story?

Every construction professional has a hard hat story.  Whether they were swinging a hammer as soon as they could lift it or they decided to make a big career change to the crafts later in life, each story is unique and inspirational. 

We ask that you’d join WMCI as we empower students like Billie who are writing the first chapter of their own story in the West Michigan construction industry.

Learn more about how you can inspire and support the next generation below:

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