Where is LeSean White Now?

At the age of 21, LeSean White had an ‘ah-ha’ moment while serving his third stint in prison. He realized that if he wanted different results, he was going to have to do something different. While in prison he took several classes, including basic carpentry, plumbing, and brick masonry, but they did not interest him much. It wasn’t until he attended a presentation where Jim Gaillard (Master Electrician) talked about careers in the electrical trades that he fell in love with the ideal of becoming an electrician. 

“I knew immediately that I wanted to do that. While still imprisoned I asked the construction teacher what steps I needed to take to become an electrician, and he told me about electrical apprenticeships. I kept hearing that it was a difficult career path and a segregated skilled trade. Words like “racist” and stories about how White electricians were ‘grandfathered’ into the electrical trades kept coming up, but I pursued it anyway,” said LeSean.

After signing up for classes at MATC, LeSean volunteered with Habitat for Humanity while waiting for classes to start. He had read several textbooks about electricity while in prison, and volunteering gave him much-needed hands on experience. It was also during this time that he met Gaillard and asked if he could shadow him. When classes at MATC started, after completing the one-year program and “acing” it, LeSean had finally achieved his goal.

“Jim helped me, and I learned some of the tricks of the trade. Eventually he asked me to work for his company, but I had my heart set on becoming a commercial vs. residential electrician,” said LeSean.

He applied for an apprenticeship and received it, and after working from 2012 to 2017, became a journeyman electrician. He also joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

Gradually LeSean became disheartened with the electrical trades after encountering so much hatred and racism. He even witnessed a noose hanging at one of the job sites.

“No matter how far along I got in the trades, I always had to start over and prove myself. I felt that I was always on ‘thin ice.’ Those experiences sucked the passion for a career in the electrical trades out of me,” said LeSean.

Disillusioned, LeSean earned his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and founded a trucking

company. For a time, he worked part-time with his trucking company while continuing to work in the electrical trades. He credited his electrical experiences and apprenticeships with giving him the confidence to believe in himself and achieving his goals. Business was good, so he soon pursued the trucking business full-time.

“It gave me the freedom to make my own mistakes, learn from my mistakes, and not have to prove myself to anyone. I became my own boss. I fell in love with that. I didn’t have to be afraid of being fired or deal with racism. I loved trucking and eventually moved to Arizona to expand the business,” said LeSean.

These days LeSean splits his time between Milwaukee and Arizona. His trucking business is based in Arizona, and he now has six semi-trucks. He has also expanded his business enterprise into real estate—flipping houses.

“I’m a grower. I started buying houses in Milwaukee and flipping them. I’ve learned to do the plumbing and flooring. I already knew electrical. My relatives help manage the trucking company and right now I’m working on rehabbing and flipping four houses at once. This all started with Jim giving me a chance and the experience I needed to get into the electrical trades. I’m trying to figure out a way now to partner with Jim and pass along some of the skills I’ve acquired to the trainees he works with through Ezekiel HOPE. I want to pay it forward,” said LeSean.

#EzekielHOPE #BuildingtheFuture #MUDD Enterprises  #MUDD Bros. Realty Group 

LeSean White’s story is just one of the many success stories we’ll be highlighting in our series, “Where Are They Now?” We want our trainees, employers, and the world to know that apprenticeship programs like Ezekiel HOPE trains winners! We take the least, the lost and marginalized, and help make them achieve and exceed their God-given potential. It costs $7,000 for one trainee to go through Ezekiel’s 12-week pre-apprenticeship program. As Jim Gaillard well knows, the rewards for investing in others and giving them a ‘leg up’ are endless and priceless! You can help Ezekiel HOPE continue its award-winning state-certified Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program, by donating today. Scan the QR Code below or visit www.ezekielhope.org/donate.