Aaron Morrison ’16
Aaron Morrison ’16 was active in Career Technical Education (CTE) courses and athletics during his time at SJA. He competed in football, basketball, and baseball while carrying a heavy course load, earning him a spot at Clarkson University, in Potsdam, New York. Aaron said, “SJA prepared me for Clarkson by forcing me to be self-sufficient as a student. The professors at college had no interest in verifying you were taking proper notes and being an active member of the class, and I recognized that some of my peers struggled with their new-found independence from their high school teacher’s constant hounding. My experience in taking the Residential Wiring class, the responsibility and trust given to me by my teachers to be a constructive, independent student worker out in the community, trained me to be self-driven in the college classroom.”
His teachers had a big impact on him during his time at SJA. Aaron said, “Mike Bugbee ’69 and Jeremy Roberts ‘90 both were influential in my decision to pursue an electrical engineering degree. Mike forced me to read and understand the fundamentals of electrical construction, constantly fiddled with my mock jobs to train me to troubleshoot common problems and encouraged me to be extremely particular with my work. Jeremy allowed me to cement skills Mike had helped me with by giving me extreme freedom. Allowing me to lead a student group of electrical students off campus and away from direct teacher supervision was a unique responsibility. That freedom demanded that I make independent decisions regarding the specifics of the job at hand and is an important skill I have built on to this day.”
Through his efforts with the football team, many of Aaron’s favorite SJA memories surround homecoming weekend. He said “The parade was great because I got to sit back and enjoy it with my fellow seniors at the back of the procession. Being in the spotlight as a team and community to compete against Lyndon Institute was an event with scale and surrounding excitement that I have not been a part of since 2015.” Aaron also jokes that their “64-0 rout of LI, on October 17th 2015, on their field, in the spitting snow, in front of the puking pig, during the 111th Game is a memory I will not soon forget and will kindly insert into conversation with every Lyndon Institute alumni and supporter when appropriate.”
As Aaron made his way through college, his desire to return to the NEK grew. He said, “The more time I spent away from home, the more my perspective changed. This area is a special place, and it took me leaving to realize how special it is. I began appreciating the things I had taken for granted, like the local people and businesses, the diligent work culture, and the solitude, and I decided that the right place for me was the place where I grew up. Yes, I could make more money if I had chosen to work elsewhere. But the richness of life that I experience living and working here is well worth the money left on my potential table.” Upon his May 2020 graduation, Aaron returned to Barnet, Vermont and started working at Weidmann Electrical Technologies.
Aaron now works for Consolidated Communications and reported, “My ability to ask concise, relative questions that pertain to the problem at hand has improved since joining the workforce. Communication skills are very important in the working world and are a skill you learn from being in a working environment. You can take a public speaking class, and that might help introductory, but communication skills are something that need constant practice to keep sharp.” When he is not working, Aaron enjoys hunting, spending time with family and friends, and swimming in or fishing on Harvey’s lake.