Wind Turbine Technician Academy Graduate Gerard Dumond

Haiti native Gerard Dumond, one of six students to graduate on June 17 from the college's Wind Turbine Technician Academy (WTTA), overcame many challenges during the six months that he studied at Kalamazoo Valley.

Dumond, 45, moved to New York City in 2016 when his uncle was able to enroll him in the Haitian Family Reunification Program. He took equivalency high school classes and attended Molloy College in Long Island, New York. "Since I was here, I wanted to go to school to learn English," he said. "I knew I wanted to study something here and I knew English was the way. I was the best student in my language classes."

During one of his classes in New York, he heard a presentation about green energy and became intrigued with wind energy. He was impressed with the reputation of Kalamazoo Valley's WTTA and, after passing the admittance exam, made the 10-hour drive to Kalamazoo by himself.

Dumond, whose native language is French, struggled at times to understand his WTTA instructors. "It wasn't easy. It's fully technique," he said. Class met from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays for six months. "Everybody gave me a hand to make sure I finished. It was hard, but the pressure was good."

After class, he would search for YouTube videos that helped to further explain the classroom lessons. All of his diligence paid off. Before the academy ended, Dumond had already been offered at job as a wind turbine technician with NextEra Energy in Indiana.

He acknowledges that he has overcome many challenges. "I was so focused on being in this class that I slept in my car when I was homeless," he said. "It's something you hear about that you've never experienced." He briefly rented a basement apartment with no heat. "I had all of my stuff on me because it was so cold. The cold really killed me. I found a way to deal with it and I found a better place," Dumond said.

College officials including President L. Marshall Washington helped him get connected with community resources. He also received the Long Scholarship and Schlack Student Assistance funds. Because he was so determined, Dumond had no doubt that he would graduate from the WTTA program and find a job in his field. "Keep your faith and keep on going. Don't limit yourself," is his advice for anyone facing adversity.

He remembers feeling afraid of heights at the beginning of class. "All of us were shaking at first, but by the middle of the program we were all ok," he said. "You have to believe in yourself and believe in your equipment. After you inspect your equipment you can see that it's ok."

Now, Dumond says he loves the view from the top of a wind turbine and he's totally committed to the clean energy movement. "It's so interesting when you understand the importance of green energy," he said. "I think it's amazing."

He credits his classmates and instructors Tom Sutton and Tony Parcher with encouraging him to succeed. "They were always offering to help me if I needed something," he said. The WTTA class quickly became close-knit. "We came here as strangers, but we're going to stick together now," Dumond said. "We all need people who believe in us."

Dumond said he loves the WTTA program and he eventually hopes to bring his training home to Haiti. He also envisions himself returning to Kalamazoo one day to give back to the community he's come to love.

The next WTTA course begins on July 6. For more information, see https://www.kvcc.edu/academics/wind/.