Maurice Jordan has been a licensed professional in the plumbing trade for nearly three decades. Before that, the veteran proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War.
He is also a lifelong learner.
After an injury during the war, Jordan (above, right), now 53, was discharged and began building his civilian life and career. His educational journey at WCC began in 1997, when he started taking classes through a skilled trades assistance program.
Most of his classes since have focused on developing work-related skills for his Ann Arbor-based union job. Recently, he began an online Construction Super-vision certification to enhance his chances of moving into a supervisory role with higher pay.
But not all of Jordan's learning has been job-related. He's also expanded his knowledge in a particular area of interest.
A jazz musician and sound engineer at local churches for many years, Jordan has enrolled in Audio Production and Engineering courses to learn how to mix and adjust sound.
Jordan says community college was the best path for him.
“You can work on taking general education classes, which are transferable and not quite as expensive as the university credit hours,” he says.
Married for 15 years, Jordan has a blended family with eight children — and they’re one of his biggest motivations to continue learning.
“I want to show my children that they should never give up.”
---
This story was originally published in the Fall 2025 edition of Launch Magazine. Read or download the full edition.
Tags: Construction Technology, Skilled Trades, Student Profile, ousearch_Programs_construction Supervision