Fast Track into HVAC

When Jacob Mathis was a senior in high school, he saw a clear career path ahead for him. And it didn’t involve the traditional college route.

“You don’t have to go to a four-year college to be successful,” says Jacob, a 2023 graduate of Flowery Branch High School. “I remember my counselor kept asking me, ‘Why don’t you want to go to UGA?’ or, ‘Why don’t you want to go to Georgia Tech? You have the grades to do it.’ In my mind there was far more money and opportunity in a trades environment, and I could cut that college time in half.”

That’s exactly what Jacob did, attending nearby Lanier Technical College, where he excelled academically, earning a place on the President’s List in his second semester and graduating with a 3.40 GPA from the two-year Air Conditioning Technology program. During that span, he also landed a part-time job with Gainesville’s Lawson Air Conditioning and Plumbing, and he’s been a full-time HVAC technician with the company since his December 2024 graduation.

Jacob “exemplifies determination, resilience, and success in the skilled trades,” says his high school instructor, David Coetzee. “At just 20 years old, he is already thriving in the HVAC industry.”

Jacob’s path to a burgeoning career wasn’t without its challenges, however. In August 2021, he was involved in a devastating auto accident that left him with six facial fractures, a shattered jawbone, and internal bleeding behind his right eye. But he refused to let the accident define him, and after undergoing three facial reconstruction surgeries and managing his 11th-grade classes virtually for three months, he returned to school and ultimately raised his grades back to As and Bs.

In the following Q&A, Jacob discusses the accident, his experiences in Coetzee’s welding program, his work with Lawson, and more.

Was hands-on work in the trades something you were always interested in?
When I was growing up, I always enjoyed hands-on things. My uncle would do a lot of projects around the house, and I would help him and my aunt. When I got to high school, I noticed welding was part of the electives, and since I liked to be hands-on, I decided that was a good path.

How did that welding program help prepare you for your career?
As part of the curriculum, [Coetzee] would have us do fun projects. One time I welded together a toolbox for myself. Another time I created a hat holder out of some spare metal. It gave me a sense of accomplishment when I would finish these projects. It was like, ‘I built that, I created that.’ That was really a rewarding thing to me.

What happened in the automobile accident?
It was August 20, 2021. It started out like any other day, I went to school, then later that afternoon, I was in the vehicle with my mother and sister, in the back seat, and we got struck at a red light. We were completely stopped, but the driver behind us did not stop at all. I’m a very devout Christian, and I think that God put me through that experience to better myself and help me lean more in His direction and just follow His plan.

How did you get hired at Lawson Air Conditioning and Plumbing?
I knew some people in the program at Lanier Tech who worked at Lawson, and they highly recommended it to me, so I reached out, and we just hit it off.

What kind of work do you do?
I’m focused on the service side of air conditioning. We do a mixture of everything, installing things like coils and condensers, troubleshooting systems, and performing maintenance checks. When I first started out, something I really liked about the company was the senior technicians were very helpful in guiding me along. At first, I shadowed them, just watching what they do, then over time, I got to be more and more hands-on. I had the book knowledge from Lanier Tech, and now I was getting to use it in the work environment.

You’re also in the National Guard. How do you balance that with a full-time HVAC career?
I just try to just take it one day at a time and not get too stressed about anything. It is nice with the Guard, because you just have that long weekend a month. The rest of the time, you can work full-time and focus on your career.

What would you tell a high school student or recent graduate with an interest in a skilled-trades career?
I would tell them about the job security. The trades are a big industry and there’s always a need for more people. And with our ever-evolving world, with technology and things like that, there’s so many more opportunities that open up to you. And honestly, if you’re someone who likes to be hands on, you’re definitely going to enjoy the trades.