Watson hosts several centers dedicated to area studies, including the Africa Initiative, Brazil Initiative, Center for Contemporary South Asia, and China Initiative. When combined with its thematically driven research program, these enable Watson’s scholars to take an interdisciplinary and comparative approach to scholarship.
Kenroy Watson epitomizes the New York cliche that everyone comes from somewhere different; his journey began in the Caribbean before leading him to Harlem, where he now runs a plumbing company.
Certification
If you want to become a plumber in New York, there are various paths you can take to gain training and experience. Attend vocational schools, apprenticeship programs, or begin on-the-job training; additionally, local licensing requirements vary by locale – for instance, New York City requires more classroom education and work experience than most cities.
Many vocational schools offer plumbing-related degrees and certificate programs. For instance, SUNY Delhi provides an Associate of Applied Science degree in Plumbing and Refrigeration, while many SUNY colleges also offer certificate programs. You can find more information on these institutions’ websites.
Some municipalities also mandate on-the-job experience as part of their licensing process, which can be both challenging and physically demanding, often involving heavy lifting and long hours of standing or walking in tight spaces.
Some trade organizations provide apprenticeship programs as a path toward becoming licensed plumbers, typically featuring an on-the-job training period of 8,000 hours and classroom instruction. Once complete, this type of apprenticeship often results in guaranteed income as participants gain invaluable skills and experience – unions and employers may also fund these programs to minimize upfront training costs.
Work Experience
Grace understands the value of experiential learning first-hand as she was once a Watson Fellow herself, dedicating her career to supporting young people as they navigate new opportunities. She is excited to join Watson and help students discover their passions and reach their full potential. Prior to Watson, she worked for nonprofits such as 12+ and America Needs You, providing academic support, college advisement, and professional development training to thousands of students; additionally, she enjoys food adventures such as sampling all that Brooklyn offers when it comes to khachapuri!
Sneha joined Watson in 2013 and currently oversees all programmatic aspects of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. A firm believer that leadership and social impact skills are integral for success across fields, she worked as a program manager at Let’s Get Ready (New York-based college access non-profit) prior to joining Watson; additionally, she spent one year volunteering as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Jumpstart for Young Children (Chile/Spain).
Chris has over two decades of experience at Watson. As an Alum, he has established innovative non-profits, for-profits, and international projects relating to community development, education, connected healthcare, and wearable computing. He was not busy building groundbreaking software or hardware innovations in Manhattan with his wife and two ten-year-old children.
Job Opportunities
A career as a plumber offers many advantages for those with an interest in trades. Not only will you make a competitive wage and enjoy fulfilling work, but independent contractor status will allow you to pick your clients. Plus, starting your own business could even be possible! Anyone considering this career path should keep in mind that pay is very competitive with other occupations, and there will likely be many job openings.
This position is responsible for safely delivering products and services to Watson’s customers within an agreed-upon timeline, creating a positive customer experience throughout the sales process, verifying order accuracy, inspecting hot tubs prior to delivery, loading trucks accurately, verifying all deliveries against invoices received from customers as well as addressing customers needs either on-site or documented for follow up post-delivery; while also educating and communicating effectively while upholding a professional image. All employees can enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as 401k plans.
Education
An apprenticeship program in plumbing offers classroom instruction and hands-on work experience. Apprentices take classes from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), in addition to earning OSHA 30 Hour Certification. This program is open to high school students as well as adult career changers looking for training as plumbers themselves are teaching these classes, making sure students get the best training. Instructors of these classes include experienced former plumbers committed to giving apprentices an outstanding education experience.
James Watson donated land in 1856 for the construction of a one-room schoolhouse to serve the pioneer communities of Bodega, Freestone, and Valley Ford. Constructed of local redwood logs harvested along Joy Road and milled in Sebastopol, today this historic structure serves as a Sonoma County Point of Historical Interest managed by Sonoma County Regional Parks Department as a Wayside Park featuring picnic tables, restroom facilities, and parking area.
Regional Parks of Orange County has officially renamed Running Fence Park to pay tribute to Bulgarian artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s fabric art project that covered 24.5 miles. This park has long been popular among hikers, picnickers, photographers, and people looking for outdoor adventure – opening daily from dawn until dusk for hiking, picnicking, or photography purposes.
