For Logan Trumbauer, a career in electrical work started with a family connection—and a few service calls with his grandfather. A Level 3 student in the Electrical Occupations program, Logan attends Brandywine Heights High School. His interest in the electrical trade began during COVID when he started accompanying his grandfather, a longtime electrician, on service calls. Replacing outlets, switches and other electrical components sparked something in Logan.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Logan said. “I went with my gut. I trusted my gut.” That instinct led him to BCTC, where he quickly discovered that electrical work was the right fit. While he was uncertain about the program during his first year, it didn’t take long for that uncertainty to disappear. “I fell in love with it pretty much the first week,” Logan said. “I really fell in love with it once I actually started working out in the shops.”
Through BCTC’s Electrical Occupations program, Logan has developed a foundation in everything from residential and commercial electrical work to motor controls and other areas of the trade. That foundation became especially valuable during his summer co-op with Wetzel Enterprises, where he focused primarily on residential construction.
Logan worked on new home additions from start to finish, completing everything from panels and rough-ins to installing outlets and covers. While pulling and stapling wire could be challenging, he appreciated the opportunity to put his skills to work in the field—and learned that electrical work is as much about teamwork as it is technical ability. “BCTC helped me get my ability to do that stuff on my own while also doing teamwork at the same time,” he explained.
His experience with Wetzel Enterprises has also opened the door to his future. Logan plans to continue his co-op during the school year, working instead of attending BCTC four days a week. Even more exciting, he already has a full-time job opportunity waiting for him after graduation. Just two weeks into his co-op, Logan was told that he would have a full-time position after high school graduation. For Logan, that opportunity provides more than a paycheck—it gives him a clear path forward. “I can just, the day after I graduate, go right to work,” he said.
Logan sees himself staying in residential electrical work and eventually starting his own business. His long-term plans could even bring him back to where his journey began: his grandfather’s electrical business. The two have talked about the possibility of Logan taking over the business someday when his grandfather retires.
While that future is still several steps away, including an apprenticeship, journeyman experience and eventually becoming a master electrician, Logan already knows he has found his career home. “I love it. I found my home,” he said.
For students who are still trying to figure out what they want to do, Logan has simple advice: trust yourself and follow through. “Go with your gut. Do what your gut says. And follow through with it. Don’t back out. There is a plan.”
Logan’s own experience is proof. What began as tagging along with his grandfather on service calls has turned into a career goal, a co-op opportunity and a promising future in the electrical trade.