by Rick Burke,
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
(PORTSMOUTH, Va.)
- A 1997 Western Branch High School graduate and Chesapeake, Virginia native, recently received
the outstanding apprentice award from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY)
Apprentice Program.
Mr. David
Franklin (right), one of 103 honor graduates from the NNSY Apprentice Program, was
presented the award by the National Association of Superintendent at
Willet Hall in Portsmouth, Virginia.
NNSY congratulated
180 graduates from its program. The graduates, represent 25 trades across the
shipyard, and successfully completed a four-year training program, which
includes academics, trade theory and on-the-job experience. Upon graduation,
the apprentices received a Technician Career Studies Certificate and were
converted to the journeymen level of their trade.
Franklin said
receiving this award as an early graduate, is his proudest accomplishment.
"My
proudest accomplishment is graduating five months early from the
apprenticeship program and achieving salutatorian of my class,” he
said.
"I always set short term goals for myself. These
were the three goals I set for myself during my apprenticeship. Through hard
work and perseverance I achieved all three of these goals," he
added.
At NNSY Franklin,
who has currently worked for the DOD for four years, is the Temporary Services
Supervisor. He is responsible for providing oversight of routing,
installing, maintaining and removing nuclear and non-nuclear temporary
services.
Franklin
has carried lessons learned from his hometown working for the Department of
Defense.
"In my hometown, I ran my own company for 11 years and
this opened my eyes to being a productive employee," said Franklin.
"My goal is to run my career at NNSY as the employee I always wanted to
be.
Franklin is
honored to have family members who previously served with the DOD and the
military.
"My great grandfather, grandfather and father
all worked at NNSY," he said. "My great grandfather previously worked here for seven
years. My grandfather served in the Navy and became superintendent for the
diving department. My father later carried on that tradition, working as superintendent for the same
department. Additionally, my aunt currently works at NNSY as an engineer tech superintendent in the lifting and handling
department."
Working with the
DOD, has provided Franklin with opportunities that continue to develop
essential traits needed for success both professionally and personally.
It gives me a very structured place to work,” said Franklin.
“It helps me budget my finances and family. I can see a ladder to climb that
really pushes me to be my best. I have met people, both civilians and enlisted,
that I have developed relationships with and now consider them family.