Fifth-generation Mason Excels
Words: Dan KamysJoshua Garigali of Mesa, Ariz., is our Masonry Apprentice of the Month. Nominated by his employer, Sunnyside Masonry, Garigali is serious about the industry.
"Masonry has been in my family for generations, but I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't like it myself," Garigali says.
Garigali is a fifth-generation mason, and both his father and grandfather work as foremen for construction companies.
Garigali credits his masonry instructor, Moroni Mejia II, at East Valley Institute of Technology for "taking care and pride in the work I do." In return, his instructor speaks highly of the young mason.
"Josh exhibited an excellent work ethic throughout his three-year apprenticeship," says Mejia. "His willingness to learn propelled him to the head of his class."
A graduate of Dunkirk High School in Dunkirk, N.Y., where he played varsity football and basketball, Garigali moved to Arizona following graduation and has been working fulltime at Sunnyside for almost six years. Garigali achieved journeyman status last fall.
Garigali participated in the national masonry competition held last summer in conjunction with the 40th annual SkillsUSA Leadership Conference at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo.