Hard Work Readies Young Mason for the Trade

The resume that reached Jim Greiber, owner of Greiber Masonry in Dane, Wis., was accompanied by a cover letter. Kevin Schleicher's letter read, in part, "Before working toward my bricklaying degree, I worked in the carpentry field for a few summers and did a little concrete work, too. While I was working on my degree, I held farm jobs that consisted of hard work, which relates to laboring for masons. I am convinced my education and experience have prepared me for this position."

Jim Greiber agreed and hired him. "Kevin has been a model employee for our company. His ability to understand the trade, and to show it by doing an excellent job daily, is remarkable for such a young man," Greiber said.

Schleicher was well trained by Don Borchert and Tom Hadfield at the Southwest Technical College of Fennimore, Wis. "They were always there to help me through the problems," Schleicher said. "They helped me learn the determination and attitude to be the best mason I can be."

Borchert, in turn, credited Schleicher's Lancaster High School instructor, Dennis Schmitt. "Schmitt has attended two of my masonry classes held for high school tech [education] instructors. He has been able to spend more time on masonry in his classroom; therefore, he sends me more students that are genuinely interested in masonry. Kevin is one of those students that has benefited from Schmitt's participation in masonry education," Borchert said.

Because of his hard work, determination and supporting cast members, Schleicher won the Wisconsin state competition and represented Wisconsin in the national masonry contest held annually in Kansas City, Mo., in conjunction with the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference.

Greiber concluded, "[We believe] Kevin to be an excellent craftsman and a true professional in the masonry industry."