A Short Autobiography - David Ullian Larson
I tried the University of Illinois after high school but could not hold on
to such a huge and slippery school. I joined the United States Air Force for
four years. Basic training at Lackland AFB in San
Antonio, Texas, started me on my way. My job was a Russian Language translator which I learned at
Syracuse University. After some months at the security
service school at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo,
Texas, I was sent to the 6901st
Spec Comm Group in Zweibrucken, Germany where I worked for a couple
years. Then I was transferred to Paris,
France for the final year of my four year enlistment. After receiving an honorable discharge, I tried finding a job as a beginner electrician. And
I did. The rest is history. Not interesting, perhaps, but history. I
maintain the unit web site for Zweibrucken at http://www.6901st.org
My electrical work experience began in 1957 when I wired the home my dad and I built
for our family in Illinois. Yep. It is still standing. With the help of a Sears and
Roebuck "How-to" book, I did a great job. After high school and four years in
the US Air Force, I worked at several different jobs until I found an opening starting as an electrician in
1967 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in
Manistique.
My work experience includes residential single family and multi family, commercial and
industrial construction and maintenance of great variety. Except for the time I spent
going to college to get my degrees under the GI Bill, and the few years I worked as
a technical instructor and as an
education administrator at Lansing Community College in Michigan, I have been a working
electrician and a provider of electrician education. Now I am an education
provider for the State of Florida, author/web master for ElectricianEducation.com,
author/web master for VisitEuropeOnline.com
and a licensed secondary education math teacher Math 6-12 in Florida.
Although I think of myself as a good instructor due to the fact that I have suffered
through the exact same sorts of problems that my students have had to endure, I am an even
better electrician. I really love to do electrical work. Too bad I can not do it
anymore. Age came up behind me and slapped me down. Now it is on to do other
things.
October 2001 marked 30 years of part-time full-time electrician training, electrical
instruction, and electrical work for me, David Ullian Larson. As far as experience as an
electrical instructor, I have experience as a high school dual enrollment instructor in
electrical occupations, community college teacher technician, pre-apprentice and
apprentice instructor, journeyman and master electrician license exam preparation
instructor, electrical inspector certification and license exam prep instructor, skill
update seminar sponsor and electrical contractor continuing education provider and
instructor. Click HERE to see a list of the
various types of work I did while working as an electrician.
Age is now my enemy as I realize that I will have to back away from the tools more and
more. But, for sure, I'll quit doing electrical work when they peal my cold dead fingers
back off my Kleins. I have had to stop doing electrical contracting work for
others at age 58. Now a social security recipient, I no longer do electrical
work for others.
Sure, I'll do my own stuff and probably some work for friends.
But my electrical business has ended. I have not renewed my licenses. I can't imagine what I will
do when I can't get in the truck and go off to do yet one more job. In fact,
I
have joked that I may even outfit a walker with a tool belt so I can continue to
at least change switches and dimmers until I am well into my 80's. Well,
maybe not.
My wife, Donna, and I live in a home which I constructed myself. I drew the
plans and did most of the construction. I did not pour the concrete, and I did
not lay the carpeting. Other than that, the plumbing, carpentry, painting,
electrical, tile, roofing, drywall, plastering, heating and air, and site work
was my own doing. I like working around the house. My wife is great at making
the house look like a home. We have no children so we have worked to
take care of others' children. Donna worked for many years as a pre school
teacher. Then for years she worked to help manage the electrical business we
owned. Now she is a housewife. Now I am an internet geek. Go figure.
Licenses and degrees
I received my Journeyman Electrician License in 1969 and Master
Electrician License in 1971 both by examination in Lansing, Michigan. I also
took Journeyman Electrician License Exams and passed in Marinette, Wisconsin and
Green Bay, Wisconsin. I also passed the Master Electrician license exam in
Marinette, Wisconsin. My college work
resulted in an A. A. and A. S. degrees from Lansing Community
College, Lansing, Michigan,
in 1974 and 1975. In 1976 I completed course work Michigan
State and Ferris State in Michigan. I received a B. S. degree in Trade and
Technical Education from Ferris State at Big Rapids, Michigan. In 1979 I received my
Master Electrician License in Florida by Block and Associates examination.
I have passed the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) Certification Examinations 2A 2B and 2C.
These are Residential, General and Plan Review. I have also passed the Southern
Building Code Congress International (SBCCI)
Residential, Commercial, and Plan Review exams. As you can see, I have
taken my share of examinations. I know
what it is to get ready to take exams.
In 2002-2003 I took and passed the following State of Florida
Teacher Certification Examinations:
Professional Education Exam
General Knowledge (All four tests)
Mathematics 5-9
Mathematics 6-12
Industrial Arts/Technology Education
I currently hold a Professional Certificate for Mathematics
Education Grades 6-12 in Florida. See it HERE
Hobbies
Past activities that were really great while they lasted for me
were SCUBA diving and flying. I worked hard to get the YMCA Instructor
certification and taught two classes as a volunteer at the Menominee, Michigan,
YMCA. Another great hobby was flying an airplane. You know, those little ones
like a Cessna 150 or Cessna 172. I have 80 hours logged, about 60 solo. This
activity got to be just too expensive so I backed off it. But I remember
those events quite strongly. My flying experience started in Sembach Air Force
Base in German, while I was still in the Air Force. I attended flight school in
Michigan and Florida in the good old days.
So What's Next?
Enough for now. Cheers:>)
David Ullian Larson
Working in Florida has its moments. Quite a bit of work is near the water.
Here I am on a dock in Jensen Beach, Florida, in the day.
