Why I Started Mr. Apprentice Instead of Going to College

Hello reader, my name is Luke Pedry. I’m 19 years old and currently working in construction for a custom home builder. I started my apprenticeship in the fall of 2024—and I haven’t looked back since.

After graduating high school, my first career choice was to pursue a religious vocation. But after about 15 months, I believe God allowed certain circumstances to change, redirecting my path. I moved to South Dakota, and within five days, I had a job and a place to stay. That move turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life—not just because South Dakota is beautiful, but because of the opportunities I found and the world it opened up to me.

Like most high school grads, I was constantly asked, “Where are you going to college?” My answer was simple: “I’m not. I want to go into the trades.”

At the time, I saw potential in that choice—but now I see even more. (That’s a topic I’ll dive into in another post.)

The reason I’m writing this right now is because, just a few months into working as an apprentice, I started noticing major misconceptions about the trades—and some real problems in how modern culture views this path. So I started Mr. Apprentice.

The goal of Mr. Apprentice is to inspire and inform this generation about a hidden gem: the skilled trades. It’s a career path that too many look down on—and I want to change that. I hope to captivate this generation by taking you along on my journey as both an apprentice and an aspiring entrepreneur, working to reshape the way we think about work, success, and what it really means to build something meaningful.

But why is it that so many people look down upon the trades?

Somewhere along the way, we started telling young people that success only comes from a degree- just a piece of paper. That if you don’t sit in a classroom for years, you’re somehow inferior. That trades are a fallback, not a first choice.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is, the trades are full of opportunity. You can build a career, launch a business, and create a life of freedom and you can do it without drowning in student debt.

That’s why I started Mr. Apprentice. To show that this isn’t just an alternative- it’s a calling. A call to those who are searching for fulfillment and financial freedom that has yet to be answered by the culture.

One moment I’ll never forget, happened during my first exposure to laying utilities. Before you build a house that will be on a concrete slab, you have to dig trenches for the utilities to go under the house and then up through the concrete. So, I expected that, that being the inexperienced apprentice, I would be doing the dirt work with the shovel while my boss was in the skid steer.  

Well about an hour into the work there came a point where he came out of the skid steer and told me to get in. He proceeded to tell me some instructions before he took over what I was just doing. I remember being amazed. He intentionally gave up driving the skid steer and took up the shovel, just in order to give me more practice. That is mentorship. That is what makes the apprenticeship special. 

At that moment, I realized that this just wasn’t some regular 9-5. My boss was sacrificing himself to constantly help me improve in every aspect of the job.  Even outside of work he has given me advice about life. I tell you this not to gloat over the blessed situation that I’ve been given, but to show you the value in becoming an apprentice. I don’t think that the average college classroom will give you that experience. 

 So, here’s what you can expect from Mr. Apprentice moving forward:

• Honest stories and lessons from my own journey in the trades
• Resources to help you start your path—whether you’re fresh out of school or starting over
• Insights into what a life in the trades actually looks like (money, skills, freedom, mindset)
• Interviews with seasoned pros who’ve walked the walk
• And maybe even a little inspiration to help you take that first step

If you’ve ever felt like college wasn’t for you- or even if you just want to build something real—I hope you’ll stick around. This blog is for you. The underdog. The builder. The future tradesman who just needs someone to say: “You’ve got what it takes.”

So, as I will say from now on. 

Dream big, take action, and build your future one skill at a time.

– Luke