Caige Christmas, 26-year-old native of Wheeling, West Virginia, found his career path in an unexpected way. Originally enrolling at Penn Commercial to become an electrician, he discovered a passion for Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) that reshaped his future. Today, he works as a Virtual Design Construction (VDC) Specialist at Lighthouse Electric in Southpointe, where he creates electrical contract drawings, particularly conduit layouts.
“I came to Penn Commercial expecting to be an electrician, which was a nine-month program,” Caige recalls. “About the halfway point of that program, I started looking into the CADD department, which was the classroom next door. I talked to Mr. McCartney about the program. There was a fellow student I was with as well who had also made the decision to go into the CADD program. He told me why he chose it, and that kind of resonated with me. Ultimately, after the research I did, I realized if I pursued CADD, instead of being the one to do the physical work of the electrical side, I could take it a step further and work on the blueprint side. Be the one to provide the electricians with the blueprints instead of installing.”
That decision set him on a path that led to an externship at Lighthouse Electric during the final three months of his program. “My last term here in the CADD program, the last three months was an externship I had to do to graduate. I had landed my externship at Lighthouse Electric. They extended it after the point I needed it for school. I graduated, and then I got hired after that.”
Caige’s appreciation for drafting goes beyond just technical precision – he sees it as a form of creativity. “I like to view it as making art. I like to view myself as an artist. And I think to an extent I do make art for my job. That was a big selling point.”
Before enrolling at Penn Commercial, Caige had already experienced the challenges of finding the right career path. “I bounced around a little bit. I went to WVU and West Liberty. I pursued sports and exercise physiology. I did about two years of that. I realized it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. So I made the hard decision to quit school for a time period. Ultimately ended up here.”
Now firmly established in the CADD industry, Caige is passionate about the field’s potential. “It’s a never-ending growing industry. There’s always going to be CAD designers that are needed with the way the world is growing. Everything is technological based now. The more you have that, the more you’re going to need people who know how to work the technology to get these things made. It’s an industry that will always have job opportunities.”
In his current role, Caige specializes in Revit, a powerful drafting software used in electrical design. “For me, I’m specialized in Revit. But as CADD as a whole, you could specialize in other programs, like Solidworks, Revit, which are all their own separate paths. The opportunities are endless.”
Reflecting on his journey, Caige credits several individuals for their support and guidance. “I don’t think I’d be where I am if it wasn’t for Ms. Candace (Career Services director). She helped me out a lot, especially with putting my resume together and learning how to conduct myself in interviews. Learning to make myself professional and hirable by a company. Mr. McCartney and Mr. Smith, besides them being my instructors, I think I can call them my friends. I know I could talk to them about things with work, things in my life, that type of connection with them and the school is very important to me. When I come back here to visit, it’s like I’m meeting an old friend.”
From a young man uncertain about his future to a skilled professional making a meaningful impact in his industry, Caige Christmas’ story is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and finding one’s true calling.