Local 909’s Ahmed Abdelmohsen has been working in construction since he was a 13 year old in Egypt. The work was hard, but it was necessary for him to contribute as his family didn’t have much. At the time he could never have imagined that construction would ultimately provide him with a quality of life he could have only dreamed of.
He came to the United States at age 15 and proceeded to work odd jobs to get by. Ahmed knew he wanted more, and he was very vocal with his desire to move onto better things. A fortuitous encounter while working at a gas station would change his life forever. A gentleman suggested that Ahmed come by his office to talk. This would begin his journey with Pacific Wall Systems and officially start his career with the Carpenters Union.
Ahmed is proud of his growth as a naturalized citizen, and he is proud of the work he’s done to make his adopted country better. His fondest memory is building Mickey Mouse’s Fantasia hat at Disney Animation Studios. He looks forward to telling his young ones all about it.
He loves the Brotherhood and the diverse group of men and women that he now considers friends. He has gone from a wide-eyed teenager who could barely speak English to a Journeyman Carpenter with a house, comfortably raising a family- all thanks to the Union. Now he gives back to his fellow Arab immigrants with a successful YouTube channel that chronicles his journey and offers advice to those who have made or are thinking of making the journey to this country. The subject that he enjoys talking about the most on his channel is the ins and outs of being a Carpenter. He wants other immigrants to know that they too can make the change to a better life through the Union, and he proudly shows them how through his videos.
Watch the video above or click here to learn more about Brother Abdelmohsen.