Cristian Romero, a Residential Remodeling Technology major, has been working at Nationwide Kitchen Installers during the summer of 2025.
Nationwide Kitchen Installers, focused on residential, commercial and institutional cabinet installation, ensures installs are gold standard.
We asked Cristian to share about his experience.
How did you find out about your in-field work experience opportunity?
I learned about this opportunity through a class visit from the owner of Nationwide Kitchen Installers. I heard about the company and the benefits and it really caught my interest.
What does your day-to-day look like?
My day-to-day looks something like this: I arrive at the jobsite/customer’s house around 9 a.m., meet my coworker, and we get our tools ready to go. We greet the customer and then start working on the project. After a 30-minute lunch break, we finish up for the day, clean up, and then get the customer caught up with what we have completed. When we finish the job completely, we walk the customer through the kitchen to see if there is something they are not satisfied with. Our goal is to make sure our customers are left 100 percent satisfied with our work. To end the day, we make sure that our work area and the customer’s house is clean. Then we say our goodbyes and head home. Sometimes we leave early or stay later.
What is something you were surprised to learn in your time at work?
Something that surprised me while working was not everything is done in one specific way. Sometimes you must come up with your own way to get the job done.
What’s been something challenging in this in-field work experience?
The scheduling complexity is sometimes tricky, as jobs may be far away. In the end, it’s worth it because I was able to gain experience and knowledge in the field.
What’s been the best thing about your in-field work experience?
Working alongside a great carpenter and learning from his expertise.
Share a story about something that happened one day as part of your time working in the field?
Something I’m proud of doing is installing all the upper cabinets in the kitchen with minimal assistance. As the customer saw what I had done, he requested an installation of his old cabinets in his garage for extra pay. I accepted his request and did the installation. I felt very accomplished in my work and proud to say that it was my work.
Would you recommend seeking out an in-field work experience to other students at TSCT?
I would highly recommend other students find a summer in-field work experience. It helps you grow in your trade, you feel more prepared for the second year of school, and you’re able to build a connection with the company that you might be with for a long time.
How do you think this experience will help you in your future?
I know that this in-field work experience will help me in the future with my dream of flipping houses. I will be able to say that I have experience working in kitchen installations, and I will be knowledgeable in that area of carpentry.