A Story of Resilience and Hope.
At 42, Bryan McGee has built a life he once thought impossible. He’s a journeyman sheet metal worker at Arctic Sheet Metal in Portland, Oregon, and recently passed the Certified Welding Inspector exam. Now he helps certify welders through SMART Local 16 and shares his knowledge with the next generation.
The path here wasn’t simple.
Bryan grew up in Battle Ground, Washington. At 12, he lost his best friend in a tragic bicycle accident. The loss broke him and strained his relationship with his father, who had loved Bryan’s friend like a son. Silence and grief kept them apart for years. Bryan shut down emotionally, and without healthy ways to cope, he turned to drugs and alcohol.
By 19, he was serving his first prison sentence. Two more would follow. Each time he was released, drugs and alcohol pulled him back into the same destructive patterns. “Prison had taken enough of my life,” Bryan says.
During one phone call with his dad, something shifted. Neither of them said the word “forgive,” but Bryan felt it in the conversation. That unspoken understanding released years of hurt and opened the door to healing, for their relationship and for himself. Just a few days later, Bryan’s dad passed away.
On April 1, 2018, Bryan began his recovery journey. That date marks the turning point of his life. With faith, spirituality, and accountability, he rebuilt his foundation and committed to living differently.
In 2022, he entered the Sheet Metal Institute apprenticeship program. This time, after attempting once before, he was ready. Bryan embraced the training, leaned on mentors, and committed to finishing. “The apprenticeship gave me purpose and direction,” he says.
Three years later, in August 2025, Bryan graduated as a journeyman. For him, it wasn’t just about learning technical skills, it was about proving he could see something through. Passing the American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector exam shortly after graduation was another milestone that affirmed his place in the industry.
Today, Bryan gives back by certifying welders and encouraging apprentices to keep going, even when life feels overwhelming. “If I can turn my life around, anyone can,” he says. His message is clear: no matter your past, there is a way forward.
He knows not everyone has faced prison or addiction, but many understand what it feels like to be stuck, in grief, in a dead-end job, or in a life without direction. To those people, Bryan offers his story as a message of hope. The sheet metal trade, he says, provides more than a paycheck. It offers stability, opportunity, and the chance to build a future.
“I love who I am today,” Bryan says. “And hopefully I love myself even more tomorrow.”
If you are looking for a meaningful career that can turn your life around, consider the sheet metal industry. Learn more about the different opportunities in our trade on the careers page of our website: Careers in Sheet Metal.