Photo courtesy of Jantzen Fisher.
At 22, Jantzen Fisher is beginning his professional career in the heating and air industry at the top of his game. A graduate of the Western Dakota Technical College’s HVACR program employed by Midwestern Mechanical Inc., he has already earned national recognition for his work not once — but twice.
Described as steady and competent by colleagues, Fisher took national champion honors at the 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in the post-secondary division. More recently he was named the 2025 HVAC Apprentice of the Year by the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) national association.
In March, he placed second in what was likely his final competition, one of nine technicians from around the country participating in the National HVAC Apprenticeship Competition, held in his home state of South Dakota. Importantly, the confidence he carries comes from knowledge and experiences he gained in the classroom and working in the field.
“When you think about competing and that stress level. I remember how I felt that first time with SkillsUSA, when I was sweating bullets. Compared to this last competition, I was humming a song to myself. All of the nerves had gone away, and I was just there enjoying myself,” he says.
Early Access to the Trades
Fisher grew up bouncing between southern Idaho and western South Dakota: There was no one place to call home, he says, because the family moved every few years following his father’s career with the U.S. Postal Service. Fisher was homeschooled and spent much of his free time backpacking and fishing in high mountain lakes. When he was 15, a move to Rapid City, S.D., opened up the opportunity to tag along with his grandfather to construction sites. Fisher got to know a custom home builder who offered him a job.
“It was nice because he did everything himself, so I was exposed to basically most trades from the foundation to the finishing work,” he says.
Fisher was initially interested in the plumbing and electrical trades, but a chance meeting with an HVAC technician installing duct work put him on a different path.
“I hadn’t considered heating and air and didn’t know much about it, but his recommendation stuck with me,” Fisher says.
When he toured Western Dakota Technical College, he narrowed down his decision to an associate degree program in either the electrical or HVAC and refrigeration tracks. The school has an extensive electrical lab and set-up for students. Conversely, he found the HVAC lab underwhelming: It was dimly lit with a small sheet metal shop and two rows of old furnaces and A/C units on tables.
However, when the HVAC instructor started explaining how to be good in heating and cooling you have to be good at a bunch of other fields, including electrical and general building construction, “That drew me in, the versatility it offered,” he says.
Fisher applied for and received a scholarship at Western Dakota Technical College through the Build Dakota program. His books, tuition and fees were fully covered and in return he committed to live and work in the state for three years following graduation.
As part of the early scholarship process, his application was shared with private companies around the area and he was hired by Midwestern Mechanical Inc., with the company funding half of his scholarship. Fisher began working immediately, full-time during the summers and then part-time during the academic semesters.
“My very first day I was working at a recreation center working with sheet metal, doing all the duct work,” he says.
His days were mostly spent on large projects while in school Fisher was learning more service and repair-oriented HVAC work. Eventually, he decided he preferred the latter and asked for a transfer at work.
“With big commercial jobs, you would be at the site for several months at a time. In service work, every day is different in what you are doing.”
A Competitive Spirit
Each year, Western Dakota Technical College sends a half dozen or so students to compete in SkillsUSA — typically, they are all second-year students. During Fisher’s first year in the HVAC program, there was one spot left open and he quickly volunteered.
“I knew full well I was going into this event and would be outclassed by everyone else competing. I knew some of the second-year guys and they were really good and had a lot of experience. I was viewing it strictly as a learning curve. I wanted to try it.”
Fisher placed seventh that first time before judges. “I took my lumps that year. But the second year when it was competition time, I went in knowing what to expect. I had paid my dues and I was going in to win.”
He also had a lot more real-world experience by then through his apprenticeship.
“I could tell the difference in my own knowledge; I was far more ready. I knew how each event felt and could tell that I was doing well. I was much more positive in my performance compared to my first year.”
Fisher won first place with a two-point lead. “It was a razor thin margin,” he says.
Graduating from the state level to compete in the SkillsUSA national championship, Fisher had three months to prepare but tempered his expectations.
“Everyone else is at nationals for a reason,” he said.
During competition he was surprised with a piece of refrigeration equipment he had never worked on before. When a second event also didn’t go well, Fisher says he was disappointed because he didn’t think he would place. But that realization reduced his stress. He moved on to electrical troubleshooting and scored one of his best performances.
“There was a wire that I thought was broken. I was suspicious and pulled it clean out of the wall,” Fisher says, recalling the judges were clearly impressed that he found the problem so quickly. The scenario, he adds, was similar to an exercise his instructors had thrown at him in class. “That was a highlight of the competition.”
When the top three finishers were called out, Fisher’s name was included.
“Already I knew that I had done better than I thought I had. I was in the mindset that I would be third place,” he says. When they called third place and it wasn’t him, Fisher figured he would be second. “They called the other guy, and I was left standing there. I was like ‘Whoa! I just won this whole thing!”
Mentorship and the Next Generation
Fisher graduated from Western Dakota Technical College in 2024 with a 4.0 GPA, nearly two years of professional experience under his belt plus another year of apprenticeship credit for time accrued while in school. During his time in school, he also served as president of the HVACR student club.
Last November, he was named the 2025 HVAC Apprentice of the Year by the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC). The award, sponsored by Rheem, was presented during PHCC CONNECT 2025 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Fisher’s apprenticeship and scholarship obligations are now fulfilled. As a journeyman, he plans to stay with Midwestern Mechanical but is considering a move to a smaller town.
“My whole perspective changed when I got married. Before that I would have gone to the highest bidder,” he says, “but there is more to think about now.”
His education also came full circle when he returned to Western Dakota Tech as a guest speaker. Standing on the instructor side of the desk for the first time, he was proud to share his experiences as a competitor and apprentice.
