At 13, Eric Uriotegui-Mendoza learned the most important lesson of his life in a very painful way. When his 38-year-old mother lost her battle with stage 4 cancer, Eric discovered that “you gotta be prepared” for anything life might bring.

That hard-earned wisdom drove the recent Madison County High School graduate to start building his independence early, working at All About Asphalt since age 15 and purchasing his own vehicles with money he earned spreading hot asphalt under the Georgia sun.

“That’s what opened my eyes,” Eric says of his mother’s death. “No matter how young or how old you are, you gotta’ be prepared. You gotta’ do what you gotta’ do.”

That early maturity caught the attention of All About Asphalt, which gave the determined 15-year-old a chance.

“I was looking for work that I would be able to go to school and still work,” said Eric. “I started coming in just after school, moving equipment, helping them do stuff around the shop.”

Eric is working his way up through the ranks of the growing company. He spent time as a “shovel man” before advancing to his current role as a luteman — a position that requires walking alongside massive paving equipment to ensure a perfect asphalt surface.

“Basically, I walk next to the paver and make sure there are no holes,” said Eric. “If there is a hole, I ask for a shovel man to fill it up for me, and I make sure I smooth it out to the point where, when it’s rolled, it’ll blend in and you won’t see it.”

Owner Cohen Strickland has watched Eric grow with the company.

“Eric’s been with us for a while, and he’s going to be working on our asphalt crew,” said Strickland at a career signing day ceremony for Eric and his classmates going directly from high school to employment. “Asphalt is not for everybody. That is very, very hard work. People his age, you don’t see the characteristics that it takes to do work like that. He’s got a lot of grit. He’s very good at it. So very excited for his future with us.”

Eric plans to stay with the company long term.

“Hopefully I’ll be a paver operator and then sooner or later helping Cohen Strickland run the company. I want to learn everything while I’m young and eventually work my way up and earn his trust as I go on.”

The company has grown during Eric’s tenure, expanding from eight employees to nearly 20. Eric has been part of that growth story, learning not just technical skills but also leadership lessons that come from being the youngest member of an experienced crew.

“I like working with people that are older than me,” he says, “because it teaches me how to work like them and how to be more like them, not how kids are today, where a lot of kids don’t want to work.”

That work ethic has translated into tangible independence. Eric likes working on cars and has owned three.

“Ever since I started working, I’ve been working for my own stuff,” he says. “It feels good having your own money working for it. It’s not handed to you; it’s something that you work for.”

Eric’s commitment to his chosen career path was recognized at Madison County High School’s recent “career signing day,” where HireSmart Cares provided quality work boots as part of their “Foot Forward” program. The nonprofit supports graduates who choose to enter the workforce directly after high school rather than attend college.

For Eric, those boots represent more than just footwear — they’re essential equipment for the demanding work he does in extreme summer heat.

“I really do appreciate it,” Eric says of the HireSmart support. “These boots out here in this hot asphalt don’t last that long.”

Eric’s typical workday runs 10 to 12 hours, starting early at the shop where the crew loads equipment before heading to job sites. The work is physically demanding and requires teamwork, communication, and attention to detail — skills Eric says he learned not just on the job, but also from his school experience.

“School showed me how to show up on time, do what I got to do, focus on what I’m doing at that time,” he reflects. “School played a major role for me, because it showed me time management.”

For Eric, the choice to enter the workforce immediately after graduation wasn’t just about earning money — it was about building the kind of independence and security that his early loss taught him to value. His advice to younger students reflects that hard-earned wisdom.

“I think some kids got to realize that the real world ain’t as it seems sometimes,” he says. “A lot of kids don’t want to work. A lot of kids have a desire for somebody to hand things to them. But you gotta’ be prepared.”

HireSmart Cares continues to support young people like Eric through various workforce development initiatives, recognizing that not every path to success runs through a college campus. The organization provides boots, grants, scholarships, and job preparedness training to help the next generation find meaningful careers in trades and other hands-on professions.

Eric Uriotegui-Mendoza’s story demonstrates that sometimes life’s hardest lessons can become the foundation for its greatest successes. From a devastating loss at 13 to building a promising career in the asphalt industry, Eric has proven that with

determination, hard work, and the right support, young people can create their own path to independence and success.

To suggest how HireSmart can help more young people like Eric find a path to success, email info@hiresmartcares.org. To support HireSmart Cares initiatives with a monetary donation, click here.