From Prison to Power Grid: UEI College Graduate Wires a New Future

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The first stop Miguel Pantoja made when he walked out of federal prison was In-N-Out Burger. The second was UEI College in Sacramento.

"I decided right then that when I got out, I was going to enroll in trade school. I wanted to change my life," he said.

Before his conviction, Pantoja enjoyed metal fabrication and hoped to join a trade union. Poor choices and the wrong social circle pulled him off track.

"I was young and immature," he said. "I let who I thought were my peers influence me into things I didn't need to be around."

During his five-year sentence, Pantoja taught himself welding and worked as an inmate welder. Then he watched robotic systems replace welders on prison job sites, including his own station.

"I was welding one day, and the next day they replaced my station with a machine," he said. "Electrical work is an essential service that will always need skilled human hands."

After his release, Pantoja enrolled in the Electrician Technician program at UEI College's Sacramento campus and completed it in 2023.

School also helped him shed what he called an institutional mindset after half a decade behind bars. "Going to school every day was what truly broke me out of it," he said.

The role changed how Pantoja saw himself. "It showed me I could hold myself to a higher standard because I was doing something right with my life," he said.

"From his very first day in the lab, Miguel brought a level of focus, humility and determination that set the tone for the entire class," Felden said. "He didn't just master the curriculum — he showed other students what accountability and a true work ethic look like."

Shortly after graduating, Pantoja was hired by Burgelectric. He works on projects across Northern California, from high-voltage substations and underground utility infrastructure to lighting control panels, highway lighting and commercial build-outs.

Pantoja said his attorney had warned him that many people reoffend because of the stress of re-entry and the difficulty of finding employers willing to hire someone with a record.

"That's exactly why I enrolled in the college," he said. "I refused to go backward."

His advice to others is to plan for the long haul. "There are endless opportunities to advance in the field, move into project management and develop as an individual," he said.

"I refused to let myself become another recidivism statistic," Pantoja said. "Anything is possible when you commit yourself completely."

About UEI College

UEI College is an accredited institution that offers a range of vocational and skilled trade programs to help students earn a diploma and get started in a new career in as few as 10 months. In addition to career-focused education, UEI provides students with extensive support services, including career services and job placement assistance. UEI provides hands on career training in entry-level health care and the skilled trades at campuses throughout California. To learn more visit UEI.edu.

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SOURCE UEI College