Faris Ha Ha

Growing up, Faris Ha Ha did not have a summer vacation like other kids he knew. Instead of having a lot of free time at home, his father sent him out to learn trades such as electrical, carpentry, even mechanics.

“My dad told me my hands would be my gold, and I had to learn a trade if I didn’t want to continue doing higher education at a more traditional college or university,” he said. “So, my other option was to learn how to use my hands. You have to know what you feel like doing and be good at it. I had the opportunity to try HVAC work before going to school for it.”

After high school, Ha Ha chose one of those fields, earning a HVAC certificate in 2007 from Kansas City Area Technical School, now known as the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center. He followed that with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

“My associates degree helped me learn more about the engineering side of the trade, and I decided to go ahead and further my education,” he said. “I learned how to design and create an entire system if I wanted to do it all myself.”

Ha Ha said what KCKCC provides is a foundation for learning. He said, however, it is up to each person to decide on how far they want to take that foundation.

“Traditional college isn’t for everyone, but you should try to be better for yourself and the community around you,” he said. “Be a good person. People will look to you for honesty. If you are an honest person, this is the key to success.”

Ha Ha said he is appreciative of what he learned at the college and that his instructors were able to get him to sit and pay attention to what was being taught.

“I had two instructors at KCKCC that really stood out to me - Charlie Brown and David Yantz. I still visit them when I go back to participate in the KKCC-TEC career fairs,” he said. “It was great having those two gentlemen teach me everything about HVAC and how to do it in the right way. To me, it is about passion and loving what you do. The instructors spend so much time teaching students, my advice to current students is to not waste their (teacher’s) time if they are not sure it is the field for them. If it is the field for you, do your best to be good at it.”

While completing his education, Ha Ha started his own heating and cooling business, in 2008 – a decision he made after being laid off from his job. Now known as Ha Ha’s Heating and Cooling, LLC, he also has other businesses in real estate as well as a restaurant, Ha Ha’s Pizza.

“I couldn’t get hired anywhere, so I said I am going to start my own company,” he said. “It was a great experience I had to go through. Now we are doing well, and the business is successful.”

Ha Ha said schools like KCKCC-TEC are important because they help build the basics with regards to whatever trade is being studied. He said KCKCC was beneficial because he was able to go to class in the morning and work with different HVAC companies in the afternoon and evenings.

“KCKCC taught everything basic that was needed- what to do and what not to do. It is so important to pay attention and know the rules of HVAC, such as sub-cooling and super heat. Companies have to know that you know what you are doing. You need this knowledge to get hired, be a good tech or to be able to start your own company,” he said.

“For me, as a business owner with so many staff, I cannot be on top of every single technician telling them what to do or not to do. I know at KCKCC they learn the importance of these basics. This gives you more opportunity to grow within a heating and cooling company versus someone off the street with no knowledge.”