June 25, 2026
June 25, 2026
Dakota Prep is proud to announce the 2026 recipients of the Dakota Prep Fellowship, a national award recognizing four exceptional electrical apprentices across Canada and the United States for their outstanding contributions to peer mentorship, community leadership, and commitment to advancing the trades.
Selected from a competitive pool, this year's Fellows represent a new generation of leaders redefining what it means to succeed in the skilled trades. Each Fellow receives a $1,000 award (USD or CAD), a free annual license to the Dakota Prep electrical exam app, and national recognition for their efforts in supporting and elevating the apprenticeship community.
Vienna Lepple – Niagara College (ON)
After earning an automation engineering degree at McMaster University, Vienna made the bold decision to pursue a skilled trade instead, a bet that the hands-on electrical work happening on the shop floor was the more valuable path. Now in the final term of her apprenticeship, she uses her engineering background to bridge the gap between the people who design machines and the people who build them, and she has spent all three terms of trade school mentoring classmates through the toughest material. Her dream is to one day teach in the apprenticeship program herself.
Gabby Labbe – Thompson Rivers University (BC)
Gabby struggled with reading until grade seven, and the discipline she built to overcome those early challenges carried her to the top of her class. Now a third-term apprentice at BC Hydro, she performs high-voltage maintenance on substation equipment ranging up to 500,000 volts, and she has a rare gift for teaching the trade's most specialized machines, even authoring a guide to synchronous condensers so new crew members could learn them with confidence. Through peer study groups at TRU, she has built a judgment-free space where everyone teaches and everyone learns.
Melody Watkins – British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)
A trained baker and former fine-dining chef, Melody pivoted to the electrical trade during the pandemic in search of better pay and hours that fit life as a working mom, and she has thrived in it ever since, finishing her Level 2 training with a 90% standing. Hired out of BCIT's Foundations program as a student employee, she now builds the control cabinets and training boards that other apprentices learn on. Her mentorship philosophy is simple but powerful: lift the whole room, foster a "no man left behind" culture, and great results will follow.
Roberto Granados – Long Beach City College (CA)
Roberto discovered the trade while working a retail job at Macy's, watching the maintenance electricians and realizing how essential their skills were. He enrolled at Long Beach City College and became a standout student, earning repeated Dean's List honors, but his real insight was that landing the job takes more than competence. He built a professional portfolio that made him the only candidate with one in his apprenticeship interview, then taught his classmates to do the same, leading an after-hours study group of eight through the National Electrical Code.
"These apprentices aren't just preparing for their careers, they're lifting up everyone around them," said Alex Au, founder of Dakota Prep. "This year's Fellows come from different countries and very different starting points, from engineering lecture halls to fine-dining kitchens to retail stockrooms. What unites them is a belief that a great learning environment matters just as much as great instruction."
The Dakota Prep Fellowship celebrates the future of the trades: collaborative, resilient, and driven by community. With more than 20,000 students supported across 30+ institutions, Dakota Prep remains committed to helping apprentices not only pass their exams, but thrive in their careers.
About Dakota Prep: Dakota Prep is a digital education platform that helps tradespeople in Canada and the U.S. prepare for their trades exams. Through mobile-first study tools and smart learning features, Dakota Prep empowers individuals to build long-term careers in the skilled trades.
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