A SEMCA Lasting Legacy
How the Olson Family Turns Heartbreak into Support for Trade School Students.
For many after high school, the path to college seems like the obvious and only choice for a successful career. For Nathan Olson, he thought about pursuing the college path and playing soccer for the school of his dreams, but the thought of going into the trades and ultimately building a company alongside his dad, who is a plumber, was a better dream. So, Nathan enrolled into his first semester at the Southeast Michigan Construction Academy in the fall of 2023 to study electrical.
He was an apprentice for State Electric Company while attending school. His passion and hard work ethic got him far, and he was even interviewed on the job site by Detroit Channel 7 about his work installing electric vehicle chargers.
“Nathan was a kind, caring and goofy person. He was the kind of kid who buckled down and worked hard to get where he wanted to go in life, and he never wavered on his values,” said Melanie Olson, Nathan’s mom. “He was a loving son, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. Nathan had a love of mentoring others and often would turn to people with special needs who could use a smile like Nathan’s to stand beside them.”
Nathan’s cousin Jakob Knott said he was a natural born leader and when they were kids, everyone looked up to him. Nathan’s sister agreed with that statement saying she turned to her brother for everything. Just 15 months older, Cassidy said she was lucky to have someone to grow up alongside and share every turn in life with.
This close-knit family had the unimaginable happen when they discovered that Nathan had died by suicide at 19 years old. He was experiencing hardship in his life at family made sure to check in.
Jamie Weber, Nathan’s cousin and a school counselor, said she spoke in depth with him the day before and said he showed no signs.
“He didn’t give me any indication he was thinking about this. It just shows you how quickly someone can make this decision,” Weber said. “We talked about everything positive he had coming up in his life and he told me he will get through this tough time. Nathan said with the support of his family, he can get through it and that’s the hardest thing to think about. Did we as a family do enough?”
A thought that runs through every family’s mind when faced with this tragedy.
“We never thought something like this would happen in our family. A family as close as we are and who does everything together, we just, we didn’t see it happening,” said Betty Knott, Nathan’s grandma. “I know we’ll get through this as a family, but for now we’re still grieving and hurting.”
Through this tragedy, Nathan’s parents made the decision to create the Nathan E. Olson Memorial Scholarship and raise money to provide scholarships for students enrolled in SEMCA.
Melanie said she felt a push from her son from above to give back and support people choosing careers in construction just as he had.
“Nathan told me we need to do this. He would want us to do everything we can to raise awareness about the high rate of suicides in construction,” Melanie said. “If we didn’t know this was coming in our future, there’s a chance other families don’t either.”
Melanie continued saying through the strength of their friends and family, they’re having the tough conversations.
“We’re saying the word. Nathan died by suicide. I don’t want to hide behind what happened because I don’t want to see this trend continuing, especially in construction,” Melanie said. “These men and women work so hard, in tough conditions, and they need to be protected.”
If you would like to learn more about the Nathan E. Olson Memorial Scholarship, or would like to make a contribution to the scholarship fund, follow their Facebook page called the Nathan E. Olson Memorial Scholarship.
If you or someone you know is battling with mental health or having thoughts about suicide, you can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a caring, trained counselor who can help. 988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress.
We would like to thank the Olson family and their friends for opening up about Nathan and helping be the change the construction industry needs.
