Join us for “Rock Reflections,” a series celebrating Trinity alumni. From 48 states to countries worldwide, our graduates are making an impact, and we'll share their stories on Trinity's website and social media.
This week, we’re reflecting with Joshua Pitts '06
Joshua Pitts started on his path to GreaTness at Trinity. After graduating from Trinity in 2006, he attended the University of Houston and then started his own company in Houston, National LED.
He credits Trinity’s lunch hour with teaching him the value of friendships and the Trinity motto of “Brothers for Life.”
In addition to running his company, he serves as a board director for Dream Rydes, a nonprofit that provides lifesaving and quality-of-life transportation for children battling terminal illnesses.
Joshua recently returned to Trinity for his 20-year class reunion. He and his girlfriend, Niki Dehoyos, live in Houston. Joshua has also earned his private pilot’s license.
What follows is a Q & A interview with Joshua.
Where did you attend grade school?
Bowen Elementary School and then Our Savior Lutheran for middle school.
Why did you choose Trinity for high school?
I really liked St. Matthews and Trinity was close by, so geographically it made a lot of sense for my family. But there was also a personal connection for me. My uncle, Jay Shaw, graduated from Trinity in 1989 and was a successful wrestler. I really looked up to him growing up, so Trinity already had a special meaning to me before I ever became a student.
What activities, athletics or clubs did you participate in at Trinity?
I joke that I never made the cut for any of the sports I tried! I probably wasn't the most focused student when it came to clubs or extracurricular activities either. For me, high school was much more about the friendships and relationships I built.
Looking back, I think that's one of the things I value most about Trinity. I may not have a long list of athletic accomplishments from high school, but I developed relationships with people that are still meaningful to me more than 20 years later.
What is your favorite memory from Trinity?
It might sound simple, but probably lunch.
I recently attended my 20-year reunion, and it made me realize how special lunch hour was. Lunch was the one time during the day when everybody came together. You weren’t separated by classes or schedules. You got to sit around, laugh, talk and really get to know your classmates.
I’ve always taken a genuine interest in people, and relationships mean a lot to me. There are classmates I may see only on social media now or speak with every few years, but I still care about them and enjoy seeing what they're doing with their lives.
That’s why the phrase “Brothers for Life” means more to me today than it probably did when I was a student. There are guys I haven’t seen in years, but when we reconnect, we can talk like we saw each other yesterday. Twenty years can go by and that connection is still there. When you're a teenager, you hear “Brothers for Life,” and it sounds like a slogan. Twenty years later, you understand how true that slogan is.
What do you remember about day-to-day life at Trinity?
More than anything, I remember friendships and camaraderie.
When you're a teenager, you don't necessarily realize how unique it is to spend every day surrounded by the same group of people. Looking back now, especially after attending our reunion, I realize those everyday moments were probably some of the most important ones.
You remember the classes and teachers, but you also remember walking through the halls, joking around with your friends and sitting together at lunch. Those small moments are what created the relationships that lasted long after graduation.
What did you do after graduating from Trinity in 2006?
After Trinity, I moved to Houston and attended the University of Houston, where I studied business and entrepreneurship through the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship.
I graduated from the Wolff Center in 2011. Today, it is ranked the No. 1 undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the United States, and I'm fortunate to now give back to the program as a mentor.
After college, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Early in my career, I worked around finance and then moved into sales, where I really discovered one of my strengths. Eventually I started my company National LED.
My career really started with learning how to sell. Early on, I worked in finance and then joined a manufacturing company. I became obsessed with learning about sales and eventually landed what was, at the time, the largest account in that company's 25-year history. That experience gave me the confidence to believe I could build something myself.
I started National LED shortly after graduating from the University of Houston. What began as a small business has grown into an eight-figure company providing commercial lighting and installation services across the United States. Today our companies work with commercial, industrial, municipal and sports facilities around the country, including major national companies and Fortune 500 organizations.
I’ve since started and acquired several businesses, including National EV and National Electric, but National LED remains the company that really started the journey for me.
As proud as I am of the businesses we’ve built, the next chapter of my career is becoming more about helping other people succeed. I attribute a huge portion of my success to learning how to sell, communicate and build relationships. I spend a lot of my time now teaching and mentoring salespeople and entrepreneurs and helping them accelerate their careers.
I’ve also come full circle with the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at Houston and currently serve as a mentor there, which is especially meaningful because the program had such an impact on my life.
What effect did Trinity have on your life?
Trinity taught me something that I didn’t fully appreciate until I got older: relationships matter. Business is obviously about strategy, execution and hard work; but so much of success comes down to people. It’s your ability to communicate with people, earn their trust, maintain relationships and genuinely care about them.
When I look back at my Trinity experience, the brotherhood and friendships there helped shape that part of me. Twenty years later, I can reconnect with someone I went to school with and immediately feel a connection. That taught me that relationships don’t have to be transactional. Some relationships can go years without constant communication and still be meaningful.
That’s something I carry into my businesses, my friendships and the way I try to lead people today.
Why do you support Trinity years after graduating?
As you get older, you realize that the institutions and people that helped shape you don’t continue to thrive automatically. Someone must give their time, resources and support back to them.
Trinity gave me friendships and experiences that are still part of my life these years later. If I’m in a position where I can help future students get the same opportunity and brotherhood, I think that’s important.
What are you most proud of?
Building successful companies is something I’m proud of, but I don’t think revenue or business size is ultimately going to be the thing I remember most. I'm proud that I took a path that wasn’t necessarily obvious when I was younger and figured it out along the way. I certainly wasn’t the kid in high school that everyone would have predicted was going to build a large company. I wasn’t the star athlete. I wasn’t involved in every organization. I was mostly a kid who liked being around his friends.
I think there’s an important message in that for young people. You don’t have to have your entire future figured out at 18 years old. Sometimes you discover your strengths later. For me, that was entrepreneurship, sales and connecting with people.
I also spend a significant amount of time mentoring and developing salespeople. I’ve learned that one of the most rewarding things you can do after achieving success yourself is to help someone discover what they’re capable of.
If anything, my story is proof that where you start isn’t nearly as important as what you decide to do once you figure out where you want to go.
Share an alumni story!
Do you know a Trinity alumnus with a compelling story? Please reach out to Travis Wagoner '90, Alumni Relations, Communications & Archives at 502-736-2122 or wagoner@trinityrocks.com.
A History of Greatness
Since 1953, Trinity has benefitted from great teachers, resources, and activities to shape and guide promising boys into great men. The 106 students from our first graduating class have been followed by a legacy of academic, personal and cultural achievement. To learn more about our proud heritage, visit https://www.trinityrocks.com/o/trinityfoundation/page/about-us.
Invest in the ‘Path to Greatness’
Your contribution to the Trinity Annual Fund directly supports financial aid, helping our students on their path to greatness! To make a gift, go to https://trinityrocks.givecloud.co/rockreflections.