Real Success Stories

Meet real role models working in various industries who have found success through alternative pathways after high school — and what they like about what they do! Looking to dive deeper? Complete this scavenger hunt to help you explore the many paths to success.

Payton Siemens

Speech Therapist

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian because I loved helping animals. Over time, that passion evolved into a career focused on helping people. Today, I’m a speech therapist, literacy intervention specialist and reading specialist at No Stone Unturned in Manhattan, Kansas. I enjoy...
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Austin Vincent

Staff Attorney

I’ve always been passionate about agriculture. I grew up on my family’s fifth-generation ranch, where I learned the value of a handshake and satisfaction of a job well done. But it wasn’t until my senior year of college that I realized I wanted to dedicate my career to the industry. A policy...
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Kylene Caquelin

Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

I always knew I wanted to work with kids. Today, I’m doing just that as a board-certified behavior analyst at No Stone Unturned in Manhattan. I work with kids who are diagnosed with autism to lessen their maladaptive behaviors. Maladaptive behaviors are actions that stop someone from facing new or...
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Sarah Weber

Pruning Supervisor

Growing up, I could never decide what I wanted to do for a career. I had so many different interests and bounced around so many things — I couldn’t have guessed I’d be where I am today.
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Beau Means

Plumbing Manager

Growing up in a family of plumbers, it’s no surprise that I ended up in the same field. But when I went away to college, plumbing was the last thing I planned to pursue. That changed when I heard my family talk about their work at gatherings. I realized how proud they were of helping homeowners...
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Emily Beyer

Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner

Growing up, I always wanted to be in the medical field. I initially considered working with animals like my mom, but I soon realized I wanted to help people directly and communicate with my patients to understand exactly where they hurt.
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CJ Moorman

Plant Manager/Concrete Batchman

I’ve always loved the construction industry, and over time, I saw all the opportunities it offers. I was drawn to the idea of driving big trucks and operating heavy equipment, and I set a goal to master those skills as I got older.
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Brandy Sayre

Court Reporter

Growing up, I wanted to be a physician. After graduating from high school, I started working for a court reporting firm editing transcripts. I did that while I was in college, and I decided what I really wanted to do was to be a court reporter.
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Taylor Case

Project Engineer

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being either a country singer or a veterinarian. Growing up on a farm, loving animals and always watching Country Music Television on Saturday mornings, I thought those career paths would be good fits. As it turned out, though, I can’t sing (well) and didn’t want to...
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Kashaya Zukowske

Assistant Director of Nursing

I started working in health care when I was 18 years old. I always spent a lot of time in nursing facilities because my mom worked in nursing homes, so it felt like a natural fit. Starting at that young age and for the next several years, I had a bunch of different roles, including a certified...
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