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.

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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Jana Rosich

Registered Nurse

My name is Jana Rosich, and I’m a registered nurse at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan, Kansas. Growing up fascinated with all things weather, I originally thought I might become a meteorologist someday. It wasn’t until entering my college years that I realized I was more passionate...
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Skyler Fiske

Middle School Teacher

Growing up, I wanted to be a pop star or a teacher. Since my pop stardom never took off, I decided teaching would be a better path. In fact, my mom was a teacher, and I always loved helping her set up her classroom. Watching her grade papers and prep for school was fascinating. Between her...
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Aaron Collins

Owner, Aaron’s Lawn Care

I was chatting with my barber when I first learned about the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC). I had been describing my lawn care business when he told me I should consider competing in YEC, a competition for students interested in entrepreneurship.
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Lindsey Beltz

Owner, LB.Leather

I started working with leather in second grade through my involvement with 4-H. At first, I didn’t share my products with anyone, but when I was in middle school, I started to sell earrings and custom belts. Eventually, this turned into a full-blown business: LB.Leather.
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Garrett Girk

State Animal Disease Traceability Coordinator

I was raised on a family farm in Protection, Kansas, and learned how to work with livestock from a very young age. With that experience, my passion for animal agriculture grew, and I always thought I would be a veterinarian.
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Hunter Nickell

Livestock Production Extension Agent

As a child, I always dreamed of being a veterinarian when I grew up. I had the opportunity to shadow our family veterinarian at a young age, and that experience shaped my interest in the animal industry. I even worked at a veterinary clinic at one point.
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Scott Harrison

Clinical Research Site Supervisor

When I was in college majoring in biology, my summer job was working with kids at a YMCA camp. It was there I realized how much I enjoyed working with kids and their families. I started to wonder how I could pursue a career where I’d get those same interactions, but I didn’t love the thought of...
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