Public Service
Andre Connor
Data Operations Analyst
"I was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, pursuing my dream of becoming an Army Ranger, when I suffered a back injury that left me disabled and wondering what to do. I’d always been interested in information technology and IT security, and I realized a career in that industry would allow me to move...
Read More
Bristol Swann
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
"I first became interested in working in emergency services as a child. My stepfather was a law enforcement officer and volunteer firefighter, and every once in a while he’d let me go on calls with him. I loved the idea of fighting fires and helping people.
Read More
Chastity Troxel
Apprenticeship Program Manager
When I graduated from high school, I went straight into the workforce. I was thinking of becoming a baker, having spent lots of time baking with my grandparents as a child. I loved that food brought everyone together and made them happy.
Read More
Corporal Emma Bañuelos
Police Corporal
"My freshman year of high school, I took a law class that started me on my law enforcement journey. The teacher had previously been a police and corrections officer, so he’d always tell us stories that intrigued me and made me realize that was what I wanted to do. Throughout the rest of high school...
Read More
Dala Loomer
Middle Grade Math and Technology Teacher
“I’ve always loved school. I love fall. There is no better smell in the world than the smell of new school supplies. This fall, I’m finally fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a teacher for the first time, thirty years after I graduated high school. I’ll be teaching middle school math and...
Read More
David John
Commercial Truck Driving Instructor
“I became interested in the military in high school after a visit from a recruiter. I understood at the time that higher education wasn't going to be the best option for me, but that I needed job skills that would set me up for a career.
Read More
David Saucedo
Firefighter
"Growing up in California, our family had several friends who were firefighters. My dad introduced me to one of them, and that conversation sparked my interest. I went through EMT training at EMSTA College in San Diego, then I went through fire academy training through CAL FIRE (California...
Read More
Erica Monterroza
911 Communications Dispatcher
"When I was younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer. In high school, I took three years of fashion classes. However, I started to realize that not a lot of people make it into the fashion industry without a great scholarship or personal contacts. My fashion teacher said I’m great with people,...
Read More
Jemel May
Walmart Fulfillment Operations Manager
Growing up in Lansing, I dreamed about being a professional football player. I was all-state for Lansing High School and was the 1998 track and field state champ in the long jump. Even after I became a father my senior year in high school, I held on to that dream, enrolling at the University of...
Read More
Joy Schmidt
Secondary Health Science Teacher
“As a teacher, I’ve always loved the fact that we’re the source of all other careers. In our classrooms, students learn the foundational skills of whatever they want to be, and we get to have a hand in helping them figure out what they want to do. It’s really rewarding to meet up with past students...
Read More