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.

Hunter Dean

Patient Care Tech

"Growing up with a lot of family members who worked in the medical field, I knew that was the path I wanted to pursue. I wasn’t sure what job I wanted exactly until my dad became a nurse. He was proof that the idea of nursing being exclusively for women was a false stereotype. Seeing my dad as a...
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Richard Berndt

Construction Technology Instructor

"There was a hailstorm one night when I was 11 years old, and after that, my parents decided we needed a carport. The company delivered the supplies, but they never showed up to build it. I’d always loved playing with my carpenter-grandfather’s tools, so I grabbed my dad’s and took it upon myself...
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Jaiden Weixelman

Automotive Technician

"I've always been intrigued by cars, but I didn’t know how intrigued until my freshman year at Manhattan High School, when I took Introduction to Industrial Technology. Auto shop was my favorite segment of the class. I loved learning how engines work, and every day we’d learn about a new problem...
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Aaron Fritz

Laborer

"When I first set out for college, I was planning to pursue a career in accounting. But after attending Dodge City Community College for two years, then transferring to Kansas State University, I ended up earning my bachelor’s in economics.
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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...
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Rebecca Wood

Charge Nurse

"I had been working in social services for about 15 years when I decided it was time to do something different. I didn’t feel like I was fulfilling my dream of truly helping others. My neighbor, a registered nurse at Stormont Vail, suggested I think about going back to school for nursing and...
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Cody Clancy

Laborer/Forklift Operator

"My dad was a construction worker, and slowly but surely as I grew, my interest in what he did for a living began to grow as well. I thought it was really cool to drive over a bridge and tell my friends my dad built it. It was when I got to high school and began taking shop classes that I fell in...
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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.
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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.
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Ramon Gonzales

Aggregate Sales Manager

Ramon Gonzales started his career with HAMM Companies the Monday after high school graduation. He's been with the company ever since.
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