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.
-
Renee McCartney
Respiratory Therapist
"The idea of working in health care never occurred to me until my mother went to nursing school in her late 40s. I was in my early 20s and had dropped out of college. I wanted a better life for myself, but had no idea what I wanted to do. When my mom took a job at a local hospital, she heard about…
Read More -
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…
Read More -
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…
Read More -
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…
Read More -
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.
Read More -
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 -
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…
Read More -
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…
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 -
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