a different path

OHS graduate considers 2-year college a preferred pathway

By MiStY SCHWaB misty.schwab@apgsomn.com

Four-year colleges aren’t for everyone, and Owatonna High School graduate Jason Spatenka has no problem being among those who chose a different path. Majoring in electrical work at Riverland

Community College in albert lea, his two-year program will prepare him for becoming a master electrician, a career path he knew he wanted to pursue by his senior year of high school. “it’s really going to help me when i fi rst become an apprentice this summer,” Spatenka said. “i’ll know a bit more than if i were just going into the trade without any experience. When i go out to a job, i’ll know a few more things than if i were just starting fresh.” Some people have commented to Spatenka that Riverland Community College is small, but he doesn’t mind, he said, because he considers

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Jason Spatenka was among the owatonna high School class of 2020, the first senior class to graduate during the pandemic. Patenka’s car is pictured here on the day of the senior class car cruise. (Photo courtesy of Jason Spatenka)

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it a good option for him. He likes that the school is close to home, not in a large city, and a less expensive alternative to a four-year college. Between financial aid and scholarships, he was able to pay for his first year. living with his parents in Owatonna, he commutes 30 minutes to Riverland. thinking about the curriculum of a four-year college, Spatenka imagines it would be more challenging for him because “book work” isn’t his niche so much as hands-on learning.

“i love it, and maybe that’s why it’s easier for me, in my opinion,” Spatenka said of electrical work.

it’s electric

Before deciding to go to school for electrical work, Spatenka had considered becoming an X-ray technician, like his uncle. However, he realized he preferred working with his hands. From the time he was a child, he liked playing outside, going on trips, collecting things and playing football. as a high school student, he said he enjoyed his agriculture class and small engines class much more than traditional classes, like history.

Spatenka admitted he didn’t have the best grades his junior year of high school, but he started caring more about academics his senior year and reached above a 3.5 grade point average. His attendance improved, and with that, school became a bigger priority. With less going on during the pandemic, he also found himself becoming more independent with online learning. However, he wouldn’t say he learned more online than the physical classroom because he prefers working with other people and learns better with hands-on experiences.

Owatonna High School’s aViD (advancement Via individual Determination) program helped Spatenka prepare for college along with his shop classes. However, he said the aViD curriculum was centered more around four-year college prep versus two-year college prep. applying for financial aid for the first time was the biggest challenge in preparing for college, Spatenka said. He added, “and obviously i didn’t know what i was getting into with COViD, so i had to worry about that a bit.”

Between financial aid and scholarships, he was able to pay for his first year of college. through the Owatonna Foundation, Spatenka received two separate scholarships in 2020 - first as a high school senior in april 2020, for the traditional scholarship, and then as a college student in October later that year, for the non-traditional scholarship that awarded him $3,000.

Jill Holmes, scholarship coordinator for the Owatonna Foundation, commended Spatenka on his impressive verbal communication skills, which she noticed when he dropped off his application.

“With the current circumstances as far as COViD and school, Jason had a very positive outlook and was looking forward to pursuing his professional career as a master electrician,” said Holmes. “One of his comments [in his scholarship essay] was that by working at lowe’s, he has the opportunity to work and speak with electricians in the field, which he found extremely interesting.”

Spatenka has continued working at lowe’s three days a week while attending college. He said it has continued being a valuable experience by connecting him with electricians.

From high school to college

learning at the end of high school. His week at Riverland begins with online classes Monday and continues with classes in person tuesday through thursday. Friday is a non-class day, he said. aside from a math class he took last semester and a computer class this semester, Spatenka said all of his Riverland classes have been hands-on. He has applied what he’s learned at home, installing new light switches, and helping his grandma if she needs a hand with electrical work. in terms of classroom dynamics, Spatenka said he finds it easy to joke around and be himself at Riverland. While he hasn’t made new friends in his classes, Spatenka said he can crack jokes with his classmates and ask questions of anyone. a couple of his friends from Owatonna High School have also joined him at the same college. the class size of his shop classes is comparable to what it was at Owatonna High School, he said. Students wear masks, which he considers a normal part of everyday life at this point, but it doesn’t always make for the best breathing experience while wearing safety glasses at the same time.

Currently, Spatenka takes a shop residential class that involves learning the entire process of wiring a house and installing a water heater among other projects. in a classroom full of little cubicles and a small subpanel for wiring, he picks three projects a week to complete. these small projects take between five minutes to an hour, he said. a future class will give Spatenka the skills for wiring factories and businesses. Depending on the pandemic’s impact, Spatenka said a Habitat for Humanity project is on the agenda for next year’s bigger project.

“We’ll see what that turns out to be like,” he said.

Reporter Misty Schwab can be reached at 507-333-3135. Follow her on Twitter @APGmisty. ©Copyright 2021 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.

a DiFFeRent KinD OF SeniOR YeaR

Spatenka was among the class of 2020, the first high school senior class to graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owatonna High School had transitioned into distance learning in the spring of Spatenka’s senior year, creating a scenario no senior class had experienced before. He had hoped for a normal graduation ceremony instead of the drive-thru format the Owatonna school district chose, so he could see his classmates again. Since COVID-19 also took away senior prom, he considers himself lucky to have attended junior prom the year prior. He also missed attending sporting events and saying goodbye to his teachers. But while Spatenka, like others, missed out on many of the traditions that defined high school for those who came before, his attitude is overall one of acceptance. “It was just a different ending than most high school students,” he said.

at riverland Community College in albert Lea, Jason Spatenka is studying to become an electrician and taking most of his classes in person tuesday through thursday. he’s pictured here on campus with a conduit bender, which shapes the conduits where wires are placed. (Photo courtesy of Jason Spatenka)

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