STUDENT STORIES Kelsie Bramstedt Kelsie Bramstedt is a 2020 Valders High School graduate and a member of our first all-female cohort in the Dairy Herd Management program, which she graduated from in May 2021. She completed two Lakeshore Technical College courses during her participation in Youth Apprenticeship (YA), the statewide program that takes an “earn while you learn” approach by placing high school juniors and seniors in paid jobs in fields they are interested in and allowing them to take college-level courses. “I got involved with YA because I knew I was very interested in agriculture early in my high school career. Going into my junior year, I decided that working hands-on at a farm would give me a lot of experience along with being able to learn about agriculture.”
Gloria Elias “Not only do we benefit from attending school, but we can encourage younger and older generations to begin a new cycle of education within our families,” says Gloria Elias, the mother of two young boys and a first-generation Lakeshore Technical College student. Gloria, a December 2020 Quality Assurance program graduate, was selected as the student speaker for graduation. She says she thought college was out of reach for her and her family until a sister enrolled in a short-term certificate at her employer’s request. After graduating, Gloria began pursuing her bachelor’s degree.
Heather Goodman After hearing positive comments from her classmates who work at Kohler Co. Hospitality and Real Estate restaurants, Culinary Arts student Heather Goodman did not want to waste an opportunity. “Applying for this program is one of the best things I have ever done,” she says about our new Kohler-sponsored tuition reimbursement program. Heather was accepted into the program in fall 2020, and her remaining semesters will be paid for by Kohler. She is also guaranteed a culinary job with Kohler after completing her Culinary Arts associate degree.
Cade Livermore Cade Livermore, a May 2021 graduate of our CNC (computer numerically controlled) Technician program, embraced our new Competency Based Education (CBE) format. “CBE is very flexible for students and it works great for anyone, no matter what their schedule,” he says. Cade took over 20 CBE courses and completed an internship with his employer, American Orthodontics. “It’s like I am getting double the learning experience,” he said. “If I learn something new at school, I will take that to work with me or vice-versa.” 11
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