I had always wanted to teach, and I thought I would like Careers in Education. The Sentinel program helped jump-start my career by helping me figure out my future by placing me in a variety of school buildings and grade levels. This helped me decide I wanted to focus on Middle Childhood. It also introduced me to all types of procedures and techniques that teachers use. When I went to BGSU for my teaching degree, I realized even more how fortunate I was for the classroom exposure. My college classmates did not have that opportunity until their sophomore year in college. Some of them decided they didn’t want to become a teacher, which meant they had already wasted a year of college.

In high school I was very career-motivated, and I understood there would be plenty of jobs in manufacturing and the skilled trades. The ETR program taught me how to integrate computers with robotics using practical real-world applications. When I began my career at Crescent Manufacturing, I was only 21-years-old. Today, I’m their plant manager. I’ve earned two Associate Degrees, a four-year Business Degree, and now I’m working on my MBA. My career path began at Vanguard, and I continue to be passionate about career-tech programs for high school students.

I always liked office work, so Vanguard was the perfect choice for me to build my skills in high school. I even had the opportunity to work part-time in the evenings as a receptionist in their Adult Education program. After graduation, I worked in customer service, including the manufacturing industry. After attending college, I became a Human Resources Manager and I worked part-time as a trainer for Vanguard’s Adult Education program. I was responsible for developing training sessions for employees and managers of local industrial and commercial establishments on the hot issues related to human resources. That experience helped me see, first-hand, the important service their Adult Education program offers to the business community.

When I was a sophomore, I toured Sentinel and really liked the school. So I researched it and decided to go there. At the time, I really liked my teachers in middle and high school, so I enrolled in the Careers in Education program. It gave me field experience, where I was able to observe how Intervention Specialists worked with regular classroom teachers to include special needs students in the classroom. Sentinel also allowed me to earn college credits while I was in high school, and the program really helped prepare me for college. In fact, I was able to opt out of a few college courses because of Sentinel. I am honored that Sentinel asked me to share my comments.

I first became interested in diesel engines when I was in high school, and I chose Sentinel to learn more about them. My instructor taught me a lot about engines, and he even spent time working with me after school to prepare me for the state SkillsUSA competition. After Sentinel, I wen tot the University of Northwestern Ohio and took auto and diesel technology classes while I worked full-time at John’s Welding & Towing. On June 1, 2015 I started my own business, BD Diesel & Auto. I had dreamed of being a successful business owner, and I am happy to say my business is doing extremely well. I am grateful for my Sentinel education, because it helped me achieve my dreams.

My dad owned our construction company, so I grew up in the construction field. When I got to high school, I knew that I wanted to pursue construction as my full-time career. Mr. Glenn Decker was my senior lab instructor, and he was especially helpful in teaching me how to apply my construction skills to job site projects. I just sold my business to my son, Tony, but I still plan to work there. Our company has 17 employees, and five of them went through the Vanguard Carpentry program. We know when we hire Vanguard students that they will be well-trained.