Numeracy, Literacy and Employability Group 4

Numeracy, Literacy and Employability

Professional Development

with

Dr. Chris Merrill

and

Rod McQuality

CAREER PATH

Lindsey Nielsen

In high school I was enrolled in the CNA course through WILCO where I then started working as a CNA at Senior Star, which is an assisted living facility. After high school I went to the University of St. Francis where I earned my BSN degree. I started my career as an RN at Shirley Ryan Abilitylab (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) where I worked for about a year. I then started working at my dream job in the Christ NICU for about 2 years.

.

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS NEEDED FOR THIS CAREER

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED

Lockport High School Lockport, Illinois – Will County

Being a nurse is very skill and people-oriented. I have learned from the very beginning in my CNA course that “teamwork makes the dream work.” I would honestly not be able to successfully perform my job without the team- oriented approach that we employ at my hospital.

CTE DEPARTMENT/CLASSES ENROLLED IN DURING HIGH SCHOOL

CNA

ADVICE TO HIGH SCHOOL CTE STUDENTS

CURRENT JOB TITLE

My advice is to always be a go-getter. Volunteer for opportunities that push you and make you uncomfortable, these are the instances that you will learn the most. Never be afraid to ask questions and always try to seek out new ways to learn and be open to how other people approach situations.

Registered Nurse

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT

Christ Hospital NICU

CAREER PATHWAY

HOW HAS CTE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE/CAREER?

Health Sciences and Technology

Becoming a CNA helped me build my foundations of becoming a nurse. I learned how to care for the whole person and learn to respect every aspect of nursing care.

CAREER PATH

Community College at Triton, transfer to University of Illinois in Champaign to complete Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and then completed Master of Science in Architecture. Spent 8 years working as an energy engineering consultant for the State of Illinois and electrical/gas utilities before landing a job in the Infrastructure Services-Facilities division at Argonne.

Steve Wallon

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS NEEDED FOR THIS CAREER

Lemont High School Lemont, Illinois – Cook County

Knowledge of science/engineering principles, computer aided drafting and other software for visual design, electrical systems, basics of programming logic and databases, and construction technology/practices.

CTE DEPARTMENT/CLASSES ENROLLED IN DURING HIGH SCHOOL

Basic CAD instruction, advanced building information and 3d modeling classes, industrial arts/wood shop

ADVICE TO HIGH SCHOOL CTE STUDENTS

CURRENT JOB TITLE

Take advantage of the classes and tools at your disposal during high school as these will develop your skills to lay the foundation for college or your career to follow, definitely giving you a distinct advantage with this type of experience you will realize later in life.

Commissioning and Controls Engineer

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT

Department of Energy’s Argon ne National Laboratory

CAREER PATHWAY

HOW HAS CTE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE/CAREER?

Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology and Trades

K nowledgeable instructors encouraging the students’ exploration of the tools and technology.

CAREER PATH

Kelly Jacobson

I started off by taking CNA in high school. I had an amazing instructor that taught me the medical the field and made me want to continue in the medical field more. I then went on to take EMR, EMT and then Paramedic school. I also went through the fire academy to obtain my BOF.

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS NEEDED FOR THIS CAREER

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED

Joliet Central High School Joliet, Illinois – Will County

Compassion, perseverance, integrity, strength

CTE DEPARTMENT/CLASSES ENROLLED IN DURING HIGH SCHOOL

Certified Nursing Assistant

ADVICE TO HIGH SCHOOL CTE STUDENTS

CURRENT JOB TITLE

Firefighter/EMT

Never give up on your goals. If it’s something you truly want and are truly passionate about then go for it.

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT

Montgomery Fire Department

CAREER PATHWAY

HOW HAS CTE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE/CAREER?

Health Sciences and Technology

CNA helped me get a start in the medical field and made me want to continue along the path.

Shone Andrew

I was interested in nuclear engineering from the start of high school and that interest pushed me towards a curriculum heavy in math, physics, and engineering. The skills learned in these courses led me to excel at UIUC in the Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering department. My undergraduate studies helped me learn I have a deep passion for engineering solutions which involve complicated nuclear and atomic physics. Graduate school was the next logical step for my career and I am currently pursuing my PhD at UIUC in plasma and fusion science. My cur- rent career goal is to either work for the semiconductor industry in R&D for semiconductor chips or continue my current research in fusion material research

Saint Charles East High School, Saint Charles, IL Kane County

+LJK OHYHO FRPPXQLFDWLRQ VNLOOV HIÀFLHQW SUREOHP VROYLQJ EURDG knowledge of plasma physics, ability to work in a diverse team, tolerant to stressful environments, and basic engineering skills of modeling, coding, etc.

PLTW IED, POE, and EDD

PhD Graduate Student in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engi-

You will only get out what you put into your PLTW classes or any classes for that matter. I spent countless hours outside of the designated class time on my PLTW projects. I developed skills in high school that immediately put me at an advantage over other students in undergrad and graduate school.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham- paign, Champaign, IL

Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology & Trades

One thing I always refer back to is the process of approaching a problem as learned through PLTW IED, POE, and EDD. It is far too common in engineering that people see a problem and im- mediately have a solution. Taking a step back and analyzing the problem almost always produces a better solution.