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Careers start with professional training

November 2016

I sat in I-275 traffic on my way to work. This wasn't a new occurrence...this is a busy stretch of highway. But for some reason this morning I looked at my fellow motorists with a new appreciation.

First of all, lots of rush hour traffic means that people are working. They are heading to jobs, supporting families, and keeping the economy going.

Then I looked closer at the drivers and their vehicles. I realized that many of them could be among the thousands of Great Oaks graduates who earned professional certifications and have successful careers. The man in the suit next to me, for instance, may have started his business career in a Marketing program offered by Great Oaks at several area high schools.  The earthmoving equipment on the flatbed ahead of me may be destined for a construction job where a Live Oaks graduate will use the latest in GPS technology to precisely prepare a good site for a new hospital. And speaking of hospitals, I see several people in scrubs. They may have earned state tested nursing assistant, patient care assistant, or dental assisting certification or a nursing license at Great Oaks, or used a surgical technology program as a starting point for medical school.

The auto mechanics, graphic designers, fire fighters, veterinary assistants, aviation technicians, engineers, robotic programmers, and teachers sitting in traffic around me are living examples of the kinds of upstanding young men and women who walk the halls each day. They are focused on their future, they know what they want, and they are willing to put in the time needed to earn professional certification while their peers are still figuring out what they want to do in life.  These individuals not only contribute to their organization’s success; they also buy homes, raise their families, pay taxes and contribute to their communities.

It was an ordinary traffic jam, but I had a new perspective on how it represents the outstanding region in which we live and my neighbors who are all pursuing the American Dream.