On July 17, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Case Kilpatrick, a 2019 graduate of Pellston High School. Kilpatrick has started a career with Harbor Springs Excavating as a laborer. He was able to secure the position, which is full-time and includes traditional benefits, in part due to his extensive Career and Technical Education classes during 11th and 12th grades – construction, welding and wood shop. At the business, Kilpatrick assists with driving the loader and skid steer and assisting in other manual jobs. His teacher at Pellston was Roger Armantrout, who was present for the signing event at Harbor Springs Excavating, which is owned by Tom Gallagher.
“What he has achieved is really cool and his skills are really helping us in a variety of ways,” Gallagher said. “He has done a great job adapting his skills to what we do, based on his training in high school. And, he’s a young guy. We don’t find young guys too often. This is not just a job – it’s a career.”
Kilpatrick said next on his list to achieve is his CDL license, which he will work on at the company this summer.
Jim Rummer, Career and Technical Education Director for Char-Em ISD, said the initiative was started to recognize students who followed the roadmap of career tech activities through elementary, middle and high school, which has led them directly into employment in a career.