By Brenna Wiegand
When the seniors at Silverton High School in Silverton, presented their post-graduation plans to underclassmen, it was obvious that career paths are all over the map.
Some students will go from high school to work while others pursue a trade. In many cases, students decide that their goals will require attending a two- or four-year college.
“There are no clear advantages or disadvantages for any of the post-high school options,” Kristie Hays, school counselor for Silverton High School’s Class of 2023, said. “Traditionally, it was assumed that people with a college education had more opportunities for career growth and income; however, the trend right now would indicate that there are ample opportunities for students who enter work right away, especially in the trades.
“Career Technical industries have a huge need for skilled workers and often pay very well, have opportunities for promotion and sometimes even pay for continuing education,” Hays said. “Each path offers something different based on the skills and abilities of each individual student.”
An increasing number of students are planning to start at a community college versus a university. The new Oregon Promise state grant helps cover tuition costs at any Oregon community college, offering free tuition to anyone with a 3.5-plus grade point average regardless of financial need.
As the SHS Class of 2025 Counselor, Kevin Ortega helps get students thinking about after-graduation paths early on.
“As a general rule, some sort of education or training beyond high school is a wise investment,” Ortega said. “Whether that is a trade like cosmetology, culinary arts, plumbing, or a professional field requiring a degree, more education means more financial stability.
“My promise to each student is that I will follow their lead when it comes to post-high school education, training and careers, and assist them in finding the best fit for each individual,” he said. “At the same time I give students things to think about that may challenge their current thoughts.
“Whether it is a trade school, community college or a university, the process is complicated,” Ortega said. “That is why we guide students through their Extended Application project, hold events such as FAFSA Night and Scholarship Night and develop online websites to assist in the process.”
School-to-Work
Chloe Little plans to take a “gap year” now that she has her diploma from Silverton High School.
“I’m considering assisting with special needs kids, but right now I just need a total break from schooling and to take some time for myself,” Little said. “It was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.
“I was so lost about what I wanted to do and I really just wanted to heal from all the hard work I had to do for years and just be myself for a little bit.”
School counselor Hays was a major support.
“She makes me feel like I’m her own kid and she’s just so amazing,” Little said.
Soon after her decision, Little started applying for jobs and was thrilled to be hired at Serenity Home and Spa in Silverton. It is her first real job.
To help solidify her career path, Little, who has volunteered in special ed classes since the fifth grade, may take a job in the school district as an aide this fall.
“I love those kids so much and I really admire them,” Little said. “I would love to be working with them in the future.”
Trade School
Though he graduated from Silverton High School in 2003, Jay Schiedler remembers parts of it like it was yesterday.
“My mom told me I had to go to school after I graduated,” Schiedler said. “I was in auto shop and the guy from UTI (Universal Technical Institute) came and talked about their program.
“I invited him to our house to tell us more about it and he talked me into their HVAC program because there’s a low enrollment rate so there will be a high demand people in the future; it’s better pay and cleaner work than automotive and the program is only 11 months long,” Schiedler said. “I did not want to go to school for four years.”
He headed to Phoenix, Arizona, entering the program “blind” and found he loved it. After earning his associate’s degree, Schiedler worked in the field for about ten years before starting his own business.
“I was doing [work] in refrigeration at Hewlett-Packard in Corvallis until I got so bored that I asked my boss if it was OK to start a residential HVAC business and he said, ‘Sure, as long as you aren’t competing with us,’ and I started Impact Heating in 2015.
“The first two years were really slow,” he said. “We were only installing one to three systems a week and I just used temp labor until I got enough work to hire someone full time.”
Now, Schiedler has two full-time employees and there are three vans on the road.
“I love owning a business and being able to have control,” he said. “When I go out and quote jobs I let people know I’m the owner and that I can control the pricing to what they can afford.”
Community College
Jared Breitbach, Silverton High School ‘23 graduate, will enter Chemeketa Community College’s Fire Suppression Program this fall.
Breitbach appreciates the school’s proximity, reasonable tuition and excellent reputation for its emergency services program that includes one of the most modern training facilities on the West Coast.
Attending a community college also qualifies Breitbach for the Oregon Promise grant which will help pay for two years of any community college in Oregon.
“I began taking steps toward this career my freshman year when I started taking the protective services classes,” Breitbach said. “I didn’t think it was a career I would be interested in, but when I took the high school’s firefighting classes as a junior I realized it was something I wanted to pursue.”
Gaven Stetson will also be attending Chemeketa Community College where he hopes to find his own career path.
“If I find a career path that I am really passionate about, I’ll transfer to a four-year university,” Stetson said. “I have interests in mind and some ideas, but I would love to see and/or participate in other career fields before making a final decision.”
Stetson appreciates the support he has received from his teachers and counselors throughout his high school career.
“They’ve helped me academically, opened up career options to me and have been super supportive and encouraging throughout this whole process,” Stetson said. “They all want me to succeed and have been there whenever I need them.”
Upon graduating from Silverton High School in 2022, Ryan Redman-Brown entered Chemeketa Community College’s Fire Science program, but prior to that he completed Silverton Fire District’s academy.
“I dedicated myself to firefighting during basketball and classes while still in high school,” Redman-Brown said. “It was probably the busiest and most tiring time I’ve had, but it was all worth it because I had an upper hand when testing to get into the Chemeketa program.”
Redman-Brown has been around firefighting his whole life.
“My father, a volunteer at Silverton, was a big reason I joined the fire service,” he said. “I liked seeing him serve the community and save people on possibly their worst day.”
Silverton Fire District provides room and board and a small stipend so long as he keeps his grades up.
Four-Year University
This fall, Katherine Howe will enter the University of Kansas as a mechanical engineering student.
“I knew early on I would be an engineer,” the Silverton High School senior said. “Both my parents are engineers and that path interested me.”
Her biggest struggle was choosing which field of engineering to pursue. She spent a lot of time learning about her parents’ jobs and exploring her interests.
“I found cars to be my favorite, which led me to mechanical engineering,” Howe said. “My school counselors worked hard to get me into the classes that would best prepare me, including acquiring the math skills I will need to succeed.
“I also had to consider what I wanted from the place where I’d be living,” she said. “I ultimately decided that Kansas University was the right place; really friendly and accepting, no deal-breaking legislation, great scholarship packages and affordable housing.”
Howe made many sacrifices her first few years of high school to ensure that her senior year could be dedicated to preparing for college.
“I made the decision to forego a social life in exchange for fulfilling my ambition and I will likely do the same in college,” she said.
