Career Day Returns to AHS

Bryan Hayes is a fisheries biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He spoke to groups of students interested in the outdoors and related careers they can obtain. In his career, Hayes works to maintain, improve and establish fish populations in southern Iowa. He recommends that students attend a four-year college to study fisheries and wildlife biology. According to Hayes, math, s...

Diesel and Auto Mechanics was presented by Jeff Christian, a mechanic at Deter Motor Company. While in the shop, Christian fixes cars and trucks. He does electrical and engine work, using a computer that detects problems with the vehicle. Along with cars and trucks, Christian also works on electric cars, and said, “Electric cars are a breed of their own.” Christian also conveyed that each job has a ...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) consists of 37,000 employees, but only 13,000 of these workers are special agents with guns and badges. Michele Stevenson is one of these people. Stevenson originally had “no aspirations for working with the FBI,” but her journey began when she was offered an internship in college. Stevenson became an agent in 1999 and currently works at a field house in Omaha...

Allison Knox-Westmeyer works for the Nishna Valley YMCA in Atlantic as a personal trainer. She teaches both aquatic classes and chair classes and assists people one-on-one to plan out exercises specifically for them or the class. She also helps people learn different lifts and knows how much weight they should be lifting. Knox-Westmeyer works part-time at the Heritage House in Atlantic as well, wher...

Brooke Lamp can be seen as someone who truly loves her job, as she spoke passionately of being a school psychologist during career day. After Lamp graduated from AHS, she attended college at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She now resides in Atlantic as a self-proclaimed “lifelong resident.” Lamp’s job consists of working with children ranging from preschool to fifth grade. This includes obs...

Jordan Keyser is a radiologic technologist, also known as a “rad tech,” and works at Cass County Memorial Hospital. A radiologic technologist takes x-rays of patients receiving or removing “hardware.” After an x-ray is taken, the radiologist determines what the issue is. Two to four years of college are required to be a rad tech, depending on whether an Associates or Bachelors degree is ...

Laura Hickman is a physical therapist at Cass County Memorial Hospital. A physical therapist is a healthcare professional that helps patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility. Hickman grew up in Webster City, IA and attended college at Simpson University. She decided to be a physical therapist after she tore both of her ACLs playing basketball. In this profession, there is a wide variety of peop...

Jennifer Miller owns Brymons Interior and talked about interior designers and interior decorators. She noted that there is a difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator; decorators undergo more schooling and do the work after the designer has gone through the home. Miller and her husband started the business in 2006 and named it by putting together the names of her two children...

Sue Fischer, owner of Fischer Photography in Atlantic, began to have an interest in photography after the birth of her son. She started taking pictures for the newspaper and did some work on her own, and eventually, someone noticed her work. This, combined with her photography job for the newspaper, gave her the exposure she needed to grow her business. There are many tasks that come with her busi...

“Journalists are not the enemy of the people. We are the exact opposite of that,” said Jeff Lundquist, editor and publisher of the Atlantic News Telegraph. Lundquist grew up in California and moved to Atlantic in 2000. He has been in the journalism business for 30 years and said the industry is constantly changing. “You have to go out and be a part of the community, tell a story, and use what is i...

Haley Pelzer and Rachel Johnson are choreographers/dance instructors and own Villa Dance Company. They teach and choreograph routines for children ages three to 18. As choreographers, they create and direct routines to songs. They also teach students dance technique and dramatic skills as dance instructors. According to Pelzer and Johnson, being in this career takes evening hours, good organizati...

Former AHS graduate Jared Strong walked through familiar halls once again when he visited for Career Day. Strong attended Iowa State University after graduating high school, which is where he found his interest in writing. After he graduated from ISU with a degree in journalism, he began working at the Des Moines Register. Strong worked at The Register for five years before transferring to the Carro...