by Sage Kluge
An A.K. Smith class of students including NPHS seniors participated in have joined the graduation ceremony for Ivy Tech at Valparaiso University on May 11, 2019.
These high school students worked at least two years to get to these spots and have graduated college with an Associate’s degree for their study of welding, EMT and others.
Ben Johnson and Drake Kluge from NPHS were a part of the ceremony. Kluge was in of the welding program, and Johnson was in the Firefighter and EMT program.
These students both proclaimed, “A.K. is worth going to.”
Kluge graduated Ivy Tech with a Structural Welding Certification. Which puts him half way through college with an Associate’s degree.
Kluge states, “ I’m going into Ironworker Local #395.” By doing A.K. Smith welding he had the capability of taking a test to qualify for the iron workers, with followed up interviews.
Johnson is certified in both fire and EMT. He stated that, “I’ll be working on an ambulance full time at 18 years old.”
Johnson advised, “I would find the career path you are interested in and follow that class and it will end up helping in the long run.”
Johnson announced, “I graduated with the core 40 diploma but I could have gotten the technical honors if I would have increased my grades.”
A.K. helps set up career paths for all different types of fields. Putting in hard work and focusing is basically a requirement though, and being serious about your career is needed. The grades in the center are one of the most important requirements.
The way Kluge accomplished this to be a part of the ceremony was in his words, “Being able to focus on my work at hand and complete the welds that are required for the stages of the certification that are needed. Plus having the 21 credits from IVY Tech through A.K. Smith. They require 15 credits for being able to walk.”
A.K. Smith Center holds classes in the morning and in the evening.