Here are few of our latest Student Success Stories. There will be more added, but for now, check out Racheal Nyarko, Community Protector; Marc Snooks, Information Sponge; and David Yoder, Spark Enthusiast.

RACHEAL NYARKO: COMMUNITY PROTECTOR

Racheal Nyarko is just getting started in her career. But if you tried to explain her early success in life, you could probably chalk it up to The Two As: Ambition and Adaptability.

Nyarko, a 2022 Gladwin grad and a two-year performer in CTE’s Criminal Justice program, has never had a problem with tackling extra work. Following her graduation from Kirtland Community College’s police academy in 2023, she’s a deputy in the Gladwin County Sheriff’s Dept.

Her path to get here has included attending college, stints for the Gladwin County Road Commission and Marine Patrol, and her own car detailing business. Today, in her spare (?) time, she’s earning firefighter acreditations.

If she had any inclinations for a life in law enforcement coming into her first CTE Criminal Justice class, it didn’t take long to know for sure.

“At first, I knew I wanted to be a cop,” Nyarko said. “But the potential of being an attorney also interested me quite a bit. To figure out what I wanted to do, I talked to people in both career paths with the help of my CTE teacher and a high school teacher.”

Nyarko’s CTE Criminal Justice teacher was Buddy Boylen, a retired cop who spotted her potential right away.

“Racheal was an ideal student with strong career aspirations and goals,” Boylen said. “She was very strong in her beliefs and did not get distracted from her goals. She was very coachable and willing to put herself in situations to be successful and have learning opportunities.”

Today, Nyarko has little doubt about the role CTE played in her life today.

“I believe that my experience in CTE and interacting with my now-coworkers helped me get to where I am,” she said. “So I would say it influenced my decision quite a bit. I knew when I was in CTE’s Criminal Justice program, that was the career path I would end up in.”

Boylen said Nyarko’s beyond-the-classroom ambitions - such as working in the field in the summer and in her CTE Work-Based Learning program - provided Nyarko with career insights and plenty of connections.

“Criminal Justice is not for the weak or timid, and she is neither,” Boylen said. “Racheal had a great opportunity to enter a world in law enforcement that is difficult to navigate at a young age and made very good impressions, which opened up a career window for her.

“This led to some summer work, eventually landed her in a police academy and ultimately as a Deputy with the Gladwin County Sheriff’s department,” he added. “These opportunities were made possible by being in the CTE program.”

One of the true appeals of CTE is the soft skills students attain alongside learning the Xs and Os of their chosen field. The time her class spent on properly preparing for and carrying out job interviews proved extra helpful.

“The interviewing skills that I learned in CTE helped me when I went to do job interviews,” she said. “Communication skills, adaptability and active listening.

I would say I received a pretty high level of education with the program because some of the things I learned, I took with me and applied it within the police academy and in job interviews.”

Ultimately, Nyarko’s chosen profession aligns perfectly with her personal values.

“I wanted to pursue a career where I could help people,” she said. “I also wanted a career that was different every day. I would have to say getting to help people - even if it’s just one person - you’re making a difference; that’s what appeals to me the most.”

Boylen said Nyarko was an excellent student who used CTE to learn about a career that she ultimately chose. But that’s not necessarily the only path to CTE success.

“Rachael is capable of doing anything she puts her mind to in this career,” he said. “She is a very talented and capable young lady. But in terms of what makes for a successful CTE student, I believe that it’s one who comes with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Someone who can put themselves into uncharted waters and learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. CTE is an excellent opportunity to figure out what you want to pursue in life, and sometimes you learn what you don’t want to do. Both are equally valuable in the journey.”