The Education Road Less Traveled: Unconventional, Undecided, and Unapologetic

Which Road to Take?

To the new grads and soon to be grads: I see you and I understand you more than you know.

It’s graduation season, and across the country thousands of high schoolers are walking across the stage, grabbing that diploma, and probably having a slight moment of panic as they think—what next?

To be quite blunt, I think it’s B.S. that you’re supposed to have it all figured out at 18. You haven’t even been alive for two whole decades, and you’re supposed to decide what you want to do with the REST OF YOUR LIFE?! I think that’s impossible. I don’t know anyone whose path to success or happiness was a straight line. I know mine wasn’t.

My path after high school was anything but conventional. I wasn’t a fan of school, so I opted for a “gap year” after my senior year. This was to my mother’s dismay and many arguments about my future. She wanted me to follow the traditional 4-year college route, but I just couldn’t force myself to do it. I was responsible for paying for a portion of my education and I wasn’t about to take this on, especially without knowing what I wanted to do with my life.

I was the student who, when given the choice of Geometry or Guitar my junior year, chose Guitar. I also opted for CTE (vo-tech back in the day) and was the only female in my Construction Trades class. If you asked me then what I wanted to do with my life, I would have told you I was planning on being part of the third generation at my family dairy farm. My dad didn’t go to college. Why should I have to?

Overwhelmed? Unsure? You're Not Alone.

Instead of going to college right after high school, I worked on the dairy, learning new things and developing leadership skills. I remember asking my dad what he thought the farm’s weakness was. His answer shocked me: Management. Specifically, people management. I had witnessed my dad numerous times managing the team of 20 then and didn’t see a weakness. Dad explained, “Things can always be improved.”

This stayed with me as I continued to work on the farm that year. I knew I had a knack for leadership and recognized things that could be improved, but the thought of four more years in school was daunting. But then I found a small, specialized business school that offered an associate degree in Management and Marketing. Dad went with me to admissions meetings, and I was excited I wouldn’t have to take all the dreaded “gen ed” classes that Bachelor degrees required. This got right to the “meat & potatoes” of business.

Growing up in ag, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you I felt “abnormal.” All of my other friends in ag were getting ag-specific degrees like dairy science, ag communications, etc. But I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself. I like options. I wanted something broader so I could do anything, go anywhere I chose. Looking back, I was on to something because my career now involves frequent travel—for work and personal enjoyment. 

Don't be afraid to stand out.

Those two years flew by. I made a lot of new friends, and the crowning achievement was the business plan I created at the end. My project—a custom harvesting business. It was a perfect way to intertwine agriculture and business—something I am still doing, and loving, today.

Fast forward 5 years later. I left my family farm to start my own and throughout those years, I began hiring and working with more and more Spanish speakers. I hated that my Spanish lacked severely; I hadn’t taken a Spanish class since my sophomore year in high school. I wanted to be a better communicator, a better employer. So, I went back to school at age 26. I started part-time because that’s all I could handle being a first generation dairy farmer. I took classes in between milkings, office work, barn work, etc. Going back to school when you’re older is a different experience, but at this point in my life I knew what I wanted and why I was there.

I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education, Spanish with a certification in English as Second Language. If I had tried this at 18, I would have failed out. I wasn’t ready then. And if you’re thinking about your next step and feeling like college isn’t the right choice, right now, that’s okay!

Society might have check boxes. But you don’t have to check them. Trust me, there are many I haven’t checked. And while some will make you feel abnormal, keep your head high and follow your heart. You are on no one’s timeline but your own. Remember that. You’ll figure it out. Some of us just need more life experience before we make big decisions like education. 

Teaching Spanish in a traditional sense was never a goal of mine, but it sure helped to be able to have a stable job when milk prices tanked. And now, I get to combine ALL the things: business, agriculture and Spanish, with what I do now through AgvoKate.

While I have no regrets about the path I took, I have a secret to share with you. Before the business school was even in my peripheral, I had looked at honing my CTE skills in carpentry. I had been an apprentice of the carpenter employed by my family farm for years and really enjoyed helping build several barns and structures on the farm. I remember dad even took me to PennTech to check out the program.

Trades are Underrated

I always liked working with my hands. My brother later helped me improve my welding and while practicing my weld beads in his shop a couple years ago, I thought to myself, “If I had to do everything over again, I’d take up a trade.” I often think about taking welding classes and maybe when my schedule allows it, I will. You are never too old, or too established to keep learning.

Trades are underrated. They offer a great career in industries and areas we all need every day. Tradespeople are some of the smartest, hardworking, and most business savvy people I know. Plus, trades mean a lot less schooling and oftentimes a bigger salary.

Welding in my Brother's Shop on the Farm

My last year teaching in a high school, I taught a career ready class. I ignored what I was supposed to teach: all the reasons you should attend a four year college. Blah blah blah. Instead, I focused on various trades most of my students never even knew about. They were flabbergasted. By the end of the year, a few had signed up for windbine mechanics.

Remember--you don’t have to check a box. You can create your own. Go after what sparks your interest and makes you happy. Be open to unconventional experiences; you never know where they may lead. Buena suerte estudiantes! (good luck students)!

You've Got This!