Andrew Buckley
Turner H.S.
My name is Andy Buckley and I am a senior at Turner High School in Beloit. My passion is sports, especially baseball. I am attending UW Whitewater in the fall and plan on studying business/sports management. I have committed to play baseball for the UW Whitewater Warhawk Baseball Team. I come from a very close-knit family and am a value-driven person. I am always looking to help people and be inclusive of others. I work hard at whatever I do and am a team player. I like to be a positive influence on the people around me.
I am very determined and do not shy away from hard work. I have shown this in school through being successful academically despite having a diagnosed disability, on the baseball field by working toward and achieving my goal of being a starter and leader for my high school team, and also in my commitment to serving the community through volunteer activities.
Future Desired Occupation:
Sports Manager
Cadence Dixon
Homeschool
My name is Cadence Dixon and I am a graduating senior at Hallstrom Homeschool Workshops. Throughout highschool, I was blessed with many opportunities to serve on and lead the student government and to support local organizations through fundraisers and workdays, all of which has taught me the value of leadership, service, and community. Student government also provided opportunities to plan events such as dances and tournaments, which opened my eyes to my love for planning. I will be attending Rock Valley College in the fall to earn an Associate’s in Art, followed by a larger university where I plan to work towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. I plan to pursue a career as a wedding or event planner/coordinator, either for a venue, church, or as an entrepreneur. Throughout my career I’m looking forward to serving my church, my community, and my family with whatever opportunities God provides. CareerTek has been instrumental in helping me determine my career path. I loved the summer day camps, which opened my eyes to a variety of unique careers and showed me the ones I enjoyed and the ones I was not interested in. I also attended a job shadow, which solidified my desire to wedding plan/coordinate. I am so thankful to have received this scholarship, and I want to thank
CareerTek for their hard work that they do to encourage and support students by helping them find their strengths and interests through exploring career opportunities.
Future Desired Occupation:
Wedding or Event Planner/Coordinator
Kayden Ellis
South Beloit H.S.
My name is Kayden Ellis and I’m currently a senior at South Beloit High School. I have played both football and baseball for four years. During my Junior and Senior years I have been a manager of the Girl’s Basketball team. I am also the class of 2024 president, as well as student council president. I am a member of the National Honors Society. I was elected Prom King in 2023 and have represented my class as a member of the Homecoming court each year. In my spare time I enjoy racing at local race tracks in the area. This summer I was third overall in the High School Racing Association and am projected to be in the top 20 of the Sixers division. Most of my free time is spent doing homework and studying. During high school I have taken many college classes which doesn’t leave me a lot of free time. After graduation I plan to further my education as I go off into the real world. I will be attending Illinois State University and be pursuing the Biology Teacher Education program. I’m very thankful for this scholarship from CareerTek. It will help me pursue my future dream of becoming a teacher.
Future Desired Occupation:
Teaching high school biology and science
Lily Hess
Turner H.S.
My name is Lily Hess and I will be a Class of 2024 graduate from Turner High School. In the fall, I plan to attend Beloit College and major in business and marketing. Last summer, I participated in the Rock Internship Program and worked at Forward Janesville as a marketing and communications intern. Working there helped me solidify my decision in picking marketing as a career choice.Throughout high school, I have been involved in golf and track. I was in the top 10 all four years of high school. I was a member of National Honor Society and served as the secretary my senior year. I have also been a member of student council and prom committee. Through my clubs I volunteered numerous hours helping to do concessions to raise money for prom. I have also helped set up and clean up dances, collected food donations, and organized
the creation of the senior banner. CareerTek offers a variety of programs to help students gain exposure to different professions. My favorite academy was the hospitality one where we got to go around Beloit businesses and see behind the scenes of how they operate. I am very thankful for being able to receive a scholarship from CareerTek and it will help me further my education.
Future Desired Occupation:
Product Marketing
Sumner Korleski
Homeschool
Hello, my name is Sumner Korleski. I am a graduating senior at Hallstrom Homeschool Co-op in Rockford, IL, and am honored to be a recipient of the 2024 CareerTek scholarship. Throughout my high school years, I was a member of the National Honor Society and academic math team, participated as a pianist and guitarist on various music teams for school and church, served on the student leadership team of my church’s youth group, and volunteered as a teen mentor to elementary students. I have participated in CareerTek since the summer after my 6th grade year. The summer academies and school day programs that I attended the past six years have introduced me to a wide variety of career options. The academies, combined with hobbies that I’ve enjoyed since childhood such as blacksmithing, pottery, and sketching, reinforced for me that working with my hands to produce something of value is personally very fulfilling. During my senior year, CareerTek provided me with job shadows and the opportunity to participate in the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program as a carpentry apprentice for Corporate Contractors
Incorporated (CCI) of Beloit, WI. Working with the team at CCI helped me clarify and solidify my goal to pursue further training as a skilled craftsman in the world of trades. I am grateful for CareerTek and all the companies and volunteers that work with the students. Together, year after year, they have created a culture where students are encouraged to explore pathways that are a good fit for one’s skills and interests while also contributing toward a stronger community. Thank you so very much for all your guidance and encouragement.
Future Desired Occupation:
Currently I am leaning towards pursuing a career as a carpenter.
Xavier Miller
Beloit Memorial H.S.
My name is Xavier Miller. I am graduating from Beloit Memorial high school, where I am a member of the National Honor Society, Academic decathlon, globe research program, Student Senate, Leo’s Club, and environmental club. I am planning on attending the University of Wisconsin Madison this fall where I will be pursuing a Degree in Biochemistry/biochemical engineering. Besides being interested in science, I also enjoy playing the Viola, and chess. I’ve been involved in my local robotics team TurtleTek for the last two years now and am currently serving as a team mentor. My favorite CareerTek program that I participated in was my robotics team however a close second is innovation club. Working towards my Solidworks certification was extremely fulfilling and a great opportunity to learn. This scholarship will help cover my expenses while at college, and I am very grateful for careertek’s gracious investment in my education.
Future Desired Occupation:
Physicist, astronomer or scientist
Courtney Nelson
Turner H.S.
My name is Courtney Nelson and I am a 2024 graduate of Turner High School. I participated in NHS, Student Council, volunteering for Beloit Lions Club, Science Olympiad, and tutoring. I was a Porter Scholar at Beloit College, and participated in taking 11 AP classes throughout my High school Career. I also participated in the Rock County Internship Program at Kandu in the summer of 2023. Thanks to Careertek I was able to explore skills in computer aided design in Solidworks. This was an extremely valuable skill which I intend to use to attain my CSWA certification. In fall of 2024 I will be attending UW-Madison to achieve my bachelors degree in
Neurobiology. They will provide me many opportunities for research in order to make a difference in the field of Neurobiology. Thanks to Careertek I now have more resources to successfully attend UW-Madison. Thanks so much for the opportunities to build valuable skills as well as the scholarship!
Future Desired Occupation
Either a neurosurgeon, clinical psychologist, or a neurologist
Sean Patel
Hononegah H.S.
My name is Sean Patel and I am a 2024 graduate of Hononegah Community High School. Throughout high school, I have participated in various extracurricular activities and have held leadership positions in them, such as co-captain of the Math Team, treasurer of the National Honor Society, and freshmen mentor for Students Offering Assistance and Resources. I have also dedicated time volunteering at the Stateline STEM Academy during the summers and at the local middle schools during the school year, while also volunteering at my church on the weekends. Additionally, I tutored 2nd-12th grade math at the Mathnasium of Roscoe during my junior year. In terms of academics, I earned recognition for Outstanding Chemistry Student during my sophomore year and an AP Scholar with Distinction award my junior year. This fall, I will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I will pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with hopes of becoming a software engineer. I am very grateful for Hendricks CareerTek for the opportunities they provided me. They enabled me to gain experience in the computer science field through a job shadow in the IT department at Hendricks Commercial Properties, instilling my confidence to pursue this field. I am very thankful for this scholarship and for the wonderful team at CareerTek!
Future Desired Occupation
Software Engineer / Computer Science related job
Scarlett Ramos
South Beloit H.S.
My name is Scarlett Ramos and I will be graduating from South Beloit High school. I will be attending Blackhawk Technical College in the fall and majoring in Nursing. Throughout high school I have been involved in many extra curricular activities. I am a member of student council, the volleyball team, soccer team and a member of the Beloit College Upward Bound Program. Hendricks CareerTek has given me so many opportunities to explore my dream career. I am very thankful for this scholarship and the financial opportunities it will provide me to start pursuing my career at Blackhawk Technical College.
Future Desired Occupation
A NICU nurse, or a pediatric nurse.
Jordan Shultz
Beloit Memorial H.S.
Hi, my name is Jordan Shultz. I am graduating from Beloit Memorial High School, where I’m a member of the National Honors Society. I am planning to attend UW-Platteville for Engineering Physics. Besides being a nerd at school I love to play video games, tennis, fish, go golfing and 3D print/CAD. My favorite CareerTek program was Innovation club because it me and my fellow classmates improve our critical thinking skills, cad skills and how to solve real world problems. The club has helped me meet new people who share the same interest I have.
Future Desired Occupation
An aerospace engineer hopefully for NASA or a related company.