Joy Walczak

Jonas is getting a jump start as a social media influencer, Flora is using her marketing skills to craft effective messages and Kenny’s photography is a channel for his creativity. All are beginning to build their business dreams while still in high school

Before she even entered high school, Morgan sang her way into the title role in Cedar Springs’ production of Annie. This year she’s back on stage as Jo March in Little Women and has big dreams of making it all the way to Broadway

Jonny has been taking on his siblings and friends in gaming for years, almost always besting each competitor by a wide margin. He recently put his esports skills to the test and won the second annual Kent County Cup, a Mario Kart competition. The win opened his eyes – and his parents’ – to the college and career opportunities in the esports arena

Billie still has their first purple tool kit, a gift from their dad who helped inspire dreams of becoming a carpenter and designing and building things of lasting beauty. Billie was one of the first to graduate from West Michigan Construction Institute, a learning lab for tomorrow’s workforce, while completing their high school education at CA Frost in Grand Rapids Public Schools

When Charlie Vonk created a course called Video Tech Time, he didn’t know he would be inspiring a career that would lead one of his middle school students to join the Olympic Broadcast Team, not once but twice. Jon Greenhoe’s dream is taking him to Paris this summer

In middle school, Eric Sorensen built himself a computer. By graduation, he completed the Networking & Cyber Security program at Kent Career Tech Center earning an unprecedented 21 certifications and more than 50 credits toward an Associate Degree in IT from Grand Rapids Community College through Launch U. For this Forest Hills Northern grad’s future, the cyber sky has no limit

Their dreams are as different as they are, ambitions to become police officers, trauma surgeons, psychologists and to travel the world. It can all start with education and the confidence that comes with a belief in being beautiful

Host Joy Walczak speaks with Miriam Ijor-Amachree, GED and CTE Adult Education graduate and Marty Marquardt, GED Instructor, Kent ISD Adult Education

As they inch closer to graduation, three high school students share their career ambitions and the efforts of educators and school staff to empower them to reach for their dreams.

Their dreams are as diverse as their backgrounds and experiences, but one thing scholars in Kent ISD’s Student Leadership Community have in common is that their educational experiences are helping them reach their goals beyond high school