Orientation Stories: Choosing MITT

Originally posted: February 07, 2017

One of the first takeaways from an orientation event at MITT? There is no such thing as a “typical” MITT student.

Learners from all ages and backgrounds – well over 100 – spent the day at Henlow campus learning about the dos and don’ts of student life; touring the facilities where they will hone their skills during the next several months; and meeting the staff and faculty who will prepare them for exciting new career opportunities.

We caught up with three students – Amanda, Chase, and Sean – who shared a bit about their journeys to MITT and where they hope to go next. Here are their stories.

Amanda Pachal walks with a cane and the Steinbach native is quick to acknowledge its existence. A workplace injury three years ago rendered the former welder an incomplete quadriplegic. She has the good fortune of still being able to walk, but the loss of feeling in her extremities caused by her accident meant welding was no longer a career option.

Instead, Amanda is now going to apply her creativity on the design side of the fabrication world through MITT’s CAD technician program. She hopes to use her time at MITT as an opportunity to help her re-enter the workforce. Upon graduation, she sees herself creating designs for home improvement projects, houses and cabins.

Chase Pearson was one of the many folks cheering for the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, but he gives full credit to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for pulling out a comeback for the ages. “What they did was amazing,” says Chase.

The 18-year-old is taking a five-month carpentry course at MITT and sees it as his stepping-stone into the field. He describes his longer-term goals as “a bit of a mystery” right now but can see himself working as a framer or possibly do woodworking, something he says he enjoyed in school.

Chase heard about MITT on the Web and through his grandfather, who spent his career in construction. Researching MITT, Chase says the programs it offered impressed him as did the strong connections to business that come along with them. Now that he is on campus, what are his first impressions?

“It’s a nice and friendly place,” he says.

Sean Perkins knows MITT well having once worked here in communications. What he heard and saw during his time on campus confirmed the hype around an MITT education and helped debunk the myth that trades and applied learning were somehow not for him. 

When he found himself doing some career soul-searching of his own, eager to ditch a desk job for one that would let him create and work with his hands, he knew a return to MITT was the next step.

“For a mature student like me, training in a trade is a quick path towards becoming an expert at something,” says Sean.

He plans to pursue that expertise in MITT’s electrical applications program. Sean has had a diverse education path to date with both a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a diploma in Creative Communications under his belt. He is taking a similar, learn-it-all approach to his career in electrical: Sean hopes to begin in residential home wiring, but hopes to find an employer who will help him develop a well-rounded set of technical skills.