Page 19 - Flathead Beacon // 5.21.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM COVER MAY 21, 2014 | 19

Sparking a Bright Future

Jonathan McKeick overcame the challenges of hearing loss to master the art of welding

for years he worked a variety of Jonathan
odd jobs through temp agencies. McKeick By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
graduated with A
Inspired by his young an associate’s s a 5-year-old, Jona-
daughter and others, he decided degree from than McKeick de-
to strive for more. He enrolled
Flathead Valley veloped a 107-degree
in college.
Community fever and the severe
“I don’t want to do dish-
College’s illness caused inlammation
washing or janitorial work my Career and around his spinal cord. As a re-
entire life, so in order to become Technical sult he became deaf.
Education
more successful, I needed to do Department, Growing up, McKeick
something that would help me specializing in learned American Sign Lan-
give back to my community,” welding and guage as his irst language, ei-
he said through a translator. “A nondestructive ther relying on an interpreter to
lot of diferent people inspired testing. He has communicate with others or ex-
me to pursue my dreams. My been deaf since pressing himself in writing. He
daughter makes me feel like I the age of 5.
and his family moved from Dil-
should be trying to do better.”
lon to Great Falls so he could at-
GREG LINDSTROM
He enrolled at Flathead Val- FLATHEAD BEACON
tend the Montana School for the
ley Community College in 2011 Deaf and Blind.
hoping to earn an associate de-
After graduating, McKeick
discovered that inding employ-
ment as an adult with hearing
See McKeick PAGE 22
loss could be challenging, and

Forging a New Career Path

Adapting to the digital landscape, Becca Wheeler learned the language

of technology and added two degrees to her resume

nity.”
gram advisor Dawn Rauscher,
Wheeler’s situation was simi-
Wheeler also took web technol-
lar to many nontraditional stu- ogy, which dives headirst into
dents who decide on a career the complex world of code writ-
change by enrolling at Flathead ing and computer technology
Valley Community College. The systems.
college has in recent years added At irst, it all seemed like a

programs and degrees in speciic foreign language.
ields that are in high demand lo- “It was very challenging. But
cally, like nursing, welding and you sit down long enough and
web technology.
some things start to make sense,”
Wheeler, in her late 20s when she said.
she enrolled in Kalispell, already For the last two years she has
had two bachelor’s degrees — in pursued two associate degrees,

history and anthropology. But taking ive classes a semester as
looking at the valley’s economic well as summer courses.
landscape, she saw most busi- As part of the college’s curric-
nesses were seeking employees ulum, she took an internship at a
with computer skills. In fact, business in the valley, putting her
several local companies were new skills to the test outside the
outsourcing jobs to other places classroom.
where trained workers could be That same company had a job

found.
waiting for Wheeler when she
Why not her?
graduated last Friday.
“I looked at all the skills you “I’m excited to be done with
need — computer skills, web homework and just focus on do-
Becca Wheeler, 29, By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon lege in Minnesota.
technology skills — and I said, ing it now,” she said last week.
graduated from But the challenges of season-
‘OK I need to learn how to do She expressed gratitude for
Flathead Valley
eing a seasonal em-
al work persisted.
those if that’s the kind of work I Rauscher and the other staf who B
Community College
with two associates So Wheeler decided to take a
want to get into,’” Wheeler said. helped her make this big transi- ployee has its draw-
degrees, in web risk and forge a new sustainable “That was one of the reasons why tion possible, and who allowed backs, primarily sur-
technology and career path.
I came to FVCC is because I knew her to explore the mountains viving the inancial
graphic design.
“It was probably one of the I wanted to stay around here.”
while making a year-round living pinch of the ofseason.
hardest decisions I’ve had to She signed up for the school’s in the Flathead.
Becca Wheeler spent six
GREG LINDSTROM FLATHEAD BEACON
make, leaving an ideal live-out- unique graphic design program, “Now I get to go hiking where years clearing trail and breaking
side-kind-of-job,” she said. “But I which integrates traditional vi- I want to instead of being told a sweat in the mountains. Spend-
was also at a point where I knew I sual arts education with current where to go,” she said.
ing her summers in the outdoors

had more to ofer and wanted to technology.
[email protected]
was everything she had hoped for
be more involved in the commu-
Following the advice of pro-
when she moved here after col-