Private Story
SOAR
Community helps MHS students SOAR
Published in The Monroe Times for Source Magazine
May 2023
by Sarah Sabatke
Bryce Grossen graduated from Monroe High School in November 2022 and started taking general classes at Madison College in the Pre-Veterinary Technician program in January 2023.
He continues to work for the Brodhead Vet Med Center, a relationship that began during his time at MHS. Grossen started out doing lawn mowing and painting for the center as a summer job when a position became available for a veterinarian assistant. “It was a perfect fit for me,” he said.
Grossen entered the SOAR program — Student Occupation and Academic Readiness — in June 2020, the summer before his junior year of high school. Grossen asked the center if they’d be interested in joining the program and taking him on as an apprenticeship student and the center agreed. The SOAR program provides students with career exploration opportunities, for which they both get paid and receive high school credit.
The program provides three main options for students.
- Work Experience positions — these are existing entry-level jobs and require 10 hours of work per week. Students are able to earn school credit for working instead of taking a class.
- SOAR Internships — a commitment for the full school year, requiring 10 hours of work per week with students earning school credit for working. Employers for internships are willing to provide a mentor to help students towards career success in their industry. Students apply and interview for the program.
- Youth Apprenticeships — these are similar to the SOAR internships, with the added distinction of students earning certification from the State of Wisconsin in their “chosen industry pathway.” Apprenticeship students work a minimum of 450 hours while also receiving relevant education training in school.
“It is hard to put into words what this apprenticeship has meant to me,” Grossen said about his experience. He remembers that school “wasn't easy” for him, due to health complications and feeling isolated. Though he couldn’t participate in sports at MHS, he was active with the FFA club (Future Farmers of America).
Once he joined the team at Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center, Grossen’s confidence began to grow. “My life changed,” he said. “I have the best coworkers around me that anyone could ask for … they all treat me with respect and help me grow.”Grossen disinfected rooms, cleaned cages and assisted the veterinary technicians.
He now helps to draw vaccines and take x-rays, rooms patients and accompanies on farm calls, working directly with technicians and veterinarians. Now finishing his second year with the SOAR program, he plans to use the skills he has learned to become a certified veterinary technician. He has been accepted into the pre-veterinary technician program at Madison College and has worked with Broadhead Veterinary Medical Center full-time since November 2022.
“I enjoy going to work with my coworkers every day,” Grossen said. “The real-life work experience you get through SOAR is life-changing. It helps you grow in so many ways and prepare you for the future.”
Cara Carper serves as the SOAR coordinator for Monroe High School, facilitating the school-to-work program.
“We promote the program widely and students sign up when they schedule their classes,” she said.
The program hosts “Work Wednesdays,” where businesses table during the school lunch hour to promote their industry and open positions, as well as a spring Youth Apprenticeship Job Fair.
“The benefits of work-based learning are so varied that every kind of student can find tremendous value in it,” said Carper. “For students joining the workforce after graduation, SOAR offers an exploration of jobs and employers, along with hands-on opportunities for students to explore their career interests and develop skills for future employment.”
Twenty-six local businesses have hired a total of 43 MHS students as youth apprentices so far. The community partners provide experience in a wide variety of industries, including banking, bioscience, marketing, automotive tech, ambulatory services, carpeting, and medicine.
Apprentices at Pleasant View Nursing Home, St. Clare Friendensheim and SSM Health - Monroe Hospital build skills for careers as nursing assistants and resident aides.
Blackhawk Technical College and the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board have also been important to SOAR over the past year, with many students taking advantage of their grant programs to pay for classes at Blackhawk. Carper says many students have taken CNA (certified nursing assistant) classes and one student is taking welding classes — she will graduate with a Technical Diploma in Welding at the same time she graduates from MHS, said Carper.
Students balance 10 hours of apprenticeship work per week with their high school courseloads. They are also given time to work during the school day. Each business supports its student apprentices with a mentor.
“Many [students] are surprised at how much businesses contribute to the community,” said Carper. For some, being a part of the SOAR program crystalizes what they want to do in the future, and their employers and mentors can help them figure out their next steps. Others realize that the career they thought they wanted to pursue is not the career for them. We consider that to be just as important as finding a career they love.”
SOAR student Vanessa Hartwig is one of those who found the career she loves through her apprenticeship. Partnered with Monroe Truck Equipment, she’s honing her knowledge of welding. Each day is different, she says, and her coworkers have helped to give her different perspectives on roles throughout the shop.
“I have had the opportunity to work with very skilled and knowledgeable welders that have helped me get more involved and, without them I wouldn't be where I am today,” said Hartwig. “Without this program, I would not have been able to gain countless opportunities through the start of my welding career.”
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