LUCY GUNELSON
IT PATHWAYS STUDENT
L
ucy Gunelson, currently a sophomore
at White Bear Lake High School, is
a passionate IT Pathways student.
She might have chosen the Healthcare
Pathways route but explains, “As much
as I would like to be a doctor or nurse,
I don’t really have the stomach for it. I
was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic
leukemia when I was 2 ½ years old and
was in and out of the hospital a lot during
treatment, so I’m not comfortable with
needles and blood. In 8th grade, when I
researched robotics in the medical field for
a ‘basic engineering’ assignment, I became
intrigued with soft robotic prostheses. I
needed to rely on braces for part of my
recovery, and they were uncomfortable and
made it difficult to deal with daily life. That
research in 8th grade helped me decide
what I wanted to focus on for a career.”
Career Navigator Kerg says, “In a lot
of ways, our established Manufacturing
Pathway program is the framework
we are using for the other evolving
pathways to create a sustainable Career
Pathways Program. Our Manufacturing
Lab at White Bear Lake High School
is amazing! Our kids get first-hand,
industry standard experience, and their
parents are embracing manufacturing-
career choices more because they
realize there are a lot of livable wage
jobs in the manufacturing industry.
Today’s ‘shop classes’ are as clean
as scientific labs! In fact, many
manufacturing jobs are STEM jobs
Currently, Lucy is enrolled in IT
Explorations, a Century College credit
class. Part of her coursework this year
involves computer programming. In her
junior year, she’ll take AP Computer
Science. She says, “One of my favorite
parts of IT Explorations is when we took
apart old computer towers and had to
identify computer jacks! I’m a hands-on
person. I’m a visual learner, so when I can
take apart and reconstruct a computer,
that’s a favorite activity of mine. Tech Depot
has been another favorite class, which
I first took in 8th grade; I learned how
to fix a Chromebook. It was an amazing
experience for me because it gave me
basic knowledge of IT and hardware.
After she graduates from high school,
Lucy may go to MIT. “That’s one of my
first choices. But, Dunwoody College of
Technology would be a great school to
go. It has a good reputation. I could get
an AAS in Electrical Engineering, and they
offer an Industrial Controls and Robotics
course.”
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Vadnais Heights Business Guide & Community Profile
requiring strong knowledge of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math.”
Presently, the biggest challenge
facing Kerg is creating a sustainable
Construction Pathway that closely
mirrors the highly successful
Manufacturing Pathway. “There
are 27 building trades with a lot of
different entry points for workers,
such as: roadway, residential and
commercial construction; and electrical,
plumbing, sheet metal and iron trades.
Construction workers MUST be 18
years old. I help students who want
to go to work by connecting with
union construction training centers. It
is a different process than the one
in which a student applies to go to
technical school. We are currently
exploring concurrent enrollment
options, as well as, working to create
an apprenticeship readiness model
so that when students graduate they
are prepared for an apprenticeship
program.”
White Bear Lake High School
Career Navigator Jeremy Kerg
says, “We truly value our
relationship with VHEDC!
Executive Director Ling Becker
is a valuable asset. She offers the
business perspective and we offer
the education perspective. Ling is
a great partner who continually
connects us with industry partners,
assists with program development,
and provides innovative, ‘outside-
the-box’ thinking.”