If there was a record for the world’s youngest welder, Waylon Lauck would be a strong contender for titleholder. At only 17 years of age, Waylon has welded for over five years and is gainfully employed at Cam-Tac Welding in Slave Lake. “I kind of grew up on a drilling rig,” Waylon reports, recalling…

Tricia McNab was nervous on the first day of the Northern Lakes College, Welder Apprenticeship program. As a young woman who’d had only one prior experience holding a welding torch, she worried she might not fit into the male-dominated industry. “Showing up to that first day of class, I was intimidated,…

When Marilyn Orr moved to Peace River to provide a better educational experience for her teenaged children, she certainly didn’t plan on resuming student life herself. A graduate of the Northern Lakes College Office Administration Certificate program, Marilyn had been working as a payroll clerk for…

Kolby Backs first learned of the Northern Lakes College, Dual Credit program when it was promoted by his high school. The program offered a theory component, which Kolby took online. “(I wasn’t really prepared for) online school, for sure, but we had a really good instructor. He knew what he was…

Kenneth Halcrow’s interest in the skilled trades started at the age of 12 when he attended a trades camp for children hosted by Northern Lakes College. “We got to weld plates together, and weld hot dog sticks. It was a lot of fun. The camp offered carpentry, electrical, welding, crane, and more…

Janet Maik hadn’t so much as thought of going back to school until the day her high school-aged daughter refused her own post-secondary education. “My husband and I had been saving for our daughter’s education for years, so when she told us she didn’t plan on going to school, we were really…

Elizabeth Gedcke grew up knowing the meaning of hard work. Working at the family business, she knew how to balance the books, treat customers, and successfully schedule her time, all before she was 18. What she yearned for was to finish high school and pursue post-secondary education, but this seemed…

“Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.” – George Bernard Shaw A graduate of the first offering of the Northern Lake College Computer Network Specialist program, Brett Gladue had been interested in technology since early childhood. “It started with computer games,” Brett reports,…

Until attending Northern Lakes College, Amanda Gach’s school experiences had largely been negative. She’d left high school due to bullying, turning to online classes as an alternative. Years later, when her employer encouraged her to register for college classes, Amanda initially felt reluctant.…