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Show Tht Uintah Basin Standard HONORING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION 7 April 15. 1999 iaFI YOU ALONG matter hew you getthere,education can open doors No By Mary Wertz, Stacy Mecham nd Leztoe Whiting For 16 years, Allen Secrest lived the life of a 'roughneck. Working on drilling rigs, he traveled all over Utah, Wyoming, California. Oregon and Nevada. A 1976 graduate of Union High, Secrest served in the US. Army from 1976 to 1979. When he came home to the Uintah Basin at age 21. he headed to the oil Fields where work was plentiful and paid well. 'During the boom it wasn't hard to find a job," said Secrest The jobs paid well and the ben efits were good for a while, but Secrest says that several of the jobs he took started out with benefits and a retirement plan, but after four or five years the companies went bankrupt and the fringe benefits he'd been counting on vanished. 1 had wanted to go back to school since I graduated high school It was two years ago, I was 39. 1 thought, Vow, it's now or never." He had received a letter from a former employee notifying him benefits were available through the Trade AcL He went to the Job Service and learned that these benefits would pay his tuition. For the past two years he has attended the Utah State University Uintah Basin branch campus, major ing in history and photography At the same time hie has managed to hold down a fulltime job. He says realizing his dream is taking courage. "It was pretty tough at first It had been 20 years since I had been in school. I was kind of scared, didrft think I'd fit in because of an the younger students. But I found there were a lot of older non-tradition- al students. Although Trade Act benefits are running out for Secrest, his thirst for knowledge is not He plans on paying tuition with money he has saved and working his way through the remainder of his college education perhaps to the point of earning a doctorate. Mike Guinn grew up knowing he would go to college. His dad told him so. My dad worked three jobs to support a family of six kids. He never had the opportunity to go to college, but he mw the benefits one could have and the doors that could open with a college education. AN ADVANTAGE-Mi- ke Guinn, a district Inland for Production, says engineer he's telling his kids to plan on going to college after high school. Guinn, who graduated from the Colorado School of Mines as a petroleum engineer has found firsthand that a college degree does in fact open doors. He graduated from college in 1983, just as the oil boomstarted to go bust and job openings in his speciality were hard to find. But since that time through the ups and downs of the oil business. Guinn has been employed and employable. He credits that in large part to his college education. Theres no doubt about ft. the degree has helped me along. It's allowed me to mold into several positions, ft opens up more opportunities, he related. Guinn 'highly recommends higher education for anyone wondering if it's worth spending all that time in school, and believes parents should direct their children, and yes. even push them towards obtaining some type of degree. lt was clear to me that was the direction to go. Farm Bureau Inauranea Tom Ellingtord, Jerry Slight Kadee RlMf has Had the dream of attending Ricks College, in Rexburg. Idaho for a long time. Now that dream is coming true. Kadee will graduate from Union High in May and begin summer classes at Ricks ten days after graduation ceremonies. BecauM Kadee has been accepted to the nursing program at Ricks she must complete prerequisites before she begins the program in the fall of 1999. She feels that a college education is a 'necessity, explaining that 'You just can't make ft in life without ft. Kadee comes from a family of ten children, and all six of her older brothers and sisters have graduated or are attending a college or university. Both of her parents. Scott and Jolene Riser, also have college degrees and have instilled the desire to obtain an education in their children. While in high school Kadee had the opportunity to work in the Emergency Room at the Uintah Basin Medical Center through the School to Careers program this year. She is also a certified Nurses Aide, a certificate offered through the Uintah Basin Applied Technology Center. Because she has taken advantage of the concurrent enrollment program through USU, she will graduate with 30 college credits, which win save her time and money when she attends Ricks. Though Kadee has had many interesting experiences, not an of them have been so easy. The hardest thing that I have had to go through in high school was giving up sports, she says. Kadee played volleyball basketball and participated in track, but during her junior year she had an accident, injuring her knee. "Quitting sports and putting education first has been the hardest thing Ive done, but ft has also been the best. Kadee recounts, adding that she would have missed so much if she had continued devoting so much time to sports. Even though it hasn't been easy, Kadee says that the challenges brought, "so many more - 721 E 200 N. RooaeveX 722-310- 9 Flret Security Bank - Maw. RooeeveX 722-247- 7 Fitzgerald Family Chiropractic 48 S 200 E. RooeeveX 722-146- 1 Freedom Realty 1 66 W Maw. Duchesne -- 7380000 Frontier Grill eSS 200 E. RooeeveX-722-36- 69 Fruitland General Store Rutland - 58-221- 4 FLMyton Mvton - 722-21S- 0 Garys Insulation Inc. W Hwy 40. RoowX-722-31- 52 Gilleys Carpet - 106 N 300 E. RooeeveX 722-918- 5 The Glass Shop Wt Una Road Haslem Construction Westslde Storage 722-595- flooeeveX Hullinger-Olpi- n 6 - 722 5100 Mortuary 457 E 300 N. RooeeveX - IGA Super 750 E 200 N. Rooaeve- X- 722-242- 6 Center 722-229- 6 James Lemon Construction take lane. RooeeveX - 722-301- 5 Janes Barber & Cosmetology 57 N 200 E. RooeeveX -72- 2-4822 JBs Restaurant E US Hey 40. RooeeveX 722-077- 8 Jim Nebeker Trucking - k 722-999- 7 Jones Paint & Glass 140 E 100 N. RooaeveX -- 7223926 Jubala Automotive Old Awport Road. RooaeveX -- 7223303 K & K Sanitation E US hhry 40 RooaeveX SHE DOES IT Riser, a Union High School senior, is heavily involved in school ALL--Kad- activities, but she stH knows how tohave fun. She hkes to reach goals, and has met many this year. - 722-124- 4 Karen's Komer Drive-I- n 116 VV Mam. Oucrieane - 7362563 King's Chevron S2Te fcw40. RooaeveX - 7224999 Kohls Inc. 55 E 100 S. Oucheant -73- 8-2451 Lamar Long Plumbing North Creeceni Rd . RooeeveX - 7222038 Lazy H Gallery 256 S 200 E.RoceeveX-72221- 05 |