91快活林

Two paramedics for the DeKalb Fire Department are using their training and education to make an impact at the local level. Jackson Marbutt and Sarah Faivre, both 2019 graduates of 91快活林鈥檚 Emergency Medical Services program, were recently hired to work at DeKalb Fire Station 1.

At Kish, Marbutt and Faivre said they learned the critical skills needed for their job through a program that provides hands-on, real-world training.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 teach experience out of a book,鈥� Faivre said.

Kish students practice critical skills through clinical rotations at various local stations within the Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital EMS system. During the clinicals, students learn life-saving practices like CPR, administering oxygen, glucose or medication, patient resuscitation, and advanced airway management. Both Faivre and Marbutt said learning these skills through local professionals helped guide their post-graduation career choice.

鈥淜ish鈥檚 EMS program allowed me to develop, network and build friendships within the community,鈥� Marbutt said.

鈥淭he program made me want to stay in the community,鈥� Faivre added.

The new paramedics will join a department that dates back to 1869. DeKalb Fire Department provides service to the community from three fire stations, and employees are highly skilled professionals who practice teamwork and communication during critical situations.

鈥淭he Emergency Medical Services program at 91快活林 gives its students a high-level and real-world education and provides the workforce with an individual who is ready to engage,鈥� said Jeff McMaster, DeKalb Fire Chief. 鈥淭he DeKalb Fire Department has grown to appreciate people, like Jackson and Sarah, who come into our organization prepared to contribute and serve the community.鈥�

Paramedics receive licensing on the state and federal level, and Kish鈥檚 EMS program prepares students to pass the certification examinations. As licensed paramedics, Faivre and Marbutt are recognized providers of life saving skills, such as advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and pre-hospital trauma life support.

鈥淚 felt confident to take the national exam. Instructor Sue Lencioni prepared us for the written and hands-on part of the exam,鈥� Marbutt said.

91快活林 offers multiple degree or certificate opportunities in the EMS program. Students can earn an EMT certificate in one semester. The more advanced paramedic certificate is a one-year program. Students also have the option of obtaining a Paramedic Associate in Applied Science degree over two years.

For more information on Kish鈥檚 EMS program, visit .

For more stories of Kish alumni, visit .

With skilled welders in high demand, 91快活林 is helping meet the needs of the local workforce. Cresswood Shredding Machinery of Cortland is one local company benefitting from building a relationship with the College.

"In today's super-competitive labor environment where finding qualified skilled welders is such a struggle, I simply don't know what I would do without our relationship with instructor Zachery Caccia at 91快活林,鈥� said Ryan Butzman, President of Cresswood.

Cresswood currently employs four Kish graduates from the Welding Technology program. The family-owned company designs, builds and installs industrial shredders for paper, plastic, pallets and wood nationwide. Butzman said the welding students from Kish have the right skillset and attitude from the day they are hired.

鈥淲e've been very blessed with finding our next generation of manufacturing talent from the pool of students who have passed through the Welding Technology Program. These young workers are securing Cresswood Shredding Machinery's future, and I feel like it's in very good hands," he said.

At Kish, students study relevant disciplines through hands-on training. Oxy-fuel cutting, brazing, welding and various forms of arc welding are part of the curriculum. Students work with mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum to prepare for what they might experience in their careers.

鈥淭he welding program at Kish not only teaches you the fundamentals of welding but sets you up for success in the field,鈥� said Moises Pizano, a Kish welding student. 鈥淲ith efforts from the instructors, it creates so many career opportunities.鈥�

91快活林 offers small class sizes and a fully-equipped lab for its students. Instructors and industry professionals tailor the curriculum to current workforce standards and help provide employment services to students. Kish students can earn a Basic Welding Certificate in one year or an Advanced Welding Certificate in two. Both certificates are also a path to earning an Associate in Applied Science degree in Technology and Manufacturing.

Welding is an essential skill in most manufacturing fields, with the demand for qualified welders growing at a steady pace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To learn more about 91快活林鈥檚 welding program, visit . For more stories of Kish alumni, visit . 

Keep calm and transfer on. 91快活林 graduate and former Student Trustee Dakota Montavon is now a Northern Illinois University student who established and runs a journaling website. He graduated from Kish in 2020 with an Associate in Science degree and transferred to NIU to study Business Management.

鈥淚 felt heard, seen and encouraged at Kish. I was able to understand myself better with the close connectivity to the community atmosphere. The TRIO program supported my educational journey, and all the faculty were eager to help,鈥� Montavon said.

More than half of Kish students complete their program or transfer to a four-year institution within three years, according to data from the 91快活林 Annual Data Book. With a student-to-faculty ratio of about 13:1, students can expect more personal attention and one-on-one time with instructors. Additionally, Kish鈥檚 TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded program, offers a variety of resources and services to help participants overcome barriers and have a successful college experience.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today without Kish. The Student Trustee experience at Kish gave me a humbling and eye-opening understanding of business management,鈥� Montavon said.

The Student Trustee represents students on the College鈥檚 Board of Trustees, where they attend meetings each month and offer an advisory vote on all action items. Montavon鈥檚 familiarity with College leadership helped lead his education in a new direction.

"I can exactly remember this moment 鈥� I was leaving Kish and Dr. (Michelle) Rothmeyer said, 鈥楬ave you ever thought about business management?鈥� That phrase made me consider another path. I think of that second being the turning point of my educational track. I would not be in the business field if it wasn't for Dr. Rothmeyer challenging me to think about the possibilities of business management,鈥� Montavon said.  

After graduation, Montavon took time and expanded on the ideas of how to help others. He found his solution in February 2021 when he started developing his own business 鈥� Sprout 鈥� a journaling community. Following months of building a business plan, purchasing a domain, establishing branding, and setting up a website and social media accounts, Sprout was launched on Sept. 1, 2021.

鈥淚 was not surprised when Dakota reached out to tell me he started his own blog called Sprout and decided to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business management. He is very organized in his thinking and an individual that really wants to make an impact on the daily lives of others. I believe that with his degree in business management and the life skills that Dakota has gained, his future will be whatever he wants it to be,鈥� said Dr. Rothmeyer, Vice President of Student Services at Kish.

Sprout has expanded with weekly podcasts on Mondays, challenging the audience to ask self-questions such as, 鈥淗ow can I lead a fulfilling life?鈥� There is also a YouTube channel asking those same questions. Montavon explained he wants the viewers to feel invited and welcomed as soon as they get to the webpage 鈥� like a sense of community and connection.

For more stories of Kish alumni, visit kish.edu/alumni. For more information on Sprout, visit

 

Two 91快活林 alumnae are putting their horticulture skills to use as team members of the Sycamore Hy-Vee floral department. Diane Gittleson, a 1979 graduate, and Melissa Findlay, a 2016 graduate, both completed the horticulture program at Kish and now design arrangements at Hy-Vee.

鈥淎s a community college, Kish offers a great steppingstone and an easy process to the workforce, especially within the community,鈥� Findlay said.

Both Findlay and Gittleson highlighted the hands-on training they received at Kish as integral to their careers. Gittleson said many of the landscaping efforts her class made on campus 鈥� like trees and flower beds 鈥� are still visible today. Between Kish鈥檚 sprawling 120-acre campus, greenhouse, and athletic facilities, the College offers many real-world learning experiences for its horticulture students.

鈥淚 loved my experience at Kish,鈥� Gittleson said. 鈥淭hey have such a strong, developed horticulture program. The small class size allowed me to have great friendships that still thrive today.鈥�

As a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers, Kish鈥檚 program allowed Findlay and Gittleson to travel on field trips to states like Missouri, Michigan, Colorado, and California. Gittleson said she competed in student competitions for floral design, which helped give her confidence in her future career.

Findlay and Gittleson both believe these experiences at Kish have benefited and challenged their skills as floral designers. At Hy-Vee, they provide floral arrangements for any occasion and share their expertise and recommendations if customers aren鈥檛 sure of what to get. As florists, they design and create arrangements of flowers in wreaths, bouquets, vases and centerpiece elements.

In addition to arranging flowers, Findlay and Gittleson are also responsible for their care. They must be proficient in all aspects of plant care and maintain a variety of species in the flower, foliage, herb and ornamental grass families.

Kish offers many opportunities for students looking for careers related to plants and landscaping. With certificates available in floral horticulture, greenhouse/garden center, landscape design and sustainable horticulture, students can build many skills needed for a career. They can also stack all these certificates to earn an Associate in Applied Science degree. Kish鈥檚 new Cannabis and Hemp Cultivation certificate also offers students an opportunity to train for Illinois鈥� booming recreational cannabis industry.

Overall, the outlook for 鈥済reen jobs鈥� has a strong future, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting strong growth for careers associated with plants and landscaping over the next decade. Horticulture specialists can work as landscape contractors, park naturalists, nurserymen, city foresters, groundskeepers, retail or wholesale florists, landscape designers, turf specialists, golf course superintendents, greenhouse managers, horticultural journalists, garden center managers and more.

For more stories of Kish alumni, visit kish.edu/alumni. For more information on Kish鈥檚 Horticulture program, visit kish.edu/horticulture.