By John Livingston
Ukiah High Wildcats are about a quarter way into the school year, and the seniors of Wildcat Nation are starting to think about life after high school. UHS News wanted to speak with Wildcats who do not plan to attend college and understand what they intend to do for a career.
12th grader Josh Smalls gave us some insight into his career path. His family owns the S&S Towing Company, and since freshman year, he knew he wanted to work for the family business. Smalls does not need to go to college to run S&S Towing, but he has to take a traffic management class. He said the class would help him identify hazards, assess and control risks, and determine control measures. Smalls will also take a towing course, which teaches the basics of towing, such as how much weight a specific trailer can hold and what hitch to use when pulling different things.
12th grader Kaycee Bushby said she wants to work for Granite Construction Company and be a heavy equipment operator. To qualify for a heavy equipment operator position,Edison.com says applicants must take the heavy equipment operator test, which covers the major knowledge areas needed to be eligible for the job. Bushby also said she might become a Marine or a firefighter. According to FCTConline.org, to be a firefighter, applicants must pass the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) which is a timed test that assesses applicants on how well they handle eight scenarios designed to replicate tasks that are on the job.
12th grader Chris Tussey has a love of cars. Tussey loves to buy and sell cars. When asked him what he plans to do for a career, Tussey said, “I plan to travel to wherever my girlfriend plans to go to college and get a job in a car dealership specializing in car sales.”According to Betterteam.com, to qualify for a car salesman position, an individual must complete a DMV salesperson qualification test. Some car sales also have to have to attend a dealer training program. Tussey already has experience selling and buying cars, but he still must be licensed.
Whether a Wildcat goes to a junior college, a four year, an ivy league, or gets into a career, it is vital that a Wildcat can say, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
