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Walter ‘Joe’ Gillespie is a graduate from the Architectural Technology program

  Walter ‘Joe’ Gillespie is a graduate from the Architectural Technology program, class of 1988. As a high school student Joe knew he wanted to get an education but was not interested in a four-year degree. He wanted a degree that would prepare him for a job and Ranken fit the bill. “My education at Ranken was structured and taught me the work ethic that was desired by employers.” recalls Joe. “I knew from the time I was in fourth grade that I wanted to be an architect and that also influenced my decision to go to Ranken. Joe’s first job after graduation was at a small architecture firm in Edwardsville, IL that specialized in nursing and retirement homes. After 4 years at this firm, he took a job in civil engineering as a surveyor, where he worked for four years. Since then, he has been with the City of Highland, Il, for 27 years, where he started in construction inspection and design. He advanced to Engineering Technician, Assistant Director of Public Works and is now the Director of
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Kevin Cope graduated from Ranken’s IWT, Internet Website Technology, in 2018

  Kevin Cope graduated from Ranken’s IWT, Internet Website Technology, in 2018. He is now a Software Engineer for Mitek Residential Construction. Kevin tells us, “Ranken carries a reputation of excellence within St. Louis and its surrounding areas. Most local companies hire graduates straight out of Ranken because of their reputation and trust they’ll be hiring someone that meets the high standards Ranken expects from its students.” Shawn Lipe, Software Engineering Manager for MiTek, explains “I have been Kevin’s supervisor for a year now. Kevin has been a junior developer on a complex project that deals with workflow. He has been developing in many languages like C#, C++, and VB and been exposed to several different types of tech stacks including desktop applications, windows services, web micro services, and web development. Kevin has performed the role as scrum master, making sure our agile sprints were on track and our backlogs were in order for sprint plannings. Kevin seems excite
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Nicole Betts, a 2000 graduate of Ranken’s Industrial Electricity/Electronics (IE)

  Nicole Betts, a 2000 graduate of Ranken’s Industrial Electricity/Electronics (IE) and 2006 Cum Laude grad of our Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Program, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Management. Nicole says, “My career path began at Ameren when I graduated from Ranken.” Michael Pallarito, Supervisor of Facilities Maintenance and Construction at Ameren, says “Nicole is a valued employee who took advantage of opportunities with Ameren to further herself in every possible way. She began in an entry level position and steadily worked her way up in our Office Mechanics Program with a combination of traditional schooling and extensive on-the-job training that escalated her to a Level of Full Building Mechanic and a leadership role within the Facilities and Maintenance Department. This can only be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to succeed.” Bill Layman, former Electrical instructor, explains “Nicole came to Ranken as one of
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Lauren Wimpee graduated from Ranken’s Automotive Collision Repair Technology program

  Lauren Wimpee graduated from Ranken’s Automotive Collision Repair Technology program in May 2021. She recalls, “My favorite memory was when we were learning to refinish vehicles. We had a 2019 Camry in the shop, and it had a lot of new parts that needed painting. I spent a couple days painting everything with my instructor. It was really fun, and I learned a lot within those couple days of painting.” Tim Green, Automotive instructor explains, “Lauren served an internship with Schaefer Autobody while earning her degree at Ranken. She now works for Schaefer as a Service Writer. Lauren tells us, “Ranken has provided me plenty of information to use while performing my job. Although I don’t directly repair vehicles, I know the processes and can do smaller tasks if needed which makes my performance more efficient. Training to get into my position full-time was also done quicker since I had a better educational background.” Heather Sims, General Manager at Schaefer Autobody’s Fenton, Missou
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Chett Miles graduated from Ranken’s Industrial Engineering Technology program

  Chett Miles graduated from Ranken’s Industrial Engineering Technology program in May 2021. He served an internship with Midwest Sterilization while he was working on his degree and is now a maintenance technician at Midwest. Chett says, “Ranken gave me a jump start on the maintenance field along with life skills.” Larry Calhoun, Maintenance Supervisor at Midwest Sterilization, explains “Chet has been a great addition to our team and has grown so much since I met him. He is patient and dependable and very hard working I appreciate everyday we are blessed to have him.” Jeremy Muscher, Maintenance Manager at Midwest, says “Chett has been full time with us for several months now and has become an integral part of our team. He adapted to our routines and learned our process quickly. He was able to work independently and fill a spot in our on-call rotation immediately after finishing his internship. He works seamlessly alongside team members with far more experience. He has an excellent wo
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Brian Pohl graduated from Ranken’s Industrial Electricity program in May 1995

Brian Pohl graduated from Ranken’s Industrial Electricity program in May 1995. He is the Owner and Operator of Affordable Seamless Gutters. Since opening in 2001, Brian explains “We have seen just about every possible problem or unique situation a customer can have with gutters. We have proudly served St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren and St. Louis Counties for 20 years.” Brian says, “Although I did not follow through with the trade I received a degree in, I learned important skills that I still use today. I feel Ranken laid the foundation for my being the business person I am today. My favorite memories while attending Ranken are the friendships I made with classmates and hanging out with them.” Brian’s nephew, Greg Rich, also attended Ranken. He graduated from the Control Systems Technology program in 2005. Learn more at https://ranken.edu/find-your-career-path/
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Nick Hufker graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Precision Machining Program in May 2021

Nick Hufker graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Precision Machining Program in May 2021. He was the recipient of the Gene Haas Scholarship in 2020. Nick says, “I have been financially paying for my college education and this [scholarship] will be of great help in paying for some of my expenses.” In a letter to the scholarship committee, he wrote “I respect and value highly the work you do to keep such an amazing foundation available for newcomers in the machining industry.” Nick currently works as a Setup Machinist at R&S Machining, the who’s who of the manufacturing machining world, producing Aerospace components. Matthew Roderick, Lead Programmer for R&S Machining, and Ranken alum explains “Nick is a great worker! Since he began working here, he has been respectful, hardworking, quality orientated, and always striving to learn. Nick started in our 3axis department stock prepping parts at night, and then quickly excelled to gain more responsibility. He currently works in our 5a
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