Double the fun: Siblings graduate together, pursue technical school
The party for one Craig family will be twice the fun as it celebrates the accomplishments of two graduates.
Lane Gonzales and stepsister Shianne Wait became family in middle school when their parents married. They not only share family, they also have a similar plan for life after Moffat County High School. Both will enroll in career technical programs.
“We are proud of them. It’s been a long tour, and they are finally here,” said proud father Dwayne Gonzales.
Lane Gonzales
In August, Lane will attend lineman school at Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad.
“I want to work. They get you in a job right after you graduate,” Lane said.
His mother, Starla Heizer, feels good about Lane’s career choice.
“He’s not really a college-type person, and I think it will be really good for him. I hope he gets to travel a bit… see some other things. It’s a big world out there,” Heizer said.
Lane is a hard worker, and at least one teacher is impressed with his choice to become a lineman.
“In class, he works incredibly hard. He is polite and respectful and surrounds himself with others that have the same qualities. I respect any kid that wants to have career choices after high school. I think it’s a great opportunity for him,” said teacher Tanner Linsacum.
Shianne Wait
Wait is also planning to fast track her career by enrolling in Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Cosmetology and Emergency Medical Service programs.
“I want to help people,” Wait said.
Once she completes her qualifications through CNCC, she plans to work as an EMT in Orlando, Florida.
“I’m very proud of her and that she is going to college and she has some goals ahead of her,” said mother Laura Gonzales.
School hasn’t been easy for Wait, who was tested as having special needs at the end of her first year of high school.
“I struggled in school. I was a ‘D’ and ‘F’ student. I have a hard time focusing. I can’t really learn the way the teachers want to teach it. I have to take it out of the classroom and look at it my way,” Wait said.
In her senior year Wait participated in a work-study program at McDonalds. Applying her skills in the workplace seemed to help her grow.
“She’s using the mathematics she’s learning for her real-life needs. It has completely changed the way she sees education. She has always had the ability to do it. It was about slowing down and taking in the information and applying it to her life,” said special education teacher Tiffany Taylor.
The idea that she will graduate makes Wait feel proud, a feeling she has worked to share with other special needs students.
“She volunteered, through independent study to help kiddos with higher needs than hers. She is a great example of someone who has struggled and doesn’t want others to struggle. She puts herself in their situation to really help others. She’s changed things for others,“ Taylor said.
Volunteering is something Wait will continue, as a special needs tutor.
“I’m actually going to take a test to be an aide for special needs kids. I had a work program here for student teaching,” Wait said.
Lane and Wait both have words of advice for underclassmen.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to stand out. Even if you struggle, even if life gets hard, don’t let it knock you down. Keep going. Let God take you by the hand. Don’t make one little thing reflect your whole future. Get through it. Buckle down. It’s only four years,” Wait said.
And for students focused more on the social aspect of high school, as was Lane in his first couple of years, he offers these few words: “Pay attention more.”
Contact Sasha Nelson at 970-875-1794 or snelson@CraigDailyPress.com or follow her on Twitter @CDP_Education
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