Alton Students Sign Letter of Intent with Ranken

ALTON/ST. LOUIS - Three local students signed their letter of intent at Ranken Technical College.

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, students from Alton High School and Marquette Catholic High School participated in Ranken’s NC3 National Signing Day ceremony. Justin Washington, a student at Alton High School, will enter the Architectural Technology program. From Marquette, Van Koetting and Nicholas Cardinale will enter the High Performance Racing Technology and Fabrication & Welding Technology programs, respectively.

“We live and breathe our mission every day here at Ranken,” Shannon Brueggemann, Vice President of Education, said during the ceremony. “Our primary mission is to provide the comprehensive education and training necessary to prepare students for employment and advancement in a variety of technical career fields.”

A total of 68 students signed at Ranken on Thursday. Students shared breakfast with Bruggemann and toured the facilities at Ranken in addition to the signing ceremony.

During the ceremony, Kirk Ryan with Emerson Electric/RIDGID and Chris Walmsley with Thermo King welcomed students and encouraged them to work hard over the next few years. Keynote speaker Phil Evans with Hussman spoke about the combination of the right knowledge, skills and attitude, which Ranken can provide.

“Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life,” said Evans, who is also a Ranken board member. “As you graduate from Ranken and enter the workforce, be confident that you will have the element of right knowledge…Be confident that you will have learned to develop the right attitude by modeling your Ranken work ethic every day.”

Evans told students to focus on building their “know-how” and their “know-why” through refining their knowledge and attitudes. He said most employers will hire people for their attitudes and then train them in the needed skills, and he encouraged students to “go confidently but humbly” into their next chapter with these attributes.

For the students, the Ranken signing ceremony is the beginning of their careers. Cardinale noted that he is excited to start his education at Ranken and learn more about his field. He said he hopes he can help his friends and “get a really good-paying job” using the skills he learns at the college.

“I’m choosing to attend Ranken because when I walked into the school, I felt very welcome and greeted by all the staff,” Cardinale added. “I’ve always wanted to pursue a trade most of my life and Ranken can help me do it and help me get a job.”

Summer classes start in a few weeks. For more information about Ranken Technical College, visit their official website at Ranken.edu

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