Today’s clay target competitors are tomorrow’s workforce
By Rebekah Summer, Alexandria Technical & Community College
The old adage “It’s not what you know, but who you know” still holds true. The people we meet along the way leave something with us. An impression, a piece of wisdom, even a faint memory impacts how we see the world around us. At Alexandria Technical & Community College (ATCC), it is believed every one of these opportunities is full of potential. The faculty and staff never underestimate how one interaction can leave a lasting imprint. It’s the reason the college devotes resources toward the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League’s Trap Shooting Championship.
The opportunity to meet potential students and their families is an invaluable experience. While ATCC employees ask questions like, “What are your plans for college, or have you started looking at colleges?”
They also ask, “How did you shoot today, and who came with to cheer you on?” The bottom line is the college supports what they’re there for: competing for the shot at the Championship. It’s a moment in their lives that is developing character.
When youth participate in extracurricular activities, they learn crucial skills that prepare them for the future. Sports like trap shooting produce fundamental lessons. Trap shooting requires responsibility, preparation and persistence.
There isn’t a competitor at the State Championship who doesn’t know the consequence of mishandling a firearm. The way they conduct themselves when they are walking with a gun in their hands is quite impressive. Without a gun in their hands, they act like kids.
They jokingly push and poke each other. When they have guns, they hold themselves with discipline. There is no horseplay or teasing. Their entire demeanor communicates the responsibility they assume. The control is underappreciated, as it speaks to so many characteristics that will make these young men and women successful. There isn’t an employer in any industry who doesn’t value and pursue employees who are motivated, responsible and teachable. These competitors are tomorrow’s workforce, which is what Alexandria Technical & Community College is all about: educating a skilled workforce.
While not all the participants at the State Championship will go on to college or more specifically, ATCC, they have decisions to make about their future. Alexandria Technical & Community College provides a diverse mix of technical and career programs in transportation and mechanics, healthcare and education, manufacturing and construction, art and design, business and cybersecurity, and law enforcement. In addition, the college provides transfer options to bachelor’s degrees.
With all the college has to offer, it still may not have what some people are looking for in a college. ATCC staff are willing to help students and their families figure that out too. Regardless if ATCC is your college of choice, questions about financial aid, scholarships, tutoring and any number of questions about college will be answered by people who are happy to help. It’s a privilege to be able to answer their questions and encourage them as they compete. This event provides an opportunity for Alexandria Technical & Community College to connect with students and their families, while supporting character building experience.
