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In this episode of 海角社区 Rundown, Macey talks with 海角社区 alumnus Colton Fuston about how combining career-tech education, hands-on training, and college helped launch his career in diesel technology at C.L. Boyd. Industry-college partnerships have shown Fuston the value of how-to balance work, school, and mentorship. Fuston highlights how combining education and hands-on experience can create opportunities, accelerate careers, and prepare students for long-term success.

Transcript

Macey
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to The 海角社区 Rundown, your official podcast of 海角社区 Community College, where we are here to help you find success in the classroom, with your career, and everything in between. Today's a really fun episode. It's something that we've been working quite a while to get [Quite a while.] some time to put together and do it, but I have with me today, Colton. Colton is an alumni of 海角社区 Community College and has done a lot of awesome things and really is a highlight of 海角社区. What we hope our students are able to accomplish whenever they finish up. So, we're excited. We're going to talk about kind of where hands-on training in college and career, kind of all come together. So before we dive in, Colton, I just want to give you a minute to introduce yourself. Tell our listeners just a little bit about you.

Colton
Yep. So, I'm Colton. I've actually, I'm from around here. So, I grew up in Yukon my whole life and I didn't, I didn't stumble too far from the house. I came to 海角社区, you know, after I went to vo-tech for two years, and then I actually now worked down in the city for C.L. Boyd. So, I didn't stumble too far from the house.

Macey
Cool. Awesome. And right now, you're you're still in college, right? [Yes Ma'am.] Awesome. Yeah. And we'll, we'll get to some of that, I think, with some of the questions, but... Awesome. And you were here at 海角社区 as an in-person student or online? 

Colton
I did a little bit of both. So, I actually, I actually started at 海角社区 with an Ag degree, and then I ended up finishing with a Diesel degree. But I did pretty much everything: all my basics was in or while I was in high school through concurrent enrollment. But then I did, anything basics after that was online. And then I did all my Ag classes in person, the fun classes I like to say. 

Macey
Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So I want to start kind of, you know, timeline wise, you mentioned how you went to vo-tech while you're in high school. So, tell us what program you did and how you decided that you were interested in going to that. 

Colton
So, I went while I was a junior and senior in high school. I went to the diesel technology program here at Canadian Valley in El Reno. Coming out of Covid, I was like: Man, I really don't want to be stuck in the classroom two more years. The, from what they said vo-tech would be like is like a lot of hands-on learning. And I was like, that's for me. And so I was like, you know what? Let's just give it a try my junior year. Worst comes worst, I'll go back to regular school my senior year and I fell in love. And so I was like: You know, no, we're gonna finish high school this way. 

Macey
Okay, cool. So, you mentioned hands-on training. Can you dive a little bit deeper and kind of tell us, and you know me, I don't have all the knowledge when I come out to your place at C.L. Boyd and I'm learning all the time. So, tell our listeners a little bit about what kind of hands-on training you really learn around the tech center. 

Colton
Yeah. So while at vo-tech, you know, customers will bring their pieces of equipment in or their trucks or something, and we actually spend all, most of our time working on pieces of equipment. Maybe a semi or truck, maybe a pickup or something like that. But then you spend, you spend probably like I'd say about three hours of the week in the classroom doing online book work. But then most of that, the rest of the time is in the shop, you know, learning what you're doing. And that's how I tend to learn best. And so I just fell in love. 

Macey
And I think it's cool that you have real world situations coming in that you're going to see if you are working in that field, that or you're getting to work with while you're learning. So after you finish the program at Canadian Valley, did you have any goals to continue in that field? Or you were like, I really enjoyed this. Maybe kind of see what's next? 

Colton
Yeah. So while I was at vo-tech I went to Skills USA, the, the, the state competition that actually led me to nationals. I placed top 25 in nationals, which is really cool, but I, so through that, I was like, man, I'm pretty good at this mechanical thing. And actually, WarrenCAT down the street recruited me. And so I actually started my career there, and then I ended up moving to C.L. Boyd shortly after, and I fell in love. And it's been, it's been, learning ever since. 

Macey
So WarrenCAT, they, they recruited straight out of Canadian Valley, okay. Perfect. So that's, that's good to know. So, you had a lot of opportunities kind of that came at you just from attending the tech center. And congratulations on the Nationals. I got, we kind of got to simulate a little bit of that at C.L. Boyd earlier this Spring was that and it was really cool. So that's awesome. That's a huge accomplishment. So you finish up at the tech center and transition into your career, but then also you're maybe someone that not a lot of students that finish at the tech center, you chose to go on and pursue a degree in higher education. So why did you make that decision? What did you feel like drew you to do that? 

Colton
To me, it it will. Short term, it really didn't gain me anything. It's the long term. It set me apart from the rest of the apprentices that were trying to join the program. I actually had some, you know, some reliability behind my name. Most people don't when they join it. They're just new. They really don't know anything. They can say, hey, he at least finished something. And that really set me apart. From what, from what others were. 

Macey
Yeah. And so for our listeners that don't know, Colton did one of our applied technology degrees, we have 17 or 18, I think, applied technology degrees. And they're set up where students, just like Colton can get a block of credit hours towards their associate's degree. And it's a large block. [Yeah.] I think for the diesel tech program, you got 24 hours. [It's 24, 28. I can't remember, but it is a quite a bit.] So, that's full two full-time semesters. It's 12 hours to be full-time, so you're already knocking out quite a bit. And then the rest of the coursework that you do with us can all be done online. So they're really designed to support students just like Colton, who had, you know, employment and career opportunities right out the gate as soon as you got done at the tech center. But also, like you said, have that opportunity to distinguish yourself from some of the other competition in your field. So yeah, I'm really glad that you made that decision. And even I think it's interesting that you talk about how you started as an Ag major, and then segue into the applied tech degree once you learned about that opportunity and got to do that. So, that's cool. So, was continuing on with college, was that a challenging decision? Did you think about not doing that, or one that you just knew you felt really confident in that? 

Colton
I was, I was on the fence quite a bit. And even like even up to the day I enrolled, I was, I was like 55%, no, I'm not going to college. But then I was like, what's the worst is going to happen? It's just going to set me apart from these people. And so I did it. And even as I attended college, it was a challenge. I mean, you you spent all day working out in the heat and you're like, man, I really don't want to do schoolwork. But man, I just I just knew that the goal at the end would be. And I was like, you know what? I'm just going to finish it. Yeah, I started it. I might as well finish it. 

Macey
Yeah. Is there anything that you felt like 海角社区 especially was like helpful going through that? And that is a challenge, especially because we have a lot of students at work full-time, also. Was there anything that you find- 

Colton
Yeah, so 海角社区 flexibility like their schedule wise- So like in the Spring, it's a lot busier for me. So I just scaled back to the classes I was taking. Whereas as we go into Winter, it's like, well, you know, we're kind of slowing things down at work. Well, that will give me more time outside of work to do classes. And so just kind of be able just to flex-i-mise, or flexible your schedule is, is awesome. 海角社区 is awesome for that. 

Macey
Yeah. That's good. So I, I want to kind of transition into that a little bit more talking about how, you know, you were working and-so were you at WarrenCAT while you were enrolled with 海角社区, or were you or was there some time where you at WarrenCAT and C.L. Boyd while you were still at 海角社区?

Colton
I worked at, I worked weekend shift at WarrenCAT, so I worked, I pretty much went to school all week and then I went, you know, worked on the weekends. And I did that for about a year. And then I finished my degree while I was at C.L. Boyd. So, I worked part-time for C.L. Boyd, and then I finished my degree during the, during the week.

Macey
Okay. So I think a lot of our listeners and our students at 海角社区 will relate to you and the fact that they're juggling a lot. [Oh, yes.] You know, between school and their family and work and just everything. So what advice would you share with our listeners about how to juggle everything and find that balance? 

Colton
I was like, for me, it was just picking the right battle. It was like, so, you know, I had to, I had to go to work, you know, to, to a, you know, a Ford College. But it was also like, man, maybe you don't make every assignment as long as you're passing, your passing is what I would say. 

Macey
Okay. Well, kind of a hot take. [Oh, no. Yeah.] But I think that's good. And I think to what you say, you know, picking your battles, something that I'm guilty of sometimes is, thinking about everything I have to do at once. You know, my projects at work, my homework that's due that night, the thing I need to do, you know, going to see my family and think about everything. And like, as you say: just pick your battles, pick one battle at a time and focus on that. And, and I think that's helpful to, to break things apart from each other. Awesome. So you talked about how you were working part-time at C.L. Boyd while you were finishing up, and then transition to a full-time role? How did that experience as a part-time help prepare you? And I also want you to talk a little bit about the apprentice program, because, our listeners may not know this, but 海角社区 and C.L. Boyd partner together. And so our students are encouraged to reach out and take advantage of that partnership. It, you know, helps you, like, like Colton, he got into the technician apprentice program. But then also, if you go through that program and you finish, then at some point you're eligible for tuition reimbursement up to $6,000, which is basically covered the entire cost of the degree. So tell us a little bit about that program if you-

Colton
So, the apprentice program with C.L. Boyd is basically a six-month long course. And we'll take you from, you know, just the everyday Joe down, walking down the street and we can make you into a John Deere technician. So we go through, you know, basically six blocks through our programs. You go through like HVAC, electrical, hydraulic, powertrains, and then you go through like just machine safety and tooling and it really just prepares you to what you enter into the workforce as like a John Deere level-one tech. 

Macey
Okay. Awesome. Yeah. So, as you were going through that, I've gotten to meet with, what's your instructor's name? [Lee.] Lee. Yes. He's the best, and he's awesome and just engaging with you guys so much. But are you guys working on customers, equipment at that time while you're an apprentice, or is it mainly classroom or a good mixture of both? 

Colton
So the apprentice program is you spend about three hours of the in the morning, in the classroom. So you're doing online training. You're going, you know, with an instructor-led training, and then you spend the rest of your day out in the shop working like a normal tech. So you work actually alongside of tech. So like today I had an apprentice with me and we, we worked together to figure out these problems with the machine. So you do a little bit of both. And it's very helpful when you're learning as a new person because you really don't know anything about John Deere. And so being able to apply what you learn in the morning to what you're doing in the afternoon is awesome. 

Macey
Yeah, I think that's awesome. And I, I also think, like you mentioned, having a mentor as a new person, it can be very overwhelming. You go into a new workplace and you feel like you have to know everything about everything, and really you feel like you know very little about anything or maybe nothing about some things. That's how I felt before. And so I think it's awesome to see that there's also that opportunity for mentorship in that program. And I think that just boosts, you know, your new hires confidence and feeling of belonging. Which I don't want to speak for you, but you I mean, the family-like environment at C.L. Boyd is something that I feel like resonates a lot with what we see here at 海角社区. You know, you guys are really community, and you guys also support each other so much. And so I think that that's awesome to see that in y'all's workplace, not only with how you treat your customers, but also how you treat each other and support each other. So that's awesome. So I want you to talk a little bit more about your role now at C.L. Boyd. What do you enjoy most? And your, so your level one technician? 

Colton
No, I'm actually going to be a level three. [Okay, that was quick. Awesome.] Yeah, I moved up pretty quick. 

Macey
Yeah, I was going to say because how long have you been full-time there?

Colton
In October, it'll be two years. 

Macey
Yeah. So awesome. So that's cool. So tell me what you enjoy the most about your role now at C.L. Boyd. 

Colton
So my my most favorite thing is solving problems. Pretty much all we do is solve problems. But it's the challenge because it changes day-to-day. So like today I was working on a haul truck. Well, tomorrow I might be working on a skid steer or motor grader with a completely different issue. And it's just it's a it's fun being able to you learn while you go, but then you also be able to solve problems that actually ultimately help the customer. And they're excited that you solved them. It's just like it's awesome. 

Macey
Yeah. And you mentioned earlier there's you might be getting to go out into a field truck. 

Colton
Yeah I'm excited about that too. 

Macey
Yeah, that'll be really fun. But yeah problem solving that, that's super fun. Yeah. Cool. Okay, so as we kind of wrap up a little bit and kind of near the end, I want to talk just a little bit about your perspective as you reflect back on your experience. So if you were to talk with a student that's trying to consider coming to 海角社区, going to a tech center, because I think a lot of students see that decision as one or the other, not necessarily, know that they have the option to do both, like you did in your case and, you know, get credit for doing both. What advice would you share with them about that? 

Colton
So what I would say is if you do either or both is they both prepare you for the future. So they're not going to show you like what you what you need to basically give you an answer. But they show you how to find an answer. And that helped me a lot even. And, you know, like vo-tech will teach you something completely different than what 海角社区 will. 海角社区 taught me more of, like being able to communicate with people that I don't know, whereas vo-tech, I can communicate with people I know, we have things in common, but people I don't know, that was my challenge and 海角社区 really helped me out. Step into that and help me solve that. And so I would say, if you want to do both, do it. It's it's it's awesome. It'll set you apart than anybody else working out there in the industry. But if you don't, there's nothing against that. You can go get a job. Typically you'll get a higher paying job if you have both, but you could still get a job you like with one or the other.

Macey
Yeah. And I think another thing too it's never too late to change your mind. I mean, we've had several guests on in our previous season that have talked about how they have finished advanced level degrees and have completely changed their paths. So maybe you went to a tech center in high school, and that might have been a long time ago. And now you've learned about this opportunity to do a degree and get credit. It's not too late to come back. We've even worked with a lot of instructors that teach at the tech centers that decide to come back and do their degrees. And so if you've done one and you haven't done the other, you know, there's that option to do both. And I would say just reach out and ask someone too. And the other thing is there's a lot of financial support too because I think it Canadian Valley you can attend for free up until your- [I think 26 or 25.] So I know it's a few years after you graduate high school, you're still eligible to attend for free, and I don't know all the details of that, but if we have anyone that's a new high school graduate that didn't attend, that's maybe been thinking about that and kicking that around, you know, that's an option. And of course, we've talked many times on here about the financial support for our students here at 海角社区, lots of different, you know, scholarship opportunities and stuff like that. So, yeah, I mean, definitely just reach out and ask. And even if you wanted to reach out and ask someone like Colton, who has done both and pick their brain a little bit, there's lots of students that I think would be happy to share their experience.

Colton
Yeah, anytime. Even people out in the shop will ask me questions and I just lay it out for them. I was like, man, this is what I was thinking when I was making this decision. It might be different for you, but I walked through them with it. 

Macey
Yeah. And I think that's important. Like there's no right or wrong answer. It's really whatever, where you're at in life, what you want to do, where you want to go, that's going to help you to to determine what's the best options for you. So we talked about this a little bit. Any additional advice for someone that's balancing school and work?

Colton
I would say I was like, it's challenging, it's very challenging, but it ultimately you're going to get something out of the, the, you know, the time you spend. You know, I look at things, how much time am I going to spend versus what I'm going to get. And you're going to set yourself apart with your degree through 海角社区 or through another community college. And it and it is worth all that struggle you go through. I know day-to-day it sucks, but it is 100% worth it coming out of the back end of it. 

Macey
Yeah. Just remembering that end goal that you're shooting for. Don't get so caught up in the little things, task-by-task. Just remember that in goal. Yeah, that's super helpful. And then the last thing I just want to wrap up is, you know, partnerships. And I'm sure that C.L. Boyd has lots of, And I know you guys do have lots of partnerships, but, you know, our partnership between 海角社区 and C.L. Boyd, we really want to help, you know, connect students with employment opportunities that really, you know, you started your career in an awesome place. And that's something that that we hope to do with this partnership. So can you talk a little bit about why you feel like partnerships like this are, are so important? 

Colton
Yeah. So in my eyes partnerships are like awesome. Because, you know, there's, and historically, been a gap between the, you know, industry and college or coming out of a career tech. And 海角社区 is doing a good job bridging that gap. And so you're basically getting, you know, getting your college degree. But then you're also right into the industry, making money. And it's like whereas normally you're not. You're normally have to go find a job. And it's like, well, I can't find a job, so I gotta go do this job for a little bit. It's like with this, you know, with the partnership, it allows you to just get right in the industry and get to learning and get to growing your career and starting your career early. Like, I started my career at 18, I'm 21 and I've been up three tech levels into a field truck, and historically, that just doesn't happen. I mean, normally you're 30, 35 before you get in the field truck and that just that partnership really just helped me get into the, get into the industry a lot young, really early, a lot younger.

Macey
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And that's what we're aiming for with this. And so, you know, if we have any listeners that, you know, you have a field or something that you want to do and you need help getting those connections, that's what we're here to help you with. So you're always welcome to reach out to staff and faculty at 海角社区, because we're here to support you and help make connections. Like, you know, Colton was able to make, so awesome. Well, I think that your story and your perspective really helps full circle, not only is it 海角社区 alum, but also as a concurrent student too. And so it's so awesome to see a concurrent student that got a head start on his degree, finished with us, took an advantage of, you know, a career opportunity right out of school. And, I just love hearing your experience and your perspective. And I think that our listeners will, too. So, before we wrap up, is there anything else that you want to share with our listeners? 

Colton
I think I've shared it all. 

Macey
Okay. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Colton. I've been really excited about this, and I just love speaking with you and everyone that's around you. You're just so infectious with your joy and kindness. So we're really proud to call you a 海角社区 alum. And really, really proud to work with C.L. Boyd. So thank you guys for joining us this time. We'll see you next time on the 海角社区 Rundown. Bye.