When Ashley Egerdahl graduated from Northome High School in 2006, she wasn’t sure what to do with her life. She went to Bemidji State University straight out of high school because that’s what she thought she was supposed to do. But after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she realized her career options required a master’s degree, which would mean leaving the Bemidji area and taking on more student loans. Instead, Egerdahl refocused and found Northwest Technical College.