At Northwest Technical College, residential plumbing and HVAC student Malorie Grauman is excelling in her classes as a Post Secondary Enrollment Option student and has big dreams for her career in the field.
The PSEO program allows Grauman to take college courses as a high school student. She is on track to simultaneously earn her high school diploma and plumbing and HVAC degree.
With Northwest Technical College located less than 30 minutes from her hometown of Tenstrike, Minnesota, Grauman is thankful for the ability to work in an environment that promotes her learning style while staying close to home.
“All of my instructors and the staff at NTC have been very dedicated to helping me succeed. The schools working spaces have been especially helpful to me as my home environment is not always conducive to quiet reflection,” she said. “The opportunity to use school resources has helped me get a lot of things done quickly and more efficiently.”
Graduates of the residential plumbing and HVAC program gain the understanding of technology-driven, high-efficiency products and their proper installation, operation and repair. The hands-on classrooms and coursework cover traditional heating systems, water-saving solutions, eco-friendly private sewage disposal systems, renewable energy solutions, thermal solar design and geothermal technology. Though having some reservations about entering a male-dominated field, Grauman found a strong support system among the NTC faculty.
“Being the only female in my class was rather daunting, but my instructor Jeff Brower has been a major inspiration for me,” she said, “He had faith in my ability from the very beginning and helped me whenever he could. I owe a lot to Jeff, as well as my other instructors. They have all been very supportive and patient in my learning and are always willing to help.”
Grauman recently received NTC’s Outstanding Residential Plumbing/HVAC Student Award at this year’s second annual Student Achievement Day and earned Dean’s List honors for the spring 2020 semester.
Set to graduate in spring 2021, Grauman plans to work in Bemidji and acquire her master plumbing license.
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