Alex Deeter’s career started in a fourth grade classroom. Then he decided to learn something new himself and enter an entirely new career field – civil engineering and land surveying.

A Nebraska native and Concordia University graduate, he moved to Sioux Falls after graduation to teach at Sioux Falls Lutheran School. While he liked kids and teaching, his summer job in construction also held appeal.

“My grandpa was a contractor, so I was always around the construction industry and that ultimately pulled me away from teaching,” he said. “My dad is a teacher. He teachers physics and chemistry, so I like that too, which is partially why I like civil engineering. There’s a lot of math and physics involved. So land surveying is kind of a perfect match. I get to be outside when it’s nice or inside using my math background and be connected to the construction side of things.”

Makenzie Haensel is no stranger to challenging, new adventures, and she’s about to embark upon one such opportunity yet again.

This fall, Haensel, 23, is one of 26 students who will pursue a physician assistant, or PA, degree at the University of South Dakota, a highly competitive program that routinely admits approximately 26 students per year, which amounts to accepting just 2.5 percent of applicants. With a 16.9 percent population increase in Sioux Falls since 2010, Makenzie’s chosen career path is also critical to the area’s growth, as hospitals are increasing care for more patients.

Tell us about yourself, including where you are from, why a technical institute was the right choice for you, and what led you to pursue the program you selected at Southeast Tech.

My name is Logan Bosch, and I’m from Luverne, Minnesota. A technical institute was a good choice for me because it allowed me to get a good education while also allowing me to get into the workforce faster and start earning money sooner than I would have if I would have gone to a four-year university.

I decided to pursue the Electrician program because it had always interested me, and I like the ability to do things with my hands and be on my feet all day.

In one moment, as a kid, Mark Cotter made a choice that led to a career.

One of his five siblings brought home a book of college majors, and as a young Cotter flipped through it, he made an instant decision.

“It said roads, bridges, pipelines,” he said. “And I told my sister, ‘That’s exactly what I want to do.’ And I went into civil engineering. It was honestly that simple. I went to college and never looked back.”

Growing up on a farm outside Chester, S.D., he had been inspired by what he saw happening around him.

“When you grow up in the country, you’re watching your neighbors work the fields, combine, harvest and you’re around a lot of large equipment. And I was drawn to it and wanted to find a way to still be in it,” he said.

As chief technology officer at Midco, Jon Pederson’s role is a diverse one. 

He manages a team of 65 people, taking care of core customer-facing technology: Internet, video service, phone service and business services. 

He also represents the Sioux Falls-based company at the highest levels of its industry, assisting with industry relations at a national level.

This month, he marks 34 years with the company – the result of a career that started with a job during college that led him down an unexpected path.

Talent Draft Day, a first-time event from the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, got off to a strong start with its debut event last week.

Designed to connect students pursuing high-need careers with the schools and businesses and that want work with them, it drew more than 600 talented area students from Harrisburg High School, Southeast Tech, Lake Area Tech and the Lake Area Multi-District Schools.