WF student graduates a step ahead

Throughout high school, Dawson Zeitler was a jackof- all-trades. He was a member of West Fork’s baseball, golf and basketball teams, and participated in FFA. And in between all of his extra curricular activities, he found time to become a certified welder through North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), and ended up just a few classes away from completing his associate degree in welding by the time he walked in graduation back in May.

As a junior, Zeitler, who lives in Rockwell, got involved in the school district’s dual enrollment opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school through NIACC’s Career Link program. It allows students to earn credits for both high school requirements, and those of two and four-year degrees, with the cost of tuition and textbooks handled through an agreement between NIACC and local high schools. So in an effort to save money on college tuition later down the road, and gain valuable work experience, Zeitler spent much of his junior and senior year attending classes at the NIACC campus, instead of in West Fork High School classrooms.

Read the full article in the July 27 edition of the papers.