JONESBORO, Ark. — Kyler Daniels has not yet graduated from Walnut Ridge High School, but the 19-year-old is already working as a certified nursing assistant. He has also earned needed certifications to work in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
For the past two years, Daniels has taken advantage of electives offered at his school’s partner, the Northeast Arkansas Career and Technical School. He said it has allowed him to earn more than minimum wage, which allows him to better support himself and prepare to support his unborn child.
“There is a higher demand for hands-on jobs, and I’m a hands-on person,” said Daniels, who, upon graduating, hopes to get a job on a boat on the Mississippi River. “It’s given me something I can fall back on.”
Daniels is for any opportunity that helps students make something of themselves. That’s why he believes the Arkansas Future Grant (ArFuture) is a “great idea.”
Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed ArFuture into law on March 2. It took effect immediately, and will provide up to two years of tuition and fees at an Arkansas public community or technical college for students enrolling in a high-demand field of study or a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field. Examples are computer science or welding.
The first grants will be available for the upcoming school year, the Jonesboro Sun reported.
“I think it is good way to get people to come into those fields because if school is free, why not?” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for anyone; especially anyone seeking good employment in a field they can make a decent living and not struggle.”
