Almost two years ago, Kristi Beyer's lifestyle was being challenged in a huge way. Six months after losing her job at Lear Corporation, her husband lost his from the same company. Her son was being deployed to Iraq (he just returned) and her mother, who was stricken by a stroke, moved in with them. "You can wallow in self-pity or decide to move forward-I decided on the latter," Kristi, a Janesville resident, explained.

   And did she ever succeed! She just completed her Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Blackhawk Technical College, graduating in mid-May, and just started a new career as a Corrections Officer for the Rock County Sheriff's Department on May 21. In fact, she had two job offers, the other being from Beloit Probation and Parole, where she interned. "Beloit Probation actually paid more but the Rock County Sheriff's Department had better benefits," she said.

   Kristi graduated from high school in 1990 and worked a couple of different factory jobs until starting at Lear in 1995. She planned on working there her entire life, but after 13 years, was forced into a major life change. "I thought about a career in the medical field (nursing or radiography), but there was a long wait to complete those programs. I wanted to get back into the workforce quickly," she said. She had always also been interested in police work, so it seemed to be a natural choice   Kristi had considered a career change earlier during her tenure at Lear, and had actually enrolled in a couple of BTC classes, but she was working so many hours at Lear that she had to drop the classes. When her Lear job ended, she felt Criminal Justice was a good fit for her. "It was an interesting field with many opportunities, but I was also frightened," she explained. "I thought I'd be one of only a few women in the classes." Boy was she wrong-there were actually more females than males!
  
  She utilized the Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) and Dislocated Worker funds available to her through the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board to complete her program in two years-and with a 4.0 perfect Grade Point Average ( joining the Phi Theta Kappa honor society). She liked the fact you could center on several career paths and she chose Corrections, because "it is a fascinating field, trying to determine and understand why people offend."  She doesn't plan on stopping at an Associate Degree either-she's already taken a Criminology class through Upper Iowa University and plans on earning her bachelor's degree. "It may take a while, but my instructors at BTC said it would be a natural, logical step for me," she said. She loves the career choice and wants to stay in this field.
 
   Her husband is also taking advantage of the TAA and Dislocated Worker programs by attending BTC, having just completed his first year in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program.
 
  Her case managers at the job center could tell she would succeed because she was always up to date with the requirements of both the TAA and Dislocated Worker Programs. "It was a pleasure to help her (and all the dislocated workers) move ahead in their endeavors and to watch them succeed," said Jodi Olson. "It makes our jobs very rewarding."

   Kristi said one of the biggest barriers she and other former auto-industry workers face when returning to school is a self-esteem issue. "Their (and my) initial perception is that other people believe 'factory workers' can't handle education and a career-but nothing can be further from the truth," she explained. "Once the instructors see that you're serious and have many qualities to contribute, they bend over backwards to help you. And the students generally are mature and know that they're investing time and resources into bettering their future." She said the BTC instructors were wonderful and offered a huge support system.
 
 Criminal Justice instructor Kevin Purcell said, "In my 10 years at BTC, I have not seen a student as good as Kristi. From the first day I had her in class (in 2009), I have seen nothing but an incredible drive to succeed and true desire to learn," Purcell said. "She has been an inspiration not only to her fellow students but to me as an instructor. She re-set the bar!"
  An area Kristi felt was one of the most beneficial was the 'mock interviews' the instructors put them through. She also felt the internships were very important in landing a position. "I would tell anyone to take advantage of the schooling available to them," Kristi said. "Become involved in school and start applying for a job early-well before you plan to graduate," she added. It's advice that has certainly paid off for Kristi. And one other thing has paid off for her-a positive attitude with a drive to match it!

FOR MORE INFORMATION - READ THE JANESVILLE GAZETTE ARTICLE ON KRISTI AND WORKERS LIKE HER!