COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Pathways Career Closet goes to work for Anoka-Hennepin students
W
alking into the Pathways Career Closet at the Coon Rapids
Family Place Mall is like walking into any other store; clothing is
displayed attractively and the space has a warm, cozy feel. Unlike
other clothing stores, all items are free and the workers earn competitive
work skills rather than paychecks.
Pathways serves students ages 18 to 21 who have not graduated from
high school because of a disability or an interruption in their schooling.
Through several work assignments, students have the opportunity to
practice basic skills required in a workplace and develop independent
skills for work and/or post-secondary education.
Through the Career Closet, Pathways students and staff provide
professional attire for job interviews to eligible Anoka-Hennepin students
or individuals in need who are working with the district and county
agencies. When possible, goodie bags of personal hygiene items are
provided to Career Closet visitors preparing for interviews.
Work coordinator Paula Holden, who developed the Career Closet,
and her students visited the Coon Rapids Goodwill store to learn about
displaying items and working with inventory. Holden said all items in
the Career Closet are donated from individuals, civic groups, the faith
community, staff, students, friends, and family.
Holden said students are learning and becoming invested in the
Career Closet and the idea of giving back. They are also learning “soft
skills” such as interacting with co-workers, supervisors and customers as
well as flexibility in accepting assigned duties, punctuality and workplace
ethics. Students are also learning “retail specific skills” such as arranging
and displaying merchandise, inventory and discriminating “career
clothes” from casual attire.
The Career Closet is in need of donations of men’s white oxford shirts
as well as extra-large and larger business-casual clothing for males and
Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals brought donations into Pathways.
Bringing in donations today were (from left to right): Stephaine Szeremeta, program
and communication manager, MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce; and President
Lori Higgins, MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce; Phil Geertsema, Automatic Data
Processing; Joe Johnson, One for Joe; and Jeremy Schmitz, American Family Insurance.
Pictured with the group is Paula Holden, Anoka-Hennepin work coordinator.
females. Donations of new undergarments and professional socks and nylons
are also needed. Holden hopes to someday add accessories and scrubs worn in
medical settings to the Career Closet.
Donations to the Career Closet can be delivered to Pathways located in the
Coon Rapids Family Place Mall, 11244 Coon Rapids Blvd, Coon Rapids. For more
information contact 763-433-4625. ■
AHEF Northern Stars Celebration a success
A
bout 300 people came together Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Northern Stars
Celebration to support the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation
(AHEF). The event raised almost $30,000 for early childhood education,
talent development and career and college readiness for Anoka-Hennepin
students. It featured Blaine High School choir, orchestra and band students
performing a patriotic program.
Tess DeGeest, AHEF executive director, said she is impressed with the depth
of understanding and appreciation community members have for the AnokaHennepin School District and AHEF.
DeGeest said she appreciates everyone who attended the event and those who
donated silent and live auction items and purchased raffle tickets to support
Anoka-Hennepin students and schools. She had a special thank you for all the
wonderful musicians and choir members from Blaine High School.
“The passion with which the Blaine High School students played was inspiring
for all of us and the recognition of those among us that have served in the military
was a wonderful reminder of the sacrifices that have been and continue to be
made by our friends and neighbors,” she said. ■
Members of the Blaine High School concert choir, and choir director, Sue
Zemlin, were part of an inspiring performance at AHEF’s Northern Stars
Celebration.
Wallin Scholarships open doors for Anoka-Hennepin students
I
n 2007, a unique
partnership was
created between
the Anoka-Hennepin School
District and Wallin
Education Partners (WEP).
Winston and Maxine
Wallin, who had both
received scholarships to
Brian Christner
attend college, started a
scholarship program in
1992 to assist students at South High School in
Minneapolis. Recognizing a great need, the
Wallins expanded their scholarship program to
the Anoka-Hennepin and St. Paul school districts.
Through partnerships, they eventually added
seven other high schools.
Students selected for WEP scholarships receive
$4,000 each year for four years and a mentor.
The number of Anoka-Hennepin Wallin Scholars
from the Class of 2007 has an almost 100 percent
graduation rate, much higher than the program’s
overall graduation rate.
W I N T E R
2 0 1 3
A 2007 graduate of Blaine High School (BHS),
Brian Christner was in the first group of Wallin
Scholars. Christner saw information about the
scholarship in the school’s advisement center and
his adviser helped him to apply.
“I had a significant need for financial aid
because I would be paying for college on my
own,” said Christner.
Christner attended the University of Minnesota
– Duluth (UMD) where he triple majored in
economics, finance, and statistics and actuarial
science. In addition to the Wallin Scholarship,
Christner received a “best of class” scholarship
from UMD which covered half of his tuition.
While Christner would have gone to UMD
without the Wallin Scholarship, he said his
education would have been a more challenging
experience.
“I would have had to take out loans and probably work outside of school,” Christner said. “The
Wallin Scholarship afforded me the opportunity to
focus on academics and graduate in four years
F O C U S
with a 4.0 grade point average. And without the
Wallin Scholarship, I would never have been able
to study abroad in China.”
Christner also enjoyed working with the
mentors provided by WEP. He said Kim Roufs,
Rebecca Thelen, who works at UMD, and Janet
Benson provided him with excellent advice for
managing course work and positioning himself to
graduate in four years.
Having completed his graduate work in financial mathematics from the University of Chicago,
Christner is an options trader for Citigroup in
Minnetonka. He encourages other students to
apply for a Wallin Scholarship.
“I really can’t thank the Wallin Foundation
enough for offering this scholarship,” he said.
“Its impact on my college education was profound
and I really appreciate the generosity of the
foundation.”
The 2013 scholarship application closes at
11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27. Final selections will
be communicated in early April, 2013. ■
P A G E
7