Brendan Severns, a senior at North High School, has been participating in the Youth Apprenticeship Program this school year at Masters Gallery Foods. He values the knowledge and experience he has gained from working at a local company while still in high school.

Learn more about Brendan and his experience:

Student Name: Brendan Severns
High School: North High School
Grade: 12

What Tech Ed classes are you currently taking, or have you taken in your high school career?
I have taken Introduction to Engineering and Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Capstone Engineering, Intro to CAD and STEM, Power Mechanics, Exploring Robotics, and Automation.

What project are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my Eagle Scout project because it culminated all my years of scouting and everything I have learned. Communicating, engineering, and leadership were all pivotal skills in helping complete the project. It showed what I could do and accomplish when I set my mind to it.

Have you taken advantage of any on-site work experience opportunities?
I am currently employed at Masters Gallery Foods as a maintenance employee through the Youth Apprenticeship Program. I have learned what it is like to be in an actual workforce. I have gotten to see how much the industrial parts cost and the amount of work that goes into keeping machines running. I also have gotten to see how maintenance workers' jobs could be made easier along with the machine user. I have learned to upkeep and run preventive maintenance on machines to ensure that they continue to run smoothly. It has been fun getting on-the-job training while getting paid.

What other classes are you taking?
I am taking AP Calculus, AP Physics, and Myth and Legends. 

What activities are you involved in (clubs, organizations, sports)?
I’m involved with the Red Raider Robotics team here in Sheboygan. I am also an Eagle Scout.

Brendan working at Masters Gallery during his Youth Apprenticeship experience.

What is your favorite thing about your Red Raider Manufacturing experience?
The program allows new people to learn real-world skills that they can apply to their lives after high school. They get to test and see if they want to go into the manufacturing process later in life, and even if they don't go into a manufacturing field, those skills will help them in their daily lives to solve problems

Why should a student participate in the Red Raider Manufacturing program?
They get great hands-on experience that can prepare them for the real world or college. No matter what path they choose, the program will help them with problem-solving and thinking outside the box.

What are your future plans?
I have received the SPEF Minnie Riess Detling Memorial Scholarship for $50,000 and will be attending UW-Platteville for Mechanical Engineering in the fall.

The Sheboygan Area School District has seen increasing numbers of students taking advantage of Youth Apprenticeships, where they can earn high school credit and spend part of their school day working and earning money while gaining employment skills for the future!

Thank you to Masters Gallery Foods and our many local employers and RRM partners, such as Kohler Co., Johnsonville, American Orthodontics, Lakeside Foods, Plastics Engineering, Sargento, and many more, who provide these learning and earning opportunities for our high school students.