Cheers erupted in the newly located Paladin Career & Technical High School in Coon Rapids as senior Trey Moore was honored with an impromptu graduation ceremony, a hallmark of the school's commitment to celebrate each student's journey, as students and faculty lined the halls by the school's Wall of Fame this Tuesday.
Despite its fairly recent move to Coon Rapids, Paladin has been making headways with its unique approach to education, focusing on the power of personal connections and tailoring its methods to fit each learner's path including those heading to higher education and others pursuing trades. According to school principal Brandon Wait, who mentioned in a statement how the school helps students transition from high school to their next step, whether it's to a four-year university or other forms of post-secondary training, yet admitting perhaps, a higher number is geared toward trade or community schools.
Praising the school's innovative educational style, a Paladin student, Jeremy Schwab said, "The great thing about Paladin is that it gives us a lot of freedom to learn the way we want to learn and earn our credit the way that we want to learn it,” showing how self-driven the students are in their learning process and where they find avenues to pursue their aspirations.
Counseling staff member, Sarah Sannes said "We have students who are doing welding and auto tech and construction, and they just love it," these words balance the theoretical know-how with practical application it gets them out of the building, and working hands-on in fields they are passionate about. Solomon O'Conner, another Paladin Knight, landed an internship with Tree Trust, contributing to community developments like Habitat for Humanity projects.
Paladin's mission to provide an alternative and enriching high school experience culminates in the goal of adding every graduate’s photo to the Wall of Fame, encouraging current students to visualize their achievements and become part of the school’s legacy of personal triumphs and collective success.
