Once the senior class graduates, I always wonder where they end up and what they’re doing these days. This school year I’d like to showcase some of our awesome Triton alums! We’re moving up in the years now to learn about a grad from the Triton Class of 2018.
Student: Courtney West
Graduation Year: 2018
Current City: Denver, Colorado
Courtney was very involved during her time at Triton. She participated in Business Professionals of America (BPA), Student Council, AFS, Link Crew, Minnesota Honor Society, the spring musical, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field. Not only did she participate in all of these activities, she excelled in many of them. Courtney’s favorite Triton memory was qualifying for BPA Nationals with fellow 2018 grads, Kayce Redican, Deacon Schlichting, and McKenna Jennings. She noted that this was the first time she had seen how her hard work could garner positive results in a professional setting (having already experienced this in sports and academics). In fact, Courtney said that one of the teachers that impacted her the most was her BPA advisor, Mrs. Goossens as well as Ms. Swanson, Courtney’s track coach and Student Council advisor. She explained, “Not only were their classes ones I tended to enjoy, even if I wasn't earning an A, but they were also hugely supportive of me outside of the classroom. Whether it was volleyball, track, BPA, or student council, they have been huge contributors to my time in high school and beyond.” On a different note, Courtney said that Environmental Science was the Triton class that impacted her the most. She shared, “I am eternally grateful to Mrs. Horejsi for teaching me in her Environmental Science class. …What I learned in that class continues to fuel my passion for the environment and preserving our beautiful planet.”
Six and a half years later, Courtney is now the Assistant Director of Event Marketing and Communications at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She works in the Office of University Events to execute the necessary marketing and communications tasks for “Presidential-level events.” Courtney’s favorite event to help put on is Commencement. “It's so special to celebrate the successes of nearly 2,000 grads each semester,” she added.
When Courtney thinks back to her time at Triton she reflected, “As silly as it sounds, I think learning how to fail and then how to try again is one of the most valuable skills that I learned while attending Triton. …I didn't have the picture-perfect college career that I had hoped for, had a rough go-of-it when I began working in marketing and then failed a few more times after moving to Denver. If I hadn't tried and failed a few times earlier [in high school], I'm not sure I would have even attempted to reach those larger goals after high school.” That doesn’t sound silly at all Courtney—it sounds very wise.
Courtney’s advice for future grads: “I think it is worth the time and effort of every student to take the personal finance class. The class gave me the information I needed to approach my finances seriously, in particular, after college when I worked to pay off all my student loan debt in one year after graduating.” Courtney you will be happy to know that personal finance is now a graduation requirement for all students, something that the state of Minnesota enacted starting with this graduating class of 2025. Congratulations Courtney on paying off all your student debt in one year (an impressive accomplishment) and to your now found successes in Colorado!
