Gionnie
REO Board Member, Henry Rides Horse, referred Gionnie for the NFJP Program. Gionnie was interested in earning a CDL through SAGE in Billings, MT. He enrolled into the TTD-150 Tractor-Trailer Driver class. Gionnie was always on the top of the list and his instructor always gave him an outstanding student report.
Gionnie passed and received his CDL Driving Permit, the Certificate of Completion, and earned his CDL License. Gionnie reported that he was offered a job with Intermountain Distributing as a Delivery Truck Driver.
Jennifer
At the time of application, Jennifer reported that her husband has been a seasonal farmworker for most of his life and she was unemployed. Jennifer was found eligible for the NFJP Program as the spouse of a farmworker. Jennifer was enrolled into the Nursing Program offered through Miles Community College. She was always listed on the Deans List of Students in Good Standing. Jennifer completed the required courses to earn her Associates of Science Degree in Nursing. She attended the Pinning Ceremony which is a symbolic welcoming of newly graduated nurses into the nursing profession. She passed the NCLEX RN Exam and received her Official State of Montana Registered Nurse License. Jennifer is employed as a full-time Registered Nurse at Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point, MT.
Rusty and Jorge
Rusty and Jorge contacted REO for assistance with the tuition cost for the CDL Program at Highlands College in Butte, MT.
Rusty is a seasonal farmworker from Melrose, MT. He has talked about earning his CDL for years. After completing the program, he works for the MT Dept. of Transportation, starting with snow removal.
Jorge is a seasonal farmworker from Dillon, MT. With encouragement from his family, Jorge enrolled in the CDL program with English as a second language. After completing the program, Jorge will work for several ranches in Dillon, transporting livestock and hay crops.
Ashley
Ashley Mock is a seasonal farmworker from Dillon, MT. She has worked summers for a local ranch and at the Beaverhead Livestock Association sale yard. Ashley attended college at UM-Western and double majored in Natural Horsemanship and Business. She is is now a Production Technician at Design for Health in Ronan, MT.
Bree
Bree is a farmworker from Wisdom, MT. She earned her Associate degree in Welding at Highlands College in Butte. Bree plans to use her degree to create welding art and use her skills around the ranch. She will provide welding services to local ranches in the area as well as work at Wisdom River Works welding supports and building frames.
Kyle
Kyle is a seasonal farmworker from Sidney, MT. She participated in 4H in high school and worked in agriculture research, animal nutrition, and at veterinary clinics. While attending college at MSU in Bozeman, MT, Kyle earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She was recently accepted to attend the Washington State University-Veterinary Program.
Dalton
Dalton is a farmworker from Deer Lodge, MT. He works with local ranches as an irrigation head gate operator, and he raised animals for 4H and FFA in high school. Dalton attended Northwest College in Powell, WY to earn his AAS degree in Agriculture Business. Dalton returned to Deer Lodge and will be employed as a Ditch Commissioner for Westside Ditch Company while continuing his own ranching/manure spreading business.
Jacelyn
Jacelyn is a seasonal farmworker from Lodge Grass, MT. She attended UM-Western to earn her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She interviewed and earned an internship at the Beaverhead Animal Shelter to meet her requirements for the business program. Jacelyn plans to return to college to earn her MBA.
Joe
After working several summers as a farmworker, Joe completed his semester-long training at Montana Tech in the Electrical Lineman program. He was able to climb poles every day and was comfortable doing it. Joe learned how to pull poles and as the weather warmed up, he learned how to set poles. Not only will Joe graduate from the Lineman Program, but he earned his CDL certification as well. Joe recently took a telecommunications groundman position with Rocky Mountain Contractors in Belgrade, MT.
Sydney
Sydney is a seasonal farmworker from Lodge Grass, MT. She has worked at her family ranch for 3 summers. She contacted REO as a senior in college at UM-Western in Dillon. Sydney completed her student teaching at Lockwood Primary School in Billings. Sydney earned her BA degree in Elementary Education. Since moving to online classes suddenly when the COVID-19 campus closures happened, Sydney has decided to work on her father’s cattle ranch, then apply for teaching positions next year.
Hanna
Hanna is farmworker from Divide, MT. She has worked on her family ranch each summer for most of her life. She also worked part-time during the school year at the MSU Seed Lab. Hanna graduated with a BA in the Agriculture Business program at MSU-Bozeman. Her employers state that she is very enthusiastic and motivated to learn in the agriculture field. When she moved home suddenly with the COVID-19 campus closures, Hanna took a salaried position at Fleecer Cattle Company. She recently was hired as an Agricultural/News Reporter for the Miles City Star in Miles City, MT.
Dylan
Dylan is a seasonal farmworker in Melrose, MT. Originally from Georgia, Dylan moved to Melrose about 5 years ago. He came to visit some family, then ended up staying in our state. Dylan was accepted into the Registered Nursing program at Montana Tech. He has kept a 4.0 GPA every semester. This past summer, Dylan was hired at St. James Community Hospital as an Emergency Room Medical Technician. He was soon offered a full-time position as an Emergency Room Registered Nurse upon his graduation in December.
Randyn, Garrett, & Brody
Randyn, Garrett, and Brody contacted REO for financial assistance with travel and tuition to attend the Equissage Equine Sports Massage Therapy Certification Program/Workshop in Oceanside, CA. This certification would help the family farrier business grow into a more diverse clientele demographic. The equine massage therapy appointments will help create appointments in the winter months. They have had enough client inquiries about providing this service that they are confident that the business can serve more year-round needs at private farm/ranches, resorts, and dude ranches. These brothers have great ambition to grow Performance Farrier Services into Performance Equine Services as they earn certifications to broaden their skills in equine studies. In the future, they would like to offer equine dentistry and acupuncture services.
Duey
Duey had been a long-time seasonal ranch worker on the Blackfeet Reservation in NW Montana. Although he had an Associate’s degree in Natural Resource Management, he could not get his foot in the door in that field to build a solid economic future. Working in partnership with REO, Duey was able to find a placement with the Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife as a Game Check Station Operator for a period of three months. In order to become a fully vested Game Warden, the next step was for Duey to attend the MT Law Enforcement Academy for the Law Enforcement Basic Course. REO helped out with the tuition, basic police supplies, and transportation costs. Duey graduated successfully in June of 2016 and began as a probationary Game Warden for the Tribe.
Cassie
Duey’s wife, Cassie, is an NFJP participant and has completed the program at Blackfeet Community College to become an Emergency Medical Responder/Technician. She is now employed with Blackfeet EMS. Cassie is a wonderful example for her community. She, like Duey, had a desire to work and live on the reservation and give back to the community they love.
Nathaniel
From the very beginning, Nathaniel showed himself to be determined and unwavering in achieving his goal of acquiring an Associate degree in Agricultural Mechanics and a Bachelor Degree in Diesel Mechanics – in 3 years! He completed a co-op with Vilicus Farms for his Ag Mechanics degree in the summer of 2015. The Job Service Havre, co-enrolled him in their dislocated worker program. He was offered a summer internship with Kiewit in Sheridan WY. Nathaniel completed a welding certification and in May 2017 graduated with a 3.97 GPA from MSU-Northern with an AS in Ag Mechanics and a BS in Diesel Mechanics. Before graduation, Kiewit offered him employment, and on May 8, 2017 Nathaniel began his new career as a Diesel / Ag mechanic for Kiewit making great wages with full benefits.
Shawn
Shawn had been working part-time for a local rancher for several years. He sought REO’s partnership to obtain his CDL. His employer assured him he would be hired full time if he had the license. Shawn was enrolled with the Sage Trucking Co. and completed the six week course with flying colors. He is now employed full time and looking forward to building a successful future.
Rory
Rory completed the MSU Farrier Program in Bozeman, MT as well as an apprenticeship under his now current employer, Tom Petersen Horseshoeing & Training LLC in Bozeman, MT. He now has the option to take the exams from the American Farrier Association for the Certified Farrier and the Journeyman Farrier certifications.
Blake
Blake completed the CDL program at the Sage in Missoula, MT. Blake has grown up working with his father and grandfather at their family trucking and excavation business in White Sulphur Springs. He started college in Dillon, but soon realized that he wanted more hands-on training and a career in the field that he knows. Blake will continue to work at Ringer Trucking and Excavation, but with his new certification, he will be able to add more responsibilities and duties to his career as he moves into management.