SteeleCo Works hosts 2025 Signing Day
Evan Wieman, right, smiles as a member of the Harty Mechanical team signs a certificate during the 2025 SteeleCo Works signing day. The OHS graduate has been working at the Austin business for about two years. Staff photo by Kay Fate
“We often hear about ‘signing days’ for college athletics or academics,” said Jeff Elstad, superintendent of Owatonna Public Schools, “and those are certainly worth recognition, but today is just as meaningful.”
He made the comments at the SteeleCo Works 2025 Signing Day, an annual event that recognizes new high school graduates who have chosen to enter the local workforce.
This year’s recognition included students who have enlisted in the military – which fit right into Elstad’s goal.
“Eight years ago, when I started as the superintendent here, Brad Meier and I sat down and started sketching things out on the back of napkins, about what this could look like,” he said of what eventually became the SteeleCo Works program and collaboration.
Their hope was to “realize a dream that every single student – whether Owatonna High School, Blooming Prairie, Medford, Choice Technical Academy, wherever they chose to go to school – would leave our high schools with this mission: They’re either enrolled, enlisted or employed,” Elstad said.
“All of them have a great future in front of them,” he said of the graduates, “but as long as they’re headed toward one of those directions, our societies and communities are going to be better places.”
The collaboration grew to include the United Way of Steele County; Workforce Development Inc.; the Chamber of Commerce; Blooming Prairie, Medford and Owatonna public schools; and the businesses in those communities.
“We do want to recognize the importance of heading into the workforce after graduation,” Meier said at the May 28 event, “and I’ve got to tell you: We need you, very much.”
He is the president and CEO of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce.
“There’s workforce shortages not only here in Steele County, but across the Midwest,” he said, “and we need your talents, we need your abilities and we need your aptitudes, so thank you for your work.”
When the program was first conceived, “we were trying to solve a problem – we were looking for team members and employees to come into our growing businesses,” said Jim Kingsley of Wenger Corporation, which has been a part of SteeleCo Works from the beginning.
“We had students coming out of high school, some of them who weren’t sure where to go,” he said, “so it was the perfect marriage, to bring everybody together and build out an opportunity for everybody to find a role, get a job within their community and grow in their career.”
Jolene Kunkel, HR employment manager of Federated Insurance, said the company has employed 60 interns through the program since 2018, and hired 18 of them.
The students may learn “different skill sets than you maybe had in high school – or we confirm that you really do use those skills you already have in real life, so they’re important.”
The students have shown “initiative, commitment and drive,” Elstad said.
“This moment is a big deal. You’re starting your careers, not just jobs,” he said. “You are stepping into industries that need your skills, your work ethic and your ideas. The choices you made speak volumes about your determination, your sense of direction and your readiness to take on these new challenges.”
The path ahead will not be easy, Elstad emphasized, “but you’ve already show that you’re willing to pursue something bigger than yourself.
“Show up, be curious, work hard, be coachable – and don’t stop growing, because this is only the beginning for you.”
Students and their employers
Blooming Prairie High School:
Scott Johnson, M2 Powersports
Medford High School:
Kenadie Rodriguez, Army National Guard
Torii William Olson, Army National Guard
Aiden Paul Ahrens, Army National Guard
Owatonna High School:
Averie Roush, Army National Guard
Mya Braaten, Army National Guard
Logan Fralick, Army National Guard
Kellie Ingvaldson, Army National Guard
Makailyn Hedberg, Allina Health
James Markowitz, Army
Emily Clark, Army
Patrick Anderson, Central Farm Services
Zack McShane, Cole’s Electric
Henry Meillier, Curt’s Truck & Diesel
Cameron Morse, Federated Insurance
Evan Wieman, Harty Mechanical
Steven Schwartz, Hy-Vee
Machenzie Thurnau, Hy-Vee
Brandon Matejcek, International Steel Erectors, Inc.
Kaden Homuth, Kibble Equipment
Sawyer Erickson, Kwik Trip
Conner Borwege, MJ Hydrostatics
Nathan Kubicek, U.S. Marine Corps
Majeisa Garibay, U.S. Marine Corps
Reed Kath, Viracon
Ethan Schubert, Wenger Corporation
Jay Quaintance, Wenger Corporation