EHOVE: Three alumni join Gallery of Success

By KENDRA WARD

EHOVE Career Center

MILAN – Congratulations to EHOVE’s 2018 Gallery of Success inductees. In a ceremony at the annual Fall Advisory gathering on Tuesday, Oct. 23, three new EHOVE alumni were welcomed into the official roll.

The EHOVE Gallery of Success is comprised of a group of esteemed EHOVE graduates who have excelled in their field, overcome obstacles to achieve personal or professional goals, or made a significant contribution to their community.

This year’s inductees were:

Catherine (Pheifer) Carson

Class of 2003, Health Tech Prep Program

“I hired Katie less than two years ago and she is probably one of my most impressive hires. Katie is kind, compassionate and patients are always #1 in her focus. She is the type of person people would want to take care of their loved ones. She is wonderful, just a good human being. Patients love her, doctors love her, and she’s so good to work with.”

— Julie Garrett, manager of Advanced Proactive Providers at the OSU James Cancer Clinic

Katie is a 2003 graduate from the Health Tech Prep program and St. Paul High School. While taking full advantage of her Career Tech program, Katie balanced on the job work experience as well as classes at St Paul, EHOVE and BGSU Firelands earning college credit. She was inducted in the National Technical Honor Society and was a state runner-up at the Ohio Skills competition. Katie went on to earn her bachelor of science in nursing and spent the next several years working on medical-surgical units in various locations, but found her passion working with oncology patients. Katie enrolled at the University of Cincinnati’s Nursing Graduate Program and completed her coursework in 2016. After obtaining her degree and certification as a Nurse Practitioner, Katie began working in Internal Medicine, specifically in Medical Oncology with Breast Cancer patients at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center in Columbus. Katie credits EHOVE as being instrumental in showing her what she wanted to do and where she is supposed to be. Katie has been married to her husband Craig for 11 years. Craig is a 2003 EHOVE graduate from Engineering Industrial Tech program. They have four beautiful children ranging in ages from 2 to 11.

Craig Hofer

Class of 1988, Horticulture Program

“Craig has worked hard to get where he is. He is the kind of guy who doesn’t just show up for work; he’s always here doing his job and then some. He sets out to do something and he does it.”

— Larry Holkenborg, owner of Holkenborg Nursery

Craig graduated 1988 from Norwalk High school and the Horticulture program at EHOVE. After high school Craig attended Ohio State University ATI in Wooster. He worked in Nursery and construction jobs before he started working at his wife’s family business Loris Printing in 1994. Craig started in the pressroom and worked his way through the business until he and his wife bought the business in 2006. Craig served as the President of the Sandusky Band Parents; he also served on the Sandusky Levy campaigns and the City of Sandusky Tree Committee. Craig said that prior to coming to EHOVE he was coasting in high school and needed to do something or get left behind. He talked to an EHOVE teacher and that changed everything. From day 1 at EHOVE he said he did a complete 180. EHOVE gave him the motivation and confidence to excel at whatever he wanted to do. Looking back at Craig’s 1988 yearbook, he was asked “What do you see yourself doing in ten years?” His response back then was “Owning my own business.” Craig and his wife Debby live in Sandusky and have two daughters.

Tyler Harris

Class of 2009, Licensed Practical Nursing Program

“Tyler is caring, kind, compassionate and friendly, and acts as a resource for the nursing and aide team on a daily basis. Tyler looks for opportunities to learn more, fine tune his skills, and improve the welfare of the residents we serve each and every day. Tyler listens with a careful ear, observes with a detailed eye and treats each person he encounters as family … we are blessed to have him on our team.”

— Amy Nolan, Director of Nursing, Norwalk Memorial Home

Prior to enrolling in EHOVE’s Adult Education’s License Practical Nurse (LPN) program, Tyler was working in a factory. He had no medical experience but felt that the health field was where he wanted to be. As a part of the LPN program Tyler earned his State Technical Nursing Assistant (STNA) certification so he began working as a health care provider as he continued taking nursing courses. After he became an LPN he attended Firelands Regional Medical Center LPN to RN fast tract program. He worked as an RN at the same time working on his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from Ohio University. Tyler stated that EHOVE has made a phenomenal difference for him. He wanted to make a difference and EHOVE helped him achieve that by helping him earn his STNA certification then an LPN….those experiences helped him grow and he was so much further ahead when he went on to become an RN and grow his professional career. Tyler is now the Assistant Director of Nursing at the Ohio Veterans Home. He lives in Willard with his wife Brittany. They have been married for nine years.

Kendra Ward is communications coordinator for EHOVE Career Center, 316 W. Mason Road, Milan, ehove.net.