Summary
OTC Middle College student Karli Hedge is flourishing in a male-dominated program of study. Her achievements earned Karli a Breaking Traditions award.
Karli Hedge has always been interested in the World.
“My older brother bought me an encyclopedia set when I was little,” Karli said. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it.”
However, the Clever High School student’s natural curiosity had a drawback.
“When I went to schedule classes for my junior year at Clever, there wasn’t anything for me to take,” Karli said. “I ran out of meaningful classes.”
Karli’s counselor had her apply to Ozarks Technical Community College’s Middle College, which allows juniors and seniors from area high schools to attend OTC for their last two years of high school. Many Middle College students simultaneously graduate with their high school diplomas and associate degrees.
For Karli, the timing worked out perfectly. The OTC Middle College and Clever High School were wrapping up an agreement for Clever students to attend the Middle College. Karli was in the first class of two students from Clever to come to the Middle College.
Karli Hedge Insert
“I was thrilled we were an option for Karli,” said Tiffany Brunner, college director of OTC high school programs. “Since Karli had taken high school courses in middle school, she needed a new challenge.”
At OTC, Karli flourished. The aspiring engineer pursued the drafting and design program because she figured it would be good preparation for engineering. When she graduates this May, Karli will earn her high school diploma, an associate transfer degree, and a certificate in drafting and design.
According to the career website Zippia, about 80% of people working in drafting and design are men. Thanks to Karli’s academic excellence and for pursuing a male-dominated profession, Karlie earned a Breaking Traditions award for 2024, which includes a scholarship she can use at her next educational stop.
“Enrolling in the drafting and design program at OTC was a pivotal decision for Karli. Despite the gender gap in STEM careers, she fearlessly entered a male-dominated environment,” wrote her instructor, Rene Wade, in Karli’s nomination application. “Karli transformed from feeling alienated to becoming a leader and mentor, creating an inclusive space in the Drafting and Design Technology Department.”
Beyond her drafting classes, Karli loves literature and keeps a spreadsheet of 300 “classics” she plans to read.
“My favorites are anything by (Charles) Dickens, (William) Shakespeare and Joseph Conrad,” Karli said. “I try to read at least one thing every day.”
She will even sit in on a philosophy lecture if she is interested in the topic. Without knowing it, Karli’s technological skills and interest in literature create a solid background for pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary engineering, which combines humanities with science, technology, engineering, and math.
“Not many things are constant, but if I learn something, it will always be there if I need it,” Karli said. “Knowledge is power if you use it right.”
Karli plans to continue building that powerful foundation of knowledge next year when she begins pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
