Dare to Excel: Anton Krueger

Posted 4/18/22

Ten years ago, the educational path that Wright City senior student Anton Krueger is following would have been considered by many to be an ‘alternate,’ foregoing the ‘default’ …

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Dare to Excel: Anton Krueger

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Ten years ago, the educational path that Wright City senior student Anton Krueger is following would have been considered by many to be an ‘alternate,’ foregoing the ‘default’ goal of attending college after high school.

Today, Krueger serves as a model for a renewed focus on career training and trade work as celebrated goals for high school students to pursue. He is among Wright City’s students who are dual-enrolled with Four Rivers Career Center in Washington, and is currently working a part-time, paid apprenticeship with a construction company. When he’s finished with the two-year program, he’ll receive an apprentice certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Krueger’s day starts at 5:30 a.m., when he wakes up and goes to work for half a day. His apprenticeship is with Unnerstall Construction in Washington. At job sites, he’s learning by doing, helping to construct building components from the foundations to the roofs. Then he heads back to the high school to attend classes at 11 a.m. for the rest of the school day.

At the school, Krueger is enrolled in classes on the history of popular music and AP government in order to complete his required coursework for graduation.

Q: What got you interested in construction?
“My family. They’ve all been in the trades. My grandpa was a construction worker. My stepdad was for a bit, and now he’s a plumber. The trades have always been in the family.”

Q: What classes at school have you been most interested in?
“I did Project Lead The Way in engineering during freshman and sophomore year. That was interesting, doing 3D printing and stuff like that.
“I actually thought I was going to go into the engineering field. ... But when I went to tech school, that changed my path and what I was going to do.”

Q: What made you choose construction over engineering?
“When I got into construction, I started to see I could work on a house for two or three months, and see what started out as a plot of land turn into a finished building. That really sparked my interest. Just seeing a project finished.
“We’re working on a building right now. It was built in 1906 as an old tavern. The bottom is getting turned into a storefront, and the two floors above it are getting turned into apartments. ... It’s definitely pretty cool.”

Q: What classes in school were helpful for you?
“Math class, for sure. Going into the trades, math is a huge thing. ... PLTW helped a little bit, learning drawings and doing different math problems. We did a little bit of electric and covered the necessities.
“The option to go to tech school was very helpful. Not everybody wants to go to college.”

Q: What are your plans for your career?
“I’m probably going to stick with the company I’m with now. Eventually I’ll probably start trying to work my way up in that company.”

Q: What advice would you give to students who are still figuring out where they’re going?
“Definitely stick with it and dip your feet in different stuff. Try stuff out.”

Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: “Cars”
Favorite show: “Forged in Fire”
Favorite music: Country
Favorite destination: Colorado

Dare to Excel, Wright City High School

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