From Working in Construction to Helping Students Build Their Futures
Every year the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program hosts a national conference called HI-TEC. This conference is devoted to highlighting the importance of advanced technological education and provides trade organizations, industry professionals, and educators with the opportunity to connect and update their knowledge and skills. Emerging technology experts from around the country are selected for fellowships by the HI-TEC Executive Committee each year. Rio Salado College’s very own Faculty Chair for Applied Technology Ken Wilk was selected for a 2024-2025 Fellowship and will be attending the conference when it kicks off next week in Kansas City.
Wilk’s HI-TEC fellowship is yet another feather in his cap, one of many accomplishments the veteran educator has achieved in both teaching and working in the trades. Wilk, who has spent much of his professional life in Arizona, has clocked a lot of time and hands-on experience in the engineering and construction trades. Like many Rio Salado faculty members, he doesn’t just teach what he knows; he’s lived it.
Wilk got his start at Rio Salado College by working with students in the college’s Incarcerated Re-Entry program.
“I was teaching carpentry classes at Lewis Prison,” Wilk said. “The inmates there seemed like they were just looking for an opportunity to get a second chance. I really enjoyed working with them.” After a year and a half teaching at Lewis, Wilk moved into his current role in the college.
His time teaching at Lewis wasn’t the first time he’s worked with students eager for rehabilitation. Before teaching at Rio Salado College, Wilk served as a department chair for the Construction Trades program at Northland Pioneer College, a school based in the Navajo County area near Holbrook and Snowflake.
“We also had some classes at the Winslow Prison,” Wilk said, reflecting on his time at Northland.
Wilk attended NAU and the University of Nebraska, where he earned a master’s in engineering and construction management. While he’s long harbored an interest in teaching, he put those degrees to work in the field, taking on challenging roles that moved him across the country.
“I worked on a big telecommunications project in Alaska for GCI, which is like THE cell phone company for Alaska. They were putting in telecommunications towers and fiber optics in rural Alaska, so I worked on that project for about a year.”
From snow to sand, Wilk also tackled ambitious projects in the Arizona deserts.
“I also worked for an earth moving company when I was in college and did some earthwork for a company that did a lot of mass grading for big developments in Anthem and Power Ranch. And then I worked for an engineering firm that constructed the highway overpasses on Loop 202.”
When asked about his feelings on attending HI-TEC, Wilk expressed anticipation and an eagerness to get into the thick of things.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “They have a lot of interesting topics related to the engineering trades. They’ve selected me to do some curriculum development for in-demand engineering pathways. I’m curious to get out to the conference and learn more about different applications of engineering.”
For Wilk, helping students discover a passion for the trades is one of his favorite parts of being an educator.
“I’ve taught trade students for the most part, and when I get students that start to learn they have the potential for a career in engineering or the construction trades and I see them get excited about that … Seeing students of all ages visualizing themselves in a career and getting to be a part of that is really rewarding.”
Article by Austin Brietta