13 minute read
Alumni Spotlight: Jason Jay
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Back row: Gabe Miltner (employee), Trenton Jay (son and employee), Marie Jay (wife and V.P.). Front row: Jason Jay (owner), Jenna Jay (daughter), Jaden Jay (daughter).
BY SHEILA HELMBERGER
Jason Jay
Su mitted Photos
Jay says the classes he took at Brainerd High School and the skills he was able to learn in his hometown helped create the successful tradesman and business owner he is today.
Jay lives with his family in Bailey, Colorado. Two years ago, he opened Paramount Service and Repair. “I truly appreciate all of the training I got in my high school. It was awesome. I wasn’t the greatest in math or English but welding and shop I really excelled at and I really enjoyed those.”
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Growing up in Brainerd, Jay says he never had any trouble staying busy. “I’ve always liked to take things apart and know what was inside,” he laughs, “Maybe I didn’t always get them put back together, but I even liked to take my toys apart when I was little.” As he got older, he advanced to bigger projects. “I was always working. From the time I was 14 or 15. I learned how to change oil at Brainerd Mobil. I worked at Johnson Rental Center. I was a Bobcat mechanic. I learned how to rebuild engines for Reichert Bus as part of Service-Learning class.
In high school he learned welding from former BHS teacher Bob House. “Bob House is one of the most skilled welders in the world,” he says, “To be at ‘Bob House level’ would be pretty amazing. When he looked at my weld the first time he said, “You’re kind of a rhino-welder,” laughs Jay. “He said it was tough but ugly. I weld a lot better now than I did in high school.” Classes in Ag Mechanics from Mr. Reeser and Auto Shop with Mr. Rivers also taught him skills he would use in the future.
By the time he reached high school he had an end-goal in mind. “When I went to high school my whole career plan was to graduate and go to work at BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe). When he graduated in 2000, he went to school in Staples and received a diploma in diesel mechanics. He was able to go right into the workforce and landed his job with the railroad. Jason (right), and Curtis Brisk, his brother-in-law at BHS.
“I was a machinist. I loved working for the railroad. A lot of Brainerd High School graduates are still there. A lot of very, very talented men work there.”
Jay says when he moved to Colorado six years ago, he found out they didn’t offer the technical classes he was able to take in his hometown. It gave him a leg up when it came to landing jobs. He had jobs for the city of Denver and the surrounding metropolitan area before he realized he would be able to run his own business with his skills and experience. “In the beginning I just used a mobile office. Now I have my own shop and two employees, Gabe and my
17-year-old son, Trenton. “The business has taken off very quickly. When you do the job, show up on time and treat people nicely, you have success.” He is happy his son is learning how to weld and do oil changes. “I’m investing in him. He wants to join the military, but he could go anywhere he wants and be at least a lube tech or a low-level mechanic. I know many white-collar guys who put themselves through college doing side work mechanically,” says Jay, “For a long time, the whole U.S. has been focused on technology and computers, but there’s still tons of mechanical things we need to maintain. Some of the things that I work on now I used to work on when I was kid.”
At Paramount Service and Repair, Jay says he primarily works on small compact construction equipment like skid steers and tractors. “I work on a lot of weird things. I work on pump cranes and jacks for well drilling and trailers and RVs. I don’t think I’m the
WHEN YOU DO THE JOB, SHOW UP ON TIME AND TREAT PEOPLE NICELY, YOU HAVE SUCCESS.” - JASON JAY “ “ best mechanic in the world, but I’ll do anything and try anything and help anybody,” he said.
Jay and his wife, Marie (Banick), met in ninth grade at Brainerd High School. Her brother, Curtis Brisk, followed Jason’s lead into welding and is the current welding teacher at Brainerd High School.
Jay says his family enjoys living in Colorado and gets back to Brainerd about once a year. In addition to their son, the couple has 14-year-old twins, Jaden and Jenna.
Holden Electric Co., Inc. is a proud supporter of the Brainerd Schools, and thankful for the opportunity to be working on the new Brainerd High School remodel and addition.
Scott Moser BHS Class of ‘84 Senior Estimator
10 LEGENDARY WOMEN
‘91 CLASS OF
DR. JULIE BEASLEY
Awarded Winning Research
Beasley, a 1991 BHS graduate, was one of two BHS athletes to win a state gymnastics championship and set the school record for highest score in diving at that time. She was the 1991 female Athlete of the Year, Sports Hall of Fame member and a National Honor Society student. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Hampshire.
She did lab work for U.S. Food and Drug Administration including assisting in research and development of a tests.
Beasley graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston and received a certificate in endodontics. She built her endodontic practice in 2005. She received awards for her stem cell research and for seven years organized and led volunteer dental students and professionals to Haiti to provide free dental services.
‘69 CLASS OF
JEAN ECHTERNACHT
Devoted Disability Worker
Echternacht was an activist at BHS, in the Latin and French clubs, Student Council and National Honor Society, among other activities. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; a master’s in learning disabilities and emotional disturbances from University of St. Thomas; and a doctorate in education/educational leadership from the University of Minnesota.
Echternacht devoted her life to collaborating with people with disabilities and the disadvantaged. She worked in partnership with American Indian communities to create culturally appropriate strategies for successful transition from high school to college and adulthood.
‘88 CLASS OF
KYUNG ENDRES
Global Food Security
Endres, a 1988 BHS graduate, grew up in a family dedicated to hands-on community service, human rights and the special needs of others.
She earned a biology degree from Hamline University and taught English in Korea. While living in Asia, she backpacked through China, then joined the Peace Corps, which introduced her to international development — assisting others to fulfill their potential, her life’s work and purpose. The first 10 years of Endres’ work helped support over $90 billion of programming directly assisting 105 million people. She worked in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. She started her own firm, True Panacea, assisting in places around the world that are resource barren.
Endres’ current work is on a global food security project seeking to prevent famine by predicting food shortages. The project shares data with governments and international organizations, such as the United Nations.
LEGENDARY WOMEN
NEW MEMBERS INDUCTED INTO THE LEGENDARY WOMEN OF BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
‘90 CLASS OF
ELSA HASCH GARRISON
Garrison, a 1990 BHS graduate, won an award as a photographer on the Brainonian yearbook staff, which was the first of a lifelong series of successes in her career as a sports photographer. Garrison was a journalist with the school newspaper and a photographer at the Brainerd Dispatch for a year. She earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri. Garrison became the first woman hired as a staff photographer by a boutique global sport photo agency based in London, later acquired by Getty Images, where she was the first and only woman on staff for the first decade.
She has photographed many major sporting events including Super Bowls, World Series, FIFA Women’s World Cups in Canada and France, FIFA Men’s World Cup in Brazil and Russia, and Summer Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro. Female photographer in a Mostly Male Dominated Industry
‘78 CLASS OF
LEA HANSON
A Strong Business Advocate
‘62 CLASS OF
CHRISTY HOHMAN
Artifact Rescue and Preservation
Hanson’s work has included administrative positions at the Universities of Montana and Colorado State and as adjunct instructor, instructor, assistant professor at Northern Colorado and Colorado State. She now maintains dual appointments in the business and education colleges at Colorado State. She has worked in private sector marketing/communication and is the owner/consultant in her own business. Hanson has earned awards for her work in sexual assault victim advocacy and domestic abuse. She’s published professional papers on gender, health, workplace, hazing, volunteer accountability, defamation, domestic abuse, gay partner rights, pregnancy discrimination, indigenous names as symbols of school spirit and legal issues relating to foreign students. Hohman, a 1962 BHS graduate, was in debate, the student newspaper and finished as an honor graduate with distinction. She graduated from Hamline University and earned a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Minnesota.
Hohman taught anthropology, Ojibwe culture, Native American-U.S. law and archaeology in Canada and at Normandale Community College, Hamline and the University of Minnesota. She served as the Minnesota state archaeologist, working with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and the individual tribal nations. She worked on the preservation and rescue of unmarked graves, mainly of Native Americans; the repatriation of human remains and grave goods; and the repatriation of artifacts previously stored at museums and other institutions.
‘02 CLASS OF
SISTER MARA LESTER
Answering a Religious Call to Service
‘97 CLASS OF
LAUREN NICKISCH
Leading a Life Immersed in Art
‘81 CLASS OF
JENNIFER NYBERG
National Honor Society to United Nations
Briana Lester, 2002 BHS graduate, now goes by Sister Mara Lester. Lester went to state in gymnastics, was on the honor roll and was a member of symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz band, Key Club and Spanish Club. She was also a Triple Academics, Athletics, Arts Award winner.
Lester attended Saint Mary’s University in Winona and transferred to Michigan State, graduating with honors with a degree in human biology. After her first year in college it became clear to her the Lord was calling her to a religious life. She vowed to live a life of “poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor, the sick and the ignorant until death.”
She earned her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and completed a psychiatry residency at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis. Nickisch, a 1997 BHS graduate, has led a classic “life immersed in art” as an arts educator and advocate and as a multitalented performing artist. At BHS, she was involved in band, newspaper writing, extemporaneous reading, National Honor Society and was an honor graduate with distinction.
She was honored as Brainerd Teacher of the Year/Minnesota Honor Roll Teacher. She wrote and performed “Hephzibeth, Woman of Iron,” which chronicled the life of her great-grandmother, and wrote “The Worthless Wall” about cultural similarities and difference after a tour of China. She was a co-writer of “Reunion Revenge” and “Variety of Victims,” murder mystery dinner theater plays performed across Minnesota for 18 years. Nyberg, a 1981 BHS graduate, learned Spanish in high school, was a National Honor Society member and named an Outstanding Art student.
She has been employed at the United Nations since 1999 and is the head of the Spanish office of the United Nations World Food Program. Her U.N. work has included external relations, partnership and resource mobilization, fundraising, governance, advocacy, senior advisory roles to executive staff, operations, needs assessment, program development, technical cooperation, media relations, economic and commodity market analysis and trade policy.
Nyberg earned a degree from Hamline University in economics, Spanish, Latin American Studies and a master’s in agriculture and applied economics from the University of Minnesota.
Your Family Eye Clinic -
• Eye Exams • Contact Lenses • Eye Wear
Dr. Jackie McCall
‘87 CLASS OF
DR. CONNIE SAVOR PRICE
Investigator of Infectious Diseases Outbreaks
Price, a 1987 BHS graduate, was a three-year letter winner, scholar athlete on the state and national champion danceline team, involved in a cappella choir, played tennis and was an honor roll student and served as vice president of the class cabinet.
Price graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Beloit College with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a minor in journalism; medical degree in internal medicine from Northwestern University and a fellowship at National Institute of Health in infectious disease and a fellowship at Northwestern University in clinical microbiology.
Price is board certified in internal medicine, infectious disease and clinical microbiology. She joined the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2002 as a professor of medicine and joined the staff at Denver Health Medical Center. Price served as chief of infectious diseases, as a medical director of infection control and prevention and presently is the chief medical officer.
Her research focuses on the treatment and prevention of infections acquired in the healthcare setting. She has investigated infectious diseases outbreaks in many countries. She has delivered more than 175 lectures on the prevention of healthcare associated infectious diseases and related topics at conferences around the world.
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Brainerd BN Credit Union “Serving our members since 1940” 804 Laurel Street, Brainerd, MN 218-829-9065
