Seven years ago, Rolando Lopez was a student at Elkhart Central High School who, in his own words, never thought he’d have a career in engineering. This year, he stood in front of Elkhart County’s newest class of youth apprentices — the largest CareerWise Elkhart County has ever graduated — and told them what came next.

Lopez, now working as an OSP fiber design specialist and having recently graduated from Goshen College, completed his own CareerWise apprenticeship at Surf Internet before building a career there. On June 24, he returned to Bread & Chocolate at The Bag Factory in Goshen to address the 22 apprentices being honored at this year’s Apprenticeship Rising graduation celebration dinner. 

Lopez told the graduates that his apprenticeship had given him a leg up on his classmates and helped him visualize the goals he started to recognize were within his grasp. He told the members of this year’s class that they likely don’t yet realize how far ahead their own experience has already put them, and to use it as a stepping stone toward whatever comes next.

An open house built on both ends of the journey

Apprenticeship Rising has always paired celebration with introduction, and this year was no different. Earlier in the event, current apprentices took part in an open house networking session, sitting down with adult professionals from across the community to talk through their experiences on the job, the skills they’re building, and what they’re hoping to get out of the rest of their time as apprentices; the same kind of conversation that, years ago, helped point Lopez toward his own path.

A record graduating class

Twenty-two apprentices completed their programs this year and earned a journeyworker certification in their field, edging past last year’s previous high of 21 to make this the largest class CareerWise Elkhart County has celebrated yet. It’s also the latest sign of a program still climbing: 90 apprentices were active across the county in the 2025-26 school year, up from 80 the year before. To date, 41 local employers have hosted apprentices for at least one year since the program began in 2019.

2026 Apprenticeship Rising graduates:

• Uriel Aguilar, CNC Machinist, TRP International, Elkhart
• Brelynn Bradley, Paralegal, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Elkhart County, Elkhart
• Taylynn Calhoun, Future Educator, Concord Community Schools, Elkhart
• Claire Campanello, Human Resources Associate, Adorn, Elkhart
• Dalton Cook, Service Technician, Hoosier Crane, Elkhart
• Diana Cortes, Project Coordinator, CAPS & Maple City Health, Elkhart
• Yuliia Diachenko, Project Coordinator, Surf Internet, Elkhart
• Cooper Dillenbeck, Service Technician, Hoosier Crane, Elkhart
• Karla Eichorn, Production Technician, BD Custom Manufacturing, Bristol
• Kaylynn Fletcher, Medical Assistant (CNA), Goshen Health, Goshen
• Litzy Henriquez Monchez, Human Resources Associate, Crew Seating, Elkhart
• Bindi Kamp, Future Educator, Goshen Community Schools, Goshen
• Gentry McDuffee, IT Support Technician, Concord Community Schools, Elkhart
• Carson Reppert, Service Technician, Hoosier Crane, Elkhart
• Jocelyn Reyna, Human Resources Associate, Adorn, Elkhart
• Xulem Rodriguez, Project Coordinator, Concord Community Schools, Elkhart
• Edgar Soto, Maintenance Technician, Alpha Systems, Elkhart
• Karen Villanueva, Future Educator, Concord Community Schools, Elkhart
• Brady Weaver, Service Technician, Hoosier Crane, Elkhart
• Jayden Wilkens, Maintenance Technician, VALTO Engineered Materials, Goshen
• Layla Winrott, Future Educator, Baugo Community Schools, Elkhart
• Audrey Yeater, Paralegal, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Elkhart County, Elkhart

A gallery of photos from this year’s Apprenticeship Rising, courtesy of Justin Wiard of Photography by Kelly and Justin, follows below.