For Julie Berndt, NTC Provided Push That Led to Rewarding Career With Johnson Coil

Julie Berndt’s story of success in her career is one that exemplifies lifelong learning, continuous advancement, hard work, and the value having family and mentor who supports you.

Julie was born in Crandon and moved to Antigo in the eighth grade. She admittedly needed a “push” from her grandma and mother to attend college after graduating from Antigo High school. She initially pursued a one year technical diploma at the Northcentral Technical College Antigo campus and soon after found herself in an accounts payable/receivables position at Johnson Electric Coil.

Julie would admit that accounting was not her strong suit and this position was just not the right fit for her. Thanks to intuitive leadership at Johnson Electric Coil this was realized, and Julie was able to move into a customer service role where she began to flourish.

Through a conversation with a customer Julie realized that her career path could be very limited without further education, and she simply did not want that. She went on to complete her associates degree through NTC and has said that she was “very blessed to work for a company like Johnson Electric Coil,” because not only did Bill Bockes, the business owner, approve of her furthering her education, but they also accommodated a schedule that included the demands of education. It helped that she was able to take classes in flexible formats, including online.

Julie would say that her time at NTC was very meaningful. She was impressed with the amount of practical education and the opportunities to apply what she learned in the classroom to her work position. Another critical aspect of the education experience for Julie was making a connection with an English instructor who was truly encouraging and motivational, that instructor was Allie Brehm. Julie stated that she can pinpoint that time in her life where her writing skills improved through education in Allie’s class.

Julie went on to receive her bachelor’s degree at the University of WisconsinStout and is now on the path to soon complete her master’s degree.

One of her personal requirements through her educational journey has been that she not complete a program just to get a piece of paper, she has always wanted to be able to take what she has learned and apply it. Julie would say she has been able to do that through her education at NTC and UWStout. It has been a total of 13 years that Julie been a part-time college student.

The Antigo community has been a great place for Julie and her family to call home. Overall it is a “beautiful place to live,” and Julie has liked the small town environment. She spoke highly of the education her children received, the access to a beautiful hospital, and the opportunities through community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.

Working for a local manufacturer has also been a huge plus for Julie who said that she “never would have guessed that she would love manufacturing.” The Antigo community has a strong manufacturing presence that helps drive the local economy.

In speaking of working for Johnson Electric Coil, Julie has loved being a leader and developing a deeper understanding of not only herself but also the people she has on her team. She has said that “the only reason she can do what she does is because she has such good people.”

Julie has also enjoyed working for a company that has strong family value and a good mission statement. Johnson Electric Coil places a strong emphasis on continuous improvement at not just the personal level, but as an organization as a whole.

In fact, Julie would say that if she were to pick out the most valuable thing she has learned through her life experience so far, she would say to never stop learning and value continuous improvement. She recognizes that she is only as good as the people around her.

Do you know of an NTC graduate who is working successfully as a professional in our community? Please contact Zach Popp at 715-348- 7739, or popp@ntc.edu to recommend that individual as a featured story.

Source: Antigo Daily Journal