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NARS alumni share how the railroad training program at Johnson County Community College prepared them for their jobs in the railroad industry.

Greg Ambuehl

"The railroad conductor program at NARS prepared me academically 100 percent and gave me exposure to the hands-on work you perform as a conductor." 

 

Michelline Smith

“I’m confident because the NARS instructors took us through the exercises step by step and made sure every student ‘got it.’ They made learning really fun, too. Teaching the course isn’t just a paycheck to them; they really care about their students.”

Nicholas Carey

"I was a little apprehensive at first … and it turns out, I’ve really loved this whole experience."

Lawrence Southern
"Take this class. You should definitely take this class. … This is one of the best careers you could possibly ever have, going into the railroad industry. That’s what I would say. If you’re passionate about the railroad, you’ll have a lot of fun."
Kim Preston
"I would say, if you’re considering anything in the railroad, at all, you definitely want to do this. You’re going to get a job. You’re going to get a job, if you do well. So treat it like your job, understand that you are here to learn and the changes it will make in your life is just amazing."
John Daley
"Every single day when I go to work (in the railroad industry), I think about, ‘I did this at NARS. I did that at NARS. I used to do that at NARS. I did this at NARS,’ so yes, every single aspect of the job, you learn here at NARS, whether it’s in the classroom and/or out in the field."
Matt House
"Eventually, I want to go into management. NARS really prepared me for everything there is to know with BNSF."
Jeremy Lohrmeyer
"The NARS program allowed me to be successful in my conductor training once I was hired with the railroad. It was a great program. It gave me my foot in the door, which is what I was looking for, and then it started the career and life that I have now."