>>Narrator: How do I know which path is best for me?

Is it possible to take on these challenges and obstacles?

Where do I even start?

What should I do with my life?

Sometimes, the only way to find out is to go see what's possible Since 2001, we've been sharing the stories of people who ventured out and explored different career paths and different possibilities for their futures.

This is one of those stories.

This is Roadtrip Nation.

>> Narrator: On this episode of Roadtrip Nation Paths Across Kansas, the road trip continues as the five roadtrippers explore careers in agriculture, IT, and aerospace, and aviation.

>> Austin: It's been an awesome journey so far getting to interview all sorts of people from all sorts of different backgrounds.

>> Mirza: So I want to know why you guys are interested in interviewing people.

>> Austin: I always like seeing the intersection of different industries.

That's pretty common throughout Wichita in aviation and different manufacturing companies.

>> Gary: Yeah, I'm very similar train of thought, seeing what South Central Kansas has to offer.

>> Hannah: For me as a senior, I'm trying to figure out where I want to kind of go.

>> Austin: Yeah.

>> Hannah: So I really feel like it's important for me to kind of branch out and talk to people who have experiences that I've never thought of before.

>> Aubrie: Cuz a lot of the time they don't have a set path.

And that's really reassuring cuz I don't have a set path right now.

>> Hannah: Yeah.

>> Aubrie: Just knowing how much a conversation with somebody can impact me, I'm really hoping to talk to these people and even if it has nothing to do with my field, just learn from them.

>> Mirza: There's some things that we can learn which we can apply to our daily lives, and we can improve our lives and things like that.

>> Narrator: As South Central Kansans, all of the roadtrippers are somewhat familiar with farm life.

But today they'll be exploring the industry in depth and seeing what modern-day opportunities in agriculture look like.

[MUSIC] >> Speaker 1: Kansas is widely known for its landscape, with millions of acres of fields and farmland that produce more wheat than any other state in the US.

But what you may not know is farming is undergoing a revolution.

Advances in agricultural technology and science are making farming more productive, helping urban farmers and micro farmers grow more food in smaller spaces.

The roadtrippers are visiting RISE Farms, a rooftop urban farm in downtown Wichita and Pearson's Family Farm in Northeast Wichita.

>> Leah: We export over 90% of everything grown in our state, and we import over 99% of all the food we eat in our state.

I'd like to localize our food system and be able to grow from my neighbor.

>> Gary: Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself, your journey, and how you got here?

>> Donna: Well, I'm Donna Pearson McClish and you're on Pearson's Farms.

It was purchased 54 years ago by my parents, 1968, and we've been farming ever since.

So we started a mini farmers market and then one of my colleagues asked if we could bring produce to her senior center and we don't have any farmers markets in their areas.

So she said, can you just bring some produce out?

I said sure.

We're probably up to 35 centers now.

>> Austin: Wow.

>> Donna: Farming has so many aspects.

Agronomy, horticulture, farming is just not getting on a tractor and plowing a field.

There's a lot more to it than that.

>> Leah: I am owner operator of Firefly Farm, RISE Farms, and Firefly Food Hub, all of which are located in Wichita, Kansas, in the heart land of America.

>> Austin: Yeah.

>> Leah: So our system starts with this germination chamber.

It germinates a seed really quickly.

Can you see those baby?

>> Hannah: Yes.

>> Austin: Yeah.

>> Leah: If you look across it, you can see the babies.

Tomatoes typically take 12 to 14 days to germinate.

And in here, it takes two days.

>> Donna: We are the only mobile market in Kansas.

>> Austin: Wow.

>> Donna: The journey has been interesting because when we started the mobile market in 2014, I had no idea that I would be doing this.

>> Gary: Do you have anybody that helps you with the day-to-day process?

>> Donna: Randy.

>> Randy: How do I, where do you want me to put these fingers?

My name is Randy Couts.

I've been with the company for two years and it has truly shifted my perspective on life, on community, on what role we each play to make life a little bit better for the cities that we live in and for the communities that we serve.

>> Austin: That's super impactful, yeah.

>> Donna: Do you know about high tunnels?

>> Gary: I do not.

>> Hannah: No.

>> Donna: High tunnels are greenhouses.

>> Gary: Okay.

>> Donna: New word for greenhouse.

>> Randy: High tunnels are my favorite it does allow us here in Kansas to extend our growing season.

>> Donna: On a high tunnel, you can have geothermal heat or you can have natural heat, and they both work together, okay?

[MUSIC] >> Leah: This is our little hoop house, which is where I try to hang out in the winter.

>> All: [LAUGH] >> Narrator: For many farmers like Donna, day-to-day life involves spending a lot of time outdoors, doing hands-on work, and even physical labor.

But it may surprise you to learn just how much time a farm owner also needs to spend inside and online planning, marketing, and running their business.

>> Leah: My day-to-day is get up, spend about an hour on the computer, I come up I check with my growers, I check with my salesperson.

If you like to do different stuff, this is a great job for you.

Do you like ambiguity?

Do you know what I mean?

>> Aubrie: Yeah.

>> Leah: Not knowing the vagueness of it because you're working with Mother Nature.

And try as you might, she is the one in control.

>> Austin: What does a day-to-day look like working all this stuff, the farmers market and everything?

>> Donna: My goodness.

So in the morning, we're loading up into the white van.

We usually start our first delivery about 10, 10:30.

We do four or five a day, and then we start the next day.

Farming is not easy, it's hard work.

Everybody wanna get a turnip?

>> Austin: I wanna get a turnip.

>> Gary: I wanna big one.

>> Austin: I want to get the big one.

>> Gary: This one?

>> Austin: That's a huge one.

I'll take this one.

>> Randy: Get the farm experience.

>> Austin: I want the dirt in it.

I want the nutrients.

>> Gary: Right off the ground!

>> Donna: Fresh >> Austin: That's fresh turnip right there.

It's actually not bad.

[LAUGH] [MUSIC] >> Narrator: Farmers and ranchers in the state of Kansas make a salary of $59,750 on average.

And although jobs of farming are projected to slightly decline across the United States in the next several years, the industry is actually growing in Kansas.

Through 2030, the state is expected to see 9% growth in farming and ranching jobs.

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: Many entry-level jobs within agriculture in South Central Kansas don't require any post-secondary education.

You can get started with a high school degree.

But what farmers say is definitely important is hands-on experience.

>> Austin: How would a kid who maybe didn't grow up in a family-owned farm get into that or maybe own their own farm one day?

>> Donna: Give us a call.

>> Austin: [LAUGH] All right, I'll have to do that.

>> Donna: Give us a call and you can volunteer on the mobile market truck, and the 4H is really good because it's with Kansas State.

MANRRS program is a national program for minorities in science and they can always connect with a farmer, be a part of a farming experience.

I believe that if you do the hands-on while you're experiencing your classes, I think that helps.

>> Austin: Can I get that cilantro for the camera, and for my mom?

>> Leah: Yeah.

>> Austin: My mom loves cilantro.

>> Leah: Do you wanna take some cilantro home?

>> Austin: Check it out, mom.

[LAUGH] >> Leah: There is phenomenal need in this field.

So there are ways you can pursue your degrees in this field, but you have to go out there and look and find it and make it.

>> Aubrie: They're good.

>> Leah: Yeah.

>> Randy: There is no America without a farmer.

There is no America without a rancher.

There is no place for us to call home if we don't have a secure food system in place.

>> Mirza: My takeaway was the generosity they had in them.

>> Austin: Yeah.

>> Mirza: The kindness they had in them.

That is something you need to remind yourself each and every day that you have to be that person.

That was the greatest takeaway.

[MUSIC] >> Hannah: This road trip is so full of energy and so fun, in the RV jamming out to music.

>> Gary: We all absolutely love spending time with each other, getting dinner, hanging out after film sessions.

>> Aubrie: How did you guys feel about the interview yesterday?

>> Gary: It was life-changing.

>> Austin: Yeah.

>> Gary: It made me genuinely think about do I truly want to do what I'm set to do right now?

>> Mirza: We are at that point of life where we are learning.

And we have to get somewhere and we are in the journey to be there.

I'm doing a master's in computer sciences and I'm especially focused on cybersecurity, quite excited about it.

The main thing that disturbs me right now is, can I do it, am I able to do it?

One question I would love to ask to the leaders is, did they have any insecurity?

And if they did, then how did they overcome it?

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: Information technology, or IT, is all about using tech to share information and solve problems.

And today, one of the most common problems we all face is keeping ourselves and our data safe online.

In their next two stops on the trip, the roadtrippers will explore how the IT industry intersects with cybersecurity and forensic science in order to create a safer world for us all.

>> Jay: We're manned with a ton of electronics and radios at all times, and we're always connected.

While that's great, all of that data represents potential vulnerabilities.

>> Shelly: In forensics, every aspect of what we do involves information technology.

We spend time in the lab, but most of our time is spent interpreting data and that uses very powerful software.

>> Jay: I've been doing IT and cybersecurity work for probably 22, 23 years.

I went to school for it back in the day, started to do cybersecurity consulting on my own, got connected with RBS IT Solutions here, and have been working with those guys for the past four years or so.

Organizations that we support, they might be law firms, to dentist practices, to even healthcare facilities and hospitals that we manage.

Knowing that we've thwarted an attack or prevented a business from losing hundreds of thousands of dollars on a ransomware incident.

That brings a level of satisfaction where you feel really good about what you've done that day.

>> Narrator: To how IT fits into other fields, the roadtrippers went to the regional Forensic Science Center to explore how IT forms the foundation of digital forensics.

>> Hannah: I wanted to be pushed a little bit harder in the hard sciences.

I settled on forensic science because it had enough chemistry and biology and anatomy.

>> Shelly: Hi.

We investigate crimes but also work in the area of public health.

I started out here as an entry-level DNA analyst and have worked most of my career analyzing evidence for biological materials and creating DNA profiles and testifying in court.

[MUSIC] >> Hannah: Could you kinda tell us what a day in the life looks like for you?

>> Jay: In cybersecurity specifically, you're having to learn something new every single day, right?

My day starts out researching and trying to understand what's out there in the industry and the news that I need to be aware of.

And then from there, the day can be filled with any number of things.

So there might be projects we're working on for clients, firewalls, servers, routers, switches, all the kinda traditional managing cloud components.

You don't ever know when a bad actor is gonna try to take over one of your clients networks.

It also doesn't happen 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

At the end of the day, it's really just being quick to respond and dealing with what we see and what comes in.

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: If you choose to pursue cybersecurity like Jay, one of the first job titles you may have is information security analyst or infosec analyst.

This is one of the top-growing IT careers in South Central Kansas currently growing by over 2% each year.

An entry-level information security analyst in Sedgwick County makes an average of $61,500 while more experienced infosec analysts can make an average of $91,300.

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: Most entry-level cybersecurity professionals in South Central Kansas have a bachelor's degree, but if you wanna learn a specific skill or software or if you're just not sure about college, another way to get your foot in the door is by pursuing certifications.

>> Jay: I think the certifications are a path to get in and to show a foot in the door.

What it does show is that you took some effort on your own accord to further your own knowledge.

>> Narrator: Since nearly every industry relies on tech in some way or another, having a foundation in IT can lead to careers in all different fields and workplaces making it possible to shape your IT career around your other interests.

>> Shelly: As you can imagine, putting a DNA profile into a national DNA database and searching millions of other DNA profiles and how those algorithms work to hit only the pertinent samples is a specialty area in forensic science.

>> Gary: How do you see this specific industry kinda growing in the future?

>> Jay: Almost everything today has some sort of a radio in it.

You think about our connected lives, refrigerators, microwaves, household appliances, obviously devices.

Being able to secure those applications, being able to secure those products that are being put out to market so that those companies can survive long-term, cybersecurity won't go away.

So it's a great industry to be in.

It's something you've got to want to really pursue and be passionate about.

And also be somebody that is willing to continue to learn constantly.

>> Hannah: Do you have a final piece of advice for us as we wrap up this interview today?

>> Shelly: It will be a career to you if you're able to find something that you love and doing what you love and loving what you do is ultimately, I think, the most rewarding career you can have.

>> Mirza: And what is the final advice you can give to us, or me, someone especially starting out in the field of cybersecurity?

>> Jay: Be prepared for a roller coaster, but it's one that if you're pursuing a master's degree in already, you probably have an aptitude and a desire to be in it, so you're probably in the right field.

Buckle down and love it.

>> Mirza: My favorite part was knowing that it's not only me who have to be on toes, learn every day.

Every day is something new.

As someone who is working in the field for 22 years, he has to go through that as well.

It's not only me.

>> Jay: Engage in what you do, get involved in the community.

Don't let yourself get burnt out.

Remember that your job isn't what defines you, if you will, but it's a big aspect of our satisfaction of feeling like we've contributed to society in our lives.

So it's a big deal for us but know that it's not the only thing that's out there.

But I think it's a great path to you're pursuing.

I think it's honorable.

I think there's a lot of contribution you'll add to not just whatever company you're with but also our whole society.

[MUSIC] >> Gary: I'm pretty dead set on aerospace in general.

The biggest fear is not enjoying what I do and realizing that aerospace engineering isn't for me.

Society kind of expects you to decide on what you're doing for the rest of your life, for the next 45 years.

Yeah, there's definitely doubt, there's definitely doubt and that's kinda why I'm on this trip.

That's why I wanna take advantage of this opportunity just because I'm able to see the different industries.

[MUSIC] >> Gary: The Cosmosphere is one of the only like space museums that specifically showcase astronauts' point of view instead of showcasing space stuff.

>> Aubrie: I've never been, and I know it's a really big attraction around here.

Also, I love museums.

She said that anything hanging from the ceiling is a real thing because it's built for moon gravity, so it'll actually crush itself if it's on the ground and then you know it's a replica if it's like sitting on the ground.

That is so cool.

>> [MUSIC] >> Gary: I wanna see what's out there.

I'm very excited about my people in the aviation industry.

Hopefully, I can get a more realistic insight of the industry.

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: Wichita is called the air capital of the world because so much of the local economy is made up of aerospace and aviation companies.

And today, the roadtrippers are gonna explore some of the aviation and aerospace careers that are keeping South Central Kansas aloft.

[MUSIC] >> Roy: Spirit Aerosystems is a tier one aerostructures company so they're responsible for manufacturing but also designing, doing the engineering work for large aerostructures for companies like Boeing, Airbus, Northrop Grumman, commercial aircraft, defense aircraft, spacecraft.

So a really broad company that does a lot within the aerospace industry.

>> Jesse: So we have 138 public-use airports around the state of Kansas.

I got to fly to or interact with almost each one of them.

And so it was great for me to experience all the different communities across the state.

>> Roy: I'm an aerospace engineer, but also a singer.

And I started my journey out at Spirit Aerosystems in aerospace engineering as a structural design engineer after graduating from Wichita State, go Shockers, in aerospace engineering with a minor in mathematics.

I've loved planes since I can remember.

[MUSIC] >> Jesse: I've been in this role now just a year this month, and so I'm enjoying it thoroughly.

Prior to this, I was the director of the airport in Manhattan.

And before that, I worked at the state of Kansas and served in different roles.

I was in the office management budget.

Then I moved into aviation and ultimately became the director of aviation for the state.

[MUSIC] >> Jesse: I mean, I work in an environment where I look out the window and I'm just watching airplanes all day, right?

So it's great for me and I absolutely love it.

You know, now airport administration is kind of like being the manager of the mall.

When you're a manager of the mall, you're taking care of all the facilities.

We only control the facility, which is the terminal.

We take care of the lights, the floors, and all those great things.

The tenants are the ones who take care of their operation.

If the airline says hey we have an issue because conveyor systems are down, now that's our responsibility, that's airport stuff.

>> Speaker 14: Pilot's waving at you.

>> Aubrie: Hey, look, the pilots are waving.

[LAUGH] >> Austin: Can you honk the horn?

[SOUND] >> Aubrie: [LAUGH] >> Gary: I didn't even know that airplanes had a horn.

>> Austin: I didn't either, it's like a ringtone, it's an airplane ringtone.

That's awesome, that's awesome.

>> Narrator: Over at Spirit, Roy's day-to-day work as a talent acquisition specialist also involves administrative work just like Jesse.

But his daily tasks as an engineer can get a bit more technical.

>> Roy: There's so many different things you can do from day to day, it can be a career fair, it can be calling candidates.

It could be opening requisitions for jobs.

And then I think on the engineering side of things, my day-to-day was a little bit more regimented.

I think that is just how engineers are.

It could be something you need to design from scratch, something brand new, or it could be an existing part that they say, hey, this customer wants to have a galley or a bathroom in this location of the plane.

So we need to figure out what structural parts we have to redesign to meet those accommodations.

>> Austin: Starting up that STEMusic small business, how has that process been and what's that like growing your small business while working a regular job?

>> Roy: I'm really passionate about diversity within STEM.

And our mission is to inspire the next generation of multicultural STEM professionals through engaging, entertaining music.

It has been so amazing to be at a company where you can fulfill your dream of aerospace engineering but then also get to sing.

I think that's something critical that to be aware of is can I be at a company where yes, I know I'm gonna have to get the work done but that they're gonna be supportive of the things that maybe I'm passionate about?

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: Aerospace engineers have one of the most in-demand careers in the aviation and aerospace industry in South Central Kansas.

As an aerospace engineer like Roy, you can make an average of $99,040 in the greater Wichita area.

And job openings in aerospace engineering are projected to grow by 18% in the state of Kansas by the year 2030.

For those interested in Jesse's path, the average American makes about $47,880 working in airport operations.

Working in airport or airfield operations may seem super specific, but the job openings are projected to grow by 8% across the US over the next several years, meaning it's growing faster than the average career.

>> Roy: I used to ask my parents all the time, how can I design planes for a living?

And so they were like, we have no idea what you're talking about, but we'll figure it out.

When I was 16, Mom, can I save my McDonald's money if I save it up, cuz I worked at McDonald's, can I pay for the intro flight for $65?

So on my 16th birthday, I flew in a Diamond D20 with this instructor pilot, and he let me take the plane off.

So I flew a plane before I got my driver's license.

>> Hannah: That is really cool.

>> Roy: If need to get my pilot's license, I need to fulfill that dream, so yeah.

>> Austin: Probably a very small percentage.

>> Roy: He was like when I tell you, I want you to push forward on that throttle and then pull back on the stick, and I was like I'm getting ready to fly this plane.

It was amazing, it was so cool.

[MUSIC] >> Narrator: If you wanna get into aerospace engineering you'll often need a college education whether that'll be a two-year degree, four-year degree, master's degree, or beyond.

But outside of the classroom, you can also get your foot in the door through internships.

>> Roy: I came out to Spirit Aerosystems to intern for two summers.

That really opened up a lot of doors to just really get into the field of engineering and to get around airplanes.

Internship program was really great.

A lot of different opportunities to not only focus on how to become a design engineer but also to network, to grow in leadership skills.

Especially if you come from a diverse background and you're like, well, I'm kind of an other, or if you come from a smaller town or a state or a city that's not this big city, right?

You might have all these insecurities or fears or different things, and so if you can really just say you know what, do what you can with what you have, right where you're at.

Appreciate the fact that no one else can be you.

And that when you lean into who you are, that's when things really start to happen.

>> Narrator: In the world of airport operations, work experience can sometimes be even more valuable than classroom education.

In Jesse's case, the experiences and skills he built while working in customer service are actually what propelled him in his current career.

>> Jesse: I became a retail manager, I grew up a very shy child, still introverted, and so by nature I'd get quiet and I like my alone time, but retail taught me how to interact with the public.

Even though my path was not like a clear linear projection to where I am now, each one of those experiences brought something great to the table for me that I pull back on and utilized.

>> Hannah: What keeps you motivated?

>> Roy: I actually think back to Wichita State, they have the slogan, thinker, doer, mover, and shocker.

And I literally live by that.

You really can do anything from right here.

We're known as the air capital of the world.

But I heard somebody say something else and I'd like to adopt that and we're the opportunity capital of the world.

We got the talent and you can do a lot from right here.

>> Hannah: He was really inspiring.

>> Mirza: The energy was great.

He was very positive.

>> Hannah: You kinda get this idea that one company equals one career path.

And for him, that's not the case.

>> Austin: I did find that very reassuring.

>> Hannah: Yeah.

>> Austin: Very reassuring.

>> Gary: So from this specific trip, my main takeaway is really kinda stifling that fear of not having a backup.

>> Mirza: It is okay to not know what we want to do.

It is okay to change your path.

>> Hannah: It was so incredibly inspiring just to sit and hear about their stories and get to ask them questions about their lives.

>> Austin: South Central Kansas, it's pretty diverse for the middle of America to have all sorts of different people from all sorts of walks of life.

>> Aubrie: It's definitely dawned on me, what there is, so I feel like it's been a great opportunity to explore the opportunities that do lie here.

[MUSIC] Wondering what to do with your life?

Well we've been there and we're here to help Our website has some awesome tools to help you find your path And you can check out all our documentaries, interviews and more Start exploring at roadtripnation.com