In the words of Army veteran and Anesthesia Technician student Ari Allen, he has done it all! Scuba diver, masonry work in construction, wildlife interpreter and after-school educator at the YMCA.

“I have always wanted an engaging, hands-on and technical career,” said Ari, “When I came to Renton Technical College to learn new skills, I discovered that the Anesthesia Technician program met all of my desires. It was a transferrable program, it allowed me to engage with patients, learn the hands-on techniques of placing lines and the intricate world of patient and drug interaction.”

Ari is now the president of RTC’s Anesthesia Student Club and a top student. Getting to RTC, however, has not been an easy journey for Ari.

“I’ve been basically on my own since I was 13. My mother had struggled with addiction and one day I came home from school and she was gone.”

From then on, Ari stayed with various friends and “couch surfed” throughout his middle and high school years before joining the Army after graduation.

“Education was all that I had. It was something that couldn’t be taken away,” Ari said.

Ari is now taking 24 credits to keep up with his anesthesia cohort classes and finish on time. “I am up to catch a 5:45 a.m. bus to school, then work and study and return home at 1:00 a.m. “I am so grateful for the Foundation scholarships that I have received. It’s one less stressful thing to think about and allows me to focus on my studies without worrying about how I will pay for tuition.”