Walker Petersen, age 19, now 20, graduated from high school in May 2022. After a few summers of interning with the City of Beardstown’s Sanitary District and gaining interest in water purification systems, he decided to pursue training in the field. He completed the Water Quality Control Operations program at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Walker consistently earned As and Bs throughout his training and participated in two internships. Before graduating, Walker secured permanent, full-time employment with the City of Beardstown’s Sanitation Department, earning $8.00 more per hour than he had as a summer worker. Walker has been in charge of online training programs and received his Class 4 Waste Water license. When asked about his experience, Walker stated that he feels very fortunate to have found what he wants to do for a living so early.