Aidan Pelton of Watford City, ND, has two high school work experiences to thank for helping him fine-tune his career interests to tax accounting and choose a North Dakota university.
“I originally wanted to go out of state for school and work,” says the 2025 Watford City High School (WCHS) graduate. “But these experiences allowed me to really be in the community, interact with others in North Dakota, and advocate for North Dakota. It made me realize I wanted to stay here.”
Pelton first completed a senior-year cooperative work experience (CWEs), similar to an internship, at McKenzie County Economic Development (MCED) in Watford City. Then, following graduation, he worked for the summer at Delta Constructors in Watford City. Both experiences allowed him to help with projects, be a part of a team, receive mentorship from professionals, explore business and finance areas of interest, and solidify decisions about his future.
Now a freshman at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, Pelton balances his time as a finance and accounting double major and a mostly-remote intern at Delta, after they offered him an internship for the school year. He’s learning valuable skills in the classroom, putting them to use at his job, and even leading the creation of new CWEs for high school students at Delta.
“Delta really welcomed me in and allowed me to do some cool projects,” he says. “I’m learning about the oil and gas industry, and I’m getting my feet wet in a professional career. It was my first step into a full-time job (last summer), and I’ve really enjoyed working here.”
Exploring career options through hands-on work
Pelton’s journey began earlier during high school when he first started using the online platform Compass to help him explore career options. By completing his student profile, he discovered that government and finance careers surfaced near the top of his list of recommendations.
He then decided to take advantage of his high school’s longstanding CWE program, enabling him to gain valuable work experience while also earning academic credit. Led by WCHS work-based learning coordinator Jill Leach, the CWE program combines on-the-job work experiences with at-school job skill development, guest speakers, regular check-ins, and support.
“Ms. Leach was great,” Pelton says. “We had several people from the community come to our class to talk about business-related things, like interviewing. She helped us make adjustments at our jobs if needed, and I checked in with her regularly.”
Drawn to the intersection of business, finance, and government, Pelton reached out to the economic development office, asking then Economic Development Director Daniel Stenberg to consider creating a CWE for him.
We're exploring work-based learning (WBL) in this month's newsletter. Learn how Aidan Pelton (far right) is participating in his third WBL opportunity after a successful opportunity during his senior year at Watford City (ND) High School.
Stenberg agreed and posted the opportunity in Compass, which WCHS uses to manage its CWE program.
For the next nine months, Pelton earned academic credit while working several hours per week at MCED. He learned about the local tax system, explored areas of the county government, helped with a grant project, collaborated with community organizations, attended meetings, was mentored by others in the office, and led a few projects of his choosing. He even went to the North Dakota Capitol a few times to work with other county governments.
Aidan Pelton explored his interests in finance, accounting, and government during a cooperative work experience at Mckenzie County Economic Development.
“This experience taught me that I really like finance and accounting, but that I also like government,” Pelton said. “I now know I want to go into tax accounting.”
The CWE also benefited MCED through the work and insight Pelton provided.
Vawnita Best, Community & Business Development Director for Watford City, worked closely with Pelton as part of the Long X Development Team, made up of several city and county organizations and divisions.
“Within our development team, Aidan brought perspectives and ideas to a primary strategy of our mission – to attract people and retain them in our community,” Best says. “He provided invaluable insight into how the next generation (the generation we are targeting to retain and boomerang) sees and values the opportunities for them in our community.”
Stenberg echoes his valuable contribution.
“Aidan brought a fresh perspective and youthful energy to our office during his internship,” he says. “He was willing to chime in during our strategy sessions as to how we should be approaching our work.”
Pelton also left an impression on the academic side.
“Aidan was a pleasure to have in the CWE program,” says Leach. “He was ambitious, eager to be involved, and consistently sought ways to create opportunities for other students. It was rewarding to watch him grow and succeed in his role at McKenzie County Economic Development.”
Seeking more opportunities
Building on the momentum of his successful senior year internship, Pelton reached out to a contact at Delta Constructors and inquired about a summer job. They hired him full-time as a project controls technician, excited about his experience with and enthusiasm for accounting and finance.
Pelton was heavily involved in implementing new maintenance software, including developing internal processes and training employees. He also learned about permitting, working with assets and equipment, handling rental expenses, and learning the online invoice system. It was hands-on, project-based work that interested and motivated him.
In fact, he asked to keep working in the fall, and Delta offered a part-time internship. Pelton now works remotely while on campus for school and then picks up hours in the office when he’s back in Watford City during school breaks. He’s leading the effort to establish a CWE program at the company and worked closely with Golden Path Solutions to coordinate three Career Profile interviews to help highlight Delta’s careers in Compass.
“Aidan provides new eyes and fresh ideas to our current working processes,” says his supervisor, Project Control Specialist Katelin Chinn. “He came in with an open mind and is learning fast. He has helped our mechanics navigate a new system that we acquired, as well as provided a single point of contact for one-off projects that had previously been floating between departments.”
Combining Compass and CWEs for success
Pelton encourages other students to pursue CWEs or other work-based learning through Compass.
“Start thinking about it early,” he says. “At WCHS, you need a couple of classes in that industry before you can do your CWE. Start talking to people in your industry and reach out to them. Compass is great too. You can learn about companies and careers, do a job shadow, and get on their radar.”
Leach agrees.
“Completing the Compass student profile is a great way for students to see how the classes they’ve taken, along with their interests, activities, and hobbies, can connect to future career options,” she says. “It may even point you toward a career path you hadn’t considered before – one that could be worth exploring and might reveal strengths or interests you didn’t realize you had.”
Then, take advantage of work-based learning at your school.
“I want students to understand that CWE is more than just going out and getting a job. It is an opportunity to explore a career area aligned with your interests, gain real-world experience, learn what that career is truly like, and decide if it is a path you want to pursue after high school.”
– Jill Leach, Watford City High School work-based learning coordinator
It’s also an opportunity for employers to encourage students, share their company culture and mission, and get them excited about their careers, Best adds.
“If students feel valued and appreciated in their experience, they will remember that, and they will remember your organization in a positive way,” says Best. “There are so very few careers students can visualize without these opportunities. Building visual understanding of work, exploring work, and providing them opportunities also creates brand loyalty and relevance. Without those things, your organization will not be a sought-after employer of the next generation of workforce.”
For more information about how Compass can help students discover their bright futures, contact Golden Path Solutions.