News

Brayden Kieborz didn't grow up dreaming of being an instructor. He grew up on a ranch in Cherry County, Nebraska loving to be outdoors doing the usual things like hunting, fishing, and working on his truck. When it came time to think about his future, he really didn’t know what he wanted to do, but enrolling at a community college was the smartest first step he could take.

Fast forward to 2023 and Kieborz had completed four credentials: Welding Technology diploma (Northeast Community College, 2021), Professional Truck Driving certificate (Southeast Community College, 2022), Nondestructive Testing Technology A.A.S. (SCC, 2023), and Welding Technology A.A.S. (SCC). He did not earn four degrees because of the curriculum; he earned his degrees because of the exceptional instructors he had along the way.

“All of my Nondestructive Testing and Welding instructors had high expectations for me as a student and were always challenging me to go above and beyond,” Kieborz said. “They did a good job of preparing me for the real world and always had my best interests in mind.”

After graduating, he stepped directly into the field doing third-party NDT inspections, weld repair, production, and fabrication. Last spring, Kieborz found himself working full-time in the field by day and as an adjunct instructor in the Welding program by night. By the Fall 2025 semester, he was the expert as a full-time welding instructor at SCC, something he admits felt a little strange.

“It felt weird for the first couple of weeks as I had almost every welding instructor for at least one class when I was a student. Now I am able to combine ideas and take advice from all of them to shape my teaching style,” Kieborz explained. “I also use my professional experience in the classroom. I like to require my students to complete reports and be able to explain what they did, how they did it, and why. In the field, customers and new employees were always asking hundreds of questions in order to learn more. I want my students to be comfortable asking and answering questions.”

As Community College Month continues this April, his story is a reminder of what SCC does best: it finds people with potential, puts experts in front of them, and sends them out ready to do the same for others. For Kieborz, being part of the SCC family as an instructor means being part of something bigger than any one classroom. "It's great to have a supportive team and knowledgeable people I can count on every day.”

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu