Nik Butenhoff has worked to support the development of career pathways in various roles at the secondary level for the past six years. He left the classroom as a high school math teacher to become a career academy coach in the Rockford School District in Illinois. He then spent time at Rockford’s central office as the director of career and technical education. He currently serves as the director of career readiness for the Belvidere Community School District in Illinois. Nik works every day to develop systems and structures that allow students to have the opportunity to align their skills and interests to potential careers.