Local Graduates Return to Fill High-Demand Jobs

Former PCDC High Demand Jobs Scholarship winners have graduated and returned to Phelps County to fill important jobs. The two recent graduates secured their future jobs while still in high school and are working in agricultural-related careers.

Logan Wood 

Logan is a 2021 Holdrege High School graduate and studied diesel technology at Southeast Community College in Milford through the John Deere Diesel Tech program.

Logan started working at Landmark in high school and after he graduated from SCC in December of 2023, he began work full-time at Landmark in Holdrege as a diesel technician.

In addition to the PCDC high-demand jobs scholarship, Logan received assistance from Landmark for his education.

“Honestly it’s a really good program,” Logan said. “For kids who don’t have much, they provide tools and a stable job after you graduate college.”

He is grateful that the PCDC scholarship helped cover a good portion of books and tuition.

Logan is glad to be back in Holdrege, where he grew up and has many extended family members. 

“It’s a small quiet town, and I enjoy having my own place here,” Logan said. 

His future career goals include advancing at Landmark to a service-truck position.

Bryce Philips  

Bryce Philips is a 2022 Bertrand High School graduate. He received PCDC high-demand scholarships in 2022 and 2023 to study agriculture at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Bryce graduated from NCC in May 2024 with an associate’s degree in diversified agriculture, a major that covers both crops and cattle.

Bryce is now working at the family farm, Philips Land & Cattle in rural Bertrand. 

He is happy to be living and working back in rural Phelps County. It is a career path he always hoped for. 

“I know everybody here,’” he said. “There’s always something going on here. There are places to go out to eat and coffee shops to visit with people of all ages.” 

Bryce said he is grateful for the PCDC scholarship, which paid for all of his tuition and books and allowed him to graduate debt-free. That puts him in a better position to buy cattle or a house someday.

The high-demand jobs scholarships are part of the Phelps County Development Corporation’s efforts to create a quality local workforce. Scholarships open in December are available through the Phelps County Community Foundation’s application portal. For more information on the scholarships, contact Sally at sally@phelpscountyne.com.