Hands-on education for BP grad

Scott Johnson, who will graduate May 30 with the Blooming Prairie High School Class of 2025, is going right into the workforce, but that doesn’t mean he’s finished learning.

“I am going to work at M2 Powersports in Owatonna,” he said. “I think it’s a great place to work – and I learn a lot of cool stuff every day.”

The job suits Johnson in more ways than one.

“I work on vehicles and have dirt bikes and four-wheelers that I ride for fun,” he said. “The reason I am going straight into the workforce is because I don’t like to sit in a classroom setting.”

Johnson would rather learn hands-on, he said, and “a lot of the teachers here in Blooming are good at teaching this way.”

That includes Bill Rinkenberger, who teaches welding/metal fabrication, construction tech, home mechanics and ag science at the high school.

“Mr. Rink,” as he’s called, has been a big influence for Johnson.

“He has taught me so many life skills in his classes, as well as helping with skills I’ll use my whole life,” Johnson said. “He is a very easy person to talk to if you need help or are having a bad day.”

The skills have served the senior well; he helps both students and teachers with “stuff like tutoring and small, odd jobs.”

He finds time for the extra work while still maintaining a spot on the honor roll, working two jobs “and still finishing my truck before graduation.”

Thanks to the traditional after-commencement parade through the streets of Blooming Prairie, residents will be able to see his finished project.

It’s another part of living in a small town that Johnson appreciates.

“Everybody knows everybody,” he said, “and we are all willing to help each other out in tough times.”