Over the past, nearly two years, I have had a unique line of sight into the lives of dozens of Momence students, their teachers, administrators, coaches, and volunteers. I’ve spoken to young readers, athletes, scientists, and kids who’ve already laid tracks to their future through enrollment in dual credit coursework, preparation for college, and time spent gaining certifications of all kinds in the skilled trades. And it is this latter group — those who have actively invested in their own future through the acquisition of employable skills — that brings me to the mic today. Because today, I have the opportunity to pull back the curtain on how they’re doing it, in my discussion with Matt Kelley, the Executive Director of the Kankakee Area Career Center, a rather magical place that is at the center of future building for so many of those students I’ve had the honor of interviewing, who’ve been featured in our magazine, The One. Matt Kelley is an extraordinary educator and education leader who finds himself, as I think you’ll see, in the exact spot where he most belongs. He is changing lives through his special brand of leadership, absolutely. And his life has uniquely prepared him for the role he now plays. But I would argue that it is his passion for meeting kids where they are, helping them punch-through their challenges and occasional doubts, and providing them with an amazing toolbox of opportunities that makes him the guy… in the right place… at the right time, and for all the right reasons.