Perry Tech: An Intergenerational Legacy

June 07, 2017

Yakima, WA – June 7, 2017 –As the owner of her own successful business, Nita Rudd beams with the most pride for her family – three generations of Perry Tech graduates. Nita is a 1992 Instrumentation grad and two of her children now attend the same school where she once studied. Her son Ricky is a June 2017 graduate of the Instrumentation program, and her daughter Brittany is studying Business Technology and Accounting. Nita’s father, Heraclio ‘Rock’ Flores, Jr. graduated in 1970 from the Instrumentation program. Her husband Monty also completed the same Instrumentation class Nita did 25 years ago – he serves as Project Manager at her company.

Nita Rudd is the owner of Mundial Group, a company that provides instrumentation and controls calibration as well as commissioning services throughout the United States as well as overseas markets. Nita and Monty didn't want their children to feel pressured into following in their footsteps, but wanted them to see the significance of their next steps after high school. "In our family, we look at education as an investment." Nita explained. "How good is the investment you're making? We want our kids to see the bigger picture, something we're building together."

Nita has indeed built a great life for herself and her family, but the path wasn’t always obvious. Nita was interested in journalism at one point, but she says her father tricked her into going to Perry, saying the IT program was similar. “It wasn’t, so I toured the Instrumentation program. I didn’t have a clear path for what I wanted to do so we made a deal that if I went to Perry, after six months I could study what I wanted at a 4-year college if I didn’t like the program. I loved the program and the opportunities that came with getting employed as an instrumentation technician.”

For a business owner who has worked with big-name clients such as Tesla, she sees something considerable about a Perry Tech education. "With the skills and the tools Perry has taught me, it gave me a path. It gave me the tools to use along the path." said Nita. She described her Perry education as not only equipping her with trade skills, but soft skills as well. "Life is about troubleshooting, no matter what we're doing. I use these troubleshooting skills on a daily basis, from the technical aspects of my job to relating to my employees."

After graduation, Nita’s son Ricky is working at Tesla in Reno with the Mundial Group’s instrumentation techs. Brittany is set to graduate from BTA in December. Although there’s no pressure for their youngest daughter Sienna to attend Perry Tech, Nita says she certainly wouldn’t mind. "Here I am, a business owner in Instrumentation. I found my path to success at Perry Tech. I hope with my story, others will see opportunities to learn, adjust, and succeed.”

Are you an intergenerational Perry Tech Family? We want to hear from you.

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