Written by: Caleb Sanderson After changing her major from architecture, Lexi Gruenwald discovered her passion for ceramics by stepping into the art world at Butler. Lexi has molded her life around learning and sharing art as a commissioned artist and teaching community classes at City Arts in Wichita’s Old Town. As a former art scholarship student, Lexi was introduced to art both as a creator and behind the scenes as a student worker. She spent countless hours in the studio working her craft, especially into the late evening and night hours with her 24-hour access. Pieces of her work were

When Abby George started Sweetie Pie Bakery in 2023, she traded the comforts of hobby baking for the hustle and precision of running a small business. Now every Saturday you can find her at west Wichita’s Kansas Grown farmers market selling cakes, scones, cookies and protein bars—and dreaming up her next big steps. George’s love for baking began in childhood, practicing family recipes with her grandmother and mother during holiday marathons in the kitchen. By the time she was 16, she knew she wanted to make a career out of it. That led her to Butler Community College’s Redler Institute of

Written by: Caleb Sanderson Butler Community College now offers Welding Technology classes at Rose Hill High School taught by Butler Welding alumni and industry-professional Jake Duerksen. Classes begin in August at the new state-of-the-art welding lab. Seats are limited and open to all students, including the Early College Academy (ECA). Duerksen has collaborated with both Butler’s Facilities Management team and Rose Hill High School USD 394 to address the industry standards students must meet as working welding professionals. The curriculum at this new location is the same applied learning