ChrisLander-web-1
Student Success Stories
"The education that I received at Starmark Academy is irreplaceable. I gained enough knowledge and hands-on experience that I was able to confidently go out and start my own business. Since graduating in January of 2016 I started a successful business, was able to go back to Starmark Academy as an Instructor (another AMAZING opportunity/experience), and have now reopened my business. I have been back open for about 15 months and we have already been able to put up a brand new 32X80 kennel building and expand to also offer grooming. I currently have 4 employees and was able to send 2 of them to attend Starmark as well! So now we will have 3 trainers, which is incredible for a town of only 700 people. I hugely credit my experience at Starmark for a large part of my success. Without that education and experience, I would not be able to provide my clients with the results that they never thought were possible for their dogs. God has blessed my business immensely, but Starmark is where it all started!"
"I used to be a police officer and am a disabled veteran. When my law enforcement career had to come to a premature end due to an injury that occurred while i was deployed and progressively got worse, I was lost. The only thing I've ever wanted to do since I was 9 years old, was to be a police officer, and now that was being taken from me. I really started thinking about what I could possibly do that I would remotely enjoy. I couldn't come up with a single job... other than law enforcement. One day my dad asked me, "If there's anything in the world you could do, and get paid to do it, what would it be?". Well, I thought that I might enjoy training service dogs for veterans. My dad thought that was a great idea and that I would absolutely enjoy that. However, neither of us had ever heard of that being a "real job". Coincidentally, about a week later, I got connected with someone on Facebook who actually did that. That got the ball rolling and I eventually ended up at Starmark. There is still a little bit of a void from missing law enforcement, but man, there is no other job that could give me as much enjoyment and fulfillment as dog training - and owning my own business. If I can't do law enforcement anymore, then this is absolutely the next best option for me. I love it! My favorite part is seeing the owners reaction at the end of a training program. They can't believe that their dog had that in them! I also LOVE being able to take extremely fearful dogs and teach them that the world isn't such a bad place. I enjoy building their confidence and helping them get comfortable in their own skin. My family has also gotten involved in my business. My mom quit her job and went to grooming school, and we now offer full service grooming. My dad is my accountant and silent partner. My grandpa is our unofficial maintenance/handyman. It's been such a wild, but amazing journey! We never would have imagined 4.5 years ago, that this is what Liberty K9 would turn in to. We're still in some disbelief but couldn't be happier!"
- Jenny Orn
–Jenny Orn- Owner, Liberty K9 LLC.