By Preston Condie
If you had told 15-year-old me that by 23 I’d be managing accounting processes at the Bronze Buffalo Ranch in Teton Valley, Idaho, I wouldn’t have believed it. At that age, I couldn’t have imagined the opportunities that would come from starting as an apprentice, or how those first steps would set me on the path to a career I truly enjoy today.
But here I am: 23 years old, working as the Accounting Manager at Bronze Buffalo Ranch in Teton Valley, Idaho. I have a career I love, a family I support, and a life that started to take shape through a youth apprenticeship with CareerWise.
It all started in my high school marketing class in Aurora, Colorado. I saw a flyer about youth apprenticeships through CareerWise Colorado and ended up at a job fair where I talked to representatives from EKS&H, one of Denver’s largest accounting firms, now Plante Moran. I didn’t know anything about accounting, but I liked solving problems and learning new things. When they offered me an apprenticeship, I signed that same day.
CareerWise helped me get ready. Their summer bootcamp gave me the basics on how to communicate professionally and what to expect in the workplace. I still showed up nervous on my first day, but I was more prepared than I ever would have been on my own.
At just 16, I was doing real work; scanning documents, helping with bank reconciliations, and supporting client tasks. I even emailed the CEO on my first day to ask about his career path. He responded. That experience taught me early on that it never hurts to ask and to take initiative.
But it was not all smooth sailing. By the end of my second year, I had started missing deadlines and was afraid to ask for help. My manager gave me a wake-up call and put me on a performance improvement plan. It was tough to hear, but it ended up being a turning point for me. I got organized, built systems to track my tasks, and learned how to speak up when I was stuck.
That experience taught me how to take responsibility and grow from mistakes. It gave me the foundation I needed to handle whatever came next.
After finishing my three-year apprenticeship, I went to BYU–Idaho to study accounting. I continued working remotely during school breaks. Over the next few years, I worked at a nonprofit and a startup RV dealership, where I helped build out the company’s financial systems from scratch. I learned nonprofit fund accounting, payroll, tax filings, and internal reporting. Each job stretched me in new ways and added to my toolkit.
Today, I manage accounting at Bronze Buffalo Ranch, a business that is as unique as it is ambitious. I help keep the operation running smoothly and continue to grow my skills every day.
This year, between my full-time role and consulting work, my income has grown faster than I imagined it would at this stage of life. What has made the difference is not just what I’ve learned in the classroom, but the years of hands-on experience, the real responsibilities I’ve been trusted with, and the confidence I’ve built in my ability to deliver. Apprenticeship gave me that early foundation, and it continues to shape the way I approach my career today.
I never expected this path. I never imagined I would be here at 23. But through hard work, learning from my mistakes, and the opportunities apprenticeship gave me, I am building a career and a life I am proud of.
