There’s something magical that happens when Tracy Engstrom walks into a room full of uncertain students. Maybe it’s the way her eyes light up when she spots that flicker of potential someone else missed, or perhaps it’s how she can take a teenager who thinks they have “no experience” and help them discover they’re actually a natural leader who’s been managing siblings and organizing family schedules for years.

“Everyone has a story to tell,” Tracy says with the conviction of someone who’s spent 15 years watching transformation unfold one conversation at a time. “They just need help filling their CART with stories.” Her CART method — challenge, action, result, tie-back — has become legendary among students who once dreaded behavioral interview questions but now approach them armed with confidence and compelling narratives.

Tracy’s own story reads like a testament to the unexpected journeys that shape us into exactly who we’re meant to become. She began as a farm girl whose early mornings and long days instilled an unshakeable work ethic, moved through a career in cosmetology where creativity and precision became her tools, and eventually found herself at Sandburg where she discovered her true calling: helping others recognize their own potential.

“When you grow up on a farm, you have the work ethic, you have the time management, you have the organizational skills,” she reflects. That foundation now serves as the bedrock for everything she teaches. But it’s her journey through cosmetology — that world of transformation and confidence-building — that gave her the unique perspective to see beauty and possibility where others might see only rough edges.

The Employability Skills Academy that Tracy has nurtured since 2013 emerged from a simple but powerful observation: Employers consistently reported that new graduates possessed all the technical skills they needed but lacked the soft skills to thrive. What started as a response to industry feedback has blossomed into something much more profound — a place where students discover not just how to answer phones professionally or navigate business dinners, but how to believe in themselves.

Tracy’s approach is both systematic and deeply personal. Her color-coded calendar isn’t just about organization — it’s a visual representation of her commitment to meeting each student exactly where they are. Whether she’s teaching a summer manners camp to seven-year-olds who giggle while learning proper handshakes, or helping a military veteran translate their service experience into civilian terms, Tracy adapts her methods while never losing sight of her core mission: helping people see themselves as employers see potential.

Her dining etiquette training might seem old-fashioned in an age of casual everything, but Tracy understands what many miss: Professional success often happens in those unguarded moments over shared meals. “Employers learn so much more at the dinner table,” she explains, recounting the story of a hiring manager who wouldn’t hire candidates who seasoned their food before tasting it — a small detail that revealed much about judgment and assumptions.

The stories that energize Tracy most are the ones that arrive months or even years later. The CNC student who walks seamlessly from internship to full-time employment. The career expo attendee who gets interviewed on the spot and walks out with a job offer. The nontraditional student who finally learns to organize their time in a way that accommodates both parenting responsibilities and educational goals.

But perhaps what sets Tracy apart is her understanding that confidence — not perfection — is the ultimate gift she can give. “Choose to chase good enough instead,” she tells her perfectionist students, watching their faces register shock before understanding dawns. It’s a radical concept in a world that often demands flawless performance, but Tracy knows that paralysis masquerading as perfectionism has derailed more careers than boldness ever has.

As she looks toward the future, incorporating AI tools and staying ahead of rapidly evolving workplace demands, Tracy remains anchored in a fundamental truth: Every student who walks through her door already possesses something valuable. Her job isn’t to create potential — it’s to help them recognize it, polish it and present it with the confidence that opens doors.

“Nobody’s going to knock on your door saying, ‘Hey, you want a job?’” Tracy reminds her students. But with her guidance, they learn to knock on opportunity’s door themselves — and when it opens, they’re ready to step through with grace, confidence and stories worth telling.