At Indiana Agriculture & Technology School (IATS), flexibility and real-world learning help students explore their interests and take meaningful steps toward their futures. For sisters Abby and Sadie Haag, that flexibility opened the door to early graduation, hands-on career experiences, and clear paths toward the professions they love.
Today, Abby is preparing to graduate from Anderson University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while working as a student nurse at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital – already with multiple job offers waiting after graduation. Meanwhile, Sadie has turned her passion for emergency services into action, completing EMT school after participating in the Greenfield Fire/EMT Cadet Program and preparing to begin work as an EMT with Seals Ambulance.
Their journey began at IATS, where the ability to balance rigorous academics with hands-on experiences helped both students discover their passions early. Their mother, Sarah Haag, recently reflected on how the opportunities and flexibility at IATS helped shape Abby and Sadie’s paths – and offered advice for families considering the program.
Abby & Sadie’s Success Story, from mom Sarah Haag:
Our family came to IATS in 2017 seeking a program that offered both academic rigor and flexibility, as our daughters were heavily involved in extracurricular activities that required frequent travel. We were also looking for a school that would give them meaningful opportunities for career exploration and skill development.
Thanks to IATS’ summer school offerings, Abby (20) graduated a year early in 2022, and Sadie (18) graduated a semester early in 2025. Both girls were able to take full advantage of the flexibility IATS provided, organizing their daily coursework in a way that allowed them time to explore careers they were genuinely interested in.
Abby volunteered at Hancock Regional Hospital for a year, where she discovered her passion for nursing. She is currently working as a student nurse at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital and will graduate from Anderson University in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a minor in Spanish – a love for the language she credits to her Edgenuity Spanish teacher. Abby already has three job offers from different departments at Ascension for after graduation.
Sadie spent three years in the Greenfield Fire/EMT Cadet Program and loved every minute of it. Immediately after graduating from IATS, she began driving an ambulance for Seals Ambulance Services. She has since graduated from EMT school, and beginning in 2026, she will be working for Seals as an EMT.
Looking back, the flexibility IATS provided – allowing our daughters to balance their coursework with hands-on career exploration – was invaluable. Many students graduate without a clear sense of what they want to do next. Our girls, however, developed clarity and passion because they were given the time and opportunity to experience their chosen fields firsthand.
If we could share one piece of advice with other families considering IATS, it would be this: take full advantage of the flexibility. Encourage your students to complete their coursework earlier in the day so they can get out into the community, gain real-world experience, and explore their own career interests.
