Siblings Take Different Paths To Common End

Nick Clift liked to play with building blocks and Legos. His sister Loni was always curious how the radio worked. Nick could entertain himself while Loni enjoyed being around other people.

Loni was content to go to Post Falls High School with her friends. Nick felt like there were few people at the school he could even call friends.

The siblings, just 14 months apart, have many differences. But the two have one thing in common. They both graduated from ITT Technical Institute in Spokane on Nov. 30. Nick earned a degree in computer-aided drafting and Loni became an electrical engineer.

The Clifts grew up in Post Falls with their stepfather and mother, Keith and Tammy Engen. Both went to Post Falls High School, but Nick spent his senior year at the alternative school.

“If Nick hadn’t transferred he wouldn’t have graduated,” said his mother Tammy Engen. “He went from that to getting A’s and Bs at Project High School.”

Nick discovered Project when he signed up for summer school after his junior year.

Meanwhile, Loni took an electronics class at Post Falls High School.

“I was the only girl in the class,” she said. “Some guys wondered what I was doing in there, but I’ve always been interested in electronics and I just wanted to see what it was all about.”

The class stirred her interest even more and within six months she was enrolled in the two-year electronics engineering program at ITT’s Spokane campus. She was one of only three women in the 13-member class.

Now, Loni is certified to work on everything from large computer mainframes to small electronic devices like telephones.

Nick spent his first 18 months after high school trying to decide what he was going to do. Then his little sister’s enthusiasm inspired him.

“I knew he liked to draw, and I knew he liked to build things, and they had that great CAD program there,” she said.

“I liked the program because it gets you out in the field faster than a university would,” Nick said.

Both Clifts worked while going to school. Nick, who was living on his own, worked full-time at Beverly’s. He’d get home from work between 10 p.m. and midnight and have to be in class by 8 a.m. the next day.

“It was really tough,” he said. “I almost quit school, but by then I was too far into the program, and I couldn’t get a refund. Now, I’m glad I didn’t quit.”

Loni, who lived at home while in school, worked about 20 hours a week at Wicks N Sticks in the Spokane Valley Mall.

The Clifts not only acquired degrees at ITT, they also met their current boyfriend and girlfriend.

Loni met her boyfriend Jeff Hewitt in the program. The two now live in Boise, where Loni hopes to find a job in the high-tech industry. Nick also met his girlfriend, Shane Porter, at ITT. The two now live in Spokane Valley, and they are expecting a child in May.

“I’m really proud of both of them,” Engen said. “They’ve always been close. It was great seeing them graduate together.”

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Milestones is a column that appears regularly in Handle Extra. It explores significant changes in the lives of Kootenai County residents. If you, or someone you know, has reached a milestone, send e-mail to srorem@hotmail.com or write to us at The Idaho SpokesmanReview, 608 Northwest Blvd. Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.