By HEIDI KNAKE
UNK Graduate Studies
RAVENNA – Tanner Ellis never imagined himself in front of a classroom.
With an aviation degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the Holdrege native was prepared to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother, both pilots. But before his flying career could take off, an unexpected medical problem permanently grounded his dreams.
Fortunately, education also runs in the family, so Ellis decided to pivot and give teaching a try.
“Now, I can’t envision myself doing anything else,” Ellis said. “It might sound cliché, but the TCP program has been life-changing.”
The Transitional Certification Program (TCP) at UNK allows individuals with a non-teaching bachelor’s degree to earn initial teacher certification while working full time in a classroom.
Ellis enrolled in the TCP and started teaching full time at Ravenna Public Schools, where he set out to change the narrative around financial education for rural students.
“My main goal as an educator is to give students the opportunity to better themselves financially, opportunities that I didn’t have growing up,” he said.
He never realized how far his goal would take both him and his students.
Through his leadership as a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) adviser, Ravenna students have risen to statewide acclaim. Under his guidance, the small-town school has qualified for Nebraska Council on Economic Education competitions five of the last six years – and won the title the past two, beating larger schools like Millard North.
“In the past, it’s been all about sports, but now we have academic competitions,” Ellis said. “And unlike athletics, where we compete against Class D schools, in academics we compete with the (biggest) schools in the state.”
Ravenna students have qualified for FBLA national competitions during five of his seven years as chapter adviser, with a total of 24 students earning the honor during this period, including two top-five national finalists. One of his students, Josey Moore, currently serves as Nebraska FBLA state president.
Ellis also believes in the power of experience and networking. Drawing from his own network through UNK and his aviation and finance backgrounds, he regularly brings in industry professionals as guest speakers and even takes his students on field trips to places like Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, the world’s largest privately-owned business jet service provider.
Like his FBLA students, his dedication was also recognized statewide when he was named the 2025 Nebraska Economic Educator of the Year.
Additionally, Gov. Jim Pillen selected Ellis for one of the state’s highest civic honors – admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska – and the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance awarded him the prestigious challenge coin medallion.
All of this from someone who wasn’t considering teaching as a career in college.
Ellis completed the Transitional Certification Program and additional courses to earn his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UNK in 2020. Today, he credits the program not only for opening the door to a new career but for helping him change lives.
“It’s like the money you put in a savings account – with time, it’s going to compound,” Ellis said. “If I can change one life, that’s going to compound into 10 lives changed, whether I see it or not. I think that’s a great feeling to have. And I wouldn’t have that feeling if the TCP program did not give me the opportunity to become an educator.”
