Apr 22, 2015 | Intercom, Welcome to NMC
Paul Kolak joined NMC as a Counselor on April 13, 2015. He can be reached at (231) 995-1042 or pkolak@nmc.edu.
Paul was born and raised in northern Michigan and lived in Northport for most of his school years. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Calvin College in Grand Rapids where he met his wife, Diane, who is a self-employed graphic designer with Page 9 Design. Paul received his Master’s Degree from Western Michigan University in Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology in 1997. He has worked for a variety of local human service agencies as well as Munson Healthcare providing social work and counseling services for over 20 years. Paul enjoys the great outdoors, reading, international travel, finding the best indie folk/rock music available, and, his newest pursuit, curling. He serves as the Membership Coordinator for the now one-year-old TC Curling Club. (more…)
Apr 22, 2015 | Intercom
April 22, 2015
At just 21 years old, Traverse City native Nick Alpers has checked off a lot of life’s milestones already. He’s earned his bachelor’s degree, married, and is working full-time in his chosen field of mechanical engineering.
The 2012 NMC graduate is unique in another way, too: Alpers, who graduated summa cum laude from Saginaw Valley State University last year, has zero student loan debt.
Zero as in zip. Zilch. None. As in, a stark contrast to his peers. Statewide, 63 percent of Michigan’s 2013 bachelor’s graduates took on student debt, according to the Project on Student Debt. On average, each owes more than $29,000.
What’s the difference? Simply put, motivation and NMC dual enrollment.
Dual enrolled in 2010
Alpers dual-enrolled in NMC as a senior at Traverse City Central, back in 2010. He took 28 credits that year, more than half of what he needed for his engineering certificate, all paid for by his high school. He attended NMC for another year and worked in the math lab before transferring to SVSU in 2012. There he completed the last two years of his bachelor’s in a year and a half. Now, his paycheck from Nexteer Automotive, a Saginaw manufacturer of steering columns and gears, belongs to just him and his wife Kaitlyn (Green) Alpers, a pre-physician’s assistant student at SVSU.
“I know that some people are in their 30s and still paying off debts. Now I can allocate that money to something else,” said Alpers.
Financial and academic advantages
Besides the financial advantage, Alpers speaks highly of NMC’s academic rigor, noting that his GPA at Saginaw Valley was higher than at NMC.
“It was definitely worth it. It helps you to prepare,” said Alpers, whose two older brothers also attended NMC. “I came down here and I thought (SVSU) was a breeze.”
Not too far down the road, the “something else” might be getting home. Kaitlyn, who also dual-enrolled at NMC for her senior year in 2011-12, has her eye on a master’s PA program that Grand Valley recently started at NMC’s University Center.
Apr 22, 2015 | Intercom
Each Thursday through the duration of the reconstruction of US-31/M-72 between 3 Mile and Holiday roads in East Bay Township, and resurfacing US-31 from Holiday Road to the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme Township project, there will be a coffee meeting at the AmericInn at 8:30 a.m. for anyone interested in an informal, sit-down update.
MDOT engineers and representatives from Elmer’s will be there to answer questions.
Please be aware: This construction may alter some staff and faculty routes to school as well as travel to and from the Aero Park Campus. (more…)
