Jan 31, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Longtime Dennos Museum Center supporters Dr. Edward and Sharon Rutkowski were named the 2018 recipients of Northwestern Michigan College’s highest honor, the NMC Fellow award, by the college’s Board of Trustees this month.
The Traverse City residents are founding donors to the Dennos Museum Center, making a planned gift commitment for the Thomas A. Rutkowski Discovery Gallery (named in memory of their late son) in 1992. Sharon was instrumental in helping the Discovery Gallery come into being as a member of the Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie County Medical Society Auxiliary, which helped fund the initial gallery concept. It has been a popular part of the museum since the beginning, especially for families.
Concurrent with the new expansion of the Dennos, the Rutkowskis again made a significant contribution to upgrade the exhibits of the Discovery Gallery, which are now being implemented, assuring that it will be an ongoing part of the Dennos for many more years to come.
“We are pleased to help give children a fun introduction to the Dennos Museum and hope to expand their appreciation of the arts and their community,” the couple said.
Beyond the Dennos, the Rutkowskis have supported the college since 1984, and have given consecutively for the last 27 years. They are also loyal attendees of the annual Lobdell’s Scholarship dinner, supporters of Munson Medical Center, where Dr. Rutkowski was a trustee for 25 years and a general surgeon now retired, and the Leelanau Conservancy. Sharon was the French teacher and a trustee at The Pathfinder School and co-founded the Young People’s Theater Series in 1976. She currently continues to help bring affordable live theater to Grand Traverse area children.
The Fellow is Northwestern Michigan College’s highest honor, awarded annually since 1964. Fellows may be nominated because they have demonstrated influential networking on behalf of the College, have demonstrated a pattern of outstanding financial or personal time contributions to NMC, or as a retiree of the College continue to contribute back to their academic or professional fields as volunteers, mentors or advisors. Exceptional contributions in one or more of these areas may justify nomination.
See a list of past recipients.
Release Date: January 31, 2018
For more information:
NMC President’s Office
(231) 995-1010
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Jan 27, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Great Lakes Maritime Academy instructor Capt. John Biolchini and Talent Development Coordinator Lori Hodek have been named NMC’s recipients of annual excellence awards. Both are also NMC alumni.
Biolchini, an instructor since 2007, is the 2018 recipient of the NISOD award for teaching excellence. Affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, NISOD is committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. Criteria include professionalism, relationships with students and colleagues, and commitment to learning. Among other accomplishments, Biolchini was cited for spearheading submission of the Academy’s Military Veteran program, to award credit for military service, and his collaboration with the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center, to create a local course that would fulfill U.S. Coast Guard firefighting requirements for Maritime cadets. Biolchini graduated from GLMA in 1982,
Hodek is the recipient of a 2017 John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College. The award celebrates outstanding contributions and leadership by community college faculty and staff. Among other accomplishments, she was recognized for her leadership in the creation of consecutive college-wide professional development events. Hodek was first employed at NMC as a student employee in 2001. She graduated from NMC in 2003 and joined the staff as a regular employee in 2004.
Release date: January 30, 2018
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Jan 24, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
January 22, 2018
NMC success coach Leeann Fountain and student Taylor ByersWhen Taylor Byers returned to NMC last fall, four years after she last attended, she knew she had to be a different kind of student.
But she didn’t seek help from an academic adviser, or a tutor, or even an instructor. Instead, Byers beelined for a student success coach.
Success coaching is booming at NMC. Already this year, coaching visits to the Student Success Center are double the 2016-17 total. Rather than being subject matter experts in math or English or science, like instructors or tutors, coaches guide students to academic success by providing tools to improve study habits, time management and task prioritization.
“It’s going so much better,” said Byers, 22, who is studying visual communications. “It helps you stay accountable. They teach you how to organize your life.”
Not just on campus, either. Byers’ coach, Leeann Fountain, had her fill in a 24-hour time chart, breaking the entire day into half-hour increments. Something stood out right away.
“Taylor wasn’t going to bed,” Fountain recalls. Without a standing bedtime, she was tired and couldn’t focus on studying. She napped erratically, which threw her time management off further.
But Fountain didn’t tell Byers what her bedtime should be, or even to set one. Rather, after Byers filled out the whole, 24-hour chart, Fountain said, “I asked her, ‘what would you change first?’ “
It was Byers who decided that first thing was to establish a bedtime, picked 10 p.m., and now sticks to it. Between her four days of classes, her job as a manager at the Arby’s in Kalkaska, where she also lives, and her commute time, that now leaves her evenings to study, alert and focused.
Posing the question for Byers to answer herself is a fundamental concept of the empowerment coaching style that NMC employs.
“So many of us have experienced education as something that’s being shoved into us,” said Steve Rice, an accounting instructor at NMC and the author of an innovation grant that allowed a seven-member team to be trained in the style in 2015. The goal is to empower students to solve their own problems, as Byers did.
Even with this year’s jump, only a small fraction of students receive coaching — 280 so far this year.
“It’s very much in the germinal stage,” Rice said.
Ashley Darga, NMC’s coordinator for Student Success and one of the team trained back in 2015, wants to accelerate it. In addition to the face-to-face coaching that Byers received, her office is piloting required phone coaching in three online classes: Rice’s accounting, a math class, and a history class. While there are variables in the data, results so far are encouraging: Across all three classes, students who got coaching received failing grades 8 percent less often and passing grades (defined as a 2.0 or higher) almost 11 percent more. Withdrawal rates for coached students were 5 percent lower as well.
“It’s giving us a really preliminary look at is this worth pursuing, and so far we feel encouraged,” Darga said. “I’m maxing out my personnel budget for (coaches).”
Coaching also establishes the kind of personal relationship that research has found is critical for students to complete their degree.
“This is designed in that spirit, hooking a student up with a person so they are engaged on campus and feel committed to NMC,” Darga said.
“Without persistence we’re not using our time wisely,” Rice said.
Jan 22, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
January 22, 2018
NMC success coach Leeann Fountain and student Taylor ByersWhen Taylor Byers returned to NMC last fall, four years after she last attended, she knew she had to be a different kind of student.
But she didn’t seek help from an academic adviser, or a tutor, or even an instructor. Instead, Byers beelined for a student success coach.
Success coaching is booming at NMC. Already this year, coaching visits to the Student Success Center are double the 2016-17 total. Rather than being subject matter experts in math or English or science, like instructors or tutors, coaches guide students to academic success by providing tools to improve study habits, time management and task prioritization.
“It’s going so much better,” said Byers, 22, who is studying visual communications. “It helps you stay accountable. They teach you how to organize your life.”
Not just on campus, either. Byers’ coach, Leeann Fountain, had her fill in a 24-hour time chart, breaking the entire day into half-hour increments. Something stood out right away.
“Taylor wasn’t going to bed,” Fountain recalls. Without a standing bedtime, she was tired and couldn’t focus on studying. She napped erratically, which threw her time management off further.
But Fountain didn’t tell Byers what her bedtime should be, or even to set one. Rather, after Byers filled out the whole, 24-hour chart, Fountain said, “I asked her, ‘what would you change first?’ “
It was Byers who decided that first thing was to establish a bedtime, picked 10 p.m., and now sticks to it. Between her four days of classes, her job as a manager at the Arby’s in Kalkaska, where she also lives, and her commute time, that now leaves her evenings to study, alert and focused.
Posing the question for Byers to answer herself is a fundamental concept of the empowerment coaching style that NMC employs.
“So many of us have experienced education as something that’s being shoved into us,” said Steve Rice, an accounting instructor at NMC and the author of an innovation grant that allowed a seven-member team to be trained in the style in 2015. The goal is to empower students to solve their own problems, as Byers did.
Even with this year’s jump, only a small fraction of students receive coaching — 280 so far this year.
“It’s very much in the germinal stage,” Rice said.
Ashley Darga, NMC’s coordinator for Student Success and one of the team trained back in 2015, wants to accelerate it. In addition to the face-to-face coaching that Byers received, her office is piloting required phone coaching in three online classes: Rice’s accounting, a math class, and a history class. While there are variables in the data, results so far are encouraging: Across all three classes, students who got coaching received failing grades 8 percent less often and passing grades (defined as a 2.0 or higher) almost 11 percent more. Withdrawal rates for coached students were 5 percent lower as well.
“It’s giving us a really preliminary look at is this worth pursuing, and so far we feel encouraged,” Darga said. “I’m maxing out my personnel budget for (coaches).”
Coaching also establishes the kind of personal relationship that research has found is critical for students to complete their degree.
“This is designed in that spirit, hooking a student up with a person so they are engaged on campus and feel committed to NMC,” Darga said.
“Without persistence we’re not using our time wisely,” Rice said.
Jan 22, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC Enrollment Services will host a financial aid fair for prospective college students, parents, alumni, and current NMC students from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 in the Osterlin Library, room 113.
There will be half-hour workshop sessions and time for students to meet individually with a financial aid representative. Participants are asked to sign up for sessions in advance online.
Counting the Cost of College – Comparing Schools
4 p.m. session
5:30 p.m. session
Types of Financial Aid
4:30 p.m. session
6 p.m. session
How to Find and Apply for Scholarships
5 p.m. session
6:30 p.m. session
Students may also sign up for one-on-one assistance to discuss completing the FAFSA by the March 1 Michigan deadline, applying for scholarships, completing financial aid requirements (for current NMC students), comparing award letters and student loan counseling. Links to sign up for both workshop sessions and individual assistance are also available at nmc.edu/financial-aid.
Release date: January 23, 2018
For more information:
Jessie Elliott
Enrollment Services
Phone: (231) 995-1035
E-mail: sfs@nmc.edu
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Jan 20, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Employers are invited to register for Northwestern Michigan College’s annual career fair held March 1 at the Hagerty Center on the Great Lakes Campus.
The event runs from 4–6 p.m. Employers will have the opportunity to recruit job-seekers for career-track, seasonal and entry-level positions as well as internships and service learning.
The career fair is open to students, NMC alumni and community members. An alumni reception follows the event from 6–8 p.m. at Lobdell’s: A Teaching Restaurant.
Employer registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis and begins on Jan. 21. To register or for more information, visit nmc.edu/career-fair.
Release Date: January 19, 2017
For More Information:
Sally Smarsty
NMC Advising Center
ssmarsty @nmc.edu
(231) 995-1369
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Jan 17, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
A PALE BLUE DOT – NMC Magazine Spring 2017 – Volume 40 Issue 2
Earth is engraved with its past: wars, plagues, triumphs, growth, and discoveries. Though the path forward is obscured by the horizon of the present, we can spin the possibilities the future beholds, whether it be for good or ill, next month or next century.
NMC Magazine invites students, faculty, staff, and alumni to imagine those tomorrows today. The deadline for spring submissions is Friday, February 23.
Submit your art, designs, essays, fiction, illustrations, nonfiction, photographs, poetry, and more to nmcmag@mail.nmc.edu. Hard copies can be delivered to Fine Arts (attn: Caroline Schaefer-Hills) or Scholars Hall 214 (attn: Alissia Lingaur). Include a completed submission form with each entry, available at nmc.edu/nmcmagazine.
Jan 15, 2018 | Student News
The season starts Monday, January 29 for six weeks.
Two games per week played Monday–Thursday
At 2:10, 3:10 or 4:10 p.m.
*ALL PLAYERS MUST BE CURRENT NMC STUDENTS! ALL TEAMS MUST BE CO-ED!
*At least one female player must be on the court at all times or you will play short. Female points count double.
Mandatory Captains’ meeting and Sign-up Deadline
Thursday, January 25 at 5 p.m. in the PE Lobby.
For more information or questions, please call Steve Dixon at 995-1379.
Sponsored by N.M.C. Student Life/Student Activities and NMC Physical Education, Sports and Recreation
Jan 15, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
Is your NMC student group looking for a way to raise money?
Members of your group can volunteer to help the NMC Foundation at select events throughout the school year. In return, the NMC Foundation will reimburse your student group for the amount of time each of your members volunteered. You will earn $10/hour for your student group.
Upcoming Activity: HAWK OWLS SAY THANKS (HOST) Booth
Dates, Times, Locations:
- Wednesday, February 7, 11 a.m- 1 p.m. at Parsons-Stulen
- Thursday, February 8, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. at Great Lakes Campus
For more info, contact Katharine Zurek, Annual Giving Specialist at kzurek@nmc.edu or 231-995-1030. Or sign up here.
Jan 10, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
January 10, 2018
If luck is defined as preparation meeting opportunity, then Brendan Hunter, who said “aloha” to a new career this month, could be in contention for luckiest NMC graduate of 2017.
Fresh off his December graduation from NMC’s Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program, Hunter started this week as a junior ocean engineer for Sea Engineering in Oahu, Hawaii.
“I’m going to be working on a pier (Makai Research Pier, operated by the University of Hawaii) that juts out over a coral reef into the Pacific Ocean,” Hunter said, speaking in an interview as the last snowfall in his foreseeable future fell on campus.
The job is the culmination a streak of NMC opportunities Hunter, 27, took advantage of, starting with his enrollment in 2013, just as the college rolled out its first-in-the-nation associate’s degree in Freshwater Studies.
He completed that degree just as NMC introduced its first-in-Michigan community college bachelor’s degree. Without that program in marine technology, Hunter would have transferred.
“I would have gone into a tangential field, oceanography or engineering,” he said. “It worked out perfectly. I stayed at NMC and kept studying what I wanted to study.”
Last month, the Kalamazoo native became the second student to earn the BSMT degree. In terms of employment, the world became his oyster. He applied for jobs in the United Arab Emirates, Seattle, Alaska, Boston and the United Kingdom.
At Sea Engineering, Hunter will organize the use of and implement offshore data collection with remotely-operated vehicles. About 70 percent of his time will be spent on the water, including coral reef research and deep-sea research off mounts in the Pacific.
“I would have taken this job if had been anywhere else,” said Hunter, who also received job offers in Boston and Texas. “It’s just a bonus that it happens to be in Hawaii.”
It dovetails perfectly with the skills he learned at NMC. Sea Engineering is transitioning its industrial and environmental research operation from diving to remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs).
“That transition is a big part of the reason they chose me,” Hunter said. “The same day they called to offer me the position, they had just unboxed their first ROV.”
Ironically, his choice of marine technology traces back to some bad luck and timing. Hunter graduated from high school in 2008 and enrolled in a four-year college that fall, majoring in political science/pre-law. But by his second semester, he was already questioning that choice.
“A, it was boring, and B, it was literally in the middle of the financial crisis,” he said. Foreseeing a poor job market, he decided to cut his losses, dropped out and moved to Texas, where he raced sailboats and “soul-searched.”
“I’ve always had a love of the water and been naturally drawn to exploration,” he said. “When I decided to go back to school I decided I wanted it to be in the sciences.”
There was a hurdle, however: Math.
“I was super determined to get a grasp on math,” Hunter said. He had to start in a developmental course. But with the help of NMC professors like Mary Burget and Ernie East, and the drop-in tutoring available at the Math Center, he conquered it.
“I basically had to relearn from algebra up to calculus. Now I’m getting hired as an engineer,” Hunter said. “All the math professors have been great. It was a 180.”
Hunter credited NMC with helping him get scholarships that he estimated covered 15 to 20 percent of his educational costs. He also met his girlfriend at NMC, 2015 nursing alumna Victoria Peck. She’s moving with him to Hawaii and will look for a nursing job there.
“My life would have been completely different if it weren’t for NMC,” Hunter said.
Jan 10, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
January 10, 2018
If luck is defined as preparation meeting opportunity, then Brendan Hunter, who said “aloha” to a new career this month, could be in contention for luckiest NMC graduate of 2017.
Fresh off his December graduation from NMC’s Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program, Hunter started this week as a junior ocean engineer for Sea Engineering in Oahu, Hawaii.
“I’m going to be working on a pier (Makai Research Pier, operated by the University of Hawaii) that juts out over a coral reef into the Pacific Ocean,” Hunter said, speaking in an interview as the last snowfall in his foreseeable future fell on campus.
The job is the culmination a streak of NMC opportunities Hunter, 27, took advantage of, starting with his enrollment in 2013, just as the college rolled out its first-in-the-nation associate’s degree in Freshwater Studies.
He completed that degree just as NMC introduced its first-in-Michigan community college bachelor’s degree. Without that program in marine technology, Hunter would have transferred.
“I would have gone into a tangential field, oceanography or engineering,” he said. “It worked out perfectly. I stayed at NMC and kept studying what I wanted to study.”
Last month, the Kalamazoo native became the second student to earn the BSMT degree. In terms of employment, the world became his oyster. He applied for jobs in the United Arab Emirates, Seattle, Alaska, Boston and the United Kingdom.
At Sea Engineering, Hunter will organize the use of and implement offshore data collection with remotely-operated vehicles. About 70 percent of his time will be spent on the water, including coral reef research and deep-sea research off mounts in the Pacific.
“I would have taken this job if had been anywhere else,” said Hunter, who also received job offers in Boston and Texas. “It’s just a bonus that it happens to be in Hawaii.”
It dovetails perfectly with the skills he learned at NMC. Sea Engineering is transitioning its industrial and environmental research operation from diving to remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs).
“That transition is a big part of the reason they chose me,” Hunter said. “The same day they called to offer me the position, they had just unboxed their first ROV.”
Ironically, his choice of marine technology traces back to some bad luck and timing. Hunter graduated from high school in 2008 and enrolled in a four-year college that fall, majoring in political science/pre-law. But by his second semester, he was already questioning that choice.
“A, it was boring, and B, it was literally in the middle of the financial crisis,” he said. Foreseeing a poor job market, he decided to cut his losses, dropped out and moved to Texas, where he raced sailboats and “soul-searched.”
“I’ve always had a love of the water and been naturally drawn to exploration,” he said. “When I decided to go back to school I decided I wanted it to be in the sciences.”
There was a hurdle, however: Math.
“I was super determined to get a grasp on math,” Hunter said. He had to start in a developmental course. But with the help of NMC professors like Mary Burget and Ernie East, and the drop-in tutoring available at the Math Center, he conquered it.
“I basically had to relearn from algebra up to calculus. Now I’m getting hired as an engineer,” Hunter said. “All the math professors have been great. It was a 180.”
Hunter credited NMC with helping him get scholarships that he estimated covered 15 to 20 percent of his educational costs. He also met his girlfriend at NMC, 2015 nursing alumna Victoria Peck. She’s moving with him to Hawaii and will look for a nursing job there.
“My life would have been completely different if it weren’t for NMC,” Hunter said.
Jan 9, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
January 10, 2018
If luck is defined as preparation meeting opportunity, then Brendan Hunter, who said “aloha” to a new career this month, could be in contention for luckiest NMC graduate of 2017.
Fresh off his December graduation from NMC’s Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program, Hunter started this week as a junior ocean engineer for Sea Engineering in Oahu, Hawaii.
“I’m going to be working on a pier (Makai Research Pier, operated by the University of Hawaii) that juts out over a coral reef into the Pacific Ocean,” Hunter said, speaking in an interview as the last snowfall in his foreseeable future fell on campus.
The job is the culmination a streak of NMC opportunities Hunter, 27, took advantage of, starting with his enrollment in 2013, just as the college rolled out its first-in-the-nation associate’s degree in Freshwater Studies.
He completed that degree just as NMC introduced its first-in-Michigan community college bachelor’s degree. Without that program in marine technology, Hunter would have transferred.
“I would have gone into a tangential field, oceanography or engineering,” he said. “It worked out perfectly. I stayed at NMC and kept studying what I wanted to study.”
Last month, the Kalamazoo native became the second student to earn the BSMT degree. In terms of employment, the world became his oyster. He applied for jobs in the United Arab Emirates, Seattle, Alaska, Boston and the United Kingdom.
At Sea Engineering, Hunter will organize the use of and implement offshore data collection with remotely-operated vehicles. About 70 percent of his time will be spent on the water, including coral reef research and deep-sea research off mounts in the Pacific.
“I would have taken this job if had been anywhere else,” said Hunter, who also received job offers in Boston and Texas. “It’s just a bonus that it happens to be in Hawaii.”
It dovetails perfectly with the skills he learned at NMC. Sea Engineering is transitioning its industrial and environmental research operation from diving to remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs).
“That transition is a big part of the reason they chose me,” Hunter said. “The same day they called to offer me the position, they had just unboxed their first ROV.”
Ironically, his choice of marine technology traces back to some bad luck and timing. Hunter graduated from high school in 2008 and enrolled in a four-year college that fall, majoring in political science/pre-law. But by his second semester, he was already questioning that choice.
“A, it was boring, and B, it was literally in the middle of the financial crisis,” he said. Foreseeing a poor job market, he decided to cut his losses, dropped out and moved to Texas, where he raced sailboats and “soul-searched.”
“I’ve always had a love of the water and been naturally drawn to exploration,” he said. “When I decided to go back to school I decided I wanted it to be in the sciences.”
There was a hurdle, however: Math.
“I was super determined to get a grasp on math,” Hunter said. He had to start in a developmental course. But with the help of NMC professors like Mary Burget and Ernie East, and the drop-in tutoring available at the Math Center, he conquered it.
“I basically had to relearn from algebra up to calculus. Now I’m getting hired as an engineer,” Hunter said. “All the math professors have been great. It was a 180.”
Hunter credited NMC with helping him get scholarships that he estimated covered 15 to 20 percent of his educational costs. He also met his girlfriend at NMC, 2015 nursing alumna Victoria Peck. She’s moving with him to Hawaii and will look for a nursing job there.
“My life would have been completely different if it weren’t for NMC,” Hunter said.
Jan 4, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
NMC now has nine pairs of snowshoes available for students and employees to sign out and use. Stop by the North Hall front desk or call 995-1410 to reserve a pair. This is a great opportunity for those who like to walk during their lunch breaks.
Also, don’t forget the NMC Fitness Center for those looking to burn off the extra calories consumed during the holidays, or those looking to start an exercise program for the new year. Please contact the fitness center at 995-1379 or stop by our new facility located inside North Hall for more information.
Jan 2, 2018 | Intercom, Student News
The library has purchased many new books so far this year. You can view a handful here along with partial descriptions or go here to see the full listing. These books are on display in the library’s lobby.
(more…)
Dec 23, 2017 | Intercom, Student News
September 27, 2017
NMC Aviation, already celebrating its 50th anniversary, notched another notable accomplishment this fall – the largest number of new female students ever.
The six women, from Michigan to Indiana to Alaska, more than double Aviation’s total female enrollment. They took various paths to the Aero Park campus – from a sight-unseen enrollment after a relative’s recommendation to a cold-hard calculation of cost to value. But after only a few weeks of class, they share a sentiment of satisfaction with the small, welcoming program that gets students into the pilot’s seat ASAP.
“It was amazing. The second week of school we were up in the air,” said Kate Hauch, 29 (above), the Alaskan who enrolled upon the recommendation of her brother-in-law, a former student. She never set foot on campus until she arrived from Juneau a couple days before classes, but has felt welcomed.
“You’re a new student, you don’t know how to fly, let’s learn,” is the attitude she found.
“Being able to fly the first week of school at NMC really made a big difference,” agreed Regan Lezotte, 18, of Howell. She had wanted to go to Western Michigan University and spent months agonizing over her choice. A cost analysis showing she’d save six figures by attending NMC tipped the scales.
“There are some smaller houses that I could buy with this money I’d be saving,” Lezotte said.
At Western she wouldn’t have been flying until summer 2018, and would have been among 800-900 students instead of 50.
“It’s more intimate. My instructor knows me, he knows my name,” said Lezotte, whose goal is to fly in corporate aviation. She’s also already found an internship for next semester, working in the Airport Operations and management offices at Cherry Capital Airport.
Hauch plans to return to Alaska and work in either the aerial survey industry or flying medical evacuation flights. Meanwhile, the Saginaw native is enjoying the warmer weather and the local scenery, like her “gorgeous” first flight up the Leelanau peninsula.
“I love the northern area,” she said.
NMC Aviation will celebrate its first half-century with a symposium and gala dinner at the Grand Traverse Resort Thursday. More details are available at nmc.edu/aviation50.
Dec 23, 2017 | Intercom, Student News
September 30, 2015
Stephine Deeren doesn’t just go to work at Addiction Treatment Services. She fulfills her calling.
Her job as a detox care coordinator can be stressful, but Deeren, a 2013 NMC graduate, says that it’s worth it for the chance to help clients individually as well as to change community stigmas about substance abuse.
“It’s really rewarding in that you’re really making a difference,” she said.
What goes around, comes around. Back in high school, Deeren, now 26, was selected as an NMC Commitment Scholar. Since 1993, NMC has offered full-tuition Commitment Scholarships to promising first-generation college students who might not have the means to attend otherwise. The goal: to make a difference in their lives.
The class of 2019 will be inducted next week. Consisting of 113 students from schools throughout the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District, it’s the largest Commitment class ever.
It’s a pivotal moment for those students, said Deeren. Her career path began with an Introduction to Psychology class at NMC. She’s now pursuing her bachelor’s degree through Grand Valley State University at NMC’s University Center, and she eventually plans to get her master’s in social work.
“That’s where I found out what I wanted to do, was my first two years at NMC,” she said. “It really allowed me to have that self-discovery that I needed.”
Like Deeren, each student entering Commitment next week will have a chance for a full-tuition scholarship by meeting graduation and grade point requirements. For students outside Grand Traverse County, the value is up to $25,000. Commitment Scholarships are funded through the NMC Foundation and are a priority area for the college.
More than 1,000 students have gone through Commitment, with 91 percent completing the requirements.
Emily Sklodowske is another alumna.
“It was so significant. It was a huge turning point for me,” said the 2007 graduate of Benzie Central High School.
Sklodowske decided to try going away to school first. But after a year at Ferris, she returned to NMC where her Commitment scholarship was still available.
After a year here, Sklodowske was approved to use remaining scholarship funds on a study abroad trip to Italy. That hooked her on international travel and set the course for her career path.
“I knew, after Italy, that I had to go back. I had to keep doing that,” she said.
She now works at Passageways Travel in Traverse City and is planning a trip to Costa Rica in December. Her advice to incoming Commitment scholars? Do everything they can to maximize the opportunity.
“ I would go right straight to NMC after high school, if I could go back and change that,” she said, citing the “top-notch” faculty, classes and experiences she found on campus. “This is something you need to take advantage of.”
Dec 23, 2017 | Intercom, Student News
September 15, 2015
Record donation makes expansion possible
It was time for something big, Diana and Richard Milock decided.
NMC today announced the largest single gift by living donors in college history, a $2 million gift to expand the Dennos Museum Center. That gift also happens to be the largest ever for the Milocks, stalwart cultural philanthropists whose touch is evident everywhere in northwest Michigan, from Milliken Auditorium to the Bijou Theatre to the YMCA.
“We saw this as an opportunity to have a major impact on a community resource that we think is really important to the life of Traverse City. We’re really just so excited to be able to do this,” Diana Milock said.
The 9,000-square-foot expansion will house two new galleries intended to be named, respectively, the Gene Jenneman Permanent Collection Gallery and the Diana and Richard Milock Sculpture Gallery. The former honors the museum’s founding director. Under Jenneman’s quarter century of leadership the Dennos has built a strong permanent collection of works, but most sit in storage.
“We have wonderful works of art and there just isn’t room to show them,” Diana Milock said.
Art lovers and collectors themselves, the Milocks have supported both the Dennos and NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute for more than a decade. Diana Milock has a special affinity for sculpture, which will be evident in the expansion. Windows lining one wall of the expansion will connect the new sculpture gallery to existing outdoor sculptures that surround the museum.
“I love outdoor sculpture. If we have access from the interior to observe the exterior, it’s a natural to fill that in,” she said.
The donation will also fund loading dock and storage improvements and a new classroom space.
“This gift from the Milocks speaks strongly to the support that Northwestern Michigan College has earned from this community and our shared desire to strengthen NMC’s role as a leader in providing cultural opportunities,” said NMC President Timothy J. Nelson.
“I am pleased to see this next step in the direction of the Dennos take place in our coming 25th year,” Jenneman said. “With these permanent collection galleries we will be positioned to make our art collection more accessible on an ongoing basis and to develop more defined connections to the College’s academic programs.”
Preliminary architectural drawings are complete. NMC hopes to bid the project in early 2016, the museum’s 25th anniversary year, and break ground later in the year.
Dec 23, 2017 | Intercom, Student News
June 17, 2015
When the National Cherry Queen is crowned next month, Hannah Beaudry will be hoping the luck of the pine tree is on her side.
The NMC student is one of four finalists vying for the 2015 crown. If she wins, Beaudry, 19, will become the fifth queen within the past decade with NMC connections.
“Being able to have a college experience in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, is such a blessing to me. Hopefully there’s a lucky charm with NMC and cherry queen, but who knows,” said Beaudry, a 2013 Elk Rapids High School graduate who is studying elementary education.
She’ll finish her NMC classes in December and then go on to complete her bachelor’s through Central Michigan University at the University Center.
The Cherry Queen scholarship would cover the remainder of her tuition costs, she said.
“It would be life-changing to earn that scholarship and graduate college debt-free,” she said.
At NMC, Beaudry’s favorite instructor has been history professor Jim Press.
“He made us think in such an amazing way. He really focused on critical thinking,” she said. “The way he lectures is like he’s telling a story, and it just made history so interesting. And I did not love history before that.”
On July 10, Beaudry will hope to make National Cherry Festival history, walking away with the crown first awarded in 1925.
