Success story: Studying abroad yields broader perspectives

April 26, 2017

NMC student Paige Harrigan in Costa RicaBefore Paige Harrigan experienced her first study abroad trip in 2015, she had traveled fairly extensively, to Hawaii, Mexico and Caribbean islands.

But that Costa Rica experience, including a home stay with two non-English speaking families and visit to a banana plantation, opened her eyes to a whole different world than the tourist-oriented resorts she’d visited before.

“I absolutely loved the whole experience,” Harrigan said. “I got hooked, for sure.”

Ranked 12th among community colleges nationwide for short-term study abroad, NMC hooks lots of students like Harrigan — 45 will depart for four destinations next month. NMC also helps make study abroad more affordable with the Global Opportunities scholarship, which awards up to $1,000 per student. Nearly all participants (42) received it this year.

NMC student Paige Harrigan in Costa RicaHarrigan is bound for her second study abroad destination May 8: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Biology instructor Greg LaCross, who led a group to South Africa last year, will lead Harrigan’s group to do service work at a school in the capital city of Quito, and then field work in the islands.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Galapagos. It’s always been a bucket list thing,” Harrigan, 22, said of the place where Charles Darwin refined his theory of evolution. Students will stay at Darwin’s research station, working with Ecuadorian national park personnel to perform ecological research, monitor sea turtles and catalog migratory patterns of indigenous species.

“I’m really excited about the animals, all the different species,” said Harrigan, who graduates this spring from the collaborative NMC-Western Michigan program in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. This fall, she plans to — wait for it — travel, and look for a job on the West Coast.

Other 2017 study abroad destinations include:

Sicily – Culinary students will participate in traditional Sicilian cooking classes, shop in local outdoor food markets, visit a cheese research center, make Sicilian chocolate, visit Mt. Etna, and participate in a local culinary competition. First-time destination

Morocco – Humanities students will enhance their understanding of world cultures via home stays with Moroccan families, interaction with Moroccan college students, development of a more in-depth understanding of Islam and visiting historic sites. They’ll also venture into the Sahara Desert via camel to learn more about traditional Berber customs. First-time destination

Ecuador (Yunguilla) – Business, culinary and education students will visit an eco-tourism cooperative, lending their skill sets to village families hoping to improve the economic welfare of the region by marketing and producing local products for visitors to the cloud forest. Home stay included

Find out more at nmc.edu/study-abroad

Success story: Studying abroad yields broader perspectives

April 26, 2017

NMC student Paige Harrigan in Costa RicaBefore Paige Harrigan experienced her first study abroad trip in 2015, she had traveled fairly extensively, to Hawaii, Mexico and Caribbean islands.

But that Costa Rica experience, including a home stay with two non-English speaking families and visit to a banana plantation, opened her eyes to a whole different world than the tourist-oriented resorts she’d visited before.

“I absolutely loved the whole experience,” Harrigan said. “I got hooked, for sure.”

Ranked 12th among community colleges nationwide for short-term study abroad, NMC hooks lots of students like Harrigan — 45 will depart for four destinations next month. NMC also helps make study abroad more affordable with the Global Opportunities scholarship, which awards up to $1,000 per student. Nearly all participants (42) received it this year.

NMC student Paige Harrigan in Costa RicaHarrigan is bound for her second study abroad destination May 8: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Biology instructor Greg LaCross, who led a group to South Africa last year, will lead Harrigan’s group to do service work at a school in the capital city of Quito, and then field work in the islands.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Galapagos. It’s always been a bucket list thing,” Harrigan, 22, said of the place where Charles Darwin refined his theory of evolution. Students will stay at Darwin’s research station, working with Ecuadorian national park personnel to perform ecological research, monitor sea turtles and catalog migratory patterns of indigenous species.

“I’m really excited about the animals, all the different species,” said Harrigan, who graduates this spring from the collaborative NMC-Western Michigan program in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. This fall, she plans to — wait for it — travel, and look for a job on the West Coast.

Other 2017 study abroad destinations include:

Sicily – Culinary students will participate in traditional Sicilian cooking classes, shop in local outdoor food markets, visit a cheese research center, make Sicilian chocolate, visit Mt. Etna, and participate in a local culinary competition. First-time destination

Morocco – Humanities students will enhance their understanding of world cultures via home stays with Moroccan families, interaction with Moroccan college students, development of a more in-depth understanding of Islam and visiting historic sites. They’ll also venture into the Sahara Desert via camel to learn more about traditional Berber customs. First-time destination

Ecuador (Yunguilla) – Business, culinary and education students will visit an eco-tourism cooperative, lending their skill sets to village families hoping to improve the economic welfare of the region by marketing and producing local products for visitors to the cloud forest. Home stay included

Find out more at nmc.edu/study-abroad

Student Appreciation Week!

  • Tuesday, April 25: Ice Cream Bar
  • Wednesday, April 26: Pizza
  • Thursday, April 27: Cupcake Bar (Decorate your own!)

All events FREE from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Cafeteria in West Hall

Hawk Owl Cafe Weekly Curve Menu

April 24-28

Monday:
Lunch: Roasted Portobello Cobb Salad
Dinner: Hot Pastrami sandwich with potato salad

Tuesday: Mac and Cheese Bar

Wednesday : Oodles

Thursday: Local Dish

Friday: Spicy Shrimp Vegetable Stir fry

Good luck on finals!

The Advising Center wishes you great success on your final exams in the coming weeks!

Remember that we are open all summer to help with career and academic planning.

Make sure you have are registered for Fall semester before this semester is over!

Mark your calendars for Honors Convocation and Commencement

Save the dates!

Be sure to mark your calendars to attend these two important events recognizing our outstanding students and graduates!

Honors Convocation will take place Friday, May 5 with the reception starting at the Dennos Museum’s Sculpture Court at 4:45 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at the Milliken Auditorium at 5:30 p.m.

Commencement will be held Saturday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the gymnasium at Traverse City Central High School. The public is invited to attend, or can watch the ceremony streamed online here.

If you have any need for a new cap/robe/hood, please contact Lisa Krupp-Wilmeth at 5-1048.

Hope to see you there! 

NMC to offer underwater ROV pilot training for ADCI

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College is now the exclusive provider of underwater ROV pilot training credentialed by the Association of Diving Contractors International, a Houston-based association of more than 600 diving companies.

The 10-week program results in an ADCI Pilot Technician Certificate that students obtain as a stand-alone credential.  Classes, expected to begin this fall, will be limited to 10-12 students, ensuring highly focused instruction and training scenarios. 

Hans VanSumeren, director of NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, said training was built to industry needs. Students will get hands-on training in multiple underwater scenarios including open water, deep water, under ice and around structures. Hydraulics, electronics, pumping systems, troubleshooting, deployment scenarios and other fundamentals are also covered.

“ROV training at NMC has evolved to support all marine sectors and applications.  Our people, facilities, and location allow us to train for numerous scenarios and environments,” VanSumeren said. “The curriculum is based directly on feedback from employers and by reviewing other training programs.” 

ADCI once certified ROV pilots itself, but lacked a way to vet or assess applicants’ training and experience, according to executive director Phil Newsum, who stopped the practice in 2006. That created a problem.

“Now more than at any time in the underwater industry have we seen such a reliance on ROV operations, especially in tandem with commercial diving,” Newsum said. “(Thus) we have a huge void in the underwater industry, especially here in the United States, where we do not have formal training programs for ROV pilots.”

Last year, however, an industry contact tipped Newsum off to the marine technology programs at NMC. He visited the campus in September, and realized that NMC’s curriculum could fill that void.

“I get to see different training programs globally. By far, this is one of the most impressive,” said Newsum.

When fully deployed, 24-36 people are expected to enroll annually.  The first class is anticipated to be offered in fall of 2017.

VanSumeren added the program is structured to be dynamic, evolving with industry.

“The entire training program must be agile for responding to the changes in competencies required by industry whether that is next year, in five years or beyond. “

Release date: April 19, 2017

For more information:

Hans VanSumeren
NMC Great Lakes Water Studies Institute
hvansumeren@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1793

Phil Newsum 
Association of Diving Contractors International
pnewsum@adc-int.org
(281) 893-8388

 

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

Window on the World Week: April 18-21, 2017

Tuesday, April 18:

Global Flavor Day

  • Taste international cuisine from Turkey brought to you by Sodexo.
  • 11 a.m.–1 p.m, Hawk Owl Café, West Hall

International Club

  • International Dinner featuring fine cuisine from many regions and cultures as well as international talents and entertainment. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available through MyNorthTickets.com
  • 6–8 p.m., Hagerty Center

Wednesday, April 19:

Global Flavor Day

  • Taste international cuisine from Thailand brought to you by Sodexo.
  • 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Hawk Owl Café, West Hall

Study Abroad/Global Endorsement Fair

  • Interested in understanding the world? Have dreams of exploring further than the U.S. but not quite sure how? International Services and Service Learning will have information on how to make this possible. Students will also be available to answer questions and share their experiences with the Global Endorsement and NMC study abroad.
  • 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Hawk Owl Café, West Hall

“Africa Beyond”

  • Features the music of the African diaspora with special emphasis on West and Central Africa and the West Indies.
  • 7–9 p.m., WNMC 90.7

Thursday, April 20:

Passport Lecture Series Brown Bag Lunch—Ukriane

  • Explore other cultures through the experiences of NMC students. Bring your lunch and hear international student Olga Narolska speak about Ukraine.
  • 12:15–1 p.m., Founders Hall, Room 110

International Affairs Forum, “Turkey at the Crossroads”

  • Turkey is a key member of NATO and America’s most important Muslim ally. It plays a crucial role both in the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and in Europe’s struggle to deal with the flood of refugees and migrants. Lawrence Mandel, fresh from service as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey brings an authoritative view of recent events and how they might impact the foreign policy of the new administration in Washington.
  • 6–7 p.m., Milliken Auditorium

Friday, April 21:

Sounds From Afar Live

  • WNMC brings you Sounds from Afar Live, a program of popular music from around the world. The featured countries include Cuba, Senegal, Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, India, Japan, Sweden and more.
  • 11 a.m.–2 p.m., WNMC 90.7, West Hall, Student Lounge, lower level

Global Literature Reading Group, “My Son’s Story”

  • A group discussion for students, faculty and staff of Nadine Gordimer’s My Son’s Story. This novel s set in apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s and tells the story of a black activist and his family. Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991 and was active in the anti-apartheid movement.
  • Noon-1:30 p.m., Scholars Hall Room 104

Sponsored by the NMC Office of International Services & Service Learning, International Club, the International Affairs Forum, WNMC and Sodexo.

Meal Plan Expiration and Sodexo Summer Hours of Operation

The Hawk Owl Cafe will close May 5, 2017 at 2 p.m. and will re-open:

May 8, 2017, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday only

All other locations will be closed for the summer. 

All Meal Plans will expire on May 5, 2017 at 2 p.m. 

Please make sure you use all funds. They will not be refunded or transferred to another semester. 

Preordered Graduation Caps and Gowns

Preordered graduation caps and gowns are now available at the bookstore. Stop by to pick yours up today! Still need to buy your cap and gown? Extra are available for purchase in the bookstore.

Therapy Dogs at the Library

Take a break from all the stress and come hang out with some sweet puppies! They will be in the library lobby during finals week:

  • Monday, May 1, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 2, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Wednesday, May 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Second annual IT Olympics

TRAVERSE CITY —  NMC will host the second annual IT Academy Olympics from 9:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. Friday, May 5 in the Parsons-Stulen Building on the Aero Park Campus.

About 80 students from the TBAISD Information Technology and Web & Game Programming programs will spend the day engaging in competitions created by NMC’s Computer Information Technology department, including network design, security, robot programming, and web design. Local IT industry representatives will judge the competition and sponsor prizes.

“This is a great opportunity for ISD Career Tech students to show off their skills and for employers to see the next crop of IT gurus raised right here in TC,” said NMC CIT instructor Keith Weber. 

Release date: april 17, 2017

For more information:

Keith Weber
CIT instructor
kweber@nmc.edu 
(231) 995-1908 

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

WRC Hiring for Fall 2017

The Writing and Reading Center is hiring for the 2017-2018 school year. This is a paid position carrying a load of 8-12+ hours per week. The schedule is flexible around your current obligations and includes training. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Contact Megan Ward (mward@nmc.edu) or stop by the WRC (Scholars Hall Room 221) for an application. Applications are due by April 28. 

Success story: Transfer student Maddy Jenner is Dean’s Research Scholar at MSU

April 12, 2017

Chelsea Cooper of NMC's Great Lakes Water Studies Institute tests water quality on a local lakeMSU Dean’s Research Scholar Maddy Jenner
Photo by Harley Seeley
You might say it was chemistry when Maddy Jenner sat down in NMC instructor Blake Key’s classroom in 2014.

The Traverse City West High School graduate hadn’t chosen a major and enrolled in Introductory Chemistry to fulfill a science requirement. She found a career calling.

“As soon as I had that fall semester done with, I knew for sure chemistry was it,” Jenner said. “(Key) was the one who inspired me to go into chemistry when I was in his class.”

She transferred to Michigan State University a year later and is now wrapping up a year as a Dean’s Research Scholar, a prestigious group of a dozen selected among 5,000 science and math majors in the College of Natural Sciences.

Undergraduates don’t often do research, but when Jenner heard about the opportunity she stepped right up.

“I want to do research as a career,” she said.

Her research in the field of aromatic compounds focuses on minimizing the side effects of drug interactions. The experiences of family and friends led her to the realm of pharmaceutical research.

“I know that I can make a difference in that kind of world,” she said.

The experience also required public speaking to alumni and donors, valuable to her future.

“I really enjoyed this experience because I have to talk about my research to a non-scientific audience,” she said. “Being able to explain it to other people is really important to me now and for my career in years to come.”

Jenner expects to graduate in 2018 and is considering graduate schools. Her top choice now is the University of North Carolina, home to highly-regarded pharmaceutical sciences program.

Key isn’t surprised by the achievements of his former student.

“It was apparent really early that she was turned on by what was going on in the class,” he said.

Jenner said her NMC years prepared her well for what lies ahead.

“The difference from community college to university was not as huge as I thought it would be,” she said.

One thing Jenner would like to see: more fellow female students.

“I do have a couple labs where I am the only girl out of 30 people,” she said. “Earlier on, when I was just declaring my major, I would have people, especially guys, tell me, ‘I don’t know, that’s a hard major.’”

That implicit doubt of her abilities used to bother her, but no longer.

“I’m way past that point now,” she said. “I know my capabilities, even if it means being the only girl in the lab.”

Success story: Transfer student Maddy Jenner is Dean’s Research Scholar at MSU

April 12, 2017

Chelsea Cooper of NMC's Great Lakes Water Studies Institute tests water quality on a local lakeMSU Dean’s Research Scholar Maddy Jenner
Photo by Harley Seeley
You might say it was chemistry when Maddy Jenner sat down in NMC instructor Blake Key’s classroom in 2014.

The Traverse City West High School graduate hadn’t chosen a major and enrolled in Introductory Chemistry to fulfill a science requirement. She found a career calling.

“As soon as I had that fall semester done with, I knew for sure chemistry was it,” Jenner said. “(Key) was the one who inspired me to go into chemistry when I was in his class.”

She transferred to Michigan State University a year later and is now wrapping up a year as a Dean’s Research Scholar, a prestigious group of a dozen selected among 5,000 science and math majors in the College of Natural Sciences.

Undergraduates don’t often do research, but when Jenner heard about the opportunity she stepped right up.

“I want to do research as a career,” she said.

Her research in the field of aromatic compounds focuses on minimizing the side effects of drug interactions. The experiences of family and friends led her to the realm of pharmaceutical research.

“I know that I can make a difference in that kind of world,” she said.

The experience also required public speaking to alumni and donors, valuable to her future.

“I really enjoyed this experience because I have to talk about my research to a non-scientific audience,” she said. “Being able to explain it to other people is really important to me now and for my career in years to come.”

Jenner expects to graduate in 2018 and is considering graduate schools. Her top choice now is the University of North Carolina, home to highly-regarded pharmaceutical sciences program.

Key isn’t surprised by the achievements of his former student.

“It was apparent really early that she was turned on by what was going on in the class,” he said.

Jenner said her NMC years prepared her well for what lies ahead.

“The difference from community college to university was not as huge as I thought it would be,” she said.

One thing Jenner would like to see: more fellow female students.

“I do have a couple labs where I am the only girl out of 30 people,” she said. “Earlier on, when I was just declaring my major, I would have people, especially guys, tell me, ‘I don’t know, that’s a hard major.’”

That implicit doubt of her abilities used to bother her, but no longer.

“I’m way past that point now,” she said. “I know my capabilities, even if it means being the only girl in the lab.”

Student Spring Formal Dance

Res-Life Council and Phi Theta Kappa are hosting a Spring Formal! Join us for a night under the stars at the West Bay Beach Resort & Hotel, located next to the Great Lakes Campus.

A fun filled night with a great DJ and photo booth. Come early and enjoy appetizers and drinks from 7-8 p.m. This is an alcohol-free dance, no one will be admitted with alcohol or allowed back in after consuming alcohol.

Students not attending NMC may go as long as they are with an NMC Student and have their ticket purchased by an NMC Student. It is a spring formal, so go all out and dress to the nines! There are limited tickets, so get them while they last. You can purchase tickets at the Advising Office in the Osterlin Building or the East Hall Building on campus.

Details: The Spring Formal is April 22, 7-11 p.m. at West Bay Beach Resort & Hotel (615 E Front St. Traverse City, MI 49686)