Marilyn Dear, 70, (right) will exemplify that truth Saturday, when she accepts her associate degree at NMC’s 2019 commencement ceremony, finishing what she started more than 50 years ago.
“I’m so excited,” said the Traverse City mother of five sons, whose grade point average entitles her to wear the yellow stole of Phi Theta Kappa, the international community college honor society, with her cap and gown. “I’m going to hang this diploma up on the wall and be proud I finished.”
Until Saturday, Dear shared the position of more than 1 million fellow Michigan residents — some college, but no credential to show for it. Helping that group of people attain credentials is key to closing Michigan’s talent gap, says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. NMC President Tim Nelson agrees.
“It’s a big need for the state, and community colleges are in position to help figure out how to meet that need,” he said in a recent interview.
Dear started at Schoolcraft Community College immediately after high school graduation in 1966, but dropped out after two semesters to join a friend on a trip to California. In Denver she met the man who would become her husband, Jerry Dear. A move back to Michigan, marriage, family, a move to Traverse City and work occupied the next four decades, and the 28 credits she’d earned at Schoolcraft sat parked on a shelf.
In 2011 her job was eliminated. Her children were grown. Dear seized her opportunity.
“I thought, ‘let’s go back to school,’ “ she said.
She was pleasantly surprised to discover the Schoolcraft credits transferred to NMC. “That was part of the reason I was encouraged to finish,” she said.
NMC Director of Advising Lindsey Dickinson said her office works with each student to make the most of any existing credits.
“We know how crucial it is for incoming students,” said Dickinson, who transferred from NMC herself in 2002. “We work one-on-one with students to help them maximize transfer credits towards completion at NMC.”
After taking just one business class, Dear found a new job, at Knorr Marketing in Traverse City. She’s been a working student ever since, taking one or two classes a semester, once taking a year off when work was busy, but always returning. She finds school invigorating.
“It’s healthy, because it’s making my brain work,” she said. “As I get older, I think that’s only a plus.”
Dear will miss some of her favorite instructors — business instructor Nicole Fewins and Tom Gordon in history. She’s not sure how she’ll celebrate. She will have more time to train for the triathlons she does annually. She might visit her son who lives in New York City. Her sons might have something planned, too.
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s Dance department will present Dance Mix 2019 at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 5 in Milliken Auditorium.
Under the director of Dorothy Eisenstein, the annual end-of-year concert will feature choreography by NMC faculty, students and guest artists.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students and seniors and available at mynorthtickets.com at and the door. Call (800) 836-0717 for more information.
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
Join the NMC Magazine staff on Wednesday, May 1 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. in Fine Arts 115 to celebrate our creative community at the “In Brief” magazine release party. Come meet the staff and enjoy short readings, visual art, and light refreshments.
Health Services will be closed May 15 – August 12. If you need refills, please contact our office as soon as possible, Monday through Friday, at 995-1255.
End of School Year Celebration and Employment Fair
Please join us for our annual end of the school year celebration May 2 from 4–6 p.m. at 2510 Aero Park Drive. Open to all NMC and high school automotive Career Tech students and instructors, current and former.
Meet with automotive employers from our region from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to qualify for prizes! NMC project vehicles and exhibits will be on display and tool vendors will be on site.
On Thursday, April 25, between 2 and 5 p.m., the Null Squad Paintball Team will hold a food drive in the Health & Science Building lobby near the NMC Bookstore to help fill the NMC Food Pantry. Please bring items to donate.
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s International Affairs Forum will mark World Press Freedom Day Tuesday, April 30 with a presentation by Rami Khouri, Beirut-based journalist and international commentator and professor of journalism at the American University in Beirut.
Set for 6 p.m. at Traverse City’s State Theatre, the event is an opportunity to evaluate press freedom around the world and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. In 2018, 53 journalists were killed in the line of duty and more than 250 imprisoned.
Dialogue on stage will be facilitated by Jacob Wheeler, NMC journalism instructor and adviser to the student-run White Pine Press newspaper. The event will include recognition of local journalists. Tickets are $5 and free to students, educators, and journalists.
Release date: April 23, 2019
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Karen Segal International Affairs Forum co-chair (231) 715-6064 karenpsegal@gmail.com
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
Rami Khouri, internationally acclaimed journalist, commentator, author, and professor at American University of Beirut, speaks with clarity and authority on the challenges facing journalism — and journalists — today.
Tickets are $5.00 and FREE to students, educators and journalists. Call (231) 947-3446 to reserve your seat.
Hannah Beard and Jessi Martin (click for high-resolution version)NMC’s aviation program will get a lofty showcase before a national audience this summer when a pair of student pilots fly across North America in the Air Race Classic, the oldest air race of its kind, and exclusively for female pilots.
Ninety years after legendary aviator Amelia Earhart made cross-country racing popular, Team Hawk Owls — Hannah Beard of Interlochen (left) and Jessi Martin of Maple City (right) — will take off from Jackson, Tenn. on June 18 in an NMC Cessna. The 2,500 mile trip is a race against the clock broken into nine legs. They expect to land in Welland, Ontario, by June 21.
“It’s going to be marathon,” Martin, 43, said.
“Sunrise to sunset flying,” agreed Beard, 23.
Entering the Air Race Classic is the latest example of how women at NMC are making significant strides in what has long been a male-dominated field. While only four percent of U.S. airline pilots are female, nearly 20 percent of current NMC aviation students are now women. The college is now home to a chapter of Women in Aviation International, which allows them to network and support each other.
Women are also becoming leaders among the overall student population. Beard is NMC’s top-performing aviation student this year, mastering commercial pilot skills faster than any other student, Aviation director Alex Bloye said.
“She met all the requirements of the certificate much quicker than any other student we’ve seen in recent years,” Bloye said.
He said competing in the Air Race Classic will drawn more awareness to NMC’s aviation program. Only one other community college has entered. Among the 15 academic teams are mostly large universities including Western Michigan University, Purdue and Ohio State.
“This race will put NMC and our pilots on the national stage with some of the best aviators in the world,” he said. “This is an exciting opportunity to not only inspire the next generation of NMC students, but to give Hannah and Jessi a chance to expand their envelope of experience.”
Their plane’s tail number — N157KC — honors former flight instructor, Kevin Copeland, who passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2017. An NMC flight instructor, Victoria Gann, will be racing as part of another team. Air Race Classic pilots range from ages 17 to 90.
“We look forward to seeing Hannah and Jessi cross the finish line. This will be a huge accomplishment that will help to solidify interest of future NMC race teams,” Bloye said.
NMC is seeking sponsors to help underwrite the $10,000 cost to compete, which includes fuel, transportation and lodging. Contact Paris Morse at the NMC Foundation, pmorse@nmc.edu, for more information.
Follow Beard and Martin’s progress at the NMC Aviation Facebook page. They expect an NMC cheering section may show up at the race’s seventh stop, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Be sure to mark your calendars for these two important events recognizing our outstanding students and graduates!
Honors Convocation will take place on Friday, May 3 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 4 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.
Locking your Computer Prevents Malicious Activity… for PC, Mac and Chromebook Devices.
Why? It prevents others from gaining access to your computer, files, student information, emails and performing malicious activities on your NMC Device(s).
Observe NMC dance students and guest dancers cross the campus with improvisational dance on Monday, April 29, 3:10-5:10 p.m. featuring live music by Dede Alder. For more information, contact: Dorothy Eisenstein, project director deisenstein@nmc.edu
TRAVERSE CITY — Tickets are now on sale for the 64th annual NMC Barbecue, set for May 19 on main campus. The traditional spring “Picnic Under the Pines” will raise money for student scholarships and the new West Hall Innovation Center.
The Barbecue Board, a group of community volunteers and NMC employees, has pledged $9,000 this year into its existing endowed BBQ scholarship fund of $25,000 for NMC’s Commitment Scholars Program. With that program, NMC promises a college education with a scholarship that covers 60 credit hours to selected northern Michigan ninth graders who are first-generation students, show academic promise and potential, and have financial need.
The BBQ Board has also pledged an investment of $30,000 over the next 5 years to The West Hall Innovation Center, currently under construction. The multi-million dollar project will renovate and modernize the 50-year-old building to create a 54,000-square-foot, multi-story library and flexible learning space. It will incorporate innovative and transformative learning environments and multiple academic and simulation spaces.
“The NMC BBQ has a long and proud history of investing in the future of our region, whether it’s through the students themselves, or by creating the learning spaces they need to succeed,” said BBQ Board President Heather Jewell. “It’s exciting to know a $6 picnic meal can have such an incredible impact when we all join together to support our college.”
Advance tickets are $6 and available online now through My North Tickets at mynorthtickets.com/events/nmc-bbq-2019 with a $1.25 processing fee. Pre-sale tickets will also be available for $6 at all Oleson’s Food Stores, the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, the NMC Foundation, and many financial institutions. Tickets are $8 on Barbecue Day.
The late Gerald W. Oleson and his wife Frances, founders of Oleson’s Food Stores in Traverse City, started the annual fundraiser picnic in 1956. Oleson’s Food Stores continues to donate all the food. Several thousand people attend every year, raising more than $1.8 million for college scholarships, programs and equipment over the years.
The NMC BBQ is also a proud “friendraiser” for the college with nearly 500 community volunteers giving back to their community college. To help with the event sign up online or go to nmc.edu/bbq and click “Volunteer at the BBQ.”
In addition to the traditional menu of buffalo steakettes or hot dog, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and beverage and ice cream served from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on May 19 , free live entertainment is provided throughout the day. Classroom displays and program exhibits offer the public a chance to see what’s going on at NMC. Children’s games and activities will also be provided. The Barbecue will once again strive toward zero-waste, with composting and recycling services available.
Release date: April 16, 2019
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing & 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
Tuesday, April 16, 12:15-1 p.m.,
Dennos Museum Lobby
Come enjoy a guided tour of Orna Ben-Ami’s exhibit, Entire Life Package, and the Inuit art that we have on display at the Dennos Museum. Entire Life in a Package is the story of millions of refugees with millions of packages, suitcases, sacks — “Life packages” that hold the desire to survive. In it, they pack both hopes and pains. Behind every package there is someone looking for a place. The objects that people take, in one package, represent their identity and sense of belonging, their memories and hopes for the future.
The NMC International Club will facilitate this month’s featured discussion topic of mental health, and how it is understood and treated around the globe. What’s Up World is a monthly student-led talk series that investigates current global topics. Join us for complimentary pizza and beverages in a living room setting with enlightening conversation. No prior knowledge on the topic is required.
When: April 17, 8:30-9:30 p.m., East Hall Lower Study Lounge
Join us for a free screening of Line 5, Barton Bund’s three-part series, followed by free refreshments and an informal community discussion in Scholars Hall room 217. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments following the film.
It’s never too late to finish what you started.
End of School Year Celebration and Employment Fair
Tuesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at the State Theatre
Entering the Air Race Classic is the latest example of how women at NMC are making significant strides in what has long been a male-dominated field. While only 
TRAVERSE CITY — Tickets are now on sale for the 64th annual NMC Barbecue, set for May 19 on main campus. The traditional spring “Picnic Under the Pines” will raise money for student scholarships and the new West Hall Innovation Center.
Tuesday, April 16, 12:15-1 p.m.,