Success Story: NMC pilots to compete in historic Air Race Classic

Apr 17, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

April 17, 2019

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.

Let’s all do the Barbecue!

Apr 16, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

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

Let’s all do the Barbecue! (And volunteer too!)

Apr 8, 2019 | Intercom, Student News

Tickets for the annual NMC Barbecue, set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 19 on main campus, are now on sale online and at the NMC Foundation office on main campus and at the Extended Education offices on the University Center campus.

Volunteers are also being sought to help put on the picnic under the pines, a spring tradition marking its 64th year. Sign up to volunteer here; most shifts are just two or three hours long and every volunteer gets a free commemorative t-shirt!