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 | 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 15, 2018 | Intercom
- 70 people weighed in and 57 weighed out- 81% completed the challenge!
- Total weight lost was 116.5 pounds!
- 49 people stayed under the 3 pound gain limit!
Congratulations to all of you for participating in this challenge!
The 49 people who stayed under the 3 pound gain were entered into a random drawing for a Ftibit Alta and the winner is…………..Rorie Kawula!
Jan 15, 2018 | Intercom
KUDOS – (praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved) defined by Merriam-Webster.com
Submit a Kudos here.
Kudos to Julie Hansen and Cindy Deemer – There is a lot of motion with clinical placements at Munson Medical Center for nursing students that require a lot of switching, changes and processing for NMC registration to match those placements. Cindy and Julie jumped right in to help all of this line-up and they’re a tremendous asset to nursing staff, faculty and students. That behind the scenes work can make a tremendous difference in ensuring a quality experience as our students head to the hospital. I’m deeply appreciative of both Julie and Cindy and thankful for the team approach they so clearly demonstrate.
Jan 15, 2018 | Intercom
Are you looking for career opportunities? Find them here! jobs.nmc.edu. Current openings include:
Position Vacancies
- Flight Instructor – Adjunct Faculty
- Geography Adjunct Faculty
- Automotive Adjunct Faculty
- Clinical Nursing Adjunct Faculty
- GLMA Adjunct Faculty
- Surgical Technology Adjunct Faculty
Supplemental Employment
- Banquet Server – Hagerty Center
- Kitchen Steward
Jan 15, 2018 | Intercom
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
(more…)
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 9, 2018 | Intercom
The IRS mileage rate for business use of a vehicle changed from 53.5 cents to 54.5 cents per mile beginning January 1, 2018. Read more about the change here »
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 3, 2018 | Intercom
Read about what our Training Services team is up to including upcoming classes that you may be able to take for free using the tuition reimbursement benefit: mailchi.mp/nmc/nmc-training-services-january-2018-newsletter
This month’s topics include Training Services’ year in review, Max Anderson’s first year as executive director of the TC Chamber, potential for a boom in sales of northern Michigan fruit products, Manufacturing Day, upcoming workshops, and more!
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
September 2, 2015
A classroom may not seem like the natural habitat for a self-professed “adrenaline junkie” like Austin Groesser, but he’ll be in one this fall.
The firefighter and EMT is one of the first students in a new associate degree-paramedic program offered jointly by NMC and Munson Regional EMS. This semester he’s taking English, biology, and psychology while continuing to accrue work experience as an EMT. Once Groesser has two years of EMT experience, he’ll be eligible to enroll in Munson’s paramedic program. NMC will accept the coursework he completes in that program as transfer credit. And by September 2017, Groesser expects to earn both his associate’s degree and his paramedic license.
“If I’m going to spend the time doing it, I’d much rather have a paper degree plus my license,” said the 2013 graduate of Traverse City West High School.
Groesser, 19, said the versatility of the degree attracts him. His career goal is to be a full-time firefighter, but departments want to hire individuals who can double as paramedics.
“Fire medics are the future,” he said, adding that he’s drawn to both the adrenaline rush of the job and the potential to do good.
“It’s a really powerful job. You can save lives,” he said.
Daryl Case, manager of Regional EMS Education for Munson, said the degree is important in the context of a career lifetime.
“Being a paramedic is a young person’s game,” Case said. “They look to move up the line to management, education.”
Rudy Rakan is completing the program in the opposite direction. He already has two years of EMT experience working for Munson and two different ground agencies, so he began the paramedic portion of the program in July. Also 19 and a Traverse City West High School graduate, Rakan expects to complete that in fall of 2016 and begin his NMC coursework in spring 2017.
“When I found out they were offering the associate’s degree, I was excited because as a health care industry everything is pushing toward more education,” he said.
Students could also flow to other NMC programs like nursing.
“The student is the one who gains,” said Laura Schmidt, NMC’s director of nursing.
NMC will also provide assessment testing for incoming students.
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.
