Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
February 17, 2016
Black Lives Matter. So do women’s lives, LGBT lives, and allies’ lives. And all of those causes might matter, it turns out, to whether the students advocating for them graduate, or even earn a better GPA.
NMC’s Student Life office presently has more groups focused on social issues — including a Black Student Union, a feminist-oriented Students United for Gender Rights (SUGR), and PRIDE, an LGBT group — than Student Life dean Lisa Thomas can remember.
That’s important because research shows engaged students are more likely to succeed in college. (A 2010 Purdue study even showed that student group members earned higher GPAs than non-members. Group officers had higher GPAs still.)
Moreover, Thomas says that when the groups are related to a student’s area of academic interest, it magnifies the connection between engagement and success.
“Seventy-five to 80 percent of the time, the student group they’re in makes sense because of an academic interest they have in their area,” she said. “This kind of engagement leads to student success.”
SUGR founder Kia Schwert exemplifies that. A dean’s list student, she entered NMC intending to study social work. After her sociology instructor gave her a book, “Feminism is for Everyone,” by bell hooks, she decided to start a feminist group.
That instructor, Rachel Johansen-Wilczewski, now advises SUGR. She said the members’ dedication, even meeting over the winter holiday break, impresses her.
“They mean business,” she said.
In addition to on-campus events, SUGR is now focused planning an alternative spring break trip focused on awareness of human trafficking and assistance to victims. Schwert herself is looking ahead to transferring to a school with a women’s studies program.
BSU founder Maya James, who’s believed to be the first dual-enrolled student to start a group, is another example of the activist-success feedback loop. She aspires to law school. Later this month, her group will go to Lansing to attend the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus Capitol Day.
“The activism we’ve been doing has been shaping our community,” said James, 17, who holds weekly discussion meetings, monthly black writer book club discussions and curated a display of books in the Osterlin Library for this month’s Black History Month.
James also initiated the January campus performance of Sampson McCormick, a gay black comedian, reaching out to Schwert and Caleb Yorty of PRIDE for help.
“There’s been a lot of student leadership stepping forward,” said Yorty, 20, who’s also a dean’s list student and involved with a grief support group in addition to the social justices causes. He studies psychology.
“I’ve never watched three student groups work so effectively together,” Thomas said of the comedy event. “While they have different missions, they have overlapping values. It was really encouraging.”
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
April 26, 2017
Before 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.
Harrigan 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
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
September 30, 2020
Six newcomers and one incumbent are vying for three seats on NMC’s Board of Trustees this November, the largest field in 30 years. The top three vote-getters will serve six-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2021. We asked each candidate to answer two questions in 100 words or less:
- Why are you running?
- As an NMC trustee, what would your priorities be?
Below, in alphabetical order, are their responses. For those seeking further information, the Grand Traverse League of Women Voters will hold a virtual candidate forum from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, October 9. Links to watch are available here.
Vincent Cornellier: Serving as Trustee at NMC would round out a lifetime of educational experience and hopefully allow me to “pay forward “ some of the many benefits I have enjoyed along the way. While I have no specific agenda or platform, I would continue to strengthen partnerships with the business and medical community and of course do whatever I can to help maintain the outstanding record NMC has achieved in preparing students for further educational advancement.
Larry Johnson: I am running for NMC trustee to be of service to the students, faculty and staff at NMC, and to the Grand Traverse community. As an NMC trustee, my priorities would be to determine the needs of the college and how I could best serve its constituents; to help insure the safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors to the campus; and to explore ways in which funds could be made available to NMC, and programs developed that continue the movement toward future growth and relevance to students needs now, and in the future.
Rachel Johnson (incumbent): I’m running for re-election because communities with healthy cradle-to-grave education opportunities have a more engaged citizenry, higher average income, and greater resiliency. That’s the kind of community I want to live in, and that’s why I am invested in NMC. My priorities:
- Promote innovative, experiential and flexible educational models.
- Prioritize industry collaboration to create innovative, technology-driven programs that fill gaps in our local workforce.
- Grow globally-relevant programs like freshwater studies that train our students for in-demand jobs and attract entrepreneurial investments to our community.
- Keep tuition affordable for local families.
- Emphasize NMC’s role in promoting diversity and understanding through our lifelong learning opportunities.
Daniel Lathrop: Did not respond. He formerly served on the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners and is a podiatrist.
Laura Oblinger: Our community college has a tremendous responsibility to our region and to our learners, and now is a pivotal moment in its history. The road ahead promises incredible things to come, and this thriving organization needs leaders at the helm — leaders with the skills, passion, and integrity to assist in its growth. I believe I am one of these leaders. I am aligned to be an amazing asset to this team. It will be my priority to support President Nissley with the governance guidance he needs as well as be a genuine advocate in our region.
James Perra: With a passion for supporting student leadership and service, alongside a comprehensive viewpoint, having been a teacher, student, and a member of professional communities in the trades, medical, professional, and academic arenas, I look forward to bringing my diverse experiences, deep skill set, and fresh ideas to the NMC board. Priorities include cultivating hands-on learning where students are treated by instructors as colleagues in training, and imparted not just technical skills, but values and cultural competencies that lead to success, and to expand NMC’s role as a cultural gem for the greater community through the Dennos Museum and arts opportunities.
Kenneth Warner: With 45 years as a U-M professor, including 15 as a department chair and School of Public Health dean, I’m motivated to run by my passion for higher education and, specifically, my deep admiration for NMC’s many contributions to our community. My top priority is to maintain an excellent, affordable education for NMC’s students, necessitating a great work environment for faculty and staff and a sustained foundation of fiscal integrity. To achieve these objectives, I would encourage even closer interaction with the business, nonprofit, and arts communities to address the region’s needs and enhance programmatic innovation, a hallmark of NMC.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
October 28, 2015
NMC students pocketed an extra $137,000 this semester thanks to instructors using free and low-cost textbooks.
Led by Osterlin Library director Tina Ulrich, NMC is piloting an experiment in Open Educational Resources this semester. Ten instructors were selected to receive a stipend of either $500 or an iPad — provided by an NMC Foundation innovation grant — as an incentive to redesign their courses using free textbooks and other resources, often found online.
In the process, Ulrich discovered other instructors already using OERs or low-cost textbooks. In total, NMC has 17 instructors she calls “textbook heroes” teaching 880 students in subjects ranging from math to English to history to social work.
The hero label is no exaggeration for students in Brian Sweeney’s physics class, who each saved $198 thanks to his choice of an OER.
“I wouldn’t have bought it,” physics student Eli Seal, 31, said of the $198 textbook.
Pre-med student Alyson Bunker of Gaylord calls textbook prices “ridiculous.” One online book cost her $110, she said.
“It’s extortion,” said student Tripp Coleman, 25, of Traverse City. He’s attending school on the GI Bill® and has a book allowance of only $509 per semester. That’s barely two-thirds of the $750 NMC recommends students budget, which amounts to 15 percent of tuition costs, Ulrich said.
Students said prices for online books and book rentals are still inflated and rigged with late fees, and end-of-semester book buy backs don’t offer enough return. Many said they like the online nature of OERs like the one Sweeney chose, which can easily be searched for specific content and linked to supplementary material.
“My course is organized better than ever and the students like the extra videos and interactive supplements for the class,” said math instructor Deb Menchaca.
Students who prefer printed materials can download and print OER materials, Ulrich noted.
Besides the cost savings, instructors said going off-book allowed them to reinvigorate their courses with newer material.
“Our computers are outdated as soon as we buy them. Our textbooks are, too,” said social work instructor Lisa Blackford. Now she’s consciously choosing materials as varied as TED talks and podcasts and believes students are more engaged.
Sociology instructor Brandon Everest agreed. He uses a $30 textbook published through OpenStax College, a nonprofit initiative of Rice University. The book’s content is not as thorough as the one he previously used, but that creates an opportunity to customize the course.
“It is more skeletal, so we were allowed to hang the flesh wherever we saw fit,” he said.
In terms of student performance, most instructors said students did as well or better on tests as they did with traditional textbooks. Sweeney said every test and lab score is better this fall.
The pilot project also aligns NMC with national trends. Earlier this month two U.S. senators introduced the Affordable College Textbook Act, which would expand the use of OERs.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
September 11, 2019
One-third of the region’s 40 under 40 winners have something in common beyond being young professionals who positively influence their community — they’ve attended classes at NMC.
Thirteen of the region’s 40 most influential leaders under age 40, as named by the Traverse City Business News this month, attended or graduated from NMC.
Illustrating the breadth of programs NMC offers, they work in a wide range of fields including banking and financial services, restaurants and hospitality, nonprofits, real estate, education, health care, government, and tourism. They are:
- Max Anderson, assistant vice president, Honor Bank;
- Andrea Deibler, co-owner, Raduno;
- Lindsey Dickinson, director of academic and career advising, NMC;
- Ashley Halladay-Schmandt, clinical manager, Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency;
- Brandon Hunt, president, Mid-American Title;
- Nicholus Kopacki, site director, GVSU Physician Assistant Studies program;
- Courtney Lorenz, founder, Cultured Kombucha;
- Ben Marentette, city clerk, City of Traverse Clerk;
- Katy McCain, manager, Traverse City Tourism;
- Julie Moore, Physician Assistant, Addiction Treatment Services;
- Christopher Radu, partner, Elemint Wealth Management;
- Amy Shamroe, Jenkins Group and elected city commissioner;
- Nicole VanNess, parking director, Traverse City DDA.
Their resumes point to the value of NMC in the community. Through NMC’s University Center, Traverse City city clerk Ben Marentette earned both his bachelor’s and MBA degrees.
“You get a lot for your money. NMC allowed me to build a career without having to leave the city,” Marentette said.
Other list highlights:
- Seven of NMC-connected are also repeat winners: Anderson, Halladay, Hunt, Lorenz, Marentette, McCain and Shamroe.
- The eight women and five men among the NMC-connected is similar to the gender balance among the entire 40 over 40 list (22 women and 18 men.) NMC’s enrollment, however, is nearly 50-50 male-female.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
January 25, 2017
From left to right, Writing Center reader Zachary Harrington, coordinator Megan Ward, readers Carrie Dunklow and Diane BairAfter the busiest fall semester in NMC Writing & Reading Center history, students returning to the second floor of Scholars Hall will find more elbow room for wrestling with rhetoric, structure and argument.
One argument that seems to be settled, as evidenced by the 1,750 student conferences held last semester: Writing well matters, long after that English assignment or history paper has been turned in.
“The overall trend is that people recognize communicating, writing, being able to express yourself is important to a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different jobs,” Center coordinator Megan Ward said.
Kevin Schlueter, president and CEO of Kalkaska Screw Products and a mechanical engineer by training, said it’s a key skill the company’s 116 employees need.
“It’s just as important in technical fields,” said Schlueter, an NMC alumnus who also serves on NMC’s Foundation Board. “You have to find a way to communicate to get your point across. Having a grasp of the English language is critical to success.”
Student Gene Ward of Traverse City and Writing Center reader Diane BairIn addition to that awareness, Ward has a two-part thesis about why visits to the Center jumped 15 percent last semester, precipitating an expansion of the space over winter break.
- Cultivating relationships with instructors, including those outside traditional writing areas like Communications and Humanities
- Creating an inviting space
Every semester Ward emails all faculty to remind them of the critique services some 12 paid peer readers offer free of charge. Two years ago biology instructor Laura Jaquish was one of the more untraditional instructors to invite Ward to talk up the Center to her students in person.
“With our 100-level classes, people are often not aware of what’s available to them,” said Jaquish, who found that her Plant Biology students benefited from the one-on-one critiques. She plans to refer students in another class, Essential Biology, this semester.
Other Science & Math students, Computer Information Technology, and economics students have also found their way to the Center, which has expanded its hours into the evening and also off-site, to Osterlin Library on Sundays.
“There’s a lot of writing being asked of students,” Ward said.
History instructor Tom Gordon has long recommended the Writing Center to his students for the objective scrutiny readers can offer.
“When you’re writing, it’s really easy to know what you mean,” Gordon said. When a reader doesn’t, it opens the door to improvement.
Learning to improve is easier when the space is inviting, and that’s what Ward has aimed to create. Over Christmas break a storage closet was converted, expanding the Center’s footprint by about a third. Ward says the Center’s prized couch, which encourages students to linger, will likely move into that section, as well as computers. Then, students can begin incorporating feedback into their revisions immediately after the conferences conclude in the original section of the space.
In conclusion, expect more record-breaking semesters at the Writing & Reading Center.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
October 26, 2016
Luke Clark and Sherry Trier at the 22 To None hikeFall color tourists to northern Michigan also got a red-white-and-blue view last Saturday, as veterans and supporters organized by NMC’s Student Veterans Association hiked 22 miles to raise awareness of veteran suicide.
“We walked right down (U.S.) 31. It was pretty amazing, seeing people honk and give us the thumbs-up,” said SVA president and social work student Luke Clark of the Kewadin-to-Traverse City route, which symbolized the 22 veteran suicides that occur daily in the U.S. “It was pretty spectacular, minus the soreness of it.”
Clark, 27, has firsthand experience with the grim suicide statistics, which have propelled a grassroots, social-media fueled awareness campaign to help veterans struggling after their service.
“Two of my brothers from my unit killed themselves since we got back from Afghanistan,” Clark said.
More than 5 percent of NMC’s student population is veteran, active duty and reserve/National Guard members. NMC this year was ranked one of the top five “Best for Vets” community colleges nationwide. Campus supporters strive to meet the unique needs of this group individually, too.
“It’s heartbreaking, the statistics, to know that 22 a day we lose,” said Sherry Trier, NMC Instructional Technology Specialist. She volunteered for the first leg of the hike and then walked 16 miles herself.
“Military folks have a special place for me,” said Trier, whose father and older brother both served in the Marines, as does her nephew, now stationed in Kuwait. “It was so worth it, any ache, any pain, to be there and support it.”
Trier said the last four miles were difficult physically, after she had a problem with her shoes, but, “if I had to crawl, I would have finished.”
“On the family side, you don’t forget the experience,” said Trier, who helps organize NMC’s annual Veteran’s Day commemoration (again set for Nov. 11 this year) makes chili for the SVA chili cook-off and occasionally delivers dog biscuits to the SVA lounge in West Hall for veterans’ service and therapy dogs.
“You never know who’s having a bad day,” she said of those small things she can do for veterans. “There’s people here, we’re here to support you.”
That message came through loud and clear Saturday, Clark said.
“It was pretty amazing. It was beautiful,” he said. “It’s a real sign of the fact that we are not alone. There are organizations and institutes out there that will help us.”
Participation in the walk was free but donations collected will go to Traverse City’s Reining Liberty Ranch, which provides free equine therapy to veterans.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
October 14, 2015
If it seems like there’s a lot of new faces in classrooms this semester, you’re right.
Eight new full-time faculty members began teaching at NMC this fall, more than double the number of new faculty who started in 2014 and 2013.
Among those eight, Mac Beeker stands out for another reason: He’s the first full-time male nursing instructor in department history. And with NMC’s male nursing enrollment well ahead of national averages, he’s a fitting addition to the faculty.
“It’s a female-dominated profession, and I don’t think that’s going to change,” said Beeker, a 2010 alumnus himself. “(But) it’s not necessarily a female field they’re entering. It’s the nursing field.”
NMC’s associate degree nursing program enrollment is 21 percent male and male enrollment has climbed for the last two years, both in terms of actual students and percentages. National averages for male student nurse enrollment stand at around 15 percent. Among practicing nurses, only about 10 percent are men.
Director of Nursing Laura Schmidt said NMC has had male adjuncts, but Beeker, a medical-surgical instructor, is a pioneer in terms of full-time status.
“I think it’s very positive that there’s a male instructor,” said Brandon Thompson, a Traverse City nursing student. Graduating next spring, Beeker is the first male instructor he’s had.
Beeker, 50, entered nursing after careers in radio and non-profit management. He came to the field at 40, “half-accidentally, half intentionally” after his parents got sick. In terms of their hands-on care, Beeker discovered that nurses were the providers who truly made a difference.
“My own involvement with my parents’ health, it was pretty clear to me,” he said.
As Beeker did, many men find their way into nursing at older ages and after caregiving experiences, often as a parent or for a parent.
“Those barriers really get broken down for men as they get a bit older,” Beeker said. “There’s no way I could have done this at 18.”
Beeker said he’s particularly interested in infusing a human connection to the practice of nursing. When teaching a procedure, for instance, he seeks for students to learn not only how and when to perform it, but to conduct it with care and compassion for the patient. Skill grounded in academic knowledge delivered in a compassionate bedside manner equates to “phenomenal” nursing, he said.
“I felt that was very present in the NMC program, and I want to continue to try and develop that,” he said.
Since graduating, Beeker has earned a master’s in nursing and worked as a medical-surgical nurse providing primarily post-trauma care at Munson Medical Center. He plans to maintain that connection, working a few on-call shifts a month, to keep up his skills. He said Munson’s status as a magnet hospital for nursing, a designation of excellence by the American Nurse Credentialing Center, reflects positively on the quality of NMC’s program.
“That trickles back and is fueled by the NMC program,” he said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
April 8, 2015
Every industry offers pinnacles. Entertainers aspire to Oscars and Grammys, doctors and diplomats to Nobels, and chefs to Michelin stars.
Great Lakes Culinary Institute graduate Leslie Farrer has barely begun her career and has already helped collect one of those coveted stars. The Traverse City native, 27, is a pastry sous chef at Trump Hotel in Chicago. One of its restaurants, Sixteen, just earned its second Michelin star.
“It’s excellent. You don’t get that just by being good,” said one her NMC mentors, Chef Mike Skarupinski. “That’s something to be very, very proud of. It’s a great reward.”
Farrer discovered her interest in pastry while working at a restaurant as a student at Traverse City West High School, and toured Chicago’s renown French Pastry School. But she didn’t want to move at age 18. Enter the Great Lakes Culinary Institute.
She found the culinary curriculum, from knife skills to purchasing to menu planning, second to none. She also took her first pastry classes with Skarupinski, who remembers her as an excellent student. In contrast to savory cooking, pastry is technical.
“Pastry attracts more people who are good at math. Our recipes are very specific, they have to be very precise to get the result you want,” Farrer said.
After graduating in 2008, it was on to Chicago where she first attended and then interned at the French Pastry School. Next, she moved to Vanille, a small patisserie owned by an instructor, where she worked for four years, the last two as executive pastry chef.
She took an entry-level pastry chef position at Trump in 2013 and has already been promoted to one of two pastry sous chefs. The position offers a variety she enjoys. She might spend her work day baking bricks for a holiday gingerbread house, dipping strawberries for Sunday brunch, or planning the dessert menu for Sixteen, now one of only three restaurants in Chicago to boast two Michelin stars.
Farrer’s married to her high school sweetheart, Brian Farrer, who also attended NMC for a year and a half before transferring to DePaul University. He’s a mergers and acquisitions consultant in Chicago.
While the couple is comfortably settled in the Windy City now, Farrer remembers NMC fondly.
“It gave me a couple years to grow up,” she said. “I learned a lot about myself and how I handle situations and stress and work with other people in stressful situations.”
Skarupinski said Farrer’s success should inspire future culinary students, too.
“Having her start at NMC is another very good accomplishment for our future students as well,” he said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
March 24, 2015
A contingent of NMC students, faculty and staff who depart for Cuba Friday are the leading edge of a new distinction for the college: more study abroad students and destinations than any other Michigan community college.
The Cuba experience is among seven planned study abroad experiences this year. About 80 students from a dozen programs will travel to six different countries, including Cuba, South Africa (also during spring break), Brazil (two trips), Italy, Russia and Costa Rica. According to a survey by NMC’s International Services & Service Learning office, that’s more than any other community college in the state.
Jim Bensley directs that office and also teaches a World Cultures class. He chose Cuba as a destination before President Obama announced a plan to thaw relations with the Communist nation last December. With greater economic development imminent, experiences on the island isolated for half a century becomes even more valuable now.
“It’s rare U.S. residents ever get the chance to visit Cuba,” he said. “With Cuba so inextricably linked to the past, there is a genuine uniqueness that won’t always be as apparent as it is today.”
Looking forward to culture shock
Visual communications student Desiree Morgan is looking forward to that culture shock. She’s never traveled further than Canada, but had an interest in studying abroad. VisComm students are planning to film a documentary during the trip, which counts as academic credit.
Michael Meteer initially signed up by accident, selecting a course code that included the Cuba experience instead of one that did not. But the psychology student is happy with how things turned out.
“I’m most looking forward to the stories I’m going to come back with,” he said.
An increased emphasis on study abroad is part of the college’s strategic direction to ensure that NMC learners are prepared for success in a global society and economy. Next year, Bensley is planning eight student study abroad trips to several new destinations, including Guatemala, Ecuador, Greece and possibly Ethiopia.
For more information visit nmc.edu/study-abroad.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
March 11, 2015
Four years ago, single mom Kathy Tahtinen wouldn’t have put her name in the same sentence as Harvard University. Now, she’s considering online courses at the Ivy League school this fall.
Two years ago, Alan Holcombe was sitting in his cubicle in a Grand Rapids bank, second-guessing his choice of a finance degree. Next week he’s headed to an industry conference in Maryland, all expenses paid, to see just how far his engineering technology degree from NMC will take him.
Brian Sweeney’s educational resume includes degrees from West Point and Cornell. Now the Army retiree has come full circle to teach at NMC, where he took his first class as dual-enrolled student, building one of the college’s newest programs, photonics.
The trio have each received recent scholarships that collectively showcase not only the breadth of Northwestern Michigan College offerings, from transfer to technical, but the excellence across the board.
New Century Scholar
Tahtinen, 38, (pictured above, back row, second from right) has been named the New Century Scholar for Michigan, among just 57 outstanding community college students chosen from 1,700 nominated internationally. She’s a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international community college honor society, and will graduate in May with three associate degrees. The scholarship will help the single mother of two high school students – one of whom shares her classes as a dual-enrolled high school student – continue pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
The Harvard extension opportunity would allow her to earn a degree while taking classes mostly online. Her NMC transcripts qualify her to take three pre-admission online classes, which would in turn determine whether she could apply for official admission.
“Having that confidence to even make the phone call to Harvard was definitely something new,” she said. “When you put a challenge in front of me, I’m going to find a way. It’s just my personality.”
Hydrographic Society scholars
Holcombe, 28, and fellow student John Lutchko both received scholarships from the Hydrographic Society of America. Engineering Technology didn’t exist at NMC when Holcombe graduated from Suttons Bay High School in 2005, and he went on to earn a bachelor’s in finance and economics from a four-year school.
Cubicle life didn’t agree with him, however, and Holcombe decided to look for something where he could use his hands. In NMC’s program, he uses them to build, program and operate robots that collect data underwater. Last summer he spent an internship with the National Park Service on Lake Superior. (At leftAbove, Holcombe operates a multi-beam sonar system on the lake.)
“It’s mind-blowing to me that this was in our back yard,” Holcombe said. “My office turned from a cubicle to going out on a boat and seeing things like bald eagles and even bear cubs on the beach every day.”
The employment odds have turned in his favor, and he expects to be able to field multiple job offers after he graduates this spring.
“I can’t wait to see where it takes me,” he said.
Optics and Photonics grant
Sweeney, meanwhile, will oversee a $15,000 grant from the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC) for both scholarships and student recruitment. Photonics involves the use of lasers and other electro-optical devices in fields like manufacturing, medicine, aerospace, IT and defense. NMC was one of just four schools nationwide to receive the funding. Sweeney, 50, says the hands-on training provided is the reason why.
“West Point and Cornell had a lot of theory. We didn’t have a lot of grabbing the wrench and turning it,” Sweeney said.
Photonics started at NMC in 2012 and this is the second year the college has received the OP-TEC grant.
“These achievements illustrate the extraordinary breadth and depth of programming at NMC,” said Stephen Siciliano, NMC’s vice president for educational services. “From providing degree paths to having programs that are first in the nation and linked to our own bachelor degree shows both how broad our offerings are and the depth of scientific research that is often only associated with research universities. But one finds it here at NMC.”
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
October 26, 2022
A new, $30 million state scholarship fund to train more police officers is coinciding with major changes to NMC’s Police Academy, setting up an enrollment to employment pipeline that will ultimately benefit community safety.
Announced last week, the Public Safety Academy Assistance Program was established to help address the critical need for additional police officers statewide by reducing or eliminating the cost associated with basic police training. Law enforcement agencies are eligible for up to $20,000 per recruit for academy tuition and other training costs.
Grand Traverse County Undersheriff Mike Shea (left) said that will be a boost to his department, which earlier this year had 10 vacancies in the patrol division. He just attended the Michigan Sheriffs Association conference and of the 70 counties represented, all but one or two were struggling with vacancies.
“We are bleeding police officers. They are leaving the profession at an alarming rate,” said Shea, a 2005 NMC Police Academy alumnus himself.
“It serves both the agency and the student,” NMC Police Academy director Gail Kurowski said of the scholarship. “There are a lot of people that might be considering a career in law enforcement that don’t have the financial wherewithal to put themselves through a program.”
Applications are now open for agencies who intend to enroll recruits in an academy session beginning on or after January 1. Next fall is also when NMC debuts a new, four-month structure for its academy. That cuts in half the current time needed to complete the program and will allow NMC to better compete for students it might have previously lost to condensed academies.
“The 16-week program is going to be huge,” said Shea, who already has a candidate in mind as Grand Traverse County’s first employed recruit to start next fall.
“We’re not only not going to lose the people we have in the past to other academies that are condensed, but hopefully we’re going to attract others because of what we have to offer,” Shea said.
NMC is the only academy to offer drone certification to its recruits, for instance. NMC also far exceeds the minimum requirement for scenario training, which simulates real-world situations, set by MCOLES, the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
“We are going to have over 60 hours of scenario training,” she said.“That is huge. There is no academy in Michigan that’s going to have that.”
The $20,000 per recruit would more than cover NMC’s tuition. NMC is also the northernmost academy in the state, making it an attractive option for agencies from the UP and northern lower peninsula. Shea said another plus is that NMC’s instructors are all either law enforcement officers or attorneys.
“There is no one better to teach than those who are living it,” he said.
The combined impact of NMC’s condensed program and the new scholarship should increase the ranks of those seeking to enter what Shea called “a noble profession.”
“I’m very hopeful that that pendulum will change,” he said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
May 25, 2022
After three straight years of a 100-percent state exam pass rate and employment rate, NMC’s Police Academy program is planning big changes that will allow it to double enrollment and help fill a shortage of police and law enforcement officers statewide.
A new structure for the Police Academy slated to start in the fall of 2023 means that instead of turning out one graduating class per academic year, NMC will have one in the fall and one in the spring. Students will receive the same training by attending full time for 16 weeks, instead of part-time as they do now for the nine-month academic year.
Both students and police agencies favor the switch, Police Academy Director Gail Kurowski said. The 11 members of the Police Academy class of 2022 have all been hired (graduate Matt Morgan, above, is headed to the Michigan State Police), and police departments and sheriff’s offices around northern Michigan are eager for more graduates.
“They are really excited to see us make this change,” Kurowski said. “They are desperately in need of law enforcement personnel.”
Of the 20 police academies in Michigan overseen by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, NMC is among only a handful that still operate on academic year calendars, Kurowski said. She’s currently recruiting for the 2022–23 year, and has had to turn away almost as many students as she’s enrolled because they preferred the consolidated, shorter program. Increasing the number of credentials earned faster is also an objective within the Future-Focused Education area in NMC Next, the college’s strategic plan.
“It doesn’t work any more,” Kurowski said of the two-semester schedule. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to increase enrollment.”
Police Academy students will be learning on significantly upgraded equipment, too. Earlier this month, the Grand Traverse County Commission approved donating two used sheriff’s department patrol vehicles to the NMC program. Kurowski said she has a verbal commitment for a used Traverse City Police Department vehicle, too.
The vehicles will be outfitted with equipment donated by the Michigan State Police, including mounted display consoles for computers inside. The current 2005 vehicles NMC now uses lack any kind of police equipment.
“Our students have never gotten to turn on a siren or a light bar,” Kurowski said. “That’s going to be a huge improvement.” She expects the vehicles to be available for the 2022–23 school year.
NMC’s Aviation program and Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program also boast 100 percent employment among their graduates. The Great Lakes Maritime Academy expects all 2022 graduates to be employed within six months of graduation.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Employers are invited to register for Northwestern Michigan College’s 14th annual career fair, to be held March 5 at the Hagerty Center on the Great Lakes Campus.
The event runs from 3–6 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 now encompasses the formerly separate Jobs4Vets and NMC Technology Career Fair events, and is open to students, NMC alumni and community members. It will open one hour early, at 2 p.m., to veterans and military families only. It is held in partnership with Northwest Michigan Works and Networks Northwest.
An alumni reception follows the event from 5–6:30 p.m. at Lobdell’s: A Teaching Restaurant.
Employer registration is $25 and handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration begins Jan. 27. To register or for more information, visit nmc.edu/career-fair.
Release Date: January 23, 2020
For More Information:
Sally Smarsty
NMC Advising Center
ssmarsty@nmc.edu
231-995-1040
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
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Possible Covid Exposures, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Today NMC learned that a Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadet tested positive for COVID-19 while in self-quarantine in NMC housing ahead of a planned training cruise.
The cadet is one of 10 cadets who began a self-quarantine July 6 in NMC’s East Hall. The cadets took the COVID-19 test on July 10 and received the results today. The cadet who tested positive is asymptomatic and is now in isolation. NMC is working closely with the Grand Traverse County Health Department while it conducts its case investigation and contact tracing to determine potential spread. Because the cadets were already in a voluntary self-quarantine, the GTCHD has not identified any community exposure with this case at this time.
(more…)
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Cadets at Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) will soon depart on training cruises with increased safety protocols in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday, July 2, 12 GLMA cadets, and one faculty member will sail onboard the T/S Kennedy on its voyage from a shipyard in Mobile, AL to its homeport at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. These cadets will be joined by cadets and midshipmen from Maine Maritime Academy, California Maritime Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The ability of the cadets to sail onboard the T/S Kennedy during this evolution was facilitated by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD.) The vessel’s transit is expected to last 14 to 21 days.
“It will be a great experience, it will go a long way toward meeting our goal of ensuring cadets have the ability to graduate as per their model schedule, and it will be almost no cost to cadets,” said Jerry Achenbach, GLMA superintendent.
Monday, July 6, GLMA’s flagship training vessel, the T/S State of Michigan, is scheduled to depart, from NMC’s Great Lakes Campus harbor, for the first of three training cruises. In phase one of the training cruise, 17 cadets, and one intern from Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute will be underway for seven to nine days. The ship will not make any non-emergency port calls, and no one will depart or enter the ship to limit the risk of possible exposure to the virus.
All cadets and crew for both ships were required to be quarantined and test negative for COVID-19 before they were allowed to sail.
GLMA and NMC have adopted increased safety protocols to help protect cadets against COVID-19. These measures are based on stringent industry protocols developed by MARAD, and follow the most stringent procedures being employed by the U.S. maritime industry. Safety procedures for cadet training include single occupancy berths, inspections, continuous sanitization, safe distancing and wearing face coverings in accordance with CDC guidelines. Additionally, the Academy worked with the Grand Traverse County Health Department on the quarantine procedures.
These training cruises will help cadets meet program requirements. Earning the required 360 days of sea time during the four-year program was already a challenge due to high Maritime enrollment, few available berths aboard commercial vessels, and academic schedule constraints. Shutdowns due to the coronavirus worsened the situation. GLMA’s training vessel, the T/S State of Michigan, would normally have departed in early May on its annual two-month training cruise. Due to the pandemic, the vessel will not get underway until early July.
In addition to the new cruise options, GLMA added the tugboat Mississippi to its fleet in June. The NMC Board of Trustees approved leasing the vessel in March as an additional way to help cadets meet required sea time.
As the state maritime academy of Michigan, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College educates and trains deck and engineering officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine. Graduates earn a bachelor’s degree, and an unlimited tonnage/ horsepower merchant marine license. Read more about the Academy at nmc.edu/maritime.
Release date: July 2, 2020
For more information:
RADM Jerry Achenbach
Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent
(231) 995-1203
gachenbach@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
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — After 65 years and nearly $2 million of projects funded, Northwestern Michigan College and the Oleson Foundation have made the decision that 2020 will be the final year of the NMC BBQ event. The College and the Oleson Foundation remain dedicated to supporting students and continuing the community connection established through the event’s proud history.
“We’ve come a long way in 65 years since the Oleson family and the community first joined together to help build our community’s college. We have accomplished much and our college and region have grown and changed considerably over the years,” said Brad Oleson, NMC BBQ committee member. “As we reflect on that success, we feel now is a great opportunity to look toward the future for new ways to support the college as our students’ needs, and our community, continue to grow and change. We celebrate what we have done together and are excited to extend that path into the future to benefit our students, our college and our community for years to come.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the Oleson family’s commitment to Northwestern Michigan College. Our college might not be here today if it wasn’t for their vision and dedication,” said Dr. Nick Nissley, president of NMC. “The Olesons and the BBQ not only rallied support and resources over the years, but allowed us to open our campus to the community to celebrate all that we’ve done together for our students. I am confident we will continue the spirit of the BBQ and Oleson family for many years to come and I look forward to it.”
While the traditional BBQ event will not be returning, the College would like to host a celebration for volunteers, supporters and community members when it is safe to do so in the future.
Since the BBQ first began, there are now a wide variety of ways for the community to learn about, engage with and support the college including through the NMC Foundation, advisory boards, volunteer positions and more.
The Oleson Foundation has pledged to continue their support for the college and its students, just as they have for nearly thirty years. Most recently the Oleson Foundation made a gift of $100,000 to NMC’s new Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Marty Oleson will also continue to serve on the NMC Foundation Board.
The NMC BBQ Committee established an endowed scholarship in 2015 that will provide scholarship support in perpetuity for local students with financial need.
The last in-person NMC BBQ was Sunday, May 19, 2019. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual NMC BBQ was held in 2020. For more information on the history of the event, images from the archives and list of funded projects, please visit nmc.edu/BBQ.
Release date: July 30, 2020
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communication
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 392-6082 (m)
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
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — Last night Governor Whitmer announced new restrictions designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. The new epidemic order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will have the following impact at Northwestern Michigan College from Wednesday, November 18 through Tuesday, December 8.
- All classes, meetings, testing and student services must be delivered virtually (with the exception of some law enforcement and health occupations courses).
- The Testing Center will be closed to in person testing.
- All employee work that can be done remotely, must be done remotely.
- Lobdell’s restaurant will be closed.
- The Hawk Owl Cafe will offer food for take out only.
- The bookstore and Health Services will have limited service.
- The library will offer virtual services.
- Building access will be limited.
- Residence hall students will have the option of staying in NMC housing. Further communication will come from the Office of Residence Life.
This is an evolving situation. We will continue to monitor it and communicate with you. Students, please contact your instructors if you have questions about your coursework.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, NMC has remained committed to keeping our students and employees safe, while limiting the disruption to learning as much as possible. We appreciate your commitment to those goals. Please stay safe and continue your work to limit the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses, within our community and with your family. For the latest information on NMC’s response to the pandemic, including resources for students and employees, please visit nmc.edu/coronavirus.
Release date: November 16, 2020
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
