Get your flu shot today!
Be healthy for the holidays! Get your flu shot at Health Services! Just $15! Walk In: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Located in the Biederman building. (more…)
International Affairs Forum presents: “Diplomacy in an Election Year: What’s at Stake?”
Join the International Affairs Forum as they present Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, America’s legendary diplomat as he leads the discussion Diplomacy in an Election Year: What’s at Stake? The event will take place Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6:00- 7:15 p.m. in the West Hall Conference Room with a reception prior to the presentation at 5:15 p.m. This event is FREE to all current students and educators. (more…)
2015 Barbecue projects to share $40,000
TRAVERSE CITY — The NMC Barbecue Board has approved nine projects that will share $40,300 in funds from this year’s 60th annual picnic under the pines, set for May 17.
College employees submit proposals for Barbecue funds to support program and equipment needs, contingent on funds raised that day. A subcommittee reviews and recommends proposals to the Barbecue Board, a group of NMC employees and community volunteers led by new president Gary Carlson. This year’s recipients are:
- NMC traditional pow-wow
- Multi-parameter water quality sonde
- Student Success Center workspace
- Lean Champion flipped classroom equipment
- College for Kids scholarships
- Library laptop loan program
- ROV student design team tether
- Scholarship Open sponsorship
- Side scan sonar for Nautical Archaeology
The late Gerald W. Oleson and his wife Frances, founders of Oleson’s Food Stores in Traverse City, started the annual fund raiser picnic in 1956. Oleson’s Food Stores continues to donate all the food. About 10,000 people attend every year, raising more than $1.5 million for college programs and equipment over the years.
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 17, free live entertainment is provided throughout the day. Children’s games and activities will also be provided. The Barbecue will once again strive toward zero-waste, with composting and recycling services available.
Tickets for the event are $6 in advance and $8 on Barbecue Day and are available online at nmc.edu/bbq or by contacting the NMC Office of Public Relations & Marketing at (231) 995-1020.
Release date: march 13, 2015
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-discriminationNMC student is top in the state after overcoming great challenges
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College student Kathy Tahtinen has been named the “New Century Scholar” for Michigan.
Tahtinen received the highest score in the state on the All-USA Community College Academic Team Application which measures grades, leadership, activities and most importantly, how students extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom.
This honor is especially meaningful for Tahtinen, a returning college student. She graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 1994 but had only one year of college before her life took a different turn, namely becoming a mother to two sons. She joined the workforce, but lost her job in the economic downturn. After two and a half years of unemployment, she decided to enroll at NMC in 2011.
Returning to school was scary, she told her teachers then. Initial placement exams indicated she was underprepared for college and she was now a single mother to teenagers. On top of all the usual demands teenagers impose, Tahtinen’s older son, Dominic, has been challenged by progressive hearing loss since birth.
But once enrolled in NMC’s Bridge program designed for nontraditional students, her confidence and ambition were unveiled. She has a cumulative 3.95 GPA, even while taking honors level courses. She is a member of NMC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the community college honor society, works full-time for Inland Seas Education Association as well as seasonal part-time jobs and will graduate with three associate degrees this spring.
Tahtinen is considering various options to continue her education, including beginning the process of applying to Harvard University for an extension program.
“It makes me really excited,” she said.
During this last year at NMC she has also shared classes with her son, who’s dual-enrolled as a high school senior. They sit next to each other in science class.
“For me, it’s a proud moment to have my son following in my educational journey,” she said.
Tahtinen will receive a $2,000 scholarship and be recognized March 24 at the Phi Theta Kappa Annual Convention in Lansing, April 20 at the American Association of College Presidents AACC Convention in San Antonio and then May 1 at NMC’s Honors Convocation.
Fifty community college students from the United States and American Samoa were named 2015 New Century Scholars — receiving a total of $100,000 in scholarships. The New Century Scholars Program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, and the American Association of Community Colleges.
More than 1,700 students were nominated from more than 1,000 community colleges for recognition.
Release date: March 6, 2015
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-discriminationManufacturing Day offers career exploration opportunity
Note to media: Coverage is welcome at participating manufacturers (list below) between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. Contact Ken Scott for location details: kscott@nmc.edu or (231) 995-2212.
TRAVERSE CITY — Two dozen local manufacturers will open their doors to 600 area middle and high school students, triple the inaugural 2014 attendance, as Traverse City marks its second annual Manufacturing Day Oct. 2.
Manufacturing Day is an annual national event designed to showcase the career opportunities modern manufacturing technology offers. Last year eight manufacturers in the Traverse City Airport Industrial Park hosted 200 students, with each student visiting three busineses. This year, students will again visit three manufacturers located on eight different bus loops in Grand Traverse and Kalkaska counties. Representing industries including automotive manufacturing, food production, precision tool and screen printing, the event is designed to showcase the diversity and opportunity of manufacturing careers to a future potential workforce.
“It shows students that there’s another avenue after high school,” said Dan Oberski, principal at Traverse City West High School, which will send students to the event. “It’s been something that’s been overlooked for so long.”
Overlooked because manufacturing today is a far cry from the Industrial Revolution-era images students might see in their textbooks, of dirty, gritty, largely urban factories.
“Manufacturing Day illustrates we have some real booming, bustling businesses right here in town,” Oberski said.
NMC Training Specialist Kennith Scott said engaging students is key to local manufacturers, who face the dilemma of growing markets but an aging skilled workforce.
“It’s just putting energy into the problem and getting the community to see the opportunities,” in skilled trades like machining, fabrication and welding, Scott said.
Northwestern Michigan College is coordinating the event in collaboration with the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council. Participating manufacturers include Kennametal, RM Young Co., Clark MFG, SMI Aerospace, National Vacuum Equipment, CPM Extrusion, Tool North, Tran Tek, Forkardt, Microline, Plascon, United Engineering Tooling, Britten Studios, TentCraft, Bay Motor Products, SMI Automotive, Cone Drive, Strata Design, Cherry Capitol Foods, RJG , Kalkaska Screw, Coding Products and Hayes Manufacturing
Established in 2012, Manufacturing Day seeks to expand knowledge about and improve the general public’s perception of manufacturing careers and the industry’s value to the U.S. economy. The Traverse City event is one of more than 1,000 planned around the nation.
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kennith Scott
NMC Training Specialist
kscott@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2212
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-discriminationThe Syrian Refugee Crisis: A First-Hand View
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s International Affairs Forum and the Utopia Foundation will present a global hot spot conversation and an opportunity to donate to the Syrian refugee crisis at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in Milliken Auditorium.
Speaker Dr. Curt Rhodes comes to Milliken directly from working at refugee camps in Jordan. Rhodes is the founder and international director of Questscope, an NGO founded in that country that works with individuals, communities, local organizations and international partners to produce social, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities for marginalized youth in the Middle East.
The Syria conflict has fueled the worst humanitarian crisis of modern times. Before fighting broke out in 2011, Syria’s population was 22 million. Today, half those Syrians have been forced to flee their homes. More than 7 million are now displaced within Syria and 4 million have become refugees in neighboring countries of Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. These countries are now overwhelmed and, as resources have begun to run out, conditions have sharply deteriorated.
Rhodes began his career in the Middle East in the early 1980s as assistant dean in the School of Public Health at the American University of Beirut. During the 1982 invasion of (west) Beirut, he volunteered in a community-based clinic alongside students and friends, doing around-the-clock triage for wounded and ill civilians. That experience formed the seed of Questscope, and Rhodes has now spent more than 30 years working with and on behalf of marginalized communities and young people across the Middle East.
Tickets are $10 and free to students and educators. Half of each ticket price will go to Questscope’s emergency fund for Syrian refugees in Jordan. The Utopia Foundation will also match the first $1,000 of donations made during the evening.
Release date: October 8, 2015
For more information:
Karen Segal
International Affairs Forum co-chair
(231) 715-6064
jsegal_kpuschel@yahoo.com
Dr. Dave Zehnder
Questscope board
(231) 526-2981
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-discriminationBond refinancing saves taxpayers $1.2 million
TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County taxpayers will save $1.2 million in interest over five years following a refinancing of $12.2 million in general obligation bonds earlier this month.
Bids were sought in December 2014. Standard and Poor’s awarded NMC its AA long-term rating, signifying the college’s “very strong capacity” to meet its obligations. Chemical Bank submitted the lowest interest rate of 1.38902 percent and was awarded the refinancing.
This is the third time NMC has refinanced bonds originally issued in 1999, when voters approved $34.7 million for capital and equipment projects, including construction of a new technology education building (Parsons-Stulen Building), and demolition and construction of the Great Lakes Campus. The first refinancing was in 2005 and the second in 2009. Collectively, taxpayers will save $3.2 million as the result of the three refinancings.
“This outcome is a result of NMC fulfilling its duty to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars,” said NMC President Timothy J. Nelson. “Both the actual interest savings and the very strong bond rating should give Grand Traverse County residents confidence in the college’s fiscal management going forward.”
Release date: January 26, 2015
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-discriminationGreat Lakes water level fluctuations – What does the future hold?
TRAVERSE CITY — Lakes Michigan and Huron have risen more than three feet in two years, going from all-time record lows in 2013 to slightly above long-term averages today. Great Lakes property owners, boaters, government officials and anyone with an interest in what those rapid fluctuations mean for the lakes are invited to learn more at a May 18 seminar.
Sponsored by NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, the seminar will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. May 18 at the Hagerty Center and is the first of a three-part series focused on understanding Great Lakes water levels and how future trends may influence our region. Subsequent seminars will be held June 22 and a future date. In an effort to help decision-makers address the challenges and opportunities posed by Great Lakes water level variability, this integrated assessment (IA) focuses on Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie and asks:
What environmental, social, political, and economical policy options can be implemented to better enable people, businesses, and governments to adapt to Great Lakes water level variability both now and in the future? What management actions can be implemented?
This work is part of a Great Lakes-wide investigation awarded to seven teams of U.S. and Canadian researchers for six-month planning grants. Planning grants began in March and run through August 2015. Potential adaptive strategies will be examined, and appropriate localities and partners willing to collaborate in the IA funding from the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan will be identified.
This first community stakeholder event will include presentations and discussions from leading experts and scientists focused on Great Lakes water levels. Learn about the latest developments of a new International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD – 2020), the benchmark of how lake levels are measured, and the importance of this effort for the entire Great Lakes. Speakers and topics include:
Water Levels in the Lakes, Upcoming International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD) Update
Laura Rear McLaughlin – Mapping and Charting Program Manager
Colleen Roche, PE – Design and Development Engineering Team Lead
NOAA, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS)
Relationship of the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) and the IGLD, Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS), Updates to Datums
Dave Rigney – Michigan geodetic advisor
NOAA, National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
Updates on Nautical Charts in the Great Lakes
Tom Loeper – Regional Navigation Manager – Great Lakes Region,
NOAA, Office of Coast Survey (OCS)
Communicating Long-term Great Lakes Regional Water Budget and Water Level Data
Dr. Drew Gronewold Ph.D. PE – Physical Scientist,
NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required as space is limited. Please RSVP to: water@nmc.edu and provide names of attendees and a contact number.
Release date: May 6, 2015
For more information:
Hans VanSumeren
Director, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute
(231) 995-1793
hvansumeren@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-discriminationDobek, Heffner named 2015 Faculty Excellence winners
TRAVERSE CITY — A science instructor and a social science instructor were named the 2015 winners of NMC’s annual Faculty Excellence awards at commencement ceremonies May 2.
Dr. Jerry Dobek, who teaches math and astronomy and also heads NMC’s Joseph H. Rogers Observatory is the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award winner. Brian Heffner, who now leads NMC’s Police Academy, is the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award winner. Chosen by a student selection committee, criteria for both awards include teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.
Dobek began at NMC in 1989 as an adjunct instructor, and in 2002 won the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award. He is also an NMC alumnus. In their nominations students said:
- “This professor has a ‘leave no one behind’ mentality which is evident from the beginning of each new semester. With the teacher’s consistent mentorship, you will have no doubt that you will pass.”
- “This instructor has an amazing gift and ability to teach in a way that is fun.”
- “With his real-life way of looking at math from all angles, you see and learn that yes, we use math all the time.”
Heffner began in 2007 as an adjunct instructor as well, and was hired as director of NMC’s Police Academy this past January. In their nominations, students said:
- “This instructor shows a real interest in the students and is always a positive and wonderful role model.”
- “The instructor does an excellent job engaging students from the start of class.”
- “The course material is clearly organized and I feel people that have taken these classes have learned more from the way the instructor teaches the material.”
The Faculty Excellence award was initiated by a contribution from longtime NMC benefactors Harold and Imogene Wise in 1970 and first awarded to a full-time faculty member in 1971. The Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award was created in 1999 as a companion.
See previous Imogene Wise winners »
See previous Adjunct Faculty Excellence winners »
Release date: may 5, 2015
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-discriminationNMC Children’s Choir auditions
TRAVERSE CITY — Students entering kindergarten through grade 9 this fall who love to sing and want to improve their abilities are invited to participate in NMC’s award-winning Children’s Choir program for its 25th season beginning fall 2015.
Auditions will be held Tuesday and Thursday, June 9 and 11 from 6–8:30 p.m. in Fine Arts room 102 on NMC’s main campus. The audition involves singing the first verse of “America the Beautiful” and performing simple vocal exercises. Student placement in one of the six choirs depends on both chronological age and musical and vocal readiness. Students in kindergarten through second grade may enroll in prelude or dolce choirs without an audition. Schedule a 5-minute audition by calling (231) 995-1700.
A second round of auditions for the 2015-16 season will be held in September. Learn more about the Children’s Choir here »
Release date: May 26, 2015
For more information:
Jeff Cobb
Director of Music Programs
(231) 995-1338
jecobb@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-discriminationWinter performances for NMC ensembles continue Feb. 27
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s performance ensembles will take the stage for several concert this winter.
February 15: NMC Choral Concert featuring NMC Chamber Singers, Canticum Novum and the NMC Children’s Choirs. 3 p.m., Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and children (ages 12 and younger) and available at the door. Call (231) 995-1553 for more information.
February 22: NMC Music Department Recital – Chamber and choral music featuring the NMC Music Faculty and Grand Traverse Chorale. 3 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. Donations taken at the door for the NMC Music Student Scholarship Fund.
February 27: NMC Concert Band – Enjoy an evening of concert band favorites. 7:30 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and children (ages 12 and younger). Admission for NMC students with student ID is free. Call the Milliken Auditorium box office at (231) 995-1553 for more information.
March 1: Pure Acappella. Join Canticum Novum and other regional a cappella groups. 3 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. Tickets available at mynorthtickets.com.
Release date: FEbruary 5, 2015
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
NMC 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-discriminationSounds of the Season – Five holiday concerts in December
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s performance ensembles invite you to join them for one of five upcoming holiday-themed concerts:
December 5 – The NMC Jazz Ensembles for present their Winter Jazz Ensemble Showcase! Laurie Sears directs the Jazz Lab Band and Jazz Big Band. 7:30 p.m, Milliken Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and children (ages 12 and younger). Admission for NMC students with student ID is free. Call the Milliken Auditorium box office at (231) 995-1553 for more information.
December 6 – NMC Chamber Singers and NMC Vocal Jazz Ensemble present “Sounds of the Season” featuring holiday music for voices. Jeffrey Cobb and Mike Davis direct. 7:30 p.m., Central United Methodist Church. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and children (ages 12 and younger). Tickets are available at the door. Call (231) 995-1338 for more information.
December 9 – The NMC Concert Band presents Traditional Music of the Holiday Season. Pat Brumbaugh directs a joint concert with the Northport Community Band. 7:30 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and children (ages 12 and younger). Admission for NMC students with student ID is free. Call the Milliken Auditorium box office at (231) 995-1553 for more information.
December 13 -14 – The NMC Grand Traverse Chorale and Children’s Choir join the Traverse Symphony Orchestra for “Home for the Holidays.” Come be a part of this wonderful tradition! 7:30 p.m Dec. 13, 3 p.m. Dec. 14, both at Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Call the TSO at (231) 947-7120 for more information.
Release date: November 19, 2014
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
Special prices for educators and students at National Writers Series event
A Conversation with Susan Casey will be held November 18 at 7 p.m. at the City Opera House. Special ticket prices are $10 for educators and $5 for students! Bestselling author Susan Casey talks about the mysterious life of dolphins. “What if nature spoke to us in music, and the dolphins were her chorus? What if we stopped talking, and joined their harmony?” ~ Susan Casey
The event will feature guest host Doug Stanton who is a founder of the National Writers Series and the author of the New York Times bestsellers In Harm’s Way and Horse Soldiers.
For Tickets: Stop by the box office, call 231-941-8082 or go to nationalwritersseries.org. (more…)
Thank you…
Dear Colleagues:
Thank you to my NMC family for your support during my father’s illness and his passing. Your cards, flowers, kind words, visits, and time (M. Ward) have helped me during this difficult period. (more…)
NMC Technology Help Desk- Tech tips: Connecting to Wi-Fi – iOS device
Tech Tips is presented by our Technology Help Desk and will provide you with simple explanations to tech troubles you may come upon in everyday technology use. These posts will occur regularly and will include a wide variety of topics. If you have further questions regarding the Tech Tips, please contact the Technology Help Desk at (231) 995-3020.
The following is information regarding connecting to Wi-Fi from an iOS device. (more…)
Position vacancies
Are you looking for career opportunities? Find it here! jobs.nmc.edu. Current openings include:
Chemistry Instructor
Coordinator for Data Reporting and Analysis
Nurse – Student Health Services (more…)
Benefits corner: Open Enrollment FAQs
The following is FAQs for Open Enrollment. (more…)
Nominate an Instructor Today! The Faculty Excellence Awards Deadline is December 19
Have NMC instructors made a difference in your life? Could “dedicated,” “innovative” and “excellent” be used to describe them? If you are looking for a way to recognize the impact an NMC teacher has had on your learning journey, please consider nominating him or her for an Imogene Wise award.
This is the highest teaching honor awarded at NMC and nominations can only come from students. Nominations are due by December 19 and can be submitted here ».
The award was initiated by a contribution from longtime NMC benefactors Harold and Imogene Wise in 1970 and first awarded to a faculty member in 1971. Recipients are chosen by a student selection committee, and award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.
Kudos!
Kudos to the following people and departments! (more…)
Student jobs
Student jobs can be found on the Student MyNMC page under “Jobs On Campus.”
Grounds
Lab Assistant – Biology
Security Officer
White Pine Press Staff (more…)
Employee anniversaries
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)
Success Story: Making Uncle Sam proud
November 11, 2015
Lifesaving has been all in a day’s work for Doug Lathrop for more than 25 years.
As a helicopter rescue swimmer and advanced helicopter rescue school instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard, Lathrop’s descended to places like Washington’s Olympic Mountain Range (left) where he plucked a climber who had fractured a knee and cracked ribs in a fall. He worked in nine states, including Alaska, and was certified as an EMT.
So when he started thinking about life after the Coast Guard, nursing seemed like a natural path. And Lathrop, 50, knew right where he wanted to start that second career: NMC.
At 25, Seth DuMoulin is on the opposite side of his Coast Guard career. But like Lathrop, he, too, attends NMC using military benefits, fitting in classes around his active duty schedule at USCG Air Station Traverse City in pursuit of an engineering degree.
Lathrop and DuMoulin are among the 5 percent of NMC students who are veterans or active-duty military. They share an academic distinction, too: Both are on the dean’s list.
Traverse City station
A California native, Lathrop and his family were first stationed in Traverse City from 2000 to 2004, and his youngest son was born here. Other stations followed, and then the family of five returned for a second stint in 2009. In 2013 Lathrop left for his last Coast Guard post, in North Carolina. He rejoined his family in Kingsley in 2014, and started classes at NMC that fall.
While he credits the Coast Guard for instilling his work ethic, the pre-ADN student said it’s NMC faculty and staff who have inspired an enthusiasm for learning that didn’t exist the first time he tried college.
“They definitely set veterans up for success here at the college,” said Lathrop, who aspires to earn a master’s degree and teach nursing himself.
Writing instructors Janet Lively and Jennifer Witt were especially significant, he said, so much so that he’s now employed in NMC’s Writing & Reading Center.
“I wasn’t a very good writer the first time,” he said. “NMC really allowed me to take off with my writing.”
College support ‘critical’
DuMoulin (right) agreed college support has been critical to his persistence. An avionics electrical technician for the Coast Guard, he started in fall 2013 and almost every semester, duties and deployments have prevented regular attendance.
“NMC has been really good at working around it,” he said. In spring 2014, for instance, the Coast Guard sent him to two different out-of-state trainings held mid-semester.
“I had to complete the semester load in two weeks,” DuMoulin said of his intermediate algebra class. Instructor Jim Szczechowski let him take the final a month and a half early and DuMoulin earned a 4.0.
He missed the fall 2014 semester altogether due to an international deployment. He was enrolled and expecting to resume classes in spring 2015 when yet another deployment forced him to miss the first week. Even back in Traverse City, his shift scheduling meant he missed another two classes per month. DuMoulin still landed on the dean’s list.
Like Lathrop, DuMoulin said the Coast Guard helped cultivate him into a student. He enlisted in 2010, after an unfulfilling post-high school graduation year working in a Youngstown, Ohio, Pizza Hut. “My study habits weren’t the best from high school,” he said.
Now, he prides himself on his academic reputation. His instructors know that if duty calls, he won’t use it as an excuse.
“They know I’m going to try on my part to stay caught up,” he said.
DuMoulin also tries to visit his two-year-old son back in Ohio as often as he can, and is thinking ahead to summer 2017, when his commitment at Air Station Traverse City will expire. He’d like to find an engineering job in Colorado, where he could snowboard. Whether military or civilian, his advice for student success is simple.
“I realized all I needed to do was care. That went a long way,” he said.
Success Story: Making Uncle Sam proud
November 11, 2015
Lifesaving has been all in a day’s work for Doug Lathrop for more than 25 years.
As a helicopter rescue swimmer and advanced helicopter rescue school instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard, Lathrop’s descended to places like Washington’s Olympic Mountain Range (left) where he plucked a climber who had fractured a knee and cracked ribs in a fall. He worked in nine states, including Alaska, and was certified as an EMT.
So when he started thinking about life after the Coast Guard, nursing seemed like a natural path. And Lathrop, 50, knew right where he wanted to start that second career: NMC.
At 25, Seth DuMoulin is on the opposite side of his Coast Guard career. But like Lathrop, he, too, attends NMC using military benefits, fitting in classes around his active duty schedule at USCG Air Station Traverse City in pursuit of an engineering degree.
Lathrop and DuMoulin are among the 5 percent of NMC students who are veterans or active-duty military. They share an academic distinction, too: Both are on the dean’s list.
Traverse City station
A California native, Lathrop and his family were first stationed in Traverse City from 2000 to 2004, and his youngest son was born here. Other stations followed, and then the family of five returned for a second stint in 2009. In 2013 Lathrop left for his last Coast Guard post, in North Carolina. He rejoined his family in Kingsley in 2014, and started classes at NMC that fall.
While he credits the Coast Guard for instilling his work ethic, the pre-ADN student said it’s NMC faculty and staff who have inspired an enthusiasm for learning that didn’t exist the first time he tried college.
“They definitely set veterans up for success here at the college,” said Lathrop, who aspires to earn a master’s degree and teach nursing himself.
Writing instructors Janet Lively and Jennifer Witt were especially significant, he said, so much so that he’s now employed in NMC’s Writing & Reading Center.
“I wasn’t a very good writer the first time,” he said. “NMC really allowed me to take off with my writing.”
College support ‘critical’
DuMoulin (right) agreed college support has been critical to his persistence. An avionics electrical technician for the Coast Guard, he started in fall 2013 and almost every semester, duties and deployments have prevented regular attendance.
“NMC has been really good at working around it,” he said. In spring 2014, for instance, the Coast Guard sent him to two different out-of-state trainings held mid-semester.
“I had to complete the semester load in two weeks,” DuMoulin said of his intermediate algebra class. Instructor Jim Szczechowski let him take the final a month and a half early and DuMoulin earned a 4.0.
He missed the fall 2014 semester altogether due to an international deployment. He was enrolled and expecting to resume classes in spring 2015 when yet another deployment forced him to miss the first week. Even back in Traverse City, his shift scheduling meant he missed another two classes per month. DuMoulin still landed on the dean’s list.
Like Lathrop, DuMoulin said the Coast Guard helped cultivate him into a student. He enlisted in 2010, after an unfulfilling post-high school graduation year working in a Youngstown, Ohio, Pizza Hut. “My study habits weren’t the best from high school,” he said.
Now, he prides himself on his academic reputation. His instructors know that if duty calls, he won’t use it as an excuse.
“They know I’m going to try on my part to stay caught up,” he said.
DuMoulin also tries to visit his two-year-old son back in Ohio as often as he can, and is thinking ahead to summer 2017, when his commitment at Air Station Traverse City will expire. He’d like to find an engineering job in Colorado, where he could snowboard. Whether military or civilian, his advice for student success is simple.
“I realized all I needed to do was care. That went a long way,” he said.
Fingers & Toes Before It Snows winter clothing drive
This event is being put on by the Ferris State University social work students. Come to the Chum’s Corners’ Culver’s on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 2-4 p.m. and donate an article of new or gently used winter clothing and receive one free custard per person, per donation! All donations will be given to Goodwill of Northern Michigan’s Street Outreach program. Street Outreach locates and engages homeless adults and families living on the streets of the Grand Traverse area. Street Outreach provides emergency assistance and/or referrals to community based support services. (more…)
New Osterlin Library hours starting Nov. 16
Starting Monday, Nov. 16, the Osterlin Library and the Student Success Center will start opening at 7:30 a.m. The earlier opening time will apply to this Fall and Spring 2016 semesters (not summer) and will not apply when the college is on holiday or spring breaks.
Although the Student Success Center will open at 7:30 a.m., testing will still open at 8:00 a.m.