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aspireYour North Central Michigan College Magazine SPRING/SUMMER 2021 IN THIS ISSUE: Making an Impact A Message from the President | 3 Same Degree, Different Goals A tale of two students | 4 From NCMC to Princeton Explore what’s possible with a North Central start | 6 Celebrating our Graduates Commencement 2021 | 8 Answering the Call (cover photo) Husband and wife EMTs pursue a free college degree | 10 A SIMilar Experience Responding to COVID-19’s challenges with technology | 152 NORTH CENTRAL Board of Trustees Phil Millard, Chairman Dave Kring, Vice Chair John Fought, Treasurer Irma Noël, Secretary Melissa Keiswetter, Trustee Dan Rasmussen, Trustee James Shirilla, Trustee Admissions 231-348-6829 Athletics 231-348-6830 Business Office 231-348-6609 Corporate & Community Education 231-348-6822 Financial Aid 231-348-6698 Food & Conference Services 231-439-6391 Library 231-348-6615 NCMC Foundation 231-348-6621 Student & Community Resource Center 231-439-6370 Student Services 231-348-6605 www.ncmich.edu PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER USING VEGETABLE-BASED INK. North Central Michigan College provides exceptional, accessible, relevant higher education of and for the community. @NorthCentralMC President Finley is pictured in the new 3,000-square-foot Student Commons addition to the Administration/Classroom Building, part of a $9.9 million investment in North Central’s people, places and programs. Construction will culminate with an August 19 ribbon-cutting, when the renovated building will be formally introduced as the Borra Learning Center. See page 13 for details. ASPIRE - YOUR NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE MAGAZINEA MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Making an IMPACT On March 16, 2020, we closed our 140-student Residence Hall. It was six days after Michigan confirmed its first two cases of COVID-19, and seven weeks until the end of winter semester. In the flurry of Zoom meetings that followed, one priority became clear: North Central would work to minimize the financial impact of COVID-19 on our students. This decision was made early, without any expectation of government assistance to make the college financially whole. At the time, it meant crediting our dorm students for 7/16 of their room charges and paying our student-employees through the end of the semester, even though campus was closed. Since those earliest days, the federal government approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide economic relief to individuals, businesses, and state and local governments. The CARES Act included a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund with $14.25 billion in emergency assistance for colleges and universities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the effects of COVID-19 on their campuses. North Central has targeted its CARES Act dollars in areas we feel will make the largest, most lasting impact on our students. • Emergency financial aid grants totaling $835,426 have been distributed directly to our students. Individual grant amounts were determined using students’ estimated family contribution as reported on their FAFSA application, as well as the number of credit hours in which each student was enrolled. • We purchased two new, high-fidelity patient simulators for use by our nursing, allied health and EMS students. These manikins enhance on-site clinical and lab experiences that have been diminished by the pandemic. (See page 15 to meet “Lucina.”) • We outfitted classrooms across campus with high-tech tracking cameras and microphones. This technology allows us to “flex” our classes, simultaneously teaching students in-seat and online, in order to ensure academic continuity while maintaining physical distancing in the classroom. • We implemented Starfish, software that monitors students’ progress to help them stay engaged with their coursework. If students encounter roadblocks that threaten their academic success, faculty immediately provide recommendations for support services to help them overcome obstacles and stay on track for graduation. Even with—or perhaps especially with—the backdrop of a pandemic, North Central is delivering on its mission to provide exceptional, accessible, relevant higher education of and for our community. Thank you for your continued support as we prepare our students for success in an increasingly dynamic and interconnected global economy. Together, we are shaping the future of higher education in Northern Michigan. Sincerely, David Roland Finley, Ph.D. President By being intentional with CARES Act dollars, North Central is investing in students when and where they need it most. 3 WWW.NCMICH.EDUALUMNI SUCCESS STORY Same classes, same degree, same graduation year. Two alumni who started on the same path pursue different goals, proving the versatility of a North Central degree. A tale of two students Tom Ruthig began his North Central career with a laser-sharp focus. In 2013, he dual-enrolled in ART 109, Basic Drawing and Composition, and CIS 100, Introduction to Computers. He accumulated 16 credits while completing his high school degree as a homeschool student, taking college algebra, government and speech. But it was the combination of art and technology— the first two classes Ruthig took—that led to his interest in computer-aided design (CAD). A spark had been lit. “CAD was my intention all the way through my certificate course,” he said. “I like working with computers, so using my design skills on a computer was a good fit.” Ruthig took CAD I, Advanced AutoCAD and Architectural CAD in rapid succession, graduating in 2017 with an Associate of General Studies degree and a certificate in computer-aided design. Soon after graduation, Ruthig began his career as a mechanical designer at Aster Brands, a Charlevoix- based company with three licensed brands of steel forms for use in commercial retaining walls, light systems and residential landscape products. From his desk at Aster Brands headquarters, Ruthig programs numerical code to run the fiber laser and brake press machines on the production floor. His code tells the machines how to bend, form and cut steel to add durability and longevity to engineered concrete products. “When I finish with programming, I use my skills as a CAD tech to make designs for steel products,” he said. Precision is key when you’re producing steel guts for massive, one-ton Lego bricks that must fit together like a puzzle. When Aster Brands invested in a new fiber laser, Ruthig was responsible for its setup, operation and programming. That task has been the most rewarding project of his career, and it even came with the unexpected perk of a new nickname: “Laser Tom.” “Setting up a production process for how parts flow from design, programming, processing, and final assembly is very rewarding,” Ruthig said. “When you understand the basics of how to operate a CAD system, you can learn just about any design or computer numerical control program out there.” p TOM RUTHIG '17 ASPIRE - YOUR NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE 4“North Central taught me how to be a student so I could learn to be an engineer.” — Jacob Knott To an engineer, process is important. To an engineer charged with ensuring that a spacecraft doesn’t freeze or overheat while in orbit, it’s mission-critical. Jacob Knott has thrived as an undergrad student in Michigan Tech’s mechanical engineering program. As a member of MTU’s prestigious Aerospace Enterprise program, he’s helped design, build and fly satellites for NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. Now he’s ready to declare his master’s thesis. But the North Central alum wouldn’t have been as successful at any of his endeavors if not for the first, most important step in the process: learning how to be a college student. “When I left high school, I didn’t have the discipline or the academic skillset to be successful in Tech’s program,” Knott said. “The courses I took at North Central forced me to approach school in a different way, because college is a great deal more self-directed than high school.” Knott graduated from North Central in 2017 with an Associate of General Studies degree. His core classes—English, chemistry, sociology, trigonometry—prepared him for MTU’s rigor. His computer-aided design (CAD) and computer numerical control (CNC) classes prepared him for his Enterprise work. Knott’s first Enterprise project involved building mechanical ground support equipment for the Stratus cloud-imaging satellite. The nanosatellite, which weighs just under 10 pounds, will be deployed from the International Space Station to gather data used to improve weather models. “I had to create workable drawings and numerical code to manufacture the aluminum ground support equipment,” Knott said. “My experience in North Central’s CNC program was invaluable because it allowed me to take my design from CAD to prototype in two semesters.” While Knott enjoys being part of successful projects, he says he most appreciates the failures along the way. “To become good at something, you must give yourself permission to be bad at it first,” he said. “Without being willing to fail, I would never have found out that I want to be an aerospace engineer, nor would I have the skillset to achieve my goals.” p JACOB KNOTT '17 WWW.NCMICH.EDU 5 Sean Bradley was one of 32,835 students who applied to be part of Princeton University’s Class of 2024, the second- largest applicant pool in the university’s 274-year history. He was also one of only 1,848 students who were accepted. Bradley remembers standing in his kitchen with a friend. His parents were at work. He read the word “congratulations” emblazoned in Princeton Orange at the top of the page. The Charlevoix native describes that moment and the opportunities that followed as humbling and life-changing. “I’m just a kid from a small Northern Michigan town, yet I walk around this campus where Einstein taught and the Founding Fathers convened to charter our nation. That realization drives me to show Princeton just what can come out of places like Northern Michigan and colleges like NCMC,” he said. Bradley is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the School of Public Policy and International Affairs. His plans after graduation include a career in nonprofit or government work and running for public office. In 2020, Bradley was elected to Princeton’s Undergraduate Student Government, where he is one of 24 voting members in the Student Senate. Members also serve on committees that address issues ranging from mental health to campus transparency. Bradley and a fellow senator established a new taskforce dedicated to combating the effects of a mostly virtual freshman year. When he walks through Princeton’s iconic FitzRandolph Gate after commencement—and not a day before, since many students believe it’s bad luck—Bradley will remember how his North Central experience shaped his path. “The opportunity to take classes in subjects that weren’t offered by my high school was absolutely incredible,” he said. “I learned from passionate professors whose hands-on experience helped me discover new interests, which was an amazing experience.” p North Central alumni: Let’s stay connected! Find us on LinkedIn to share where your North Central experience has taken you. From Timberwolf to Tiger A North Central alum finds his niche at Princeton University— and shows the Ivies what’s possible with a community college start. 67 WWW.NCMICH.EDU North Central is proud to help educate the skilled nurses who strengthen our local healthcare system and provide care for our friends and relatives. Our Class of 2020 nurses graduated during the onset of COVID-19 and went straight to work, many of them on the frontlines of the pandemic. They have achieved a 100% employment rate. Here’s where you’ll find them: Where are they now? Alexandria Bauer McLaren Northern Michigan Kelsey Becraft North Country Community Mental Health (Petoskey) Emily Beyer McLaren Northern Michigan Miranda Byard McLaren Home Health/Hospice (Petoskey) Courtney Coveyou Munson Medical Center (Traverse City) Brita Cowell McLaren Northern Michigan Jozlynne Cross Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center (Petoskey) Allison Dann UP Health System (Marquette) Robert Flore Munson Medical Center (Traverse City) Melissa Forrester Bay Bluffs Care Facility (Harbor Springs) Mary Frazier McLaren Northern Michigan Caroline Gerlach Detroit Medical Center Shawana Goral McLaren Northern Michigan Zachary Hopkins Grandvue Medical Care Facility (East Jordan) Lindsey Johnston Sparrow Hospital (Lansing) Sarah Jordan McLaren Northern Michigan Chelsey Kimball Bear River Health (Boyne Falls) Mary Koboski Lakeland Regional Health (Florida) Debra Lalonde McLaren Northern Michigan Monica Legault-Stranaly McLaren Northern Michigan Joseph Lesh McLaren Northern Michigan Alivia Litke McLaren Northern Michigan Bailey Mallory McLaren Northern Michigan Kathleen Markiewicz Little Traverse Primary Care (Harbor Springs) Michelle McCarry Karmanos Cancer Institute (Petoskey) Irene Oviedo Boulder Park Terrace (Charlevoix) Jamie Reed Mackinac Straits Health System (St. Ignace) Vivian Welzein Munson Medical Center (Traverse City) Boa Yang McLaren Northern Michigan Teresa Zowada McLaren Northern Michigan Jessica Zulski McLaren Northern Michigan North Central’s nursing graduates are among the best in the state—and in the top tier of RN graduates nationwide—according to a ranking by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The #1 ranking measured our Class of 2020 nurses’ performance on the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam against the scores of graduates from all other programs in Michigan, including those at four-year universities. CLASS OF 2020 NURSES: North Central celebrated the Class of 2021 with a cruise-in nurse pinning and commencement ceremony on May 7 and 8. A total of 284 graduates, including 36 nurses, received a degree. North Central alumna and real estate attorney Maureen Conley provided the commencement address. During the ceremony, Conley accepted a posthumous honorary degree on behalf of her father, Raymond T. Conley, a founding member of the college’s board of directors. 2021 COMMENCEMENT 8“You won this race. You are queued up and ready to cross the finish line. And you will make history when you do.” —Maureen Conley, J.D., B.A., A.A. (’76) 9 Next >