My grandfather, Isaac, arrived in the United States in December of 1909. He was only 15 years old when his father sent him across the ocean to bring back his older brother, Richard, who came to the United States for a visit but never returned to Lebanon. Rosie, the older sister, came with Isaac to…
Welcome back to a new semester. On our opening day, we had a few lost and wandering students but overall the semester started with minimal problems and a lot of excitement. Our college wide theme for academics is “Celebrate Potential.” In keeping with this theme, I will be sharing ideas through regular Nourishing the Teacher…
Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, is known for giving her top performers a pink Cadillac. She said, “There are two things people want more than sex and money. They are recognition and praise.” There are many ways we can give our students recognition and praise but nothing is more powerful for…
Transitioning from the battlefield to the classroom can be a difficult journey for college-bound veterans. With 1,000 veterans attending OTC, reaching out to those with a military experience can be a challenge. But its just gotten better with counseling services being available for veterans and their family members starting Sept. 10 on the OTC Springfield…
AED Solutions, a division of Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC), helped secure the donation of a $2,250 automatic external defibrillator (AED) for Crosslines, a service agency of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks. The gift was announced this morning during a news conference at Crosslines. Representatives from OTC’s AED Solutions unveiled the new defibrillator,…
The General Motors Training Center in Ardsley, N.Y. donated a 2013 Cadillac ATS to Ozarks Technical Community College’s (OTC) Automotive Technology program. The Cadillac was delivered to OTC’s Transportation department on Tuesday, Sept. 2. General Motors pledged to donate vehicles to the top automotive winners of the 2014 SkillsUSA Championships, a national competition of career…
Tiffany Brunner has seen the groundbreaking work Ozarks Technical Community College has been doing for young students during her tenure as assistant principal at Republic High School. This year, she decided to join the OTC team. Brunner is the new director of the OTC Middle College program, which provides a variety of career education opportunities…
The Springfield Vet Center, an arm of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will provide readjustment counseling services to eligible veterans and bereaved family members of Ozarks Technical Community College beginning Sept. 10. The Springfield Vet Center will be open on Wednesday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. at the OTC Springfield Campus. OTC Counseling Services will…
Ozarks Technical Community College earned national recognition as one of the nation’s Top 100 Associate Degree Producers by Community College Week. The publication analyzed data from more than 1,200 community colleges nationwide to determine its rankings, which appeared in the Aug. 18, 2014 edition of the magazine. OTC appeared in more top lists than any…
Ozarks Technical Community College will accept enrollment for its Late Start courses through Friday, Aug. 29 at 4:30 p.m. Late Start courses meet for 14 weeks beginning Sept. 2 and are available through OTC Online and at the OTC Springfield Campus. Future students can enroll by visiting https://students.otc.edu/registrar/information-and-resources-for-current-students/ or by visiting Student Services at the…
The five OTC campuses and centers will be alive today with thousands of students who will be working toward fulfilling their educational goals. One former OTC student has already seen his dream come true is Brandon Davis, now the owner of French Davis Collision in Nixa. A dozen years ago, Davis was taking automotive collision…
Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) is accepting enrollment for its free Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) classes held in Bolivar, Buffalo, Mansfield, Marshfield and Reeds Spring. The classes provide individualized learning programs for adults who want to prepare for the High School Equivalency (HSE) exam, improve their literacy or math skills, or learn English as…
With more than 51,000 people using Crosslines every year, the Springfield charity organization never knows when a serious medical issue like a heart attack could arise among their clients. Now, thanks to OTC, their concerns are greatly eased. On Sept. 8, Crosslines, which helps families in the crisis situations, will receive an arterial defibrillator and…
The President and CEO of the United Way of the Ozarks, Jennifer Kennally, was sworn in as the newest member of the Ozarks Technical Community College Board of Trustees today, Monday, Aug. 11. Kennally replaces Jackie McKinsey who retired from the board in July. Ms. Kennally will serve out the remainder of McKinsey’s six-year term,…
While community colleges are primarily for local residents to use to enhance their education, more and more international students are enrolling. “I knew Missouri State had a lot of international students but OTC was a better economic choice for me,” said Daniel Lee, a South Korean who grew up in Lamar. Lee and about 40…
Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, has been named one of Ingram’s 2014 50 Missourians You Should Know. The honorees of Ingram’s annual tribute are recognized for careers, companies and core values that transform both local communities and the state of Missouri. Ingram’s Magazine declares, “Let the record show that Higdon, the…
Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) and Drury University have partnered to develop an Associate of Arts in Behavioral Sciences degree program at OTC. The A.A. in Behavioral Sciences seamlessly transfers to Drury’s Behavioral Sciences program and launches in the fall of 2014. The A.A. in Behavioral Sciences includes coursework in psychology, criminology and sociology. It…
J.E. Cornwell has taken his talents in both cooking and publishing to offer readers an inside look into the secrets behind some of the popular dishes offered in the Ozarks. Cornwell, who teaches classes at the OTC Community Enrichment Center, is releasing “What’s Cookin’ Local,” a compilation of more than 130 recipes including more than…
Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) is accepting enrollment for its free Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) classes held at the OTC Richwood Valley and Table Rock campuses. The classes provide individualized learning programs for adults who want to prepare for the High School Equivalency (HSE) exam, improve their literacy or math skills, or learn English…
Kat Allie, department chair of fine arts and humanities at Ozarks Technical Community College, didn’t take art classes growing up but today, she’s using her skills as an artist to teach others. Her abilities as an encaustic artist are featured this month in the Missouri Arts Councils magazine. “I am honored to be one of…
Don’t look now, but OTC’s Electronic Media Production program is quickly becoming one of the best in the country, if the recent results at the national SkillsUSA Championships are any indication. For the second straight year, the EMP’s broadcast news production and television video production teams earned gold medals as the best in the country…
Jacqueline (Jackie) McKinsey, a founding member of the Ozarks Technical Community College Board of Trustees, announced her retirement at OTC’s board meeting today, Monday, July 14. She will retire from the board effective July 31. “The Ozarks Technical Community College family is grateful for Mrs. McKinsey’s nearly quarter century of service,” said Greg DeLong, chair…
Recently, national universities, including Ivy League institutions, have received unwanted headlines for their handling of sexual assault cases. Those high-profile cases have shone a light on the issue. Ozarks Technical Community College has been a leader in offering its staff and personnel from other institutions in-depth training in investigating Title IX reports. In June, more…
There are more than 4,500 families in the Ozarks who home school their children and when they look for advanced education, they can look to OTC for those opportunities. Recently, the Southwest Home Education Ministry (SHEM) and representatives from OTC’s Dual Credit Program met at the Library Center in Springfield to review what’s available for…
Eight students from Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) received gold medals at the SkillsUSA Championships, held June 24-26 in Kansas City, Mo. More than 6,000 career and technical education students (all state contest winners) competed in 99 different trade, technical and leadership fields. The SkillsUSA Championships took place as part of the SkillsUSA 50th annual…