Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, many children wake up Christmas morning without gifts under the tree. So this year, a group of OTC Honors Program students did their part to ensure fellow Honors Program students and their families had presents to open on Christmas morning. “I’d heard about the Angel Tree program on KTTS,…
Molly Erickson travels the world with Convoy of Hope, giving those of less-fortunate circumstances a new start at life. But for Erickson, her new start began at OTC. Born and raised in Springfield, Erickson graduated from Glendale High School in 2004. She used the scholarship obtained through the A+ program to take classes at the…
Whether Hanna Smith is writing for the Springfield Business Journal or taking prerequisites for OTC’s surgical technician program, she always has one goal in mind: caretaking. “I always write with the mindset, ‘How is this going to benefit someone?’” said Smith. “Now I’m ready to take that mindset into surgical tech.” During the day, Smith…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Fine Arts Department will present its annual holiday production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at the Gillioz Theatre Dec. 8-9 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 2:30 p.m. Joe Landry’s adaptation of this beloved American classic comes to life as a live 1940s radio broadcast.…
Graduates of Ozarks Technical Community College’s aviation program will have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly into Missouri State University’s Bachelor of General Studies program thanks to a new articulation agreement established between the two institutions. OTC’s first cohort of aviation students began their training this fall. The college’s two-year program prepares students to enter the…
Former OTC honors student Wade Southwell gives new meaning to the quote, “Life is like a roller coaster. You can either scream every time there is a bump, or you can throw your hands up and enjoy the ride.” Since his time at OTC, Southwell has been riding the roller coaster of life – getting…
Chris Booker is passionate about two things: the sea and steel. He once worked as a welder for a Navy contractor, and recently, he used his skills to design some of the stainless-steel architectural pieces featured in the Ozarks’ newest attraction – the Wonders of Wildlife museum. After Polar Tank Trailer, Inc.’s permanent closure in…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Information Technology department received a Cloud Leadership award from E&I Cooperative Services, a not-for-profit purchasing company that serves educational institutions. David Esping, OTC’s chief technology officer, and Eric Kyle, director of network software, accepted the award at the annual EDUCAUSE conference, held Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in Philadelphia, Pa. OTC was chosen…
Ozarks Technical Community College announced Doug Carrell as this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Student Veteran Award during their annual Veterans Day service this past Friday, Nov. 10. Carrell, motivated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2001. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 in the 805th Military Police Company…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College received a $1.3 million Federal TRIO Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program that will assist veterans with their pursuit of postsecondary education. The grant announcement was made today, Nov. 10 during OTC’s Veterans Day commemoration. “Members of our military…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — The Behavioral Health Support program at Ozarks Technical Community College recently signed an articulation agreement with Ottawa University in Kansas. OTC BHS graduates may transfer seamlessly into the Human Services degree at Ottawa University. The BHS degree program at OTC debuted in the spring of 2017 thanks to a grant from the…
What’s your OTC story? Our college chancellor wants to hear it. Join us at one of our campuses for a meet and greet event with OTC’s leader, Dr. Hal Higdon. He’ll share his experiences in higher education with you and listen as your share your OTC stories with him. Find the dates and times for…
Students enrolled in the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department’s (CAHM) dining room management class create edible masterpieces at OTC’s Scallions restaurant each semester. This year is only slightly different – the class, instead, takes place at Aviary Café, located at Farmers Park on Republic Road. OTC saw a unique opportunity arise when a fluke…
An outdoor classroom for the Lewis Family Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) is under construction and projected to be completed within the next few semesters. ECEC has partnered with the Career & Technical Education department to help build a variety of items for the outdoor classroom. The project was funded, in part, during the 2016…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College’s Matthew Simpson accepted the Missouri Community College Association Technology Innovation Award at the association’s 53rd annual convention held this week in Branson, Mo. Simpson, OTC’s college director of research, strategic planning and grant development, helped to create the college’s current Guided Self-Placement instrument. Rather than traditional placement exams,…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College’s Ramona George received the Missouri Community College Association’s Senior Service Award at the association’s 53rd annual convention held this week in Branson, Mo. Since 1998, George has served as the college’s director of adult education and literacy. Throughout her tenure, Ramona has provided thousands of students with the…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College alumnus Andrew Hedgpeth received the Missouri Community College Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award at the association’s 53rd annual convention held this week in Branson, Mo. Hedgpeth currently serves CoxHealth as vice president of human resources. He obtained his Associate of Arts from OTC before graduating from Missouri State University…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College donor and Foundation board member Jim Towery received the Missouri Community College Association’s Award of Distinction at the association’s 53rd annual convention held this week in Branson, Mo. Towery, the former owner of Steelman Transportation in Springfield, has been a strong advocate for the college’s transportation programs. A…
Hollister, Mo. — Beginning in the fall of 2018, students at the Ozarks Technical Community College Table Rock Campus will have the opportunity to enroll in three technical degree programs: Construction Technology, Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and Computer Information Science. “When the Branson School District voted to join the OTC Taxing District in the…
Undoubtedly, OTC is located in the most beautiful part of the state, but not everything about southwest Missouri is pretty. Greene County has more domestic violence per capita than anywhere else in Missouri, and OTC students are not immune. In the 2016-17 academic year, the college received 68 reports of students being affected by domestic…
Hollister, Mo. — Nursing students at Ozark Technical Community College’s Table Rock Campus will have the opportunity to work with several simulation manikins thanks to two generous grants from the Skaggs Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grants, totaling more than $83,000, will fund the purchase of real-life nursing simulation manikins and associated…
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ozarks Technical Community College contributed $234 million dollars to the southwest Missouri economy during the 2015-16 school year according to an economic impact study commissioned by the college. OTC revealed the results of the study by EMSI today at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. “Many experts ask the question, ‘Is college…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program named Ozarks Technical Community College one of 150 finalists to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize funds. This is the third consecutive time OTC has been named a finalist to compete for this prestigious award. “OTC is…
The last two years have been transformative for Ozarks Technical Community College student Madison Lawson. Back in the fall of 2015, as a junior at Glendale High School, Madison said she was, “A brat. Rude, snobby, conceited. I just wanted out.” Now, her mother, April Landry, uses these words to describe Madison, “Friendly. Bubbly. She…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College will host a car and motorcycle show on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Lot N on the OTC Springfield Campus (located at the corner of National Avenue and Chestnut Expressway). Registration is $20 and begins at 9 a.m. on site. Pre-registration is also available by going…