Everything from hot rods and vintage cars to motorcycles and even tricked-out trucks helped make this year’s Ozarks Tech Car and Motorcycle Show a resounding success. With nearly 120 vehicles and multiple vendors, each year the event continues to grow in popularity for the college and community. The show started in the 1990s and is…
The Ozarks Tech Springfield campus is gearing up for ExploreOTC, the annual event where sophomores from area high schools learn about opportunities to attend classes at the college during their junior and senior year. More than 1,000 students from 26 southwest Missouri schools are expected to participate in this year’s event, which is scheduled for…
As a single mom attending college, Sarah Emert worked hard to manage life and classes. From donating plasma, cleaning houses and even substitute teaching, she did everything she could to meet her obligations and pay her bills. But with a kindergartener to care for, a car that needed four new tires, a faulty laptop and…
Today, community members and legislators joined Ozarks Tech students, faculty and staff to celebrate the momentous final phase of the college’s master plan for the Springfield campus – a new student union focused on workforce development and student success. The groundbreaking event supports the ongoing transformation of student life at Ozarks Tech. Since its inception,…
Ozarks Tech is partnering with Mercy Springfield for Win from Within, a program designed for those interested in health care to have one year of pre-requisite classes and two years of eligible education paid upfront. The goal of the Mercy program is to create a path for Mercy co-workers to receive training in health care…
John Larson admits the path that led him to take classes at Ozarks Tech was not an easy or straightforward one. For the 36-year-old, it involved an injury that eventually ended a more than decade-long stint in the Air Force, the loss of a buddy to addiction and time traveling the country in a converted…
Thanks to the generosity of the Springfield community and area golf enthusiasts, the annual OTC Foundation Golf Tournament was another successful event. More than 140 golfers took to the links at Hickory Hills Country Club on Sept. 16. The goal of this popular fall event is to support students by raising money for scholarships. Financial…
There are a lot of exciting changes and preparations occurring – both visible and behind the scenes – at Ozarks Tech for the start of construction and the groundbreaking ceremony event planned for the Center for Workforce and Student Success. Most notable is for those traveling Chestnut Expressway to campus, the double turn lanes on…
Chris Strobach has seen a lot of changes in emergency medicine since he first entered the field in 1992. Long gone are the days of new paramedic training consisting of little more than a set of ambulance keys and time shadowing a senior team member. “Being in emergency medicine takes a healthy amount of confidence…
SPRINGFIELD, MO – On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Ozarks Tech held a naming ceremony for the college’s newest automotive and transportation partner, Springfield Nissan Kia. This event marked a generous six-figure donation from the local dealership to the Ozarks Tech Automotive Technology Program. John Widiger, Springfield Nissan Kia managing partner, explained his years of experience…
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Join Ozarks Tech to celebrate the start of construction on the college’s new Center for Workforce and Student Success. The community is invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for this exciting addition to the Springfield campus at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 26. The event, scheduled for the south parking lot in…
ST. CHARLES, Mo. (Aug.6, 2024) – Following a statewide nomination and selection process, Hume High School college and career advisor Janine Castillo was awarded the 2024 Advisor of the Year by rootEd Missouri for her exemplary efforts to help high school students in rural communities develop and achieve strong plans for life after graduation. rootEd…
Trevion Holmes laughs when he thinks about how a short television ad changed his life. The St. Louis resident was facing hard times and desperately searching for ways to better his circumstances, but it wasn’t until he saw a commercial for Ozarks Tech that he recognized a path for how to do it. “Before that…
For Greg Davis, a master plumber with more than 35 years in the field, it’s a natural fit to bring his hands-on knowledge to the classroom as an instructor for Ozark Tech’s new Plumbing Technology Program. The southwest Missouri native not only knows the ins and outs of the trade, he knows the opportunities the…
Ozarks Technical Community College is moving forward with construction of the institution’s new Center for Workforce and Student Success, following the approval of the state’s FY 2025 budget by Missouri Governor Mike Parson. The project, which is estimated to cost $60 million, was approved June 12 by the Ozarks Tech board of trustees. The college…
Congratulations to our Spring 2024 Chancellor’s List, Dean’s List and Provost’s List recipients! Students who complete 12 or more credit hours in a fall or spring semester are eligible for the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List. Recognition is based on the grade point average during that semester. The Chancellor’s List requires a GPA of 3.85 or…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s 2024 commencement ceremony was historic. The 2024 graduation marked the first time in history that a Missouri community college has awarded bachelor’s degrees. Daniel Bowles, Samantha Gonzalez and Jade Humphreys each earned a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. In 2021, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education approved OTC and St.…
Just over a third of Americans have bachelor’s degrees, and this year, Ozarks Technical Community College will directly contribute to the number of people with four-year degrees. At OTC’s 2024 commencement, the college will make history by awarding three Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy degrees to Daniel Bowles, Samantha Gonzalez and Jade Humphreys. This…
Ozarks Technical Community College dedicated the Rick’s Automotive Student Lounge today, Thursday, May 9. The lounge is in the newly remodeled Industry and Transportation Technology Center. In 2022, Rick and Karen Hughlett donated to the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing to establish a student lounge in the PMC. “We continue to donate…
IRONTON, Mo. (May 6, 2024)— Arcadia Valley High School today hosted Decision Day, an event for the 81 high school seniors to announce their plans following graduation, which ranged from enrolling in college, undertaking technical training, and enlisting in the military. Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven joined the event in recognition of the…
The 2024 Ozarks Technical Community College commencement will be historic. The May 16 graduation ceremony at Great Southern Bank Arena will be the first time in the state’s history that a community college confers bachelor’s degrees. Three OTC students will receive a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. “This is a point of pride for…
In light of recent layoffs at the Tracker Marine manufacturing plant in Lebanon, the Ozarks Technical Community College Lebanon Center and the Lebanon Job Center will host an event to help those workers explore their training options. The event is on Tuesday, April 30, at 10 a.m. The OTC Lebanon Center is located at…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Lebanon Center will host its third annual Lineworker Rodeo on Monday, April 29, beginning at 10 a.m. The OTC Lebanon Center is located at 22360 Highway MM in Lebanon. The event is free, and the public is invited to watch. Spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. First-year students from…
Growing up in Versailles, Mo., Jordan Williams always planned to become a physician. But in high school, he began working at a dental office in his hometown, mostly cleaning and stocking shelves. Occasionally, Jordan would help out during a procedure. “I saw a woman receive dentures, and she started crying,” Jordan said. “She was…
Local information technology firm JMARK and Ozarks Technical Community College partnered to create the JMARK Cybersecurity Lab. JMARK’s strategic investment in the college’s cybersecurity program helps create career avenues for students to work at JMARK or other local companies. Cybersecurity debuted at OTC in the fall of 2022. Immediately, cybersecurity was one of the most…