Herschend Entertainment owns amusement properties all over North America, but its roots and founders are firmly planted in the Branson area. Jack and Peter Herschend founded Silver Dollar City in 1960, and for most of the company’s first 50 years, Jack Herschend was the company’s President, Chairman and CEO. Despite his success and the success…
Dr. Trish White welcomes students to her calculus class at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday and dives right in with an equation. “What would have to be true for the numerator and denominator to be greater than zero?” White asks. The class is like any traditional math class, but only two students sit in front…
In a recent State of the Student survey, 55% of undergraduate college students said they struggle to remain interested in their classes. A quarter of students said they would be more interested if instructors could relate the course material to their future careers. When Ozarks Technical Community College Instructor MaryAnn Morris needed to develop a…
Many people can recall a classmate who turned every notebook, folder or handout from the teacher into an art project. Those serial doodlers viewed any blank space as an unfilled canvas ready to be adorned with flowers, cartoon characters, animals and geometric patterns. American authors Jack Kerouac and Mark Twain were well-known doodlers, and archivists…
If you Google “Famous high school dropouts,” the names of celebrities like Harry Styles, Ryan Gosling and Drew Barrymore come up, but most high school dropouts don’t become movie stars or pop singers. In fact, high school dropouts are twice as likely to live below the poverty level than high school graduates. Having lived for…
Students in Ozarks Technical Community College’s Graphic Design Technology Program earned 25 medals at the 2023 Addy Awards. The event recognized the top advertising of 2022 for the Heartland Chapter of the American Advertising Federation. The 2023 Addy Awards were held on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Downstream Casino near Joplin, Mo. Overall, OTC students brought…
On Feb. 8, 2023, OTC technical education students brought home a total of 70 medals from the annual Southwest Missouri SkillsUSA District Competition. The district held contests in nine separate locations, including OTC, with almost 500 students competing from eight different career centers and tech centers. Competitors showcased their abilities, completing written and skilled hands-on…
Creating opportunities for student success, collaboration and employment was the theme when faculty and staff convened for Ozarks Technical Community College’s fourth annual Innovation Celebration on February 21, 2023. The gathering was the first Innovation Celebration held in person since the inaugural event in 2020. OTC’s full-time employees got together at the White River Conference…
When Lebanon-based manufacturer DT Engineering became the first tenant of the industry partner space inside the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing last fall, it paid off almost immediately. The company found an experienced employee among the Ozarks Technical Community College students taking classes in the PMC. DT Engineering hired OTC student Ben…
Congratulations to our Fall 2022 Chancellor’s List, Provost’s List, and Dean’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 Dean’s List requires a GPA of 3.5…
Everyone has seen the motorized shopping carts at the grocery store for shoppers who have limited mobility. But what if a customer comes to the store in a wheelchair? They have to get out of their wheelchair, get into the motorized shopping cart, and then, what happens to their wheelchair while shopping? Plus, they must…
The first season of esports at Ozarks Technical Community College far exceeded expectations. That’s the assessment of the college’s esports advisor, Dr. Tiffany Ford. “We definitely had more students than we expected,” Dr. Ford said. “The competitive esports team is as large as we can manage right now.” Esports launched at the college in the…
We don’t live in a Monday-through-Friday world. Families, jobs and community duties sometimes make it difficult for students to take classes at traditional times. OTC has developed a suite of Saturday courses that allows students to maintain their life responsibilities while moving closer to their goals. Developed to accommodate the needs of our busy students,…
In higher education, it is a common practice to offer science survey courses to non-science majors. While the official names for these courses may be “Basic Physics,” they are often referred to as “Physics for poets.” Most colleges offer several “for poets” courses, which feature wide-ranging technical concepts and little math. However, there is no…
The 2022-23 school year marks the fifteenth year of operation for the Middle College at Ozarks Technical Community College. In 2007, Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norm Ridder approached then-new OTC Chancellor Dr. Hal Higdon with an idea to lower the high school dropout rate and help credit-deficient students get back on track. The Middle…
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Kaila DeJonge has suffered, and she has found meaning. In 1999, at just six months old, another driver hit the car carrying Kaila, her mother and two older sisters.…
Ozarks Technical Community College trustees and administrators honored the 2022 Excellence in Education Award recipients at the November Board of Trustees meeting. Candidates were nominated by staff members and selected by a college-wide committee. Each winner was presented with a plaque and monetary award, made possible by a donation from the Turner Family Foundation. Full-Time…
Ozarks Technical Community College announced Nathan Summerfield as this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Student Veteran Award during the college’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, held Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. OTC’s Outstanding Student Veteran Award is presented annually to a student in good academic standing with an honorable service record. The student’s personal conduct, contributions, and…
You might have been surprised to discover you have a college navigator. “What is a college navigator?” might be the follow-up question, so here’s what you need to know. “All OTC students now have a college navigator to support them with long-term financial and academic planning,” says Steve Fouse, College Director of Student Success. “The…
For Ozarks Technical Community College student Joe Nachtigal, OTC wasn’t just the first college he attended. It was the first school of any kind he ever set foot inside. “I’d never attended school,” Joe said. “School used to be on the couch.” At just 19 years old, Joe will finish a degree in Information Technology…
The 2023-24 Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is here and ready to be filled out. It’s your first step to qualify for loans and grants. Once you’ve completed your FAFSA, you can apply anytime until Nov. 1 for OTC’s Spring scholarships – that could mean FREE MONEY. Scholarships range from $500 per…
Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Tyler Kahler is a big fan of the late chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain. Tyler and Bourdain have a lot in common. They both have a passion for preparing good food. They’re also both storytellers. But while Bourdain’s stories involve food, drink and good company, Tyler’s tales come…
Mental Health Week at OTC is Sept. 26-30. Join OTC Counseling Services and the Office of Student Engagement at “Let’s Taco ‘Bout Mental Health” events supporting Mental Health Awareness. Stop by for goodies (while supplies last), mental health techniques and important information. Monday, Sept. 26 – Taco ‘Bout Your Feelings, Donut Bottle Them Up Having…
Fewer than 2% of teenage mothers graduate college by age 30. When Dee King heard that statistic, she knew she couldn’t do anything about being a teen mom, but she was determined not to become a part of the 98%. Her son, Shane, was born in Dee’s hometown of Missoula, Montana, just before Christmas, during…
How can you utilize tech to up your OTC game? First of all, bookmark this blog! Second, read this blog. We’ve got the helpful tech hacks that will level up your semester! Sync your OTC email to your phone Nobody cares about email … except for, well, pretty much everyone that is on campus to…