Andrew Hedgpeth, vice president of human resources at CoxHealth, received OTC’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award at the college’s 2017 commencement, held May 18 at JQH Arena. “Andrew’s professional accomplishments serve as a testament to the college’s mission,” said OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon. “When we, as a community, invest in our students through educational…
Hundreds of OTC graduates will march into JQH Arena this week to the cheers and best wishes of family and friends. Among those receiving degrees will be Angela Ellis and Sean Maenner. But they won’t have to listen too intently to hear well wishes from a family member or to find a nearby relative. This…
Soon-to-be graduates, the moment you’ve waited for is practically here. Our 2017 graduation ceremony will be held Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m. at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University Campus. And whether you’re celebrating your own graduation this year, or that of a fellow student, friend or family member, share your excitement on social media…
Meet Seth King, OTC academic advisor. Seth helps ensure you are signed up for the classes you need to earn your degree at OTC. Seth will be serving up your favorite drinks at OTC’s Starbucks on Monday, May 8 from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Make sure you stop by, take a photo with Seth, and post it on Instagram or…
The American Sign Language department recently hosted its inaugural American Sign Language Showcase on April 27 at the OTC Springfield Campus. The event, which will be held every fall and spring semester, highlights the skills of American Sign Language students in ASL II, III and IV classes. “The showcase provided our students with the opportunity to…
The Gillioz Theatre has hosted many great events in its nearly 100-year history, including its service as home to the OTC Fine Arts program for the last decade. Next semester, however, the program will move to the OTC Springfield Campus. The Gillioz, with its architectural ambiance rich with visual textures, colors, and shapes, has provided OTC…
Meet Vicki MacDonald, OTC’s assistant college director of admissions. Vicki’s job involves helping students through the admissions process and making sure they have fun once they’re here! Vicki will be serving up your favorite drinks at OTC’s Starbucks on Thursday, May 4 from 10-11 a.m. Make sure you stop by, take a photo with Vicki, and…
The future looks bright for OTC students like Jessi Thomason and Ricki Hackworth who will begin their careers as respiratory therapists this month. The duo recently earned statewide recognition at the Missouri Society for Respiratory Care conference, held April 19-21 in Osage Beach, Mo. Jessi, a Mountain View native, was one of four students selected…
Meet Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College. In addition to keeping all of OTC’s campuses and centers running smoothly, Dr. Higdon will be serving up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Monday, May 1 from 11 a.m. to noon. In other words, Monday is a great day to stop by OTC’s Starbucks, visit…
Thanks to a $4,500 grant from one of the oldest service clubs in the nation ─ Sertoma Inc. ─ OTC students who are deaf or hard of hearing can access a new technological device on campus that will help them easily communicate with staff, students and instructors. The device, called an UbiDuo, is a communication tool…
With a constant bright smile and happy demeanor, Ozarks Technical Community College student Andrew Kirkpatrick exudes optimism. He understands the value of his OTC education and what it will mean for him in the future. “Like the saying goes at OTC, ‘Start here, go anywhere.’ It’s so true and I found that out very quickly.…
Meet James Ackerman, OTC communication instructor and Speech Communication Center director. This fitness guru/Harry Potter fanatic/Zoolander fan will be serving up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Monday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to noon. When you stop by for your favorite drink on Monday, be sure to grab a photo with Mr. Ackerman and post…
Students representing the various technical programs of Ozarks Technical Community College brought home 47 medals from the SkillsUSA state competition, held recently on the campus of State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, Mo. Approximately 90 OTC students participated the event, where thousands of technical education students from across the state competed in a variety of categories…
Keshia Guffey is attending OTC intent on becoming a social worker to help those with substance-use disorders. It’s a topic close to Keshia’s heart because she lived the life of an addict for a number of years. An Ozark High School graduate, Keshia later became addicted to opioids for two years after she started using…
Meet Dr. Zachary Zweigle, OTC social sciences department chair and history instructor. In addition to his teaching duties, student advising, departmental leadership and curriculum design, Dr. Zweigle will serve up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Wednesday, April 5 from 10 to 11 a.m. Fun fact: Dr. Zweigle was an actual Starbucks barista back in the day, and…
Ozarks Technical Community College will dive into collegiate sports with the launch a Division II skydiving team in the fall of 2017. College officials unveiled their plans to the National Junior College Athletic Association today, Saturday, April 1. The new skydiving team, called the OTC Screamin’ Eagles, will compete at the regional and state level…
I would like to share a story with you about a young man from a low-income, single-parent home; a young man who was the first person in his family to graduate college; a young man who worked 30-50 hours a week in addition to being a full-time student. This extraordinary young man also came to college…
Melanie Johnston has enjoyed the best of times as a student at OTC after suffering the worst of times in an abusive marriage. Melanie is now an honors student and vice president of publicity and outreach for the college’s Honors Program. She also works as a tutor at the Carol Jones Writing Center, which suits her…
When it came to cooking, James L. Johnson, Jr. always felt he was missing the recipe to success. Granted, he’d built lucrative careers for himself in the trucking industry and restaurant business, but James knew he could do more to reach his full potential. He needed a high school diploma. Today, James can proudly say…
OTC’s academic department is on a mission to spread kindness and happiness across the OTC System. A recent study by John Gottman found that for every negative feeling or occurrence, five positive — or happy — feelings can help replace the negative. Bishop’s Bunch is challenging you to pay it forward by sharing five happy things (today, this week, this month…
Meet Dr. Tracy McGrady, OTC provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Dr. McGrady handles all things academic-related at OTC, and she’ll be serving up your favorite Starbucks drinks on Tuesday, March 28 from 10-11 a.m. In other words, Tuesday is the perfect day to grab some Starbucks and chat with Dr. McGrady. Be sure to grab a…
Representatives from Ozarks Technical Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, recently returned from the organization’s annual Missouri Regional Convention with several awards in hand. The students and advisors of the college’s chapter were honored with 17 awards and three regional officer positions during the event, held in…
A group of OTC surgical technology students won first place in the 2017 Missouri Association of Surgical Technologists Scrub Bowl competition. The event was held earlier this month at the annual Missouri Association of Surgical Technologists conference. The jeopardy-like competition prepares surgical technology students to take their certification exam upon graduation. We would like to…
Sarah Tindell looks to the sky for her future career path, and she will soon take off in that direction with the help of OTC’s new aviation program. Sarah, 16, is expected to be one of the first students to enroll in OTC’s aviation-focused associate degree program starting in the fall. The degree is being…
Local professionals who are interested in becoming part-time instructors for Ozarks Technical Community College can learn more about teaching opportunities on Saturday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Adjunct Faculty Career Fair at the OTC Springfield Campus, Jared Family Atrium. The college is recruiting general education and technical instructors to teach part…