From the age of 3, Lauren Sweet dreamed of being a zookeeper. Now, at age 21, the OTC graduate is living the dream as a zookeeper and giraffe trainer at Dickerson Park Zoo. “I loved animals growing up and always wanted to work with them,” said Lauren, who graduated from OTC last May with an…
More than 200 Robberson Elementary students spent the day with some of OTC’s technical education instructors as part of the school’s “What I want to be when I graduate high school” intersession field trip. Kids from kindergarten through fifth grade came to the Springfield campus and took part in hands-on demonstrations involving robots, landscaping, musical…
Exploding ping pong balls. Foaming test tubes. Bubbling beakers. All were part of the demonstrations presented to more than 200 high school students who came to the OTC Richwood Valley Campus Friday, March 18, to take part in a chemistry olympiad. The students took a first-year and advanced chemistry exam. The advanced exam was a…
OTC Early Childhood Education Center kiddos are all about “going green” this week. And no, it’s not for St. Patrick’s Day. These 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds can tell you the difference between paper, plastic and metal, and they know how to recycle all three materials. All week long, Ms. Susan and Ms. Megan’s preschoolers are…
Happy Pi Day to all you nerds out there (as well as those of you who use today as an excuse to eat pie — you know who you are). The number pi, denoted by the Greek letter π and pronounced “pie,” is one of the most common mathematical constants in the world. It is the circumference of any circle,…
Something other than baseballs was flying through the sky at Hammons Field recently. A group of OTC drafting and design students were at the baseball field Thursday, March 3, to watch a demonstration of drones and how they are used in the field for civil engineering and land surveying. Representatives from Olsson Associates, a civil…
A group of OTC dental students is finding out first hand what the OTC motto “Start Here, Go Anywhere” really means. From Feb. 27 through March 7, the students are in Managua, Masachapa, and San Rafael in Nicaragua to work at a community hospital and nearby villages offering dental services to the residents. A total…
Every year, Donnie Kendrick rubs elbows with some very special folks. The OTC Bookstore employee gathers with everyone from Dawn Wells of “Gilligan’s Island” to Lulu of “Hee Haw,” not to mention dozens upon dozens of presidential descendants. Kendrick is gathered with celebrities because of his family connection to Mary Todd Lincoln.
A small classroom on the OTC Springfield Campus is filled with the excited chatter of students hard at work assembling parts to build a small machine. “I get to be one of the first to do this,” said Tyler Letterman, an Industrial Maintenance Technology student from Fordland. “It’s cool to be the first in the…
Kyle Houston knew he wanted to be a chef when he was just a youngster watching his grandmother make rolls at 6 in the morning. But it wasn’t until he came to the OTC Career Center as a senior at Republic High School that he was able to change his dream into reality. “I was…
First-year student Jackson Davis came to OTC undecided about what career he wanted to enter. Thanks to his family and the A+ state scholarship program, Jackson is ready to embark on his career in fire science. Jackson had plenty of choices. He considered engineering, joining the military, becoming a police officer or studying fire science.…
Seventeen-year-old Makayla Nobles could have easily given up on her future for herself and her infant son. Becoming a teen mom can derail a young woman’s educational goals, but Makayla, an OTC Middle College student, persevered. Now, her future goals are to earn her high school diploma, get a nursing degree and become a labor…
New in 2016 — take OTC courses in Marshfield! Classes begin the week of Jan. 25 and meet weekly for 14 weeks at the Marshfield Community Center, located at 118 Commercial Street. For Marshfield residents, all classes are just $120 per credit hour. Learn more and register for courses here. Spring 2016 course offerings in Marshfield: Health and…
Prepare for a successful college semester through a series of free workshops brought to you by the OTC Speckman Tutoring & Learning Center. College Prep Day is a great opportunity to ensure you’re ready for college. Our hands-on, come-and-go sessions will cover everything from study skills to computer technology to math and English prep: College survival 101…
And it’s official! To celebrate the college’s 25th anniversary, a time capsule was sealed during the annual Holiday Reception on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. Hundreds of time capsule suggestions were submitted and voted on by students, faculty and staff. The top 25 items were showcased during the reception before they were sealed inside the capsule, which will be on display in…
OTC is sponsoring The Mystery Hour, Springfield’s own late-night talk show. Faculty, staff and students can purchase tickets (at a discounted rate) to the Friday, Dec. 4 taping of the show.
Preparing now for bad weather and possible cancellation of classes can make the upcoming months less stressful for you, and help ensure a safe and healthy winter. Here are a few tips and reminders. Be prepared for cancellations, early dismissals There are times when weather conditions cause us to cancel classes for the safety of our thousands of…
Kristi Christian will have plenty to be thankful when her family gathers next week for Thanksgiving – three beautiful children, a wonderful husband and a job that she enjoys. Although Kristi’s mother, Lucille, died several years ago, she knows her mom will be at the dinner table with her and the family, too, because when…
Students from OTC’s Practical Nursing, ASN, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs volunteered at today’s HOPE Connection event. HOPE Connection 2015 is a one-day, one-stop service site held at the Springfield Expo Center for the Ozark’s homeless population to gain access to vital services. HOPE Connection expected to serve more than 850 homeless and poverty-stricken individuals…
Joplin, MO. – Ozarks Technical Community College and Missouri Southern State University in Joplin have signed an articulation agreement between the institutions’ honors programs. Todd Yerby, director of OTC’s program and Dr. Michael Howarth, director of Missouri Southern’s Honors Program, along with administrators from both schools, appeared at a signing ceremony Monday, Nov. 16,…
Another group of OTC faculty, staff and students received Bystander Intervention certification training today as part of the Green Dot sexual and interpersonal violence prevention and awareness effort at OTC. This day-long training session was hosted by the Student Development office in conjunction with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. What is “Green Dot”? The Violence…
Hollister, Mo. – Ozarks Technical Community College’s Table Rock Campus in Hollister is inviting area high school students and families to explore the campus and get a better understanding of what to expect as they transition to college life on Monday, Nov. 16, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The event called OTC 101 is designed to allow…
Ozarks Technical Community College will observe Veterans Day at its Springfield, Richwood Valley and Waynesville locations on Nov. 11. “We have more than 1,000 veterans in our student body and several who work for the college,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College. “We want to thank them, and all veterans, for…
In honor of National Hunger Awareness Week, Ozarks Technical Community College will host its second annual food drive Nov. 9-20. This effort has been planned and supported by Enactus and other student organizations. Since many of our students receive assistance from food banks, they want to give back to the organizations who help our students. Last year,…
OTC Central is a new program that students can use to plan and register for classes, and work with their faculty advisor. Students can access OTC Central by logging into MYOTC and going to their AccessOTC tab. Spring full-semester classes begin Jan. 11, 2016, and registration opens in mid-November. So, get ready to meet with…