When Eli Smith enrolled in classes at Ozarks Technical Community College’s Lebanon Center in 2006, he had his sights set on a career in law enforcement. Teaching was Eli’s backup plan. Almost two decades later, Eli is a teacher. But rather than instructing high schoolers in history or physical education, he trains Marines how to…
Army medic Daniel Bowles has seen his share of disturbing situations that would scare most people and make them queasy. During his first tour of duty in Afghanistan with a Calvary unit, Daniel worked on his wounded comrades battling the Taliban. He also treated Afghan civilians caught in the crossfire. Given those experiences, you would…
Michaela Foster looks out of place in the Ozarks Technical Community College welding lab. Well shy of five feet tall, her gloves, hood and welding jacket practically swallow her up. But she has plenty of time to grow into the protective equipment, the 12-year-old is only a seventh grader, but she’s already welding. “You take…
Photo: Travis Brown (center) in Washington D.C. with Veterans Upward Bound staff Michelle Ciesielski (left) and Josh Boley. Ozarks Technical Community College alumnus Travis Brown is not the first member of his family to serve in the military. Both of his grandfathers completed tours of duty in Vietnam, and one lost his legs and the…
Photo: Lee Brubaker (left) with OTC Donor Jim Towery. As a chef, Lee Brubaker’s favorite dish is Brandied Potatoes. He sautés potatoes, onions and rosemary in butter and olive oil before flambéing the mixture with brandy. Now, brandy potatoes are something Lee only makes for friends and family. His new career involves analyzing DNA in…
Military Friendly®, an online information platform for military personnel returning to civilian life, has designated Ozarks Technical Community College Military Friendly for the 2023-2024 academic year. OTC is one of only three community colleges in Missouri to receive the designation and the only community college in the state in the “large community college” classification. “I…
Congratulations to our Spring 2023 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…
A shortage of quality, affordable childcare is well-documented as a barrier for many parents, especially women, to have a job. Either they cannot find childcare, or it’s too expensive. However, workforce participation is just one of the societal benefits of excellent childcare. The young students experience benefits decades later. A study published in 2021 found…
Nearly 800 graduates attended Ozarks Technical Community College’s commencement ceremony on May 18. Most of OTC’s graduates were from Missouri, with some from other, mainly neighboring, states. But a few graduates were international — eight to be exact. Every year, a handful of international students find their way to OTC. Unlike four-year schools with international…
*This essay by OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon first appeared in the Springfield News-Leader on Sunday, June 4. The headlines can be staggering: “Lack of skilled applicants hinders job growth in Missouri.” “Top barrier to more jobs in Missouri is lack of skilled workers, state survey finds.” “No end in sight to the worker shortage.” …
When Keisha Dean spoke to the hundreds of students and donors gathered at the Ozarks Technical Community College donor reception in April, she discussed what her OTC education would mean for her family. “I know there is a well-paved path of livelihood for my children and my husband because of what I have gained at…
Growing up in Climax Springs, Samantha Patton would watch cooking shows with her grandmother. Television programs like “Martha Bakes” and “The Great British Baking Show” sparked her passion for baking and cooking. Samantha’s passion flourished when she enrolled in the Lake Career and Technical Center in Camdenton to pursue culinary arts. “I love making bread,…
Growing up, 2023 Macks Creek High School graduate Chase Whitworth knew which doctor’s offices had the best toys in the waiting room. Unfortunately, being a connoisseur of waiting room toys means he spent a lot of time in hospitals and doctor’s offices. Chase and his family even visited the famed Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to…
Walking the halls at Ozarks Technical Community College’s Richwood Valley Campus, visitors will see what they expect to find on a college campus. There are classrooms with desks and whiteboards and laboratories with microscopes and Bunsen burners, but one room stands out. Inside that lab, students work with weights, exercise balls and other fitness equipment…
After more than three decades of teaching students, multiple generations of families have walked the halls at Ozarks Technical Community College and earned degrees. But, parents and their children rarely graduate simultaneously. Three members of the Thomas family, Kelli, Wayne, and daughter Lauryn, will all receive their associate degrees this Thursday, May 18, at OTC’s…
For many teenagers, the path from high school and directly into college is relatively smooth. An 18-year-old with supportive high school counselors and help from parents can find their way to a college or university with a little effort. However, for someone who delays college for just a few years and accumulates responsibilities like a…
The SkillsUSA State Leadership & Skills Conference was held Mar. 30 at State Technical College in Linn, Missouri. The conference allows students to put their technical abilities to the test in skilled and written competitions — and once again, OTC students shined. The college had 54 students place in different contest areas, resulting in 34…
Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Bryanna Shaffner never thought of herself as a trailblazer for women in the workplace — she was just looking for a good job. But when Springfield’s Stainless Fabrication Inc. (SFI) hired Bryanna as a welder in 2019, she was the company’s first female welder. “It was a little nerve-wracking at…
OTC recognizes how harmful domestic and dating violence, stalking and sexual assault can be ─ and how they can create barriers for OTC students to succeed academically and personally. Our students don’t have to face these barriers alone. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which makes it the right time to review the help available…
While attending Ozarks Technical Community College, Dr. Kyle Cottrell met his future wife in his Spanish class. That is the best of the positive things that happened to Kyle while attending OTC, but it wasn’t the only good thing. “OTC was a chance for me to rewrite my academic history,” Kyle said. Kyle says he…
The last time the Ozarks Technical Community College choir was scheduled to perform in New York City was in March 2020. “We were on our way to the airport, and the college called me and said, ‘Things are shutting down. You can’t go to New York,” said Alberta Smith, OTC choir director. A little more…
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…
