Three Ozarks Technical Community College students were named 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars and will each receive a $1,000 scholarship. The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps new Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in Society programs…
In a noteworthy nod to the health of its professional environment, confidence in its leadership, and overall employee satisfaction, Ozarks Technical Community College earned the distinguished Honor Roll status in the 2023 listing of Great Colleges to Work For. The listing, produced yearly by the national Great Colleges to Work For® program, ranks colleges nationwide.…
rootEd Missouri, a statewide initiative designed to boost outcomes for students in rural communities by placing dedicated advisors in rural high schools to provide students with college and career planning support, today announced Steven Fouse will serve as its first executive director and will guide the next chapter of the successful initiative. Fouse brings to rootEd Missouri more than 15…
Four of our region’s leading institutions announced the creation of the Alliance for Healthcare Education on Aug. 29. The Alliance is a bold, collaborative approach that will develop the talent to meet – and exceed – our region’s health care workforce needs for decades to come. The new entity is an unprecedented partnership between CoxHealth,…
Welcome back, Eagles! We hope your fall semester is off to a great start. Are you planning to stay organized and in the know this year? We’ve compiled five of our best hacks guaranteed to keep you informed and on top of your game as a college student. 1. Sync your OTC email to your…
Ozarks Technical Community College released its new Strategic Plan, “Dream.Plan.Build. 2023-2028,” at an employee kickoff event, today, Wed., Aug. 16. The new plan focuses on three commitments for the college: Student Success, Institutional Excellence and Local Communities. College leadership created the guiding document to establish OTC as a national leader among community colleges. “OTC is…
All Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open Saturday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon to help students prepare for the upcoming semester. Student services staff will be available at all campuses and centers to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid, and student accounts services needs. OTC’s fall semester begins on Monday,…
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…
Cassie Mathes is the new chief marketing and communications officer for the Ozarks Technical Community College System. A Joplin native, Ms. Mathes has more than two decades of experience as a higher education communicator and journalist. She began her duties on July 25. “We are lucky to bring someone with Cassie’s breadth of experience in…
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…
A college and career advisor at Monett High School was today surprised with rootEd Missouri’s “Advisor of the Year” award, which recognizes exemplary efforts to help high school students in rural communities develop and achieve strong plans for life after graduation. Samantha Towles was announced the winner at a special ceremony hosted by rootEd Missouri…
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…
During the just completed school year, Ozarks Technical Community College’s Eagle Breakfast program served over 800 more students than it did in the previous year. Program participants continued to achieve better grades and persist in their courses during the 22-23 school year. Eagle Breakfast is a no-cost meal for any OTC student at all college locations.…
Ozarks Technical Community College students competing at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference earned three bronze medals. The event was held June 19-23 in Atlanta, Ga. OTC sent 27 students to the competition, including five high school students. The three medalists were: Brennan McNabb, a 2008 graduate of Republic High School, won a Bronze…
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…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program will host open houses for veterans and active military members to learn how VUB can help them access postsecondary education. The VUB event at OTC Springfield is on July 18. On July 19, VUB will host an open house at the OTC Waynesville Campus. Both sessions…
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…
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…
Ozarks Technical Community College received two grants from the Jeanette L. Musgrave Foundation totaling nearly $86,000. The two grants will benefit the college’s nursery at Study Elementary and a student group focused on civic engagement. As part of the Musgrave Foundation’s “Change for Children” program, OTC received a $50,000 grant for the college’s Study Nursery…
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…
More than 750 Ozarks Technical Community College graduates walked in the 2023 Commencement ceremony, held Thursday, May 18, at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Missouri State University campus. OTC conferred 2,243 degrees and certificates to graduates this year, including students who have completed or are pending completion of their coursework from the summer 2022 semester through…