Audrey Sly was determined to become a dental hygienist, no matter the setbacks she faced. The young mother of two applied for OTC’s dental hygiene school not once, but twice before landing a spot in the coveted program. She also overcame numerous obstacles to earn her degree, including a devastating house fire and a global…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Career Services will host an outdoor job fair on Wednesday, August 5 from 9 a.m. to noon in Lot K of the OTC Springfield Campus. The parking lot is located at the northeast corner of Central Street and Hampton Avenue. The job fair is free and open to the public. Physical…
It’s been hard to plan for the fall semester, but we’re here with news to make it a little easier. The OTC Foundation is extending its fall 2020 scholarship deadline through August 10. That means there’s still time to submit your one-size-fits-all application at this link. In other words, you don’t need to apply for…
Thanks to a new agreement between Ozarks Technical Community College and Southwest Baptist University, OTC paramedic graduates will have the opportunity to seamlessly transfer into SBU’s Associate of Science in Nursing program. “By establishing this pathway with SBU, we give our paramedic graduates the opportunity to build upon the education and experience they already possess,”…
Ozarks Technical Community College canceled its commencement ceremony scheduled for Aug. 19 at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus. This was the make-up event for the previously scheduled May 16 graduation, which was postponed due to COVID-19. “We spent the last three months planning, reimagining and doing everything in our power to create…
Heroes of the COVID-19 outbreak are often portrayed wielding stethoscopes and personal protective equipment. But one OTC graduate fought the virus with a hammer, tools and the latest HVAC technology instead. As the pandemic began its spread across southwest Missouri, Chad Porter – a senior project manager at Trane Technologies – worked with 20 other…
In an effort to maximize student safety and preserve high-quality learning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ozarks Technical Community College is adjusting its fall semester. The college will begin the semester as originally planned on Aug. 24, and the last day of final exams will be Dec. 18. However, the following changes have been made…
The Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) – a national leader in helping Black and Latino young men navigate college – is moving its headquarters to Springfield, Missouri. The relocation is a point of pride for OTC student and local chapter president Javeon England, who says the change will provide local men of color with more…
Emerson, a global technology and engineering company based in St. Louis, donated $500,000 to Ozarks Technical Community College’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM). “The next-generation of workers is vital for continuing to serve our customers with solutions and components for energy-efficient air-conditioning systems,” said Keith Calhoun, director of operations for Emerson’s compressor manufacturing locations in…
Ozarks Technical Community College is offering two new financial aid options for students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic this fall. These awards are benefits that students do not have to pay back: The OTC Online Class Credit provides three credit hours of tuition and common fees for students who take more than 12 hours of…
OTC alumni Bryce Gott and Shawnee Bullette believe food should be simple, accessible and locally sourced. That’s why they opened a new organic market called Culture Counter in Springfield’s Rountree neighborhood earlier this month. Bryce says his entrepreneurial endeavor will benefit both local farmers and communities alike. “I’d been feeling this push to become a…
The OTC Richwood Valley and Table Rock campuses will be under new leadership beginning July 1. Dr. Cliff Davis has been appointed president of the OTC Richwood Valley Campus, and Dr. Robert Griffith has been named president of the OTC Table Rock Campus. Griffith replaces Davis as president of the Table Rock Campus, while Davis…
The summer semester is officially underway, and we’ve compiled our favorite OTC hacks to make your life a little easier in the coming weeks. Keep reading to learn how you can get Canvas support, online tutoring services and more. Sync your OTC email to your phone. It’s the easiest way for you to keep up…
OTC graduate Igho Ekakitie is now one step closer to fulfilling his dream. The aspiring diplomat received a full-tuition scholarship to attend Webster University in St. Louis this fall. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in international relations with an emphasis in human rights. “I want to help people,” he said. “I want to…
Dr. Megan Weaver will serve as OTC’s Dean of Academic Services beginning July 1. The OTC Board of Trustees approved Weaver’s promotion at its monthly board meeting in June. She assumes the role previously occupied by Dr. Vivian Elder, who now oversees the college’s Bioclinical Sciences Department. As dean, Weaver will lead the college’s Academic…
Congratulations to our Spring 2020 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…
Dear students, faculty and staff: I am writing to you today with sentiments that I know are widely shared among the OTC community. Recently, we witnessed the horrifying deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans. As a result, citizens are expressing their frustration, pain and moral outrage through protests across the country. The difficult…
The summer semester begins next week, and the majority of courses will be delivered online. While this form of instruction may be intimidating for some, others love the flexibility it provides. Regardless of your stance, you’ll want to follow these tips to set yourself up for success. Arrange for computer access and reliable internet in…
Enrollment in summer classes at Ozarks Technical Community College increased by 15 percent for 2020 compared to 2019. That’s equivalent to 477 full-time students. All summer classes, with a few exceptions, were moved online this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten-week and five-week summer classes at OTC began today. Eight-week summer courses start Monday,…
As Memorial Day kicks off the unofficial start of summer, thousands of college students and graduates are looking for work. Whether you’re hunting for seasonal employment or your dream job, you’ll want to stop by OTC’s Career Services before beginning your search. Here are the top three reasons you should pay us a visit: Review…
Respiratory therapists like Emily Dye play a critical role in helping patients fight COVID-19. When the pandemic hit southwest Missouri, Emily was completing her first year on the job at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. Her passion for respiratory therapy – and her heart for patient care – is seeing her through the crisis. “The cycle…
Ozarks Technical Community College will confer 2,575 degrees and certificates to graduates this week, which includes students who have completed, or are pending completion of, their coursework from the summer 2019 semester through the spring 2020 semester. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the college postponed its previously scheduled ceremony on May 14. Instead, graduates…
The role of “first responder” has a double meaning for OTC student Kyle Heminger. The Forsyth native will soon graduate with not one but two associate degrees in Fire Science and Paramedicine. While that’s a major accomplishment itself, this husband and father of three did it while working full-time as a firefighter for the Ozark…
OTC’s own James Ackerman will be the new director of the OTC Republic Center. The OTC Board of Trustees approved Ackerman’s promotion at its monthly board meeting in May. Ackerman will begin his new duties on June 1. The OTC Republic Center is slated to open in August of 2020, and Ackerman will serve as…
Nurses and physicians figure prominently in coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there’s another vital group of health care professionals who don’t always get the same recognition: respiratory therapists. OTC graduate Jeff Atkinson is a prime example, having treated nearly a dozen critical COVID-19 patients so far at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Jeff is…