WTC Students Receive Otha Grimes Scholarships
October 26, 2009 - Eight Western Technology Center students were awarded the Otha Grimes Scholarships for the fall 2009 semester.  The scholarships are cash awards designed to help students with tuition, books, supplies, and other expenses.

Recipients include Melissa Short, Business Technology, Elk City; Jacob Parris, Welding, Clinton; Christie Forbes, Dental Assisting, Weatherford; Gabrielle White, Practical Nursing, Weatherford; Jennifer Hughes, Dental Assisting, Weatherford; Jamie Sparlin, Business Technology, Sayre; Tracy Colchado, Business Technology, Weatherford; and Daryl Storey, Culinary Arts, Hobart.

The late Grimes was an Oklahoma businesswoman actively involved in agriculture, oil and gas production, and civic programs. She was a founding member of the Oklahoma Vocational-Technical (CareerTech) Foundation which funds the Otha Grimes Scholarships.

To receive an Otha Grimes scholarship, students must be at least 18, enrolled in a full-time CareerTech program, achieve satisfactory progress, and exhibit both a financial need and an intention to complete their program, according to Dana Ellis, WTC Financial Aid Director.

WTC Celebrates Graduates October 22, 2009 - Western Technology Center held its 37th Annual LPN Graduation Ceremony Wednesday. In the words of the 23 graduates, “We have become the ones who dare to care.” The graduates were honored for their achievements at the formal ceremony attended by a host of family and friends.  Christy May, P.N. Coordinator, reflected on the students’ memories and accomplishments.  May and instructors, Lisa Holman and Joy Celsor, presented the students with their awards and pins.  Students were recognized for being class officers, having perfect attendance, being “Student of the Month,” being a member of the National Technical Honor Society, and participating in the Southwest Leadership Academy.  Kaylee Stockton, received “Student of the Year.” Several graduates were chosen by their classmates to receive special awards: Morgan Ferguson, Caring Heart; Chelsea Dancer, Bridge Builder; Shari Cook, Safety; Ambyr Heller, Most Improved; Christy Turner, Most Skilled; Hannah Young, Commitment Excellence; Richard McGaha, Going the Extra Mile; Tiffany Cape, Most Enthusiastic; Amy McAlister and Kendra Head, Best Attitude; and Lindsay Rhodes, Leading by Example.  Additionally, Jack Sanders, WTC School Board President, presented the diplomas.  The WTC Practical Nursing Class of 2009 included Ida Bashaw, Hobart; Mary Ann Black, Burns Flat; Brooke Breeze, Sayre; Tiffany Cape, Elk City; Shari Cook, Elk City; Chelsie Dancer, Elk City; Morgan Ferguson, Cordell; Anita Gilliam, Elk City; Kendra Head, Weatherford; Ambyr Heller, Gotebo; Teresa Jennings, Weatherford; Amy McAlister, Cordell; Richard McGaha, Canute; Kasey Mills, Sayre; Kristi Pankratz, Hydro; Caprice Pearson, Clinton; Lindsay Rhodes, Hobart; Ines Rodriguez, Clinton; Joshua Rouse, Hobart; Melinda Shepherd, Clinton; Kaylee Stockton, Hobart; Christy Turner, Elk City; and Hannah Young, Clinton.

WOKHR Hosts Area CEOs
October 21, 2009 - Western Oklahoma Human Resources held their annual CEO appreciation luncheon at the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford.

Steven Hendrickson, Chairman of the Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development and the Director of State and Local Government Relations for Boeing Company, spoke on the impact of the council’s work in Oklahoma.

According to Hendrickson, Oklahoma will face a shortage of medical professionals within the next several years, and the state of Oklahoma has designed a program to keep Oklahoma natives pursing the engineering field to stay here.

“We had a great turn out with an excellent speaker,” said Marsha Morris, WTC Business Development Coordinator. “We are thankful for wonderful CEOs, and it is our pleasure to honor them for their hard work.”

The CEOs enjoyed a catered lunch by Gala’s at the Market, a tour of the Stafford Air and Space Museum, and invaluable information and networking opportunities.

Among attendees were Rep. Harold Wright, SWOSU President John Hays, Weatherford Economic Development Director Chuck Dougherty, WTC Board President Jack Sanders, WTC Assistant Superintendent of Business and Industry Cliff Corbin, members of Oklahoma’s workforce development, WOKHR members, and numerous CEOs from throughout Western Oklahoma.

“I enjoyed the presentation,” Corbin said. “He gave some valuable and insightful information that we can use in the real world.”

For more information about WOKHR, contact Marsha Morris at 580-774-0224 x230 mmorris@wtc.tec.ok.us or Darla Davenport, WOKHR President, at 580-774-3071 darla.davenport@swosu.edu.

Jennings wins national scholarship
October 12, 2009 - Teresa Jennings, of Weatherford and a Practical Nursing student at Western Technology Center, has won the KeyTrain Hugh McCrabb Scholarship.

Jennings is a single mother of two boys, Brandon and Nick, and wanted to become a nurse in hopes of building a better life for herself and her boys.

“We are happy to bring this scholarship to Oklahoma and specifically to WTC,” said Kathe Corning, WTC assessment director. “KeyTrain and the Career Readiness Certificates are an important piece of technology education.”

Jennings is a Certified Nurse Aide and Home Health Aide. While at WTC, she was chosen as Licensed Practical Nursing December Student of the Month. After graduation, she plans to pursue an RN program and work in labor and delivery or as a Home Health Director.

“We have enjoyed having Teresa in the LPN program and are excited she won the scholarship,” said Christy May, WTC LPN Coordinator. “We wish her the best as she completes the program and graduates later this month.”

The McCrabb Scholarship honors the late Hugh McCrabb, who was instrumental in making the Career Readiness Certificate a reality in Oklahoma and helping many Oklahomans increase workplace skills. The Scholarship covers a one full year’s tuition at an Oklahoma Technology Center and the cost of testing and printing an Oklahoma Career Readiness Certificate.

Before coming to WTC, she attended high school at Fulton, Mo., and college at Columbia College in Missouri and Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford. Jennings is the daughter of Pat and Larry Jennings, Fulton, Mo.

High School Students from around State Attend OSUIT’sCareer Encounters of the Orange Kind
October 12, 2009- Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology just held its third annual Career Encounters of the Orange Kind. What did the 900 attendees from Oklahoma high schools and career technology centers discover when they toured the programs? 

• Replacing a broken window can be a life or death decision
• Homemade soup is better than canned
• You can make your own watch
• Photography makes fantasy a reality
• The lame can walk
• The power to burn is the power to learn

These and many other possibilities were demonstrated for students and adult learners at the event, which featured demonstrations and hands-on activities in most of the forty-four technical programs on campus.  Guest speakers shared stories of long-term success in careers they began with a degree from OSUIT.  Industry representatives identified the technical jobs currently available in the business world.  University representatives provided information on admission, financial aid and on-campus housing.

Director of Special Events and Services, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Steven Rubert said, “The great thing about this event is that it gives high school seniors and adult learners the ability to view first-hand all that OSU Institute of Technology has to offer.  They are able to experience what our students learn through a hands-on format as well as meet faculty and even the industry representatives that hire our graduates.”

In the Automotive Collision Repair Technology program, instructor Kelly Ingold told students how replacing a cracked windshield is important to the overall safety of an automobile.  “As future repair technicians, they need to know that product quality and accurate workmanship are critical to the safety of the customer. The windshield is critical to the overall structural integrity of the car.”

Beginning Culinary Arts students were cooking some simple recipes as one of the demonstrations in that program.  They prepared a variety of twelve different delicious soups made from scratch: Hearty Mushroom Barley, Spicy Black Bean, Roasted Pablano and Cheddar Cheese, and Classic French Onion. Instructor, Chef Ronald L'Heureux said he has 80 new students this fall, and the need in the food service industry is so great that all of them can find good jobs when they graduate.

In Watchmaking, the Rolex-sponsored program observers saw several students creating their own watches.  Having watchmaking students build their own timepiece is something new to the program, and the technicians who are graduating this December will be the first to have done so.

Tulsa freelance photographer and creative director, Jeremy Charles and his class arranged some fanciful costumed studio shoots for Career Encounters attendees to observe and model in.  Charles is one of two new adjunct faculty members teaching in the Visual Communications Photography program this fall.  His work has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Runner’s World, Forbes, Oklahoma Magazine, and Wichita Magazine.

Helping amputees have a close-to-normal lifestyle is one of the objectives of students in OSUIT’s Orthotics and Prosthetics program.  Director/Instructor of Orthotic and Prosthetic Technologies Jennifer Block showed visitors how to use a butane torch to shape a prosthetic mold to the best fit for a patient.  She also demonstrated how an articulated leg can keep an older patient from tripping or falling, yet also create challenges in walking with a natural gait. A Claremore alternative school counselor who attended the demonstration said she was greatly impressed by the good that that program does and that there are so many career opportunities available.

Becoming a power plant technician can be a very lucrative career for graduates of the Power Plant Technology program.  An aging workforce in this industry means a looming shortage of qualified technicians. Many in this industry are worried about replacing them observed Engineering Technologies Division instructor, Eric Brabec.  He demonstrated how steam powered turbines can produce electricity from coal or natural gas, using a model steam plant donated by Western Farmer Electric Cooperative.

Vice-President for Enrollment Management, Ina Agnew, said Career Encounters has been deliberately designed to present a realistic picture of the career pathways students can pursue through the various majors offered at OSUIT.  “By the time participants leave Career Encounters, they understand how we prepare them for their career fields, and that “applied learning” means students will be actively engaged in the learning process—intellectually and physically—as they complete projects, work on equipment, and solve complex, real-world problems in the classroom and through paid internships for many of the programs.” 

“The 900+ students in attendance also met with industry leaders who are a key part of the OSUIT success formula.  Each program has an advisory board involved in making sure the equipment and technologies our students use, and the curriculum that is taught, is relevant to what is occurring in the workplace.  It’s why our graduates have multiple job offers.”

The featured speaker at lunch, Kirk Hurst, Vice President of Manufacturing and Sourcing for National Oilwell Varco told counselors and teachers about the lucrative careers available in Manufacturing. They were impressed that they had the opportunity to hear someone of his standing (caliber) in the manufacturing industry.”

Hurst is a past graduate of OSUIT, where he studied manufacturing.  He told listeners that his career went from being a manufacturing technician working one piece of equipment to managing a world-wide manufacturing enterprise that has him travelling all over the world.  Hurst told the counselors that he attributes his success to two different learning experiences at OSUIT, “I got a good solid grounding in the fundamentals of manufacturing at OSUIT, but just as importantly, I got an excellent education in business and communications.  Those liberal arts courses I took were the key to me being able to advance in my career.”

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology offers high-quality technical training in more than 20 technical professions, planned and guided with the support of leading companies, industries, and high technology firms. As a result, students learn the latest technical advances that meet the demanding needs of employers.
For more information call 918.293.4678 or 1.800.722.4471. Information also is available online at www.osuit.edu.

Superintendent’s Leadership Class Announced
October 6, 2009 - Western Technology Center and Gene Orsack, superintendent, announce the 2009-2010 Superintendent’s Leadership Class. 

“We are pleased to announce our 2009-2010 class,” Orsack said.  “They are a great group of students, and we hope this will be a great experience for all of them.”

More than 30 students applied to be a part of the leadership team, and 15 students were selected.  Along with an application, students had to have three letters of recommendation and go through an interview process. After the process has been completed, the 15 with the most accumulated points are chosen.

“We had lots of great applicants, and it was hard to make a decision,” said Penny Berry, guidance counselor and co-sponsor.  “We are looking forward to a great year with our leadership team.”

SLC will participate in a variety of activities during the school year, which include teamwork and leadership activities, public speaking events, recruitment activities, tours of the State Capitol, and communication exercises. 

“One of the goals of the Leadership Class is to promote teamwork and participation,” said Kathe Corning, assessment director and co-sponsor.  “The students will also have the opportunity to visit every WTC campus.”

SLC has five sponsors: Penny Berry, Burns Flat campus; Kathe Corning, Burns Flat campus; Becky Trent, Sayre campus; Audie Corning, Weatherford campus; and Holli Leggette, Burns Flat campus.

2009-2010 Superintendent’s Leadership Class

Sabu Beltran, Foss
Kamron Bennett, Clinton
Nikoma Early, Cordell
Kaila Fuentes, Elk City
Tiffney Raad, Elk City
Kaci Shanahan, Weatherford
Shane Steigman, Clinton
Dakota Foreman, Sayre
Julie Harmon, Cheyenne
Brandon Miller, Erick
Tiffany Price, Sayre
Zac Sandoval, Sayre
Breauna Swisher, Sweetwater
Christie Forbes, Weatherford
Megan Riley, Chickasha

WTC sets LPN graduation
October 6, 2009 - Western Technology Center’s Practical Nursing Class of 2009 will hold its graduation ceremonies on Wed., Oct. 21 at 7.  The ceremonies will take place on the Burns Flat campus in the Seminar Center. 

WTC’s administration, faculty, and staff would like to invite family and friends as they celebrate the achievements of the Practical Nursing Class of 2009.

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