Student profile: Goodi Khalsa heads west to UC-Berkeley

Goodi Khalsa was regularly invited to speak with top administrators as a student while attending MCC-Longview. Here, she is meeting with Vice Chancellor Tuesday Stanley, MCC-Longview President Fred Grogan and Chancellor Mark James.

When Goodi Khalsa enrolled at Metropolitan Community College, she was unsure where her education would take her.

"When I first came to Longview I wanted to go into nursing," Khalsa said. "But after that first semester I wasn't sold on what I wanted to do, really."

With a strong background in mathematics and problem solving, she eventually realized that she wanted to go that route. Her interest in and love of math made her so successful at Longview that starting this fall, she will be transferring to one of the most prestigious math schools in the country: The University of California-Berkeley.

"I knew when I left here I wanted to go to the best school and so that is where I applied," Khalsa said, noting that she was courted by MIT and others. "I wanted to land at a school where I could not only get my degree in mathematics, but also go into a master's degree as well."

Even though she is leaving MCC, she is upbeat and positive about the time she spent on campus and working in the Student Life and Leadership office.

"(After high school) I felt a lot pressured that I needed to know what I wanted to do with my life," she said. "That is what I loved coming to Longview. I was able to explore just about everything before finally deciding."

Pesticide education from Timberbred, MCC student led green team

Timberbred has done it again. This MCC student led initiative was started by Morgan Brown. This time she's reaching out to educate the world about pesticides, their proper handling, and their effects on the environment. Take a learn for yourself by clicking the image below:

Learn more about this ecological MCC student led initiative by traveling just one click to Timberbred.com.

Fulbright scholar credits MCC-Blue River experience for success

Tamera Jenkins, Fulbright scholar lands in Canada

You can get absolutely anywhere in the world from right here at Metropolitan Community College-Blue River. Tamera Jenkins took that message to heart, earning her way to a Fulbright scholarship and an exhilarating experience studying abroad. From the Blue River campus in Independence, Mo., Tamera made her way to a world of new experiences at Simon Fraser University's Graduate School of Criminology in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“I was thrilled when my son went to Blue River,” Tamera says. And when she brought him to campus to procure permission for him to attend at a younger than normal age, Jon Burke, MCC-Blue River's dean of student development, gave her the encouragement she says she needed to continue her own education as well.

Jon described their first meeting, saying, “She told me that she had thought about going back to college herself at some point in the future. I encouraged her to take one class at Blue River—begin as a part-time student and then decide if she’d like to be a full-time student for future semesters.” In light of her Fulbright scholarship and her track record of academic success, Jon added, “In hindsight, it certainly appears that

Student Profile: Dakota Fletcher, a rising star in the engineering world

Dakota Fletcher might have successfully finished his studies at Metropolitan Community College-Longview, but says the impression his experience at MCC left on him will last a lifetime.

Fletcher graduated from MCC-Longview this past spring with a degree in engineering. He now plans to take his education to the next level as he prepares to start classes at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

"I knew I wanted to go into some engineering field," Fletcher said. "And everything I heard from school counselors and professors at S&T was that starting at Longview was going to best prepare me for the kind of success I wanted."

MCC receives state and federal grants

MCC has been awarded two grants totaling about $90,000.

One grant, from the Missouri Department of Higher Education in the amount of $25,000, is focused on default prevention. The funding will partially cover the salary and benefits of the district's default prevention coordinator who supports students throughout the lifecycle of their student loans. The grant, which runs from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, is expected to positively impact MCC’s U.S. Department of Education cohort default rate.

Another grant, from the U.S. Health and Human Resources and Services Administration in the amount of $64,114, will provide scholarships for students in need. The scholarship funds will be granted directly to economically or educationally disadvantaged nursing students at the MCC-Penn Valley Health Science Institute. Economic need is determined based on the U.S. Health and Human Services poverty table; educational need is based on factors such as being a first generation college student or a recent GED completer or having attended a high school with a low graduation rate. The grant period is July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 with possible annual renewals.

MCC-Longview student reflects on his service in Joplin, Mo.

On Friday, July 1, a group of 75 student, faculty and staff drove to Joplin, Mo., to help in the ongoing clean-up efforts there.

One MCC student, Mike Simpson, wrote this short reflection after returning from his day of volunteer service in Joplin:

"It is impossible to describe the full magnitude of the destruction in the city of Joplin. All the many local and national newscasts couldn't prepare me for what I saw down there. As soon as our bus entered ground zero, I was overwhelmed with a sense of sadness and despair.

However, in the midst of all the rubble there were volunteers from all over the country. These people drove for hours to work in a cloud of dust in the sweltering heat to help people that they have never met. Being surrounded by so many of these kind-hearted people is a big relief in a city that has been plagued with so much sadness."

MCC will continue to provide aid to the Southern Missouri town in its recovery from the devastating tornado that left more than 150 people dead and left thousands homeless.

Smithsonian archaeologist Katherine Brooks, MCC-Blue River student success story

Katherine Brooks has taken a path from MCC-Blue River to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History as a working archaeologist. She is a sterling example of Blue River student success.

She was recently awarded a summer fellowship at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where she will work in the Anthropology department. There Katherine is researching a Smithsonian collection of American Indian artifacts which she has already been studying. After this summer, she will apply for a post-doctoral research fellowship with the Smithsonian as well.

Call Center Gets Name, Launch Date

Plans for a centralized call center at MCC have been under development since November 2010, and the center now has an official name and opening date.

The MCC Information Center, which will be housed on the Penn Valley campus, is scheduled to open in February 2012.

Described as a telephonic drive-through window of sorts, the Information Center is designed to provide quick, concise answers to student inquiries about everything from financial aid to advising to continuing education.

Members of the Information Center planning committee visited each campus in May to provide project updates and answer questions. Additional info sessions will be conducted in the fall; watch The MCC Insider for dates.

See below for the introductory PowerPoint presentation, which includes details about the primary student services that will be supported by the Information Center, how it will be staffed and other important information.

If you have questions, please contact your campus planning committee representative:
• MCC-Penn Valley: Mindy Johnson
• MCC-Maple Woods: Dusty Mills
• MCC-Business and Technology: Chris VanDell
• MCC-Blue River: Bob Florence
• MCC-Longview: Francine Roberts

Information Center Introduction

MCC-Longview student Danise Harris shines in Lee's Summit's Got Talent

Congratulations to MCC-Longview student Danise Harris!

Harris on Friday won $5,000 at the first Lee's Summit's Got Talent competition hosted by Lee's Summit Cares.

Competitors from around the city brought their top musical talent to the stage Friday night as residents tried to perform their best for top prize.

Harris wowed the panel of judges with her version of "I am changing" - a song made popular in the 1982 musical Dreamgirls.

[Photo Credit: The Lee's Summit Tribune]

MCC-Blue River alumnus Esther Francis receives Fulbright grant

Esther Francis, MCC-Blue River's newest Fulbright scholarship recipient

Each of the last two years, an MCC-Blue River alumnus has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to study abroad. This year the Fulbright award went to Esther Francis, an MCC-Blue River graduate who spent a year living in Guanajuato, Mexico during her undergraduate studies. After her immersive, linguistic experience in Mexican culture, she knew that she had to find a way to go back.

The Fulbright Binational Business Grant allows Esther to spend another year living and studying Mexico. With the scholarship, she will attend graduate level courses at Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology while gaining experience as an intern for a Mexico City based company.

The Fulbright scholarship is awarded to a very select group of applicants based on their academic performance, professional achievement, and the leadership qualities they demonstrate. The Fulbright program was designed by the United States congress and passed into law by President Harry S. Truman to increase

MCC-Penn Valley celebrates National TRIO Day

College is a challenging time for students as they work to achieve their goals and improve their lives. The experience can be especially difficult for students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Project Success at MCC-Penn Valley is a Student Support Services TRIO program whose services include: tutoring, counseling, transfer assistance and cultural assistance. Project Success, run by Toni Alexander, is open to low-income, first-generation or disabled college students, and is designed to increase retention and graduation rates as well as assist with transferring to four year colleges.

The program recently participated in National TRIO Day by hosting a breakfast that featured a panel discussion on "Retention, Graduation, Transfer: Student Support Services TRIO's Role in All of It." English Instructor Lisa Spaulding served as moderator. Student panelists included: Vera Campbell-Adams, Stephanie Carrillo, Dianna Izaula, Darryl Norton, Rachel Pulluaim and JuJuan Turner.

National TRIO Day is a day of celebration, reflection and action around increased access to higher education for disadvantaged students.

"In many communities throughout America, the TRIO Programs are the only programs that help low-income Americans to enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America's economic and social life," Arnold Mitchem, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education.

Maple Woods lives the MCC mission through charity and service

Preparing students, serving communities, creating opportunities. Those six words comprise MCC’s mission statement as it strives to educate more and more students in the Kansas City Metro area. The holiday season and new year afforded many challenges and opportunities to live MCC’s mission statement, and Maple Woods stepped up to the plate this year, with faculty, staff and students getting involved in the Northland.

Each year, MCC-Maple Woods adopts several students and their families for the holidays, providing food and gift items. This year, the campus was able to provide holiday trimmings for five students and their families, including two bags of groceries, three large boxes of gifts and wrapping supplies, and about $130 in gift cards. Maple Woods employees went above and beyond this year, providing enough gift cards and donations to adopt another 3 families in addition to the others. The number of students the campus has been able to adopt has gone up each of the last three years, even though financial situations have been tough.

MCC-Maple Woods students took the lead in several projects serving the Northland community – from picking up trash to volunteering at neighborhood charity organizations to supporting other students and their families.

Members of the women’s soccer team, along with the Northland Sports Alliance, participated in the BackSnack program just before the holidays as well. The program provides backpacks full of food to students who qualify for the free and reduced lunches offered by the school districts. Soccer team members helped Harvesters pack donated backpacks full of food to distribute to children at risk of going hungry.

Students became involved in community projects even in spite of rough weather conditions: Alice Zvacek, Samantha Nolker, Kayla Fleshman and Steve Barber, all members of the Upsilon Xi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year institutions, braved icy cold weather to clean up trash on Highway 152 near the campus.

Along with the students, MCC-Maple Woods employees are undertaking the challenge to support local organizations. The Maple Woods Fitness Center has held several “boot camp” fundraisers throughout the semester to benefit local organizations such as the Northland Therapeutic Riding Center, Synergy Services, and the United Way. Boot camps were also held to raise cash for causes including breast cancer awareness, child abuse prevention and the Special Olympics.

In addition to campus-wide, group and individual efforts throughout the last semester, MCC-Maple Woods students and employees will once again participate in the MLK Day of Service on Jan. 17, 2011. Maple Woods continues to live MCC’s mission by preparing students, both civically and academically, serving communities through hard work and creating opportunities for Northland families and organizations.

MCC-Maple Woods December Employee of the Month: Samantha Nolker

Samantha works in the Biology Lab as a student worker. She is taking a full course load with many science courses, she serves as Phi Theta Kappa’s secretary, and she also volunteers at Ray County hospital.

Samantha comes to work with a smile and a “let’s go get ‘em philosophy." She works diligently and always goes above and beyond what she needs to. When she is finished with her assigned duties, she always asks what she can do to help others finish their tasks. Samanthan will be leaving MCC in May to attend UMKC.

Fall Festivities at MCC-Maple Woods

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Foundation scholarship opens new horizons for MCC-Longview student J.R. Byers

J.R. Byers is getting the most of his education. It’s not just that he is taking advantage of his classes or extra curricular activities while here at MCC-Longview.

Rather, Byers is also taking advantage of the MCC Foundation, which is helping with a full scholarship to pay for school.

“This has to be one the most important things the school is doing for its students,” Byers said of himself and dozens of others who received scholarships from the board and the foundation to complete their education.

“My opportunities have expanded exponentially,” he said. “When I first started I was not sure I could afford to go to a community college let alone a four-year school.”

As a former corporate trainer and business owner, Byers hit a string of bad luck when the economy began to go south. He had to sell his business and immediately started looking for a way to continue to support himself and his children as a single parent.

Originally, Byers had thought he was going to use MCC-Longview as a starting place for a teaching degree, but with renewed confidence given to him by instructors and an opportunity to save a little money on the side, Byers says he now wants to continue in his education and get a Master’s degree or even a Ph.D. in linguistic philosophy or anthropology.

His high GPA and involvement with Phi Theta Kappa also has made him an interesting prospect to other schools. Columbia, Syracuse and handful of others from around the country are all courting Byers as he now prepares to make the decision on where to go after next semester.

“Without the foundation, none of this would have been possible,” Byers said. “For me now, the sky is the limit.”

Even with an unlimited horizon ahead of him, Byers still is quick to credit those at the foundation and at the head of each of his classes for helping him become so successful in his two short years at MCC.

MCC-Longview student ready to display her art for the first time

Seok Wei Chew displays some of the early pieces from her scuplture 'Relationship' that will be on display in the MCC-Lognview Library starting next week.

MCC-Longview student Seok Wei Chew loves using colors in her art projects. To her, the color is more than just something that fills in the white spaces on a canvas.

For Chew, using color in a painting or a sculpture is like casting the right actor in a play. They way it works with the other colors and interacts with the viewer is just as important as how looks.

“I was totally attracted by the color wheel the first time I saw it,” she said. “And that is the beginning that inspired me to produce colorful art work.”

It was also the inspiration for her most recent piece of work, ‘Relationship’, that will be on display in the MCC-Longview Library for much of November and December.

Although it is her first showing and her first sculpture project, Chew said she is excited for the opportunity to display what she calls an expression of her love for color.

In her proposal to the library administration she wrote: “Can you imagine a world without colors? It will be boring and lifeless. Color is powerful. Color can attract or repel. It contains emotion.”

“She is a great student and I am excited to see her excel in her work,” art instructor Kim Lindaberry said. “I am interested to see where she goes next.”

Chew is in her second year of art classes with MCC-Longview and hopes to transfer to continue her art education after this year. Ultimately, she said, she hope that one day she can design furniture – very colorful furniture.

'Relationship'

On display at the MCC-Longview Library

Nov. 17 - Dec. 8

Students honored at MCCA convention

The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) recognized five students from MCC on Friday, Nov. 5, with Student Leadership Awards.

Jenn Mahurin – MCC-Blue River: Mahurin is president of the Student Ambassadors at Blue River and assists new students with enrollment and orientation. She plans to obtain a master’s degree in higher education.

Timothy Wilcox – MCC- Business & Technology: Wilcox completed a four- year apprenticeship at Ford and BTC. He has since earned several IT certifications, and is working on AAS degrees in several areas.

Jason Skinner – MCC- Longview: Skinner is the president of the student government association, a student ambassador and a new student orientation leader. One of his current focuses is on increasing student involvement in campus athletics.

Andrew Wilson – MCC- Maple Woods: Wilson serves as the president of the ambassadors group. He is active in student orientation and has given over 300 campus tours in his year and a half at Maple Woods. He is also a student worker in the office of admissions.

Sereptia Evans – MCC-Penn Valley: Evans is an honor student working on her completion of an Associate’s degree with plans to study veterinary medicine. She holds many leadership positions at Penn Valley and is involved in community service. Evans is a recipient of the Bloch Scholarship.

MCC-Longview Student awarded MCCA's student leadership award

Jason Skinner can now add state award winner to his long resume of accomplishments from MCC-Longview.

The student body president, new student orientation leader and student ambassador was awarded the Missouri Community College Association's prestigious Student Leadership award at its conference last week.

The award is given only to those students who act as true leaders on their campus and work tirelessly to make a difference at their college.

"I was really excited and did not quite realize what it meant until we drove out to St. Louis for the conference," Skinner said.

Skinner, along with all his extra-curricular activities, is working toward his associates and then plans to transfer to Northwest Missouri State University.

MCC-Longview student invited to speak at regional philosophy conference

Michael Downs started his education in philosophy in a local bookstore.

"I was 21 and had so many questions that I was not really getting a lot of answers to," he said. "So, I sat down and started reading just about everything I could find."

As a voracious reader he because curious about life, religion and many of the same questions that have bothered the likes of Kierkergaard, Kant and Sarte. In a few short years he then found himself taking evening classes at MCC-Longview following the logic lessons and ethics teaching of instructor Doug Washer.

With less than two years of formal philosophy education under his belt, though, Downs has been invited to attend the 21st Annual Undergraduate Philosophy and Religion Conference held at Truman State University - a conference that invites some of the brightest minds from around the region.

Students, like Downs, will present some of their published work and then take questions from fellow students and philosophy professors from around the state.

"I am extremely pleased to have been selected especially since everyone else is from a university of some kind," Downs said.

Out of 15 students hand-selected from around the state, Downs is the only one from a community college.

That, Washer says, not only speaks to the accomplishment of MCC-Longview, but also to the success of Downs.

"He really is one of those students that you hope for your entire career. Someone you can really call a protege," Washer said.

Downs will head to Truman State this weekend. Once graduating from MCC-Longview, Downs says he hopes to them attend UMKC and eventually get a Doctorate in philosophy.

"If I can't teach philosophy one day, then I don't know what I will do," he said.

A+ Students can win cash

Students who are using A+ funds to attend MCC are invited to enter a drawing from Nov. 1-30 for prizes provided by the Missouri Lottery.

During the Tools 4 School: The A+ Giveaway promotion, one grand-prize winner will win $2,500, three first-prize winners will receive $1,000, and three second-prize winners will win $400 in prize money to put toward books, a laptop or other school essentials.

For more information or to enter the drawing click here.