4/17/08

Four Phi Theta Kappa members from Mid-Plains Community College were named to the 2008 PTK All-Nebraska Academic Team during the annual recognition ceremony in Lincoln on April 10.

McCook Community College students, Brian Gaston and Allyson Reichert, and North Platte Community College students, Courtney Johnston and Megan Larson, were selected for the prestigious honor, which was designed to provide recognition to two-year college scholars by saluting their academic achievement, leadership and service.

Brian Gaston of McCook is a Wildlife Biology major at MCC. He will be transferring to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to obtain a bachelors degree in Wildlife Biology. He participates in intercollegiate basketball and PTK. He has served as Vice President of the Student Senate and was elected Regional President of the Nebraska/Wyoming Region of PTK. Gaston stated, "My experiences with leadership and PTK led to my success in the community, which then helped me obtain a high status as dependable and hard working&"

Courtney Johnston of Brewster is a psychology major at NPCC. She plans on obtaining her bachelors degree at Chadron State College then attending graduate school to become a clinical psychologist. She is a womens varsity basketball NJCAA Academic All-American, Academic All-Region, Academic All-Conference, Drama Club Theater Student of the Year, and Drama Club Vice President. She used the quote, "Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings us, but by the attitude we bring to life&"

Megan Larson of Farnam is a pre-nursing major at NPCC. She plans to pursue an associate's degree in nursing at Central Community College in Kearney. She is a member of PTK, Sigma Alpha Pi, and a CAN at Linden Court. She received the Aksarben Good Neighbor Award and is an All-USA Scholar. Larson stated, "I enjoy hearing about each person's life and loves. They enrich my life by sharing theirs with me."

Allyson Reichert of St. Francis, Kansas is a biology/pre-med major at MCC. She plans to transfer to the University of Kansas to continue her undergraduate studies. She is a lab assistant for the biology department; a member of Sigma Alpha Pi Leadership Society; and Vice President of her PTK chapter. She is on the President's List and was Student of the Month. Reichert stated, "My major is Biology and I have been applying my academic and intellectual skill and knowledge towards benefiting the students."

Also attending the ceremony were MPCC President Dr. Michael Chipps; NPCC Vice President Marilyn McGahan; MCC Vice President Dr. Richard Tubbs; NPCC PTK Faculty Advisor Diana Krisciunas; MCC PTK Faculty Advisor Sharon Kircher; and MPCC Director of Public Relations and Marketing Chuck Salestrom.

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Mid-Plains Community College alumni Bill Pile recently received the Nebraska Community College Association's Alumni of the Year award.

Mr. Pile came to what was then known as North Platte Junior College in 1967 via a track scholarship. He graduated from MPCC with an Associate of Arts Degree and then earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Education from Chadron State College.

He continued his education with graduate classes at CSC and earned a Master's Degree in Business Education. He later returned to CSC and added an Educational Supervision and Administration endorsement to his Master's Degree. He continued his graduate studies at Kearney State College, earning an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Administration.

Pile's educational career is extensive and impressive. He taught business education at Sioux County High School in Harrison, Neb., and served as head coach or assistant in volleyball, football, wrestling, and track while he was teaching there. He was also the athletic director for two years.

He later moved to Mullen, Neb., to assume the position of secondary principal. While at Mullen, he was the head coach in wrestling for four years, girls basketball for five years, and was athletic director for three years. He also taught accounting classes and other business classes as needed.

In July of 1993, Pile moved to Gurley, Neb., where he served as the Superintendent of Schools for Leyton (Dalton-Gurley consolidation). In July 2000, he assumed the position of shared Superintendent for Leyton and Potter-Dix and remained there until his retirement in June of 2004.

Following his Nebraska retirement, Pile assumed the part-time Superintendency for Platte Valley Schools in Ovid and Sedgwick, Colo., where he remains at the present time.

Pile is currently a member of the Sedgwick County Rotary in Julesburg/Ovid/Sedgwick and serves on the Memorial Health Center Hospital Board of Directors in Sidney, Neb. He and his wife, Lila, also raise registered Labrador dogs, quail, and chukars, and have limited agricultural interests.

Upon hearing he had been named MPCCs Alumni of the Year, Mr. Pile had the following comments:

"I can't begin to describe how honored I feel. Mid-Plains offered me an opportunity to go to college via a track scholarship in 1967, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Many of the best teachers I came in contact were from Mid-Plains, including Dr. Roy Deeds, Virgil Nelsen, and Ivan Koch. Not only did I learn content, I learned much about being a good human being and gained inspiration to become an educator to influence others as I was so influenced."

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