| North Platte Community College recognized its top students and employees during an Honors Convocation on Thursday in the McDonald-Belton Theater. Members of various student organizations were introduced, and scholarships were awarded. The following were also presented. All College Awards 
Mid-Plains Community College President Ryan Purdy presents the Presidential Award to Taylor Wiese, of North Platte.
Dr. Jody Tomanek, area vice president of academic affairs and NPCC, presents the Vice President of Instruction Award to Ian Smith, of North Platte.
Emmye Bruno, of Rolling Hills, Wyo., accepts the Vice President of Student Services of the Year Award from Mid-Plains Community College President Ryan Purdy.
Andy Long, area vice president of student affairs, presents Mindy Hope, area director of recruiting and admissions, with the NPCC Professional Achievement in Student Support Award.
Augie Sanchez, assistant director of housing, presents Spirit Awards to NPCC student Loren Lealiiee, of San Antonio, Texas; Jessica Hill, of North Platte, area financial aid specialist and NPCC student Lexa Lealiiee, of San Antonio, Texas. Not pictured are: Sabrina Stineman, of North Platte; Erin Renwick, of Golden, Colo. and Emily Marsden, of Papillion. Division Awards Applied Technologies: 
Applied Technologies Division Chair Kent Beel; Gregg Cudzilo, building construction instructor; Rex Kemp, HVAC instructor; Aaron Wright, of Ogallala, HVAC Award winner; Luis Esquivel Saldana, of Lexington, Diesel Award winner; Cody Harrison, of North Platte, Building Construction Award winner and Steve Kramer, diesel technology instructor. Business and Technology: 
Jimi Cole, business/office technology instructor; Jared Most, of Brady, Graphic Design Award winner; Michael Bergmeier, of North Platte, Business Award winner; Richard Stolz, of Champion, Information Technology Award winner and Kathleen McCune, office technology/business instructor. Not pictured was Kaile Jacobson, of North Platte, Business Office Technology Award winner. Health Occupations: 
Health Occupations Division Chair Marina Makovicka; Terri Weaver, nurse educator; Jami Lynn Davis, of North Platte, Nursing First Year Award winner; Samantha Robins, of North Platte, Nursing Second Year Award winner and Nicole Kissinger, nurse educator. Humanities and Social Sciences:  Pam Koch, music instructor; Maximus Wohler, of North Platte, Visual and Performing Arts Award winner; Eric Boggs, of Hershey, Humanities Award winner; Jaime Burkink, of Gothenburg, Education/Early Childhood Education Award winner and Jean Miller, Humanities and Social Sciences chair. Mathematics and Science: 
Kathleen McCune, office technology/business instructor; Eric Chavira, of Imperial, Agriculture Award winner; Zach Carter, of North Platte, Science Award winner; Carla Long, biology instructor; Cole Lewis, of North Platte, Mathematics Award winner; Roger Volentine, math instructor and Sally Thalken, Science and Mathematics Division chair.
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Pictured left to right: Jessie Allen, English instructor; Dickens; Anne Schmit, English instructor; Bassett and Aaron McLean, chemistry instructor.
Two students at North Platte Community College will have an extra $1,000 to put toward their educational expenses next semester. Myesha Dickens, of North Platte, and Kimberly Bassett, of Ogallala, were awarded $1,000 scholarships during the NPCC Honors Convocation on Thursday. The money can be applied to tuition, books, school supplies, living expenses or anything else that will help them be successful in college. Dickens and Bassett were selected for the awards based on their academic excellence and other accomplishments at school, work and in the community. The scholarships were made possible by the Mid-Plains Education Association, which consists of non-technical faculty members at NPCC. The MPEA collects donations and conducts 50/50 raffles at home athletic events every year to raise the funds.
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McCune
Mid-Plains Community College instructor Kathleen McCune has been named the Postsecondary Teacher of the Year by the Association for Career and Technical Education. McCune, a business and office technology instructor at MPCC, was recognized at the ACTE's 2018 Region V Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday. "I am very grateful for this teaching award, however, success does not come without the influence and support from others," said McCune. "Many years ago, as a young educator, I was fortunate to watch and emulate some excellent teachers. Early on, I witnessed their preparation, their drive and their passion. They were my examples. I continue to work in an environment at MPCC where teaching excellence is valued and students are the primary focus. I am thankful for colleagues, mentors and motivated students that encourage me daily. Learning, for me, has been a constant, and student success is still the most gratifying part of teaching." ACTE's Excellence Awards are presented to the finest career and technical teachers at the postsecondary level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of career and technical education in their institutions and communities. Recognitions are done at the state, regional and national levels. McCune won the state Postsecondary Teacher of the Year award in June of last year, so advanced to the regional competition. Winning regionals makes her a finalist for the national ACTE Excellence Awards competition Nov. 28 in San Antonio, Texas. "Mrs. McCune is a vital part of our business faculty, and we are incredibly lucky to have a faculty member of her caliber at MPCC," said Dr. Jody Tomanek, area vice-president of Academic Affairs and NPCC. "Kathleen follows in the footsteps of many other faculty from MPCC who have won this award. I think she as a great chance of winning the national award." McCune works closely with others in the Business Division of MPCC to provide courses, degrees, diplomas and certificates in Business Office Technology. Additionally, she conducts presentations four times a year for the North Platte High School Health Career Academy to encourage advanced education in CTE fields. McCune has written for "NSBEA Today," "ACTEN — The Communique" and coauthored "Chapter 8: Business Education Curriculum and Assessment Encountered In The Postsecondary/Community College Setting" for the 2017 National Business Education Association Yearbook. McCune makes an effort to support and discover emerging issues in business and economic education by representing the Business Education Division of the Association of Career and Technical Education on the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education (PCBEE). She is currently the secretary for the PCBEE and is the writing co-chair for the "2018 Policy Paper: The Effective Use of Data in Business Education." Additionally, McCune has served as a district representative, president and past president of the Nebraska State Business Education Association (NSBEA). She was named the NSBEA Postsecondary Teacher of the Year in 2013 and was the 2014 Postsecondary Teacher of the Year for the Mountain-Plains Business Education Association (MPBEA). In addition to being a member of the MPBEA and of the National Business Education Association, McCune is also a professional member of Phi Beta Lambda, is the past vice president of the Association for Research in Business Education-Delta Pi Epsilon and previously served as a reviewer for "The Journal of Research in Business Education."
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The commencement ceremony is just one of many events coming up in the next few weeks at North Platte Community College. A complete list is online at mpcc.edu.
The next several weeks will be busy ones at North Platte Community College. Below is a list of the events that will round out the spring semester. All are open to the public. April 19 – Honors Convocation, 3 p.m., McDonald-Belton Theater April 19 – Athletic Banquet, 6 p.m., McDonald-Belton Gymnasium (tickets required) April 18-28 – Spring Art Show, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Prairie Arts Center April 28 - Artist reception for Spring Art Show, 2 p.m., Prairie Art Center May 1 – Academic All-Stars, 11 a.m., McDonald-Belton Theater May 1 – Spring Recital, 7 p.m., McDonald-Belton Theater May 2 – North Platte Giving Day, 24-hour event, online at northplattegivingday.org/ May 4 – Bids close on NPCC Foundation Auction House, 2 p.m., North Campus Business Office May 8 – U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band concert, 7:30 p.m., McDonald-Belton Theater May 11 – Pinning for Associate Degree of Nursing students, 12:30 p.m., McDonald-Belton Theater May 11 – Med Lab Tech pinning, 1:30 p.m., Health and Science Center, Room 213 May 11 – Commencement, 3 p.m., McDonald-Belton Gymnasium May 14 – Three-week interim classes begin, area-wide June 4 – Summer sessions begin, area-wide More information about these and other events at the college can be found online at mpcc.edu.
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Gigi Berol, of Ogallala, receives a You Rock Award from Renee Miller, an Adult Basic Education instructor for Mid-Plains Community College. The award is given to MPCC employees who demonstrate exemplary internal customer service.
Gigi Berol, of Ogallala, has been honored with a "You Rock Award" from Mid-Plains Community College. The award is given to college employees who demonstrate exemplary internal customer service. Berol, administrative assistant for the MPCC Ogallala Community Campus, was presented with a certificate for her accomplishments Tuesday afternoon at her office. She was nominated by her coworker, Renee Miller, who serves as an Adult Basic Education instructor at the college. Miller said Berol is the first person to greet people entering the Ogallala campus, and that she does an extraordinary job of it. "People feel personally welcomed at the Ogallala Community Campus because of the warm smile and greeting from Gigi," Miller said. "Because she is also taking courses, she can offer a personal experience to prospective students." Miller went on to note that Berol does 'an exemplary job of following through with questions from students, faculty and community members.' She commended Berol for being knowledgeable about course offerings, community events, campus procedures and scheduling and for fielding questions from instructors, staff and students around the clock. Miller said Berol also adds a creative and artistic twist to all of her work, including the campus bulletin boards advertising upcoming events. "The efficient teamwork between Gigi and Mary Pierce [Ogallala Campus coordinator] keeps things running smoothly for instructors and students alike," said Miller. "Gigi is a wonderfully compassionate, empathetic, efficient and professional colleague and friend. She is wholeheartedly deserving of the You Rock Award."
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Cheyanne Kuhlmann, of Imperial, prepares to hang a painting Monday at the Prairie Arts Center in North Platte. Kuhlmann is one of the many NPCC students whose artwork will be on display at the Center through April 28.
Art students at North Platte Community College will have the opportunity to show off their talent starting this week at the Prairie Arts Center. Their work will be on display beginning April 17 and continuing through April 28. It will include pieces from the Drawing I and II, Painting I and II, 2-D Design, Life Drawing and Intro to 3-D Design classes. The exhibit can be viewed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission to the arts center is free and open to the public. The show will wrap up with an artist reception from 2-4 p.m. April 28. The following students will be featured: Brady - Jenna Lusk Gothenburg - Keisha Blake, Joya Most Imperial - Jessyca Briggs, Cheyanne Kuhlmann Maxwell - Bryson Keller North Platte - Ashleen Flory, Courtney Kohl, Sterling Maline, Brian Mixer, Noah Munson, Kaely Perkins, Toni Renken, Beth Tabares, Tim Wilcox Ogallala - Devin Brixius
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North Platte Community College will recognize the achievements of its students and employees during an Honors Convocation on Thursday. The ceremony, which is open to the public, is planned for 3 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Theater on NPCC's South Campus. Members of various student organizations, including the Alpha Beta Theta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Nebraska State Student Nurses Association, the Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Nebraska, the VP Leadership Class and the NPCC Student Ambassadors will be recognized. The Mid-Plains Education Association will present two $1,000 scholarships to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and other significant accomplishments at school, work or in the community. Additionally, the Business Students of the Month from throughout the year will be introduced. They include: Kaile Jacobson, North Platte; John Schroder, Taylor; Jessica Eckhout, Kearney; Susan Marquez, North Platte; Eric Chavira, Imperial; Justine Gall, Ogallala; Karmen Brush, Curtis and Madison Hoatson, Hershey. The following awards will also be presented. All College Awards - Presidential Award – Taylor Wiese, North Platte
- Vice President of Instruction Award – Ian Smith, North Platte
- Vice President of Student Services of the Year Award – Emmye Bruno, Rolling Hills, Wyo.
- NPCC Professional Achievement in Student Support Award – Mindy Hope, North Platte
- Spirit Awards – Sabrina Stineman, North Platte; Erin Renwick, Golden, Colo.; Jessica Hill, North Platte; Emily Marsden, Papillion and Lexa Lealiiee and Loren Lealiiee, San Antonion, Texas.
Division Awards Applied Technologies: - Diesel – Luis Esquivel Saldana, Lexington
- HVAC – Aaron Wright, Ogallala
- Building Construction – Cody Harrison, North Platte
Business and Technology: - Business Office Technology - Kaile Jacobson, North Platte
- Business - Michael Bergmeier, North Platte
- Graphic Design - Jared Most, Brady
- Information Technology - Richard Stolz, Champion
Health Occupations: - Nursing First Year – Jami Lynn Davis, North Platte
- Nursing Second Year - Samantha Robins, North Platte
Humanities, Human Services and Social Science: - Visual and Performing Arts - Maximus Wohler, North Platte
- Humanities - Eric Boggs, Hershey
- Education/Early Childhood Education - Jaime Burkink, Gothenburg
Mathematics and Science: - Mathematics - Cole Lewis, North Platte
- Science - Zach Carter, North Platte
- Agriculture - Eric Chavira, Imperial
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Hoatson
Madison Hoatson, of Sutherland, is North Platte Community College's Business Student of the Month for April. Hoatson is currently studying Business Administration and Agribusiness at NPCC. "I graduated from Sutherland High School in 2016 and chose to attend NPCC because it's close to home," Hoatson said. "I wanted to go to a school where I could build lasting relationships with my peers and teachers. The faculty at NPCC has helped me tremendously by always being readily available to answer questions about class, or anything else I need help with." Hoatson has been on the Dean's List and has been an active member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society while at NPCC. She was nominated for the Business Student of the Month recognition by her instructors: Jean Condon, Cathy Nutt and Lynn Lupomech. "Madison is a delight to have in class," Nutt said. "She is always prepared, always willing to help her fellow students and never minds sharing her thoughts and ideas. She puts full effort forth on her studies and works hard to achieve good grades. On top of being an exceptional student, she is also very personable and is liked by her peers and instructors." Hoatson will graduate from NPCC in May. Afterward, she will serve as the marketing director for The Platte River Mall in addition to working at The Sequin Closet boutique. When not studying, or at work, Hoatson enjoys refurbishing furniture, arts and crafts, cooking, and spending time with family. Her parents are Claude and Kelly Hoatson, of Sutherland.
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Austin Jensen, a building construction student at North Platte Community College, cuts the ribbon for the 2018 NPCC Foundation Auction House on Thursday. Behind him are the many NPCC building construction, electrical and HVAC students who worked on the home. Bids for the house will be accepted until May 4. Forms can be picked up in NPCC's Business Office, 1101 Halligan Drive, North Platte. They are also available online at: mpcc.edu/community/house-auction. The public can tour the house from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by appointment, up until the date it is sold. Appointments for tours can be scheduled through the North Campus Welcome Center, 535-3601. Those interested in more information about the house can contact Roger Fattig, building construction instructor, at 535-3646, or fattigr@mpcc.edu.
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Chelsea Fraser, of North Platte, will be among the performers during a spring concert at North Platte Community College on Tuesday. The concert is free and open to the public.
The North Platte Community College Music Department will host its end of the year concert on Tuesday. The event is free and open to the public. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Theater on NPCC's South Campus. "This concert is sure to make toes tap and hearts soar," said Kristin Simpson, adjunct music instructor. "The audience will hear a variety of music - from the legends of jazz and swing, such as 'Ol' Blue Eyes,' to modern greats like Billy Joel." The songs will include "Na Na Na," by Pentatonix, "Earth Song," "Birdland," "And So It Goes" and "Time After Time" among many others. Simpson will direct both the concert and show choirs, and Pam Koch, NPCC music instructor, will direct the instrumental ensemble. Sue McKain will serve as choir accompanist. The performers will be as follows. A * denotes that the singer is also in the show choir, and a # denotes that he or she is also a member of the jazz band. Concert Choir Soprano: - Erin Hajj
- Kelsey Folchert*#
- Chelsea Fraser*#
- Melissa Mitchell*
Alto: - Marissa Pascoe*#
- Lisa Pickett*
- Tia San Miguel*
- Michaela Schultis
Tenor: - Case Axthelm*
- Maximus Wohler*
- Jon Wardyn*
Bass: - Benjamin Allen
- Austin Leal#
- Malachi Murtaugh*#
The special instrumentalists will include Gregg Todd, percussion; Rob Martinson III, bass guitar; Justin Morgan, bass guitar; Jon Wardyn, acoustic guitar, and Kristin Simpson, violin. There will be a reception in the fireplace area of the McDonald-Belton Building after the concert, which the public is welcome to attend.
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Heather Johnson
Area Communications Specialist
Heather produces and distributes press releases for the college. She began work at MPCC in 2014. Prior to that, she spent five years as the news director/web manager for Eagle Radio in North Platte. From 2009-2014 she worked as a reporter/photographer for The North Platte Telegraph. Heather has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Chadron State College.
Brent L. Cobb
McCook Community College News Bureau Coordinator
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