January Good News

K. Patricia Bouweraerts
Jennifer Zarco Image

Jennifer Zarco wears the hat of the "Igniters" during the professional development kick-off panel presentation.

Jennifer Zarco Innovates in Success First

College Recruitment Coordinator Jennifer Zarco was the first speaker for the inaugural Ignite Panel, a new professional development activity that highlights staff members nominated by their peers for unique achievements or innovations at Truckee Meadows Community College.

“Igniters” are nominated for their professional or personal publications, intriguing hobbies, distant travels, or other contributions that make TMCC the distinctive and diverse place it is. Each panel member speaks for three minutes at one of the College’s professional development events.

Zarco coordinates the Success First, Summer Bridge program. She began her talk by highlighting that the program will celebrate its ninth year in 2018.

“No year has been the same because, well, we’re innovative, we’re creative,” she said. “We listen to feedback and we say, ‘This didn’t work as well as we hoped last time, so this year let’s switch it up.’ We like to take risks, but they work in our favor. Our program is very successful, and it’s not because of me, it’s because of us. This program actually takes the biggest team effort ever. The entire institution helps with this program. There’s not a division or department that Success First doesn’t receive help from, and that’s what fuels my fire.”

The Success First program is growing. In 2018, it will add 50 students to take a math class, for 150 total students this summer, the largest group yet.

For more information about Success First Summer Bridge, please contact Access, Outreach and Recruitment (AOR) at 775-673-8236.


Haley DeWitt Receives Scholarship

Truckee Meadows Community College student Haley-Marie DeWitt is majoring in architecture, and is focusing on interior design for her future career goals.

During Fall Semester she was awarded the United Construction Scholarship, a scholarship of $2,500. The scholarship was disbursed through the TMCC Foundation.

“Providing support to local students is an important aspect of our 'Build United' philosophy in giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Rachel Yelley, Marketing and Communications Manager. “United Construction is honored to provide Haley DeWitt with recognition and financial assistance as a reward for her hard work and dedication. We wish her the best for a successful design career.”

For more information about Architecture at TMCC, please call 775-673-7265.


Cheryl Woehr Selected for Webinar

An international nonprofit that promotes global educational exchange has asked TMCC Counselor Cheryl Woehr to be a subject matter expert on the team creating the organization’s webinar entitled, “Responding to Mental Health Issues in International Education.”

The webinar takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from Noon–1:30 p.m., (3–4:30 p.m., EST).

“I’m one of three counselors across the U.S. to be asked to be part of this project,” Woehr said. “It will be the first webinar on this topic to be developed for NAFSA. I also happen to be the only community college counselor included and the only one focusing on international students studying in the U.S. The other counselors’ focus will be on sending students abroad. I feel very honored to be part of this project.”

The acronym NAFSA originally stood for the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, but in 1990, the organization changed its name to NAFSA: Association of International Educators in order to better reflect its inclusiveness for supporting all types of international education and exchange and the staff involved in these efforts.

NAFSA is the world's largest nonprofit organization advocating for the benefits of international education and addressing global workforce development, Woehr said. She also serves as one of 300 international education trainers on the NAFSA Trainer Corps. The trainers develop and teach the NAFSA Core Education Program (CEP) curriculum at national conferences.


Contributions to TMCC Good News are Welcome

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