3 minute read
OTC Table Rock celebrates 10th birthday
BY CYNTHIA J. THOMAS, Staff Writer
The Table Rock Campus of Ozarks Technical Community College held a birthday party on Tuesday, September 19, celebrating 10 years of serving area students.
Hollister Chamber of Commerce and city leaders joined OTC leaders for a proclamation honoring OTC Table Rock, located on Historic Hwy. 165 in Hollister, which opened in the fall of 2013. Dr. Rob Griffith currently serves as President of the Table Rock Campus. As the embodiment of the OTC commitment to affordable, community-based education across the Ozarks, the campus serves students throughout Taney and Stone counties as well as border counties in Arkansas.
Guests at the celebration included several visiting high school students from around the area as well as some current students, OTC faculty and staff, and friends from the community. In addition to a cookout lunch and yummy shaved ice treats, guests enjoyed games and browsed vendor tables with information about the programs offered by OTC and partnerships for a seamless transition into continuing higher education if desired.
Many OTC programs have experienced continued growth, with nursing and EMT training being quite popular. Helping facilitate this growth is the commitment to student care, with staff members available to help each student navigate the questions and details of the transition from high school, to college life, academic expectations, and finances. This is particularly important for many students from rural communities who are often the first in their family to attend college, as well as for people contemplating a return to school or a new career path.
In terms of finances, resources such as the Missouri A+ program, workforce fast track grants, and VA benefits can make it quite possible for students to be prepared for a career with little or no debt. A U.S. Army recruiting officer was available to answer questions about GI benefits and share his personal experience of combining study with military service to earn degrees without debt.
Faith Community Health of Branson was also on hand with information about a special student membership, which helps solve the problem of students who fall through the cracks of other types of health insurance while juggling part-time work and school schedules.
Learn more about OTC by visiting www.tablerock. otc.edu and arranging a campus visit to start your path to a rewarding career.
