Scholarships Change Lives

THE BILL JOHNSON CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

FIELDSTONE FAMILY HOMES RENOVATES THE ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY AND INTERIOR DESIGN PROGRAM AREA

Dakota County Technical College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on campus in Rosemount, Minnesota, for the newly renovated Architectural Technology and Interior Design program area (Suite 2300). The event took place Thursday afternoon, September 15, 2021, and included a short program and tour.

Fieldstone Family Homes, Inc., of Burnsville, Minnesota, renovated the area as a way to honor Bill Johnson, the family patriarch, who passed away in October 2020. The learning suite is now named The Bill Johnson Center for Architectural Technology and Design.

Michael Berndt, DCTC and Inver Hills Community College President, and Kim Shaff, Executive Director of the DCTC and Inver Hills Foundations, spoke at the event, which was attended by a large group of Fieldstone Family Homes family members, including Maureen Johnson, Bill’s widow, friends, former and current Fieldstone employees, trade partners who worked on the renovated space, business associates, and members of the DCTC campus community.

Trent Johnson, Troy Johnson and Bryan Wolfe, sons of Bill Johnson and Fieldstone Family Homes owners, spoke at the event. Tadd Johnson, another son and a Fieldstone real estate specialist, also addressed the attendees.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to recognize our dad, who was a father figure to so many, in this way!” Trent Johnson said. “He was always a proponent of people getting involved in the trades, and this will be a wonderful way for that to continue on for generations beyond his and ours. Thank you to DCTC for allowing us to partner with you on this project. It is deeply meaningful to our family.”

“It was an honor to work with everyone at DCTC in evolving a memorial scholarship idea into this new space named for our dad, Bill Johnson,” Bryan Wolfe said. “Today was a good day for the college, our family, and all who remember good things Bill did not only in the construction industry, but in everyday life. There are hundreds of people he positively influenced and supported by doing good things.”

Bryan added that Fieldstone Family Homes hopes in partnering with DCTC on this project that students find their passion to build ideas, dreams, and businesses in design, construction, or related trades.

“We need people in this industry now more than ever, and humbly gift this support to keep our dad’s legacy alive,” he said.

Kim Shaff wished to thank Fieldstone Family Homes for their generosity in supporting students and the college’s mission: Learn, discover, and build a better future: DCTC is dedicated to education for employment and life-long growth.

“We are incredibly grateful that Bill’s sons, Trent, Troy and Bryan, chose to honor the legacy of their father, Bill Johnson, at DCTC,” Kim said. “The Fieldstone Family Homes renovation produced a beautiful and valuable learning space for students that is also an extraordinary tribute to their father. We are honored to have The Bill Johnson Center for Architectural Technology and Design at DCTC and look forward to a long partnership with Fieldstone Family Homes, Inc., and the Johnson family.”

New Vet Tech Area on Campus

The Veterinary Technician program has a newly designed, modern space on site in Rosemount. Located on the southwest side of the main building, the Vet Tech area features three laboratory spaces, two surgical suites, two X-ray rooms, a kennel space, and a large grassy, chain-link enclosure. Vet Tech faculty reported that they will house cats, dogs and rodents on campus. They’ll also be able to accommodate more students and help more animals from local rescues in Minnesota.

Family-Friendly Meeting Space

The new Family-Friendly Meeting Space (Room 2-140) allows student parents to meet with an admissions representative, advisor, instructor or tutor on campus without the need to arrange childcare during the meeting. Children have a safe place to play with age-appropriate items while the parent is free to focus on their meeting. MN Reconnect funded and Operations built the space; Sharon Bergen, ECYD faculty, helped with the design. Ideas are already in the works to expand the concept.

Anne Johnson: 2021 Employee of the Year

Anne Johnson, MBA, vice president of student affairs, was recognized for her passion to go the extra mile and encourage collaboration across campus. She contributes selflessly to the college mission while showing boundless support for student success. Anne oversees the Student Affairs division that covers a wide range of areas from Accessibility Services to Admissions to Advising to Athletics to Career Services to Financial Aid to TRIO to Student Life.

VP Mike Opp Retires

Mike Opp, EdD, vice president of academic affairs, retired after more than 20 years of service. Mike took on the role of transportation and industry dean in 2002, serving for more than 11 years before accepting the position of vice president in 2013. “My experience as an administrator at DCTC has been challenging and extremely rewarding and everything you could ask for in a career,” Mike said. “DCTC was a perfect fit for me and was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

PSEO Entices Students to Enroll

Enrollment of high school students seeking college credit through Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) has increased by 21 percent in the last three years. Natalie Shrestha, DCTC Academic & Financial Aid Advisor, works with those students. “Before the state required all students be told about PSEO, our students were primarily interested in the majors DCTC offers,” Natalie said. “Now, we see students looking to try out college, get a feel for what they are capable of, and work towards their goals.” The number of PSEO students grew from 1,108 in FY19 to 1,394 in FY21.

New Inver Branding/Website

There is a fresh look coming to Inver Hills, with a new logo, branding, and website. The new logo is modern, eliciting the feel of “hills” in the design. The branding update solidifies green as the main color to go with our lovely campus nestled in hills and trees. And the new website, expected to launch in early 2022, will have a streamlined layout and modern feel, making it easier for prospective students, current students, and visitors to locate the information they are seeking.

Sue Flannigan: MNARNG Outstanding Service

Sue Flannigan, military and veteran services coordinator, received the first-ever Outstanding Service Award from the Minnesota Army National Guard Education Services Office. Justin Falness, MNARNG education services officer, presented Sue with the award in February. Sue has supported student veterans, military students and their families for nearly four decades in her role managing the college’s Military & Veteran Services Office and Club V.A.L.O.R.

Randi Goettl: 2021 Employee of the Year

A licensed graduate social worker, Randi Goettl is a feverish advocate for developing a more inclusive and disability-conscious institution through building key partnerships, designing inclusive programming, encouraging consciousness of barriers to access, and challenging current institutional systems that prevent access. Highlights of Randi’s tenure include launching an academic coaching program and piloting a co-collegiate peer mentorship program.

Jerry Jacobsen Scholarship 2020

Gerald Jacobsen started teaching mathematics and computer science at Inver Hills in 1971 during the college’s second year in operation. Gerald was known as “Jake” by his Inver colleagues; his wife, Joan, called him “Jerry.” Jerry passed away September 19, 2020, after suffering injuries from a bike accident. The Jerry Jacobsen Memorial Scholarship continues Jerry’s legacy by supporting students in the Computer Science program and serves as a tribute to his many years of teaching, mentoring, and preparing students for success.

Alumna Spotlight: Anecia Larsen

Anecia Larsen graduated from Inver Hills in 2018 with her A.A. degree. Anecia was an engaged participant in TRIO Student Support Services. She transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where she’s earned not only her B.A. in Creative Writing, but also her B.A. in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. An advocate for people whose voices are ignored or misrepresented, Anecia plans on becoming a top-selling fiction author with a feminist perspective.

ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT: TATEM RIOS

2019 ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS GRADUATE STUDYING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT U OF M

Tatem Rios, 21, graduated from Inver Hills Community College in 2019 with an A.S. in Engineering Fundamentals, a Transfer Pathway A.S. in Chemistry and an Associate of Arts (A.A.). Tatem began her college career at Inver Hills at age 16 as a Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) student from East Ridge High School in Woodbury, Minnesota. She graduated from East Ridge in 2018.

Today, Tatem, a first-generation college student, is earning her Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (B.Ch.E.) at the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering. She’s also minoring in Computer Science. She’s set to graduate with her B.Ch.E. in May 2022. Her academic goals are centered on earning a Ph.D. in Materials Science or Chemical Engineering.

Tatem works while going to the U of M as a lab technician at H. B. Fuller, a major American manufacturing company supplying industrial adhesives worldwide. She got her start at H. B. Fuller as a research and development (R & D) intern.

Tatem has taken full advantage of internship opportunities that have come her way. She served as both an R & D intern and an analytical chemistry and QA/QC intern at Innovative Surface Technologies (ISurTec), a biotechnology company that researches, develops and manufactures coatings for medical devices. She landed those internships via the SciTech Internship Program.

During the summer of 2020, Tatem was accepted into the ExxonMobil Latinos On Fast Track (LOFT) Fellowship program through the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF). She is a Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) Scholar—HSF empowers students and parents with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete their higher education goals.

Over the course of her academic career, Tatem has received more than 10 scholarships, including an Edward & Cora Remus Scholarship, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail Endowed Scholarship, WAAIME Scholarship, Anna M. Kuhl Scholarship and Crystal Group Innovation Scholarship. In 2018, her submission won the Why Inver? Essay Contest Scholarship.

Tatem reported that without the financial support of scholarships, she would have had to take a break from her studies to save money. Throughout her higher education journey, she has applied for more than 100 scholarships.

“I will be graduating from the University of Minnesota debt free,” she said. “My advice to students is to apply for as many scholarships as you possibly can. I’ve spent many hours searching the internet for scholarships and writing essays and it has paid off in the end. Stay persistent and don’t give up.”

Tatem is still connected to Inver Hills through her work as a member of the college’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. As a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Tatem helps raise awareness, provide access, and prepare Hispanic students and professionals to become leaders in the STEM field. “Tatem and I have stayed in touch since she graduated from Inver Hills.

She has become a friend—and as much a mentor to me as I have ever been to her. Tatem is working to raise awareness about PSEO and community colleges with the goal to increase access. I look forward to seeing what

”this dynamo will do from here.

Joan Carter, PE (MN, IA, CA)

Engineering Faculty Inver Hills Community College

DUKE CANNON SUPPLY CO. ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

MINNEAPOLIS-BASED COMPANY SUPPORTS STUDENTS WITH NEW SCHOLARSHIP

Duke Cannon Supply Co., a premium men’s grooming products company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, made a donation to the Inver Hills Foundation to endow a new scholarship at Inver Hills Community College. The Duke Cannon Supply Co. Endowed Scholarship supports students in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Nursing programs at the college.

“Award criteria for the new scholarship include consideration for student life circumstances and career goals,” said Elsbeth Howe, foundation development director. “Eligible students must be enrolled for at least six credit hours.”

Elsbeth noted that special consideration is given to underrepresented students, including: • First-generation college students • Low-income students • Students with disabilities • Veterans • Dependents of veterans • Nontraditional students • Single parents Ryan O’Connell serves as CEO and president of Duke Cannon Supply Co. Ryan reported that each quarter Duke Cannon gives back to causes supporting veterans and frontline workers. The Duke Cannon Supply Co. Endowed Scholarship for EMS and nursing students provides a wonderful opportunity for the Duke Cannon team to give back to their community in a manner consistent with the company’s values and track record of giving back.

“Duke Cannon has consistently given back to veterans and frontline worker causes since its founding on Veterans Day 2011,” Ryan said. “Among others, some of the organizations that Duke Cannon has previously supported include Folds of Honor, Mission 22, Navy Seals Foundation, Honor Flight, and K9s for Warriors.”

Ryan added that the Duke Cannon mission is to better the day of hardworking men. The company achieves this mission in two ways: 1. Providing a full assortment of personal care products, e.g., soaps, shampoos, deodorants, etc., that are functionally superior and designed with distinct scents 2. Providing content that is fun and relevant to hardworking men. “In both ways, we provide a daily respite for hardworking men that our competitors cannot match,” Ryan said. “We feel very fortunate to support Inver Hills and the college’s nursing and EMS programs for future frontline workers. We are forever grateful to these workers and applaud those entering the field.”

Kim Shaff serves as executive director of the Inver Hills and Dakota County Technical College foundations. Kim welcomed the support for two Inver Hills programs that train the frontline healthcare workers of the future.

“We are so grateful for this new partnership with Duke Cannon Supply Co.,” Kim said. “They saw a need in our community and chose to invest in Inver Hills students to help fill it. This scholarship will help students reduce their tuition and get one step closer to their goal. The Duke Cannon endowment recognizes the value of community college and the students we serve, and demonstrates their significant commitment to giving back.”

Duke Cannon Supply Co. provides superior-quality grooming goods designed to better the day of hard-working men. Products include soaps and deodorants, shave gels and balms, beard goods, colognes, and other essentials to get a man clean, feeling good, and smelling great.

From Target to Tractor Supply, and Carhartt to ULTA.com, Duke Cannon goods are available in more than 30,000 retail locations where men (or the women who buy for them) shop.