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College Profiles 2019
Your guide to Postsecondary Education Opportunities in Siouxland
COLLEGE PROFILES
2 | February 3, 2019
siouxcityjournal.com
Taryn Urbaniak finds her roots and her future at Mount Marty Taryn Urbaniak, a nursing major from Sturgis, South Dakota first visited Mount Marty College (MMC) because she was curious about her Grandma’s alma mater. “My Grandma graduated from MMC when it was still Sacred Heart School of Nursing. I thought it would be fun to see where she went to school,” explained Taryn, “but when I got here I fell in love; it felt like home.” Though she visited other colleges, Taryn was never able to recreate the experience. “When other colleges I visited didn’t give me that same feeling, I realized this place was special.” Still, Taryn feared she might have to attend a state school — until her visit with Financial Aid. “I was nervous about the price tag, but the scholarships MMC offered cut the price down to something I was comfortable paying and showed me that I really could afford a private school; I wouldn’t have to settle for the state school because of cost.” Taryn flourished. No longer the shy girl who arrived on campus, her involvement ranges Taryn Urbaniak visited Mount Marty College because it was her grandmother’s alma mater. When she got there, from the Student Government it felt like home. Association and Ambassadors to serving as a tutor in the Center “I couldn’t have done it someone who’s comfortable in “MMC’s program is very for Academic Excellence and without the MMC community my future profession and just hands-on; the clinicals and labs a student representative on pushing me to try new things. more confident altogether.” helped me gain the experience I the Academic Standards and Without them, I might still be Taryn is grateful she chose needed, and I got to build on that Admissions Policy Committee. that shy kid, but instead, I’m such a rigorous nursing program. through a summer internship at
the hospital in my hometown — without the references I got from MMC, there is no way I would’ve been considered for that position.” During her internship, Taryn worked as a nurse under the guidance of a preceptor. “I spent most of my time on the medical/surgical floor, but also got to work in the ER and the clinic,” said Taryn. “It was very impactful; I got more experience in starting IVs, running fluids, administering medications, and working with patients.” At summer’s end, Taryn left Sturgis Regional Hospital with more than just experience; she left with a job offer. “The hospital staff felt confident in my skills to the point of offering me a job after graduation. I will forever be grateful for that opportunity!” As she enters her final semester of college Taryn has advice for students who are just starting their journeys, “MMC has broadened my horizons further than I could have imagined; to students who are just starting to look at schools, I would say follow your heart. Don’t make any decisions until you’ve weighed your options, and find a fit that will help you become the person you want to be.” For more information about Mount Marty College visit www. mtmc.edu.
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COLLEGE PROFILES
siouxcityjournal.com February 3, 2019 | 3
Choose the right major Some people are lucky enough to find their career passion from an early age. For many of us, though, choosing a field of interest can be downright intimidating. The choice between accounting and financial analysis, for example, may not sound very vast, but the intricacies of each are diverse indeed. As such, difficulties in choosing a major are the driving force behind many college students opting for an “undeclared” designation. Experts advise students to settle on a major by the time they earn about 60 credit hours.
Do Your Research
Read, watch and listen to everything you can related to information on careers and emerging industries. A great resource to start with is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), a publication by the U.S. Department of Labor that shares thorough information for nearly all jobs in the U.S. economy. Use the OOH and other print, video or radio resources to educate yourself on salaries, job outlooks, working conditions and required education. Career centers are also a great place to pick up packets, pamphlets and flyers that can help educate students on available majors.
Discuss Your Options
Talk with your advisor, parents, other family members and friends about your options. Sometimes the people around us have a better understanding of our key attributes and how we can leverage them into a successful career. Academic advisors are trained in guiding students toward choosing appropriate courses, pursuing scholarship opportunities and maintaining extracurricular activities that tie in with the requirements of their prospective majors.
Take an Assessment
Your high school should be able to supply you with a skills assessment test that will help link your proficiencies with various career options. Assessments are not meant to be the lone strategy in choosing a major, rather one of many pieces to the puzzle. You can find a variety of free online assessments that require little time and effort in discovering the job options that excite you. Simply fill out information related to your key strengths and interests, and discuss the results with your parents. DMITRIY KALININ—FOTOLIA
See everything that USD has to offer The University of South Dakota, just 30 miles northwest of Sioux City in Vermillion, was founded in 1862 and is the only designated public liberal arts university in South Dakota. Named one of America’s most affordable and beautiful campuses, USD is home of the state’s only School of Medicine and School of Law, as well as an internationally-accredited School of Business. USD continuously ranks among the nation’s top research universities, and counts many of the state’s political leaders among its graduates. In addition to medicine, law and business, the university offers the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Education, the
state’s only College of Fine Arts, the College of Health Sciences and the Graduate School. As one of the nation’s most affordable universities, USD offers various tuition options designed to fit student needs. One unique financial opportunity is the Child of Alumni tuition – a plan allowing children of USD alumni to receive instate tuition for an undergraduate degree, regardless of where the student lives. Iowa residents are now able to attend USD at the same cost as South Dakota residents, as the university offers in-state tuition rates to new Iowa freshmen and new Iowa resident transfers. See www.usd.edu/Iowa for more information.
USD’s 274-acre campus is located in Vermillion, a historic town of 10,000 near the Missouri River. The north side of campus recently received a $66 million upgrade to its athletic facilities next to the famous DakotaDome, including a new basketball/volleyball arena, enhanced training facilities for athletes, academic space for a Science, Health and Research Lab, and an outdoor track and soccer complex. With an enrollment of more than 10,000, USD is a Division I university with the friendliness and academic excellence of a small private college. Come for a visit and see USD for yourself. Sign up at www.usd.edu/admissions.
SD Vermillion Sioux City
IA
In-state Tuition For Iowa Students www.usd.edu/iowa | 877-COYOTES
COLLEGE PROFILES
J4 | February 3, 2019
siouxcityjournal.com
WITCC offers college IN JUST 2 YEARS YOU CAN... experience close to home GET HIRED FAST & EARN BIG PAY.
Western Iowa Tech Community College has more than 70 amazing programs to choose from, friendly faculty, a beautiful campus and superior technology. Students who attend WITCC enjoy a full-college experience while being close to home. WITCC has intramural sports, clubs, international travel, exercise classes and fun student activities like Xbox tournaments and Battle of the Bands. WITCC has one of the most technologically connected campuses in the region. Our college has been named an Apple Distinguished School for 20172019. Every classroom uses interactive technology to integrate computer and multimedia applications. Projectors and Apple TVs enable computer, tablet and smart phone screens of both instructors and students to be shared with the entire classroom. To further enhance the learning experience, WITCC provides each credit student with a MacBook Air loaded with curriculum-specific software. About half of the credit students are enrolled in arts and sciences, which will easily transfer to any 4-year college in the region. Transfer options are available in a full range of arts and sciences programs including: Accounting Addictions Counseling Agriculture Art and Design Biology Business Administration Chemistry Education Early Childhood Education English General Studies History
Students can choose from two- or four-year programs of study at Western Iowa Tech CC and stay close to home. Mass Media Mathematics Music Physical Education Political Science Psychology Social Work Sociology Sports Medicine WITCC offers an extensive array of “career cluster” programs. Students can earn their degree and start a career they love in two years. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Architecture and Construction Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Business, Management and Administration Education and Training Finance Health Sciences Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security Manufacturing Transportation, Dis-
tribution and Logistics Students can experience college life and get involved by living on campus. Convenient and affordable resident hall options make going to class quick and easy. The dorms offer apartment-style living, with four and two-bedroom suites. All of the housing options provide a computer lab, free parking, wireless internet, utilities and laundry, as well as a common living area and community area. WITCC also has a stateof-the-art fitness center that is available to the students for free. It includes ellipticals, treadmills, and elevated track, weight room, fitness games and fitness classes. Students get to take advantage of a full-college experience without the price tag of a traditional four-year college. Ninety percent of students attending WITCC receive some sort of financial aid. Scholarships are available, plus our friendly staff will help students with the financial aid process.
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Start Your Training at Western Iowa Tech Community College.
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