Other News & Events

GPS program leads teen to success

He may only be a freshman in high school, but William Payne is preparing for college. He is part of the Graduate Pathways to Success (GPS) partnership between North Central State College and Mansfield City School District.

This is the first year for the program. It allows students to complete an associate degree while also meeting the requirements for high school graduation.

When William first heard about the program, he immediately told his mother, Veronica Williams Payne, that he wanted to sign up. “After the presentation, William came directly to me and told me I need to sign the paper for the GPS program and go to the meeting,” Veronica explains. As the gifted and talented teacher for the entire district, she recognized the opportunity for her son.

“The GPS program is a game changer. He’s getting information about college readiness much earlier than I did growing up,” Veronica says. “He is preparing for his future before heading out into the world. He’s taking the initiative for his education.”

The GPS program uses the College Credit plus model for dual enrollment in both high school and college courses, so the students graduate from high school and receive an associate degree, without incurring college debt.

“The GPS program means that I will graduate from college two weeks earlier than high school with my associate degree,” William says. “Instead of my first job being a part-time position at a fast-food restaurant, I might be able to already have a professional position.”

“I feel like I will probably brag about that in my adult life.”

It’s a program William says he will never regret getting involved in during high school. “If you think you can do it you absolutely should because it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss.”

Veronica encourages parents of students in the Mansfield City School district to take the time to look into the program for their children. “If your kid has any interest in the medical profession or college in general you should try the program. They won’t miss out on their high school experiences and won’t have to travel between the buildings,” she explains.

“Parents should definitely go to the information meeting. That opened my eyes to a lot of things and it’s not an additional cost so it’s worth a try.”

In school William participates in cross country, cheerleading, and skiing. He volunteers at the Friendly House in Mansfield and would eventually like to be a camp counselor at Happy Hollow Day Camp.

The GPS program is just the beginning for William. He says, “I plan on doing more and expanding my college education past getting my associate degree.”

NC State offers first bachelors degree

MANSFIELD, OHIO – North Central State College has received approval to confer a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. NC State becomes one of only four community colleges in Ohio to receive approval to develop and confer a bachelor’s degree.

The opportunity for community colleges to apply to the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to provide a bachelor’s degree, was established by a directive of the ODHE in November 2017. That directive required that the proposals meet numerous guidelines, summarized as answering an established need for employees with in-demand skills to meet the workforce requirements of area businesses. Local employment data was required showing the availability and sustainability of jobs created. The program also needed to be unique to the area served by the community college.

John Carey, chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, stated in his letter of July 23, 2018, approving the proposal from NC State, “ODHE observed strong evidence of workforce need, clear testimony that NCSC responded to requests of local employers in curriculum development, and evidence that the students’ needs are best met with program delivery at the NCSC location.”

Dr. Dorey Diab, president of North Central State College, is already looking ahead: “We are very pleased to receive approval of this program and the meaningful training it will provide students who will join the workforce serving our community partners. At its core, this program helps bridge part of the skills gap we have been discussing for years. The Chancellor cited the strong support of businesses throughout the region in their approval of our proposal. I’m proud of our team, and I hope we can replicate the responsiveness and vision of this program to meet the needs of other employers throughout the area.”

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology will provide opportunity for students of all ages – from current high school students taking College Credit Plus courses to currently employed workers who want to expand their knowledge and improve their careers.

Diab reflected on the value of this new degree as part of a pathway for area students: “By taking advantage of CCP courses, the Tuition Freedom Scholarship, and now the baccalaureate degree, students will be able to receive high quality higher education, at a very affordable rate, with less concern about debt.”

NC State is now working with the Higher Learning Commission, the college’s accrediting body, and ODHE for approval of curriculum and course content as well as the learning outcomes.

Student receives MIMA scholarship

Pristell Dogins can light up a room with a smile. And now with the help of a scholarship, his future is just as bright thanks to the Mansfield Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (MIMA) and the North Central State College Foundation.

Foundation Executive Director, Chris Copper knew from the moment she met Dogins that he was meant to receive the scholarship. “It was like the stars aligned,” she explains. “He’s a dynamic young man that fit the bill with everything MIMA was looking for in the scholarship recipient. We are very excited and proud to be a part of Dogins’ future and provide him with this scholarship for next semester.”

The MIMA funded an endowed scholarship with the College Foundation almost ten years ago. The group is made up of several pastors from different churches in Mansfield who come together to help the community and its members. The MIMA Scholarship is awarded to a student that is working to improve themselves academically and personally and has a financial need for support to achieve his/her college goals.

When Dogins first heard that he received the scholarship, he was shocked. “It is a very big blessing, and I appreciate everyone that’s involved in making this happen because it means a lot to me. It lets me know that people believe in me,” he said with a smile.

Dogins is studying psychology and has big plans for his future. “I love having in-depth conversations with people to learn why they think and act the way they do.”

He knew from the beginning that North Central State College was where he wanted to continue his educational journey. He explains, “I feel that North Central is a good fit for me because of its intimate environment. The teachers have more one-on-one experience with students.”

“North Central faculty and staff really care about me as a student. I am not just a number to them. They really have gone the extra mile for me, and that’s why I try to go the extra mile for myself, because of those people who believe in me.”

For Laurence Rawls, president of MIMA, giving the scholarship to a local student is all about giving back to the community. “We just wanted to make sure we gave the scholarship to someone who was attending a local college,” he said. “Hopefully they will graduate and want to stay in the community.”

Rawls says MIMA plans to give out scholarships to North Central State College students in the future.

As for Dogins’ future, he would like to continue his education after he graduates from North Central State and eventually obtains his master’s degree.

To find out more about the North Central State College Foundation and scholarships available go to www.ncstatecollege.edu/foundation.

Cyber Security first graduates

During Commencement 2018, North Central State College will celebrate the graduation of its first six students from the IT-Cyber Security Program.

The graduates are Alexander Parker of Mansfield, Bethany Garber of Ashland, Tristan Gardner of Lexington, Nicole Gibson of Willard, Nicholas McGregor of Butler, and Tyler Westmoreland of Willard.

Mohamed Ghonimy, assistant professor of Cyber Security, began heading the program in 2017. “The classes get the students ready to join the workforce upon graduation,” he explains.

Cyber security student Bethany Garber works on a project in class.“The program has evolved rapidly in the past year with the support of faculty and administration at North Central State College.”

The cyber security program prepares students to detect and defend against network infrastructure attacks. They learn to think like a hacker and how to use the tools hackers use to penetrate network defenses.

Bethany Garber, one of the six graduates, explains why she chose to be a part of the program. “With the way our world is going right now, technology is becoming more and more prominent. As long as technology improves, the need for the cyber security professionals becomes greater.”

“If there is going to be a need for anything in the tech field, it’s going to be security. People are getting smarter and are figuring out how to get your personal information easier.” Garber continues, “I think everyone dealing with any electronic device should at least take a security introduction class.”

All six students graduating from the program will earn an associate of applied science degree in information technology cyber security.

Student building prosthetic arm

Victoria (Tori) Thimmes may only be a teenager but she has big aspirations for her future. Thimmes is building a prosthetic robot arm as part of her project for the College Now program at North Central State College. College-NOW is a two-year program that allows high school juniors to enter college on a track to earn their associate degree as they complete their last two years of high school. She started the College-NOW program as a junior at Buckeye Central High School.

Thimmes knew this was the right program for her. She says, “I came to NC State College and shadowed some of the students, spending the day with them in their classroom.” She continues, “I knew this is what I wanted to do because it’s an associate degree for FREE and you don’t get much better than that.”

Thimmes chose to create a prosthetic arm because of her connection with a coach at Buckeye Central High School, Greg Moore. In 2015, the vehicle Coach Moore was driving was struck by a garbage truck. He lost his left arm.

The idea for the prosthetic arm came to Thimmes when she spotted Moore at the golf course. “I am a golfer and was practicing when I saw Coach Moore trying to hit a ball off a tee. He didn’t have a lot of leverage because he could only use one arm,” she explains.

That gave her the idea to try to build the prosthetic arm as her College-NOW project. She mentioned the project to Moore and he was excited and the possibilities.

Thimmes got started right away. She made most of the essential parts for the prosthetic in the Fab Lab with the 3-D printer.

Thimmes began constructing the arm and testing the materials. “We stretched the materials and compressed it just to see how strong the material is and to make sure it was sturdy enough.” She continues to work on her project and now recruited a team to help. She continues to check in with Coach Moore. She says, “I go back to Buckeye Central somedays just to give him updates on the project. He gets so excited.”

Thimmes will graduate in May with 67 credit hours and her associate degree in integrated engineer technology. She plans to attend either The Ohio State University or the University of Akron majoring in Biomedical Engineering.

For those in high school thinking about attending College-NOW at North Central State College, she gives this advice, “It can be very challenging at first but you really just have to work at it. You have to want it. You have to be motivated enough to keep pushing through and studying. You have to really work at it. You also have to look a few years into the future and say you know that this is going to help me and I should do it no matter how hard it is going to be.”

Graduate Finds Solace in Photography

For North Central State College graduate Taylor Ruiz, a love of photography first brought him to the Mansfield Campus to major in Visual Communication and Media Technology (VCMT). He explains, “The class that had the most impact on me was the photography class. I had no idea how much I loved photography until then. I would go back to North Central State College just to take a follow-up photography class.”

Ruiz attended NC State from 2012 to 2014. He chose to attend the campus after graduating from Ashland High School because he wanted to go to a college that offered smaller classes sizes. “I knew I wanted to go to college, but I was not ready for a large university. I was lucky to be able to come to North Central State, which was close to home and provided more intimate class sizes.”

During his time on the campus, he was the vice president of the design club and took the majority of his classes at the James W. Kehoe Center in Shelby. As a VCMT student he was able to take advantage of the photography studio. Ruiz says, “I used the photography studio quite often (even if it wasn’t just for a class!)” Students are encouraged to learn and use the facilities as much as possible while studying at North Central State College.

The VCMT program teaches students to use multimedia technology to assemble graphics, text, sound and video into meaningful production. Many VCMT graduates go directly into the workforce. Others, like Ruiz, transfer to other schools to complete their bachelor’s degree.

After graduating, Ruiz transferred his credits he received from his associate degree to Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. He is studying applied communications. He feels that NC State College truly prepared him for his time at Kent. “I feel that VCMT will eventually compliment my communications degree.”

Ruiz also serves with the Army National Guard.

Returning Home to Serve

Mansfield, OH — Austin Chaplin didn’t always know he wanted to be a police officer. But once he put on the uniform and served his community, the same community he grew up in, he knew he made the right choice for his future.

“I wasn’t 100 % sure what major I wanted to pursue when I first started classes at North Central State College. I began as a business major and realized that wasn’t going to work for me.” Austin admits. However, then he met Commander Anne Strouth, Associate Professor/Program Coordinator for Criminal Justice, and everything changed. He explains, “Commander Strouth encouraged and pushed me to follow a path to apply for the police academy. And I never looked back.”

For Chaplin, the discipline and straightforward approach attracted him to the police academy.

“I would have to say my favorite part of the police academy was the defensive tactics class,” he says. The defensive tactics course provides students with the basic principles of unarmed self-defense, including how to defend against physical attack, control aggressive behavior, and how to arrest/subdue an individual using the minimum amount of force.

Soon after graduating from the North Central State College Police Academy, Chaplin passed his civil services test and joined the Galion Police Department. “I am from Galion, so that’s where I wanted to be able to serve as a police officer,” he points out. “Most of the cadets I was in class with were hired by local law enforcement agencies.”

For future cadets thinking about joining the police academy at NC State Chaplin gives some advice. He advises, “Just remember this isn’t a 9 to 5 job. You will be out on the streets, working odd hours, but you will be doing the right thing for your community and keeping your neighbors safe. It’s worth it. It’s time-consuming and hard, but it’s worth it in the end.”

The day and night academies begin each fall semester and conclude at the end of spring semester. The application period for the 2018-2019 academic year will begin April 1, 2018.

For more information about the Police Academy go to https://www.ncstatecollege.edu/cms/certificates/police-academy.

NC State College to offer Bachelors of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology

MANSFIELD, OHIO – North Central State College has received approval to confer a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. NC State becomes one of only four community colleges in Ohio to receive approval to develop and confer a bachelor’s degree.

The opportunity for community colleges to apply to the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to provide a bachelor’s degree, was established by a directive of the ODHE in November 2017. That directive required that the proposals meet numerous guidelines, summarized as answering an established need for employees with in-demand skills to meet the workforce requirements of area businesses. Local employment data was required showing the availability and sustainability of jobs created. The program also needed to be unique to the area served by the community college.

John Carey, chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, stated in his letter of July 23, 2018, approving the proposal from NC State, “ODHE observed strong evidence of workforce need, clear testimony that NCSC responded to requests of local employers in curriculum development, and evidence that the students’ needs are best met with program delivery at the NCSC location.”

Dr. Dorey Diab, president of North Central State College, is already looking ahead: “We are very pleased to receive approval of this program and the meaningful training it will provide students who will join the workforce serving our community partners. At its core, this program helps bridge part of the skills gap we have been discussing for years. The Chancellor cited the strong support of businesses throughout the region in their approval of our proposal. I’m proud of our team, and I hope we can replicate the responsiveness and vision of this program to meet the needs of other employers throughout the area.”

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology will provide opportunity for students of all ages – from current high school students taking College Credit Plus courses to currently employed workers who want to expand their knowledge and improve their careers.

Diab reflected on the value of this new degree as part of a pathway for area students: “By taking advantage of CCP courses, the Tuition Freedom Scholarship, and now the baccalaureate degree, students will be able to receive high quality higher education, at a very affordable rate, with less concern about debt.”

NC State is now working with the Higher Learning Commission, the college’s accrediting body, and ODHE for approval of curriculum and course content as well as the learning outcomes.