07-14-2009CenturyBulletin

JULY 14, 2009

(Reprinted from Minnesota State magazine,

Spring 2009)

Teenagers are known for cherishing the chance to sleep in on Saturday mornings after a long week of school. That’s what makes it so remarkable to see 85 high school juniors and seniors voluntarily showing up early Saturday mornings during the school year at Century College – and 68 more at Inver Hills Community College – for precollege studies. (The summer PACE session started June 29.)

These students are enrolled in the PACE program – Preparing to Achieve a College Education – and it offers college prep and real college courses to high school students who aren’t already on a fast track to college. There is no cost to the students.

It’s a jump start for kids who are in the middle of their class, said Jason Cardinal, who helped estab-lish the program at Century. “Students with 4.0 GPAs are already on track, so we are reaching out to middle-quartile students who will be the first in their family to attend college. Many of these stu-dents are balancing work, family and school. They might not have the highest GPAs, but they have college potential and are motivated students,” said Cardinal, director of the college’s Access and Opportunity Center for Excellence. The PACE program at Century and Inver Hills was among three initiatives selected by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system in 2007 to receive funding to create successful college ex-periences for high school students from groups traditionally underrepresented in college. While in high school, the PACE students can earn up to 24 college credits during their junior and senior years.

“It’s hard getting up in the morning and coming here, knowing my friends are still asleep or out doing other things,” said Samuel Kollie, a junior at St. Paul’s Johnson High School. “But this is my education, so it’s all right.” The program is in its fourth year at Century and

its first year at Inver Hills. Students are recruited from partner high schools before their junior year.

Students stay together in cohorts of about 25 through the summer and school year sessions. The students take a variety of liberal arts courses – communica-tion, sociol-

ogy, com-puters, writ-ing – from college in-structors at the two col-leges. Counselors also work with the students, helping them determine their best postsecondary options. In many cases, these students are the first from their families to consider college, and any addi-tional information and guidance are appreciated.

The classrooms are diverse. Most are inner-city students, and a mix of national origins and relig-ions is evident. Jermaine Davis, a Century communications teacher, has 20 students in his classroom: 16 girls and four boys. Davis, who also is a motiva-tional speaker for businesses and organizations, captivates the group taking the semester-long Intercultural Communications class. He’s up on a chair, gesticulating and emoting, then quiets it down to a whisper. The kids eat it up. They’re learning about different cultures, and each student has interviewed someone outside the classroom who’s different from them,

PACE a Success at Century

PACE a Success at

Century

1-2

Congratula-

tions to Mark

Felsheim

3

Organizational

Change—

Enrollment

Management

3

Century College Father

and Daughter

Graduated

4

Century

Launches

Language

Translation

and Interpret-

ing Program

5

Century Cosmetology

Instructor

Graduates

with His

Students

6

Photo Corner 7-9

Century Golf-

ers Participate

in National

Tournament

10

In Memory of

Jeff Livingston

10

Kitchen and

Bath Design

Alum Wins

National

Honor

11

Cosmetology

Student Wins

Second Place

in Nation

12

Jermaine Davis

Page 2 Volume 12, Issue 10

whether from a different country or different re-ligion or economic status. But Davis also works some life lessons into the three-hour session. Is everyone studying for next week’s test? Or are you waiting for the last min-ute? “The nasty evil spirit of procrastination is responsible for stealing the hopes and dreams of millions of people,” he tells the class. “A lot of very smart people have a barrier to their success, and it’s procrastination.” And, “All goals have price tags. If you want to do well, you have to pay the price. So spend some time studying.” Davis said he was reluctant, at first, to add the PACE classes to his schedule. “Giving up Satur-days?” I don’t know,” I told the. But it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said. He likes reaching out to the younger students and giving something back after al the help he received while growing up poor in Chicago.

He teaches the high schoolers from the same books and materials he uses with older students. But he makes his examples more age-appropriate. The intercultural commu-

nications skills ex-tend beyond race and culture to par-ent-child and other family and work situations, he said.

By all measures, the PACE program has been a success, Cardinal said. Of the group that graduated from the Century program in spring 2008, 100 percent went on to college. And the retention rate from semester to semester is 95 percent, far above what officials expected at the start, given the rigorous courses and mandatory Saturday attendance. The need for commitment, drummed into students from the beginning, makes a differ-ence.

PACE a Success at Century (continued)

Yan Naung is getting a head start on college in Century’s PACE program.

PACE student Kristal Vang


Congratulations to Mark Felsheim

Please join us in wishing Dr. Mark Felsheim well in his

new position as Vice President for Student Affairs at

Hennepin Technical College. Dr. Felsheim has been

the Dean of Trades, Services and Public Safety at

Century College for the last 8 years. He begins his

new position at Hennepin Technical College on Au-

gust 5, 2009. Mark’s talents and energy have been

pivotal in the success of many new programs and the

revitalization of others during his time here; we are

fortunate to have had his expertise.

Congratulations Mark on your new position!

Colleagues,

As we move forward with the new college ac-

tion plan, we are focusing on the multitude of

positive factors about the college. Our institu-

tion is experiencing an unprecedented surge in

enrollment, and interest in what Century Col-

lege has to offer is unparalleled. As we con-

sider our approach to creating a positive image

for our college and how to present ourselves to

interested students and the public at large, it

is important that we consider every part of our

operation. We have a strong team working to

market our college, and the image we have is

due in large part to the work that team has

done to project the college to our service

area. We also have a strong team working to

recruit students and they have done an excel-

lent job in making the transition from high

school to Century College an easy decision for

students.

Century offers so many advantages over other

alternatives, and we have been successful at

offering those advantages in such a way that

high school students want to come here for

their post secondary education.

With these things in mind, we have decided to

capitalize on our strengths and combine the

efforts of the marketing group and the

admissions group under a common umbrella

of “Enrollment Management.” The Enroll-

ment Management group will have Janet

Wacker at the lead, and we will work to

move our marketing and admissions efforts

to an even higher level through the combined

efforts of both areas so that we make our

college the first choice for area high school

students and area adults as well.

We have such strong minds working to make

the difference for our students, this new

alignment will allow for even greater syn-

ergy as we reach out to more and more pro-

spective students.

Larry Litecky, Ron Anderson, and Mike

Bruner

Dr. Mark Felsheim

Organizational Change—Enrollment Management


When his daughter was born 24 years ago, Dave Lucchesi never imagined that he would graduate from college on the same day as his child. But that’s exactly what happened. On May 15, both Lucchesi, 53, of St. Paul, and his daughter, Lisa Burns, 24, of Inver Grove Heights, earned degrees from Century College.

Lucchesi attended Century as an adult student and Burns started right out of high school. Both took their time earning their two-year degrees, sometimes taking only one class a semester. Both worked either full time or part time while attend-ing school, going to school mostly in the evening.

Going to college turned out to be more than ei-ther had bargained for. “It really got me where I am today,” said Lucchesi, a senior quality engi-neer for Accellent, a medical device manufac-turer. He took many classes in engineer-ing, systems and statistics.

Burns said she explored a number of dif-ferent majors and learned lots about time

management. “I basically grew up at Century,” she said.

Both father and daughter said they put off taking English composition, but their fears about taking this subject proved unfounded. Lucchesi ended up with an A in that class, and Burns got a B. “In a number of different classes, I had to do presentations, and that really helped me,” said Lucchesi, a 1973 graduate of Cooper High School in New Hope. “I have to do that quite a bit in my position.”

Burns, a 2002 graduate of Highland Park High School, said she unexpectedly enjoyed learning about a wide range of subjects, including ethics and oceanography.

Lucchesi said he didn’t expect to enjoy his speech class so much, but Prof. Jermaine Davis “was really cool and told great stories.” Both father and daughter earned good grades and spent a great deal of time studying. “My wife told me I lived in the basement,” said Lucchesi. “I was never satisfied with a “C.” I always wanted

to do my best. I guess I’m a perfectionist.”

Burns said she must have inherited her fa-ther’s competitive drive. She always worked for the A grades. Lucchesi plans to earn this bachelor’s degree in business management and he starts this fall at Bethel University. Burns is moving to Austin, Texas, where her husband is starting a computer business. She plans to enroll in a paralegal program. Both father and daughter also shared one other college experience – they “clicked” with at least one other person in every class they took. “I can remember vividly at least one person from every class,” said Lucchesi. “I didn’t expect that.”

Century College Father and Daughter Graduated

Dave Lucchesi and Lisa Burns


Century Launches Language Translation and Interpreting

Program

Antonio Mendez of Columbia Heights speaks Spanish and has a master’s degree in interna-tional management from the University of St. Thomas. Now he is seeking a credential from Century Col-lege’s new Language Translation and Interpret-ing program so that he can interpret in legal,

medical, educational, business and social service settings.

“Employers want you to have a certificate in in-terpreting or translating so that they know you have a certain level of expertise and accuracy,” said Mendez. “It is not enough that Spanish, for example, is your mother tongue. You also need the training and the certification.”

Mendez is among the first students to enroll in Century’s new credit-based Language Translation and Interpreting program, which offers an orien-tation in August and a series of classes in the

fall. Cen-

tury’s program is one of the few language inter-pretation programs in the country, and the only two-year college in Minnesota that awards col-lege credit.

Kathy Matel, student success coordinator at Cen-tury, said there is a growing need for certified translators and interpreters in our multi-cultural society. She related cases where inadequate or inaccurate interpretation resulted in severe diffi-culty for non-English speakers.

“I know of a case where an inexperienced inter-preter failed to tell parents the bad news about their son’s medical condition because he didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news,” said Matel.

“I know of other individuals who, through faulty

interpretation, did not under-stand that they were going into surgery, or others who did not fully realize the extent of their legal troubles. Certified inter-preters are trained in the ethics of their field. They know that they must be accu-rate and not spare feelings or give their per-sonal interpretation.” Beginning this fall, Century will offer a series of

classes leading to a 30-credit certificate or a 60-credit degree. Instructor Marcela Estibill said the program will be useful for people who speak two languages and want to work as cer-tified written translators or as oral interpreters. She noted that employers increasingly are re-quiring a higher standard of training for inter-preters and translators.

An accredited translator with the American Translation Association, Estibill said her spe-cialty is medical and legal translation. She also has done translation for people who need to submit documents to the immigration depart-ment. As higher standards evolve, she said the Century program will bring increased profes-sionalism to the field.

For more information, please call Mairi Hansen at 651-747-4087.

Antonio Mendez, Century student

Century instructor Marcela Estibill


Century Cosmetology Instructor Graduates with His Students

Century College cosmetology instructor Thom Costa received his college diploma at the same time as his students during Century’s spring graduation at Aldrich Arena.

In an unusual move, Costa first filed in with his fellow faculty members, but later joined his stu-dents as they advanced to the stage for their

diplomas. At least one faculty member whis-pered, “Thom! What are you doing? Why didn’t you tell us?” Others knew about his student status and cheered him on.

While Costa, who is vice president of the college faculty union, had his vocational teaching license and the experience he needed to teach cosme-tology at Century, he did not have a college de-gree. Several years ago, he decided to take the advice he was constantly giving his students and pursue his associate in arts degree. This fall, he will begin working on his bachelor’s degree at Metropolitan State University. He figures he will take him another three years of evening, week-end and online classes to finally earn his under-graduate degree.

Like more than 57 percent of the students at Century, Costa is the first in his family to earn a college degree. “It feels great,” said Costa, 48. “I can’t believe how nervous I was at the cere-mony. It brought me back to feeling like a 22-year-old.”

Professors in liberal arts disciplines must have a master’s degree in their subject area to teach at Century, and many have doctorate degrees. But in the vocational programs such as cosmetology and automotive service technology, it is experi-ence that counts. In 2001, Costa gave up his

successful 26-year career at a Roseville salon to teach at Century, where he attended the Inter-

mediate School District 916 cosmetology program from 1976 to 1980 while still in high school. Born and raised in Vadnais Heights, he graduated from White Bear High School.

“It is not an easy thing to start school at age 45 in a class that is taught by one of

your peers,” said Costa. “But all the in-structors were very gracious and never told the rest of the class that I was a faculty member. Sometimes I had classmates who would ask me, “You work here, don’t you?” after they saw my picture on one of the

large posters in the theatre area. But it was never an issue with students or faculty. In fact, it turned out to be a great experience. I am telling all my age 40-plus friends who are un-happy with their dead-end jobs that they should go back to school.”

Costa said earning his degree at Century was like taking an extraordinary journey that

changed him. “I understand so much more about economics, biology and earth science,” he said. “But logic was my most memorable class because it was the farthest from my skill set. I had to really stretch. I would go to sleep at night not being able to get a problem, and then wake up in the middle of the night with the solution. That class made me strong. Any time you do something you didn’t think you can do, it’s huge.” Costa said the whole-hearted support of all Century’s top administrators also helped stoke his motivation to finish his degree. “They were all great,” said Costa. “They told me I should be very proud.”

“It really does take courage to move out of your comfort zone and put yourself in the vul-nerable position of being a student,” said Jera-lyn Jargo, dean of science, technology, engi-neering and business. “Thom had the added challenge of being a student of his colleagues on Century’s campus. I just applaud him for being a living example of the value of life-long learning.” Earning his AA degree has given Costa a new respect for people with advanced degrees. “I now more fully understand what it takes to

earn these degrees,” said Costa. “I have so much respect for what they have accom-plished.”

Thom Costa at graduation with his students


Photo Corner

Students Barb Licht and Jack Xiong enjoyed the summer picnic on June 17.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system gave Century a

“Best Practices in Diversity” award for the college’s innovative Seeking

Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) program. The award recognizes

programs and practices that improve access and retention of diverse

campus community members. In this photo, Prof. Tracey Wyman is

holding the award. Chancellor James McCormick is seated next to her.

Ron Fields set up a table to inform students about ongoing construction projects.

The watermelon was a big hit.


Photo Corner

There was first-day-of-school excitement the morning of June 29 for the high school students begin-ning their summer Prepar-ing to Achieve a College Education (PACE) classes.

PACE staff were lined up to greet them on the Lincoln Mall. Prof. Sue Rosenbaum of reading and study skills described herself as the “grandmother of PACE” and promised to help all the students get ready for col-lege.

The beautiful flowers on the island by the Science/Library Building turnaround were planned, planted and maintained by horticulture students with assistance from the plant facilities folks.


Photo Corner

High school teachers, including Milo Cutter, right, one of the foun-ders of the City Academy, the first charter school in Minnesota, met with Century faculty on June 9 to discuss how to improve stu-dents’ preparation for college. Cutter said City Academy, which has been open for 17 years and operates year-round, encourages students to submit two college applications before they graduate. About 80 percent of the City Academy students are Hmong.


Century College golf team members Dan Ross of Andover and Kyle Lawrence of Mounds View participated in the National Junior and Community College Men’s Golf National Championship tournament in Chautauqua, New York, June 5 to 9. Cen-tury had two of the seven Midwest regional golfers in the tournament.

Both Ross and Lawrence played four rounds of golf and finished in about the middle of the group of 100 golfers in the NJCAA tournament. They qualified for the national tournament last fall by participat-ing in a regional competition.

Last year, Century qualified three women golfers for the National Women’s Junior and Community College Tournament. Century started its intercolle-giate golf program four years ago and continues to build the program under coach Mike McShane.

Family and friends of Jeff Livingston, who died June 19, donated over $600 to the Century College Foundation to support

student scholarships. Jeff is the father of Nancy Livingston, director of community relations and outreach.

Century Golfers Participate in National Tournament

Dan Ross, Kyle Lawrence and coach Mike McShane

In Memory of Jeff Livingston

Reasonable Accommodations in Employment

In accordance with Century College’s policy 1B.0.1.1, Reasonable Accommodations in Employ-ment, Century College will not discriminate in pro-viding reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability in regard to job appli-cation procedures, hiring, advancement, dis-charge, employee compensation, job training or other terms, conditions, and privileges of employ-ment.

Request for Accommodations

Human Resources is responsible for requests for accommodations for either employees or appli-cants. Century has created and developed the

following forms to meet the need for accommo-dations:

Request for Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable Accommodation Agreement

Complaint of Denial of Rights under the Ameri-cans with Disabilities Act. These forms are lo-cated on the “J” drive in the HR folder under forms. All requests should be directed to Betty Mayer, Director of Human Resources/ADA Coor-dinator (651-779-5837) or Patricia Fox, Person-nel Aide, at 651-779-3989.


Century College alum Rosemary Merrill’s work space at Casa Verde Design Studio in Minneapo-lis features two stunning kitchens plus a living room, bathroom, fireplace, media center, trestle dining table made of 150-year-old reclaimed wood, and a huge ceiling fan. Still, the space is cozy, calming and feels like a sanctuary.

Merrill’s ability to achieve both beauty and sus-tainability in the design of her 2,800-square-foot showroom gained her national recognition this spring when the Kitchen & Bath Business maga-zine of New York honored Casa Verde with its coveted “Showroom of the Year” award. Case Verde is located in a charming Minneapolis neighborhood at 911 W. 50th St. near Edina.

“My tastes run to classic design – both traditional and contemporary,” said Merrill, a graduate of Century’s Kitchen and Bath Design Program. “I love rich, stylish colors, and I like to focus on custom cabinetry that has detail but is also sim-ple and functional. I like things that stay in style.”

Walk around Merrill’s showroom and you will see examples of how Merrill’s designs marry style and sustainability. An all-white kitchen features an island with a thick eating ledge embedded in a soapstone countertop. The ledge is made from Lyptus, a hardwood that is rapidly renewable, but looks like mahogany. A second kitchen has a more contemporary de-sign featuring walnut veneer cabinets, painted glass, European appliances and Calcutta marble countertops that save resources because they are only half the thickness of regular stone coun-tertops.

“Designing the showroom was a great project,”

said Merrill, who opened the business in 2007 with principals Susan H. Brunn and Susan Ja-cobs. “It has attracted great clients who want something unique that also feels like home. These are people who are willing to make an investment in their home. They know that eve-ryone loves to be in the kitchen because it is the heart and soul of the home.”

Merrill’s career as a designer started in 2003 when she graduated from Century’s Kitchen and Bath Design Program in International Mar-ket Square in Minneapolis. After graduation, Merrill, an Edina resident, worked for two dif-ferent kitchen-design firms before starting her business with Brunn and Jacobs in 2007.

“It was a sacrifice to start over and go back to school,” said Merrill, who had been a brand management and design consultant with Piper Jaffray. “But I became really interested in kitchen design when I remodeled my own kitchen and realized how much energy that gave me. I decided that a second career in kitchen and bath design would be really fun.”

Raised in a family of antique collectors in Man-kato, Merrill grew up around interesting ob-jects in an environment that nurtured creativ-ity. “My mom was kind of a Martha Stewart,” said Merrill. “She had a very good eye for de-sign, and could make anything.”

Merrill married an artist and they raised two children. When her husband died at a young age, Merrill worked as a representative for artists and graphic designers. Desiring to help the local art community, Merrill’s showroom features the work of local painters, potters, glassblowers and other art-ists. “Everything here is for sale,” she noted. Merrill believes kitchen and bath remodeling has a strong future in Minnesota because peo-ple are passionate about their homes, like to cook and spend more time indoors than out-doors. With the price of gas, she noted that people are less interested in building 70 miles out of town and more inclined to remodel ex-isting homes. “People want to be environmentally friendly without sacrificing design,” said Merrill.

Century College Kitchen and Bath Design Alum Wins

National Honor

Rosemary Merrill


Century Cosmetology Student Wins Second Place in

Nation

Century College cosmetology student Amberlee Rehbein of White Bear Lake took second place in the nation in hair cutting and styling in the Skill-sUSA competition attended by 10,000 people in Kansas City’s giant Kemper Arena in June. Earlier this year, Rehbein, 20, won a gold medal in the state competition.

Century cosmetology instructor Thom Costa won a silver medal in the national competition for his role as advisor to the Century students. A total of 10 Century students competed in three different categories: hair cutting and styling, skin care and conducting the opening and closing ceremony.

SkillsUSA is a program that allows students to develop their technical skills as well as their workplace skills with the goal of becoming job-ready and a leader in their industry. At the na-tional competition, 5,400 students competed in 91 different events ranging from baking to pho-tography to computer wiring.

Rehbein had to perform three haircuts and one long-hair updo style under timed conditions with judges observing to win her silver medal. She also had to take a written test and do oral pres-entations. The three difficult haircuts (one long woman’s cut, one short woman’s cut and one man’s cut)

and the updo style were all done on manne-quins. With the cuts, Rehbein had to look at a picture and precisely duplicate the haircuts. The updo was her own creation. “I was nervous, but it was really fun,” said Rehbein, who grew up in Centerville. “I didn’t know if I could get those cuts done in an hour,

but I tried my hardest and it turned out fine. Those judges were watching every snip.”

“The closing ceremony was like the Olympics with lots of showmanship, a big screen and three sets of platforms,” said Costa. “Very ex-citing.”

Century student Amberlee Rehbein and instructor Thom Costa with their silver medals

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07-14-2009CenturyBulletin