Your Support of the Global Opportunities Scholarship Made it PossibleNMC student Taylor West found what she considers the happiest place in the world—Costa Rica, where she just spent two weeks studying the effects of Sigatoka negra, a fungus found on banana plants. It was a life-changing experience that also reaffirmed Taylor’s direction in life and it was all made possible through the support of donors like you.

A fateful trip on the tall ship Manitou helped Taylor realize how much she cared about the natural resources of the Great Lakes and their preservation. She headed to NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute (GLWSI).

In her first year of studying at GLWSI, Taylor’s instructors, including Constanza Hazelwood, NMC Water Studies Institute Education and Outreach Coordinator,

watched her passion ignite and introduced her to the Freshwater Studies internship opportunity in Costa Rica. Taylor, a Traverse City native, had not been out of the country

before and was concerned about whether she could afford the experience. Although she landed a job as a research assistant for the Freshwater Studies Program, it was the support from donors like you through the Global Opportunities Scholarship that allowed her to join the internship class. She says, “The scholarship really made a huge difference for me. It took away a third of the cost of the program so I could go.”

The students’ daily activities took them to banana plantations at EARTH University, where they studied water management, water quality, and agricultural practices. The group was led by top-level EARTH University professors and research assistants interested in using field techniques and aerial imaging to learn more about the health of banana plantations. Freshwater Studies students joined efforts with NMC students studying Unmanned Aerial Systems, who flew over the plantations, mapping problem areas to minimize fungicide application.

Taylor is seeking an ASA degree in Freshwater Studies at NMC and hopes to go on to earn a Bachelor’s in Freshwater Science from Western Michigan University. She wants to use her education to build wastewater treatment plants in developing countries and says, “The experience in Costa Rica helped me get a taste of working in other countries. Now I know I can do it.” People like you helped give Taylor this confidence.

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David Francisco, a student at the NMC Applied Plant Science program and an intern at EARTH University in Costa Rica, received the Global Opportunities Scholarship, and he wants to say a huge

thank you.“I probably wouldn’t have had this amazing experience to study organic farming without this scholarship. Now, I’m working on bringing ideas about sustainability from Costa Rica to Northern Michigan.”

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The automotive industry is always changing and thanks to your support, the NMC Automotive Service Technology program is able to keep pace. Your gifts helped NMC purchase new interactive technologies as well as old standbys to help the students learn first-hand the inner workings of a car.

You helped purchase 36 toolboxes filled with tools for students in the program. Now students won’t have to buy their own tools while they’re in school—each will be assigned a toolbox for the duration of the program. This means that your gift has relieved each future student of approximately $1,500 in out-of-pocket expenses.

Program Coordinator Wayne Moody is excited about what your gifts have made possible for students for years to come. “This is a first for our program, and we really appreciate the funding.”

Updated technology is also critical to hands-on learning. Your first car was likely a bit different than the car you drive today because the automotive world is rapidly acquiring new technologies. At NMC, you’re helping students master all of them.

Thanks to your generosity, students are able to see inside a working engine with color-coded parts and cut-aways on special

training boards. These types of visual aids are integral to the way that students learn today and offer a rare glimpse into the hard-to-see nooks and crannies of vehicles.

“It’s great for the students to see the components out in the open and see how they interact and relate with each other,” says Wayne.

To stay up to date with industry standards, the Automotive Service Technology program must invest in new equipment every year. You can help make that possible through giving to the program fund or donating your car.

Steering Towards SuccessYour Help, New Technology, and Old-School Tools Drive Students Forward

Giving back to NMC is a family affair for NMC alumni Steve and Tammy Rawlings of Kingsley.

Steve, a 1991 graduate of NMC and a 2012 Outstanding Alumnus, is DTE Energy’s Regional Manager for Corporate and Government Affairs. Tammy, also a graduate

of NMC and degreed X-ray

technician from Ferris State University, works as a nurse’s aid at Traverse Area Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic.

The couple and their two teenaged daughters Ellie and Lilly are very involved in supporting NMC, frequently volunteering at

events. In 2015, Steve was elected by the community to serve on the College Board of Trustees.

The family has also made philanthropic giving to NMC a part of their lives. To Steve and Tammy, this was just a natural outcome of being a part of their community.

“I think most parents are looking for opportunities to encourage their children to be part of something larger and impactful to the greater community...When NMC offered a non-conventional way to give through its online social media giving campaign, it was a great opportunity for my daughters to be impactful to the greater community,” Steve says.

The Rawlings family recognizes that gifts like theirs, and yours, are the reason why NMC thrives.

“I’ve seen the life-changing impact that NMC has had on young adults in our community ... It is truly life changing and formative,” Steve says.

Donate Your Car to Teach Students!Your vehicle could be used to train students, sold at the car show to benefit the program fund, or fixed up and given to a family in need through our collaboration with Goodwill Northern MI.

Call Wayne Moody at (231) 995-1316 for more information.

Auto Tech students working with a color-coded engine

NMC Alumni Steve and Tammy Rawlings teach giving back to daughters Ellie and Lilly

Become a recurring gift donor to enhance innovative programs for students through providing predictable funding. It’s the easiest way to give and ensure that Northwestern Michigan College receives your ongoing support. Your recurring monthly donation means you believe in helping students!

Will you join us and make a recurring gift today? Your monthly donation means the world to students – Thank You!NMC.EDU/GIVE | (231) 995-1021

“Give him a chance.” Those four words from NMC professor Ernie Gaunt changed the life of Jim DeLapa (’56). As a child, Jim had no thoughts of college, but one family member encouraged him to get a degree. Shortly thereafter he found himself in former NMC president Preston Tanis’s office. Despite faltering high school grades, Professor Gaunt advocated for young Jim. You will still find strong student/professor relationships like this on NMC’s campus today.

President Tanis gave Jim one term to prove himself—and he certainly met the challenge—going on to graduate from NMC, Michigan State University, and then to create a successful frozen foods company. Thanking NMC for being the turning point in his life, Jim made accommodations to give back to the program where he got his start through an estate gift that will be realized upon his passing.

Jim is passionate about providing opportunities to students and about the power of showing students that you believe in them—just as Professor Gaunt believed in him and gave him a chance.

“Everybody has talent,” says Jim. “Let’s get them in here and develop it. Give them an opportunity—there are other Jim DeLapas out there.”

Today, many students feel similarly about how their time at NMC sets them on new paths. You can imagine how honored they feel to be given a chance to succeed and to have a whole community—you, the professors, and everyone at NMC, believe in them.

You Could Give Someone a Chance Alumnus Gives Back to the Program That Put Him on Track

Your Recurring Gift Means Stability for Students

“As a recruiter, I see students and the economic struggles they face every day. It’s so personal to me.

Really, it’s simple: If I recognize a student is struggling, I must help! Giving back every month is my way of helping them and also giving back to NMC.”

– Cathryn Claerhout Director of Admissions at NMC

WHAT’S NEW

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLESFour new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms and a simulator are now up and running. This innovative program keeps NMC on the cutting edge. As one of the“15 Best Drone Training Colleges” named by SuccessfulStudent.org, NMC constantly strives to give students a wide variety of programs to study.

ELECTRONICSStudents in the Advanced Electronics Lab received new equipment, including a new CO2 laser cutter and a dedicated lab. Students studying electrical engineering, marine electronics, and robotics will all use this new lab space to study fiber optics, lasers, and more.

THE TANKNMC is now home to a 70,000 gallon water tank. It supports advanced Water Studies and Marine Technology students with remotely operated vehicles and sonar technologies. Before the water tank was installed, students often had to break through ice on the bay to study or wait for warmer weather. Now they can study year-round.

You can taste the fun and help

students study culinary techniques!

Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant is

open for the fall semester. (231) 995-3120

Call for Lunch Reservations!

AT YOUR COLLEGE

Students in NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute prepare a meal for diners at Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant.

Students in NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute prepare a meal for diners at Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant.