More than 200 scholarship recipients,

donors, Normandale staff and faculty,

Foundation Board members, family, and

friends attended the annual Scholarship

and Donor Recognition Event on Thursday,

April 9, 2015. Celebration was in the

air as the Foundation acknowledged the

3

GREETINGS, FRIENDS!

I want to thank the Normandale

faculty, staff and students, and all of our

community members for a memorable

first year at Normandale. The passion

all of you have for the college has been

amazing to see, and I am excited to

continue to work toward accomplishing

many more great things at Normandale.

There have been many wonderful

moments during the spring semester

including our Theatre Department

hosting the Region V Kennedy Center

American College Theater Festival,

the great discussions and sessions

of Success Day, celebrating a new

partnership with Southwest Minnesota

State University, the Scholarship

and Donor Recognition Event, and

taking part in my first Normandale

Commencement.

I also felt a great deal of Normandale

pride when Chemistry Instructor

Betsy Longley was named one of four

MnSCU Educators of the Year at a

recognition event in St. Paul, and when

I saw the great turnout we had for the

Foundation’s inaugural Roar N’ Red Run

and Walk. We look forward to carrying

that Roar N’ Red school spirit forward

into the 2015 fall semester.

In this issue of Creating Futures,

you will learn about our two Alumni

Achievement Award recipients, Antonia

Felix and Jake Slegers. You will also read

about the great instruction happening in

our Tutoring Center and our new Finish

Line Scholarship Program developed

with a grant from the Otto Bremer

Foundation.

Please enjoy the great information

and stories about the individuals and

programs at Normandale. I thank you

for your generosity and support of the

college.

Joyce C. Ester, P h.D.Joyce C. Ester, Ph.D.

President

Normandale Community College

Colleen Simpson, Julie Guelich, Joyce Ester, and Carolyn Pratt pose for a group photo with all of the 2014-15 scholarship recipients in attendance at the Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event.

talented scholarship recipients—along with

many generous donors.

Normandale student and Foundation

scholarship recipient Heather Christopher

delivered a heartfelt speech about the

importance of financial support. “I am

willing to put in the work it takes to

complete this program, and my family is willing to support me, but we still need help,”

she noted. “That is why the scholarship program is so life-changing. It is not just a handout

of funds, but rather the difference in the future success of generations to come.”

This year, the Foundation awarded nearly $600,000 including support of a number of

new initiatives. To contribute toward a scholarship and empower students such as Heather,

contact the Foundation at 952-358-8147 or foundation@normandale.edu. You can also use

the donation envelope in this issue to make a contribution.

NORMANDALE’S SCHOLARSHIP AND DONORRECOGNITION EVENT CELEBRATES A COMMITMENT TO CREATING NEW FUTURES.

Dr. Ester enjoys a moment with

student scholarship recipients.

Tia Agate, student, receives handshake from Foundation Director Colleen Simpson.

Left to right: Instructor Deb Sidd, President Emeritus Tom Horak, his wife Bev, and Jason Horak Memorial Scholarship recipient Kelli Hamilton with her family.

Sharon and Doug MacDonald pose with their scholarship recipient Marisa Harper.

Brian Rose, student, receives handshake and certificate from Dr. Ester.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Past Scholarship Recipients: Where are they now?

Dai (Jimmy) Le, ’13,

was awarded the

Team Service-Learning

Scholarship in 2013.

Jimmy recently

accepted a full-

time position as a

software engineer at

UnitedHealth Group and is pursuing a

Master’s degree in Computer Science at

the University of St. Thomas.

How did receiving a scholarship help

you? “My family has always supported

my efforts, but they could not afford my

college fees at the time. This scholarship

provided me with an opportunity to pursue

the career of my dreams and make a

difference in the lives of people related to

healthcare in technology.”

Paula David, ‘14,

was awarded

the Kopp Family

Foundation

Scholarship in 2012.

Paula works as

an intervention

paraprofessional with

sixth-grade students. She’s pursuing her

Elementary Education and Middle School

Math teaching licensure through Bemidji

State University.

How did receiving a scholarship help

you? “I am deeply appreciative of the

scholarship support I received while

attending Normandale. Receiving a

scholarship made it possible for me to

return to college and work toward my

goal of becoming a licensed teacher.

I am passionate about education and

dedicated to reaching at-risk students

through intervention and differentiated

instruction. The scholarship I received

was an investment in my education. I am

committed to paying it forward by better

meeting the needs of students I work with

now and in the future.”

A NEW, HIGH-TRAFFIC LOCATION

HELPED ELEVATE THE NORMANDALE TUTORING

CENTER’S VISIBILITY. A ROBUST LINEUP OF SERVICES HAS MADE

IT POPULAR WITH A GROWING NUMBER

OF STUDENTS.

When you walk into Normandale’s south

main entrance (in the College Services

area) and climb the stairs, one of the

first places you will encounter is the Tutoring

Center. The college intentionally designed the

space to make it a noticeable and inviting

place.

“We believe the Tutoring Center is a

resource for any student who wants to use

it,” says Tutoring Center Coordinator Beena

Cook. “We want to provide the opportunity for

students to succeed and get the most out of the

classes they are taking.”

With a variety of available services, a friendly and extremely qualified staff, and its

highly visible location, the Tutoring Center continues to see the numbers of students

it serves increase. Since the 2011-12 academic year, the number of visits to the

center has more than doubled. By the beginning of the 2015 summer semester, it had

garnered nearly 15,000 visits since fall 2014 (including a little more than 8,600 this

past spring).

Location, location, locationSupplemental Instruction Coordinator Adam Perry is a Normandale alumnus (’09).

His initial experience at the college illustrates why the new location is so critical.

Perry took time off between graduating from high school and taking classes at

Normandale. When he started classes in 2009, he took a calculus course and began

to struggle. Math, in high school, had been a strong area for him. Perry thought about

getting a tutor, but he was unsure where to go. He eventually decided to drop the

class.

In fall of 2012, the Tutoring Center found its new home, at a location formerly

held by the Campus Store, and the different services merged and went to the current

location on the second floor of College Services.

Director of Student Support Services Debbie Tillman is pleased with the current

location. “It is a best practice to try to unite tutoring services in a visible location

and have a unified method to gather data,” she explains. “When the administration

decided to move the Tutoring Center to the current location, they really showed

a strong commitment to make it successful. It also helped all of the services work

together to maximize the overall effectiveness of the Tutoring Center.”

4 5

Supplemental InstructionOne of the Tutoring Center areas that

has shown extraordinary recent growth is

Supplemental Instruction. The Supplemental

Instruction model is to have a student who

has already completed and succeeded

in a class sit in on the same class in a

later semester, and offer his or her help to

individuals in that class.

At the beginning of each semester, the

Supplemental Instructors (SIs) explain

their roles and poll the students for a

time to meet for tutoring that works best

for a group. This has turned out to be a

comfortable and efficient way for students

to work with SIs.

When Perry took over as SI Coordinator,

there were nine SIs. Today there are more

than 70 serving 49 courses and 127

sections, as compared to 17 courses and 60

sections in the fall of 2013.

The students being tutored are not

the only ones who have been positively

affected by the program’s growth. “Being

a Supplemental Instructor was great,”

says recent graduate Diana Mungu (’15),

who was an SI for Psychology this past

spring. “I organized sessions for students,

put together worksheets and helped

answer questions. I loved doing it. It was a

valuable experience, and will stand out on

a resume or transcript.”

“Our SIs emphasize that we are always

here—and not only when students need

help,” says Perry. “We understand people

are really busy. Our goal is to help enhance

their overall experience of the class, and

provide a resource to help them succeed.”

Community involvementNormandale has also seen growth in the

number of volunteer tutors. In particular,

retired Normandale instructors and retired

members of the community from different

areas of industry have helped tutor

students.

“I had one individual call me out of the

blue and say he had spare time, a Ph.D. in

chemistry, and that he would love to help

out,” says Cook. “He comes every day from

1 to 4 p.m. to tutor students in chemistry.

Our students have had great experiences

with the community members and retirees

who offer their time to tutor.”

Don Parks and Gene Olson worked

with each other at Emerson Processing

(which was named Rosemount at the time).

Parks was an electrical engineer, while

Olson was a software programmer. Both

are currently retired and volunteer at the

Tutoring Center. Parks gains a great deal of

satisfaction working with the students.

“I get a lot of enjoyment working with

Student tutors pose for a photo. Tutoring Center Coordinator Beena Cook, far left.

the students to help them out,” said Parks.

It is a great feeling when I can help them

understand something they are struggling

with. I believe that I get as much out of

the great experience of working with the

students as they get from me.”

The Tutoring Center continues to look

for ways to formalize a program for

community members to volunteer for these

opportunities, and is excited about building

on the response they have received from

students and community members.

English For Academic Purposes (EAP) and English as a Second Language (ESL)

As of the 2013-14 academic year,

students from 52 different nations attended

the college. Some of them needed help

adjusting to taking courses in their non-

native language. At the beginning of the

academic year, the Tutoring Center hired

Catherine Nordlie as a full-time EAP tutor.

Linda Cohen also serves as a part-time EAP

tutor. “We have seen a huge jump in the

number of students working with our EAP

tutors,” says Cook. “Catherine and Linda

really understand the complexities of why

students can have trouble changing from

one language to another. Our foundation

starts with respect for the students, and the

fact that we see EAP as a skill.”

Nordlie has an office in the Tutoring

Normandale tutor helps out a student in the Tutoring Center.

Tutoring Center continued on page 18

Supplemental Instruction Coordinator Adam Perry

Tutoring Center Front Desk Assistant Arsalan Malik

6 77

In the fall of 2014, Normandale received

a $200,000 grant from the Otto Bremer

Foundation to fund the Finish Line

Scholarship program. The Otto Bremer

Foundation is providing up to $4 million

over two years to 10 institutions in the

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

System. The grant’s goal: improve student

semester-to-semester persistence and

on-time certificate and degree completion.

The Otto Bremer Foundation knows

there are many students who face

financial, academic, and other struggles to

accomplish their educational goals. With

financial assistance and quality academic

and social supports, research shows

students with these obstacles can persist

and complete their degrees.

As part of the program, individuals

demonstrating a high financial need to

complete their degree were selected for a

45-member cohort. All were within one to

two semesters of completing an associate

degree.

“One of our main goals was to give

students long-term tools for success,” says

Finish Line Program Coordinator Richard

Webb. “The grant provided us with the

means to help students complete their

degrees. However, we also wanted to

show them the many resources on-and

off-campus that they had available when it

came to making decisions about their next

steps in life.”

Four steps to successStudents selected for the cohort

were eligible to receive up to a $2,000

performance-based award by completing

program activities. The program laid out

a four-part series of steps to earn the

scholarship. At the completion of each

step, students could earn $500 of the

scholarship.

The first part of the schedule was

and college communities. The workshop

covered personal finance and financial aid

at private and state colleges. The fourth

stage included applying for and completing

their associate’s degree.

Webb helped provide guidance to the

students in many different ways, including

a very robust online component. The

cohort was provided with many different

methods to interact with each other and

Webb through Normandale’s interactive

portion of the Desire to Learn (D2L) site.

These features allowed the program to be

proactive, responsive and helped meet

the needs of the many different types of

learners in the cohort.

A GENEROUS GRANT HELPS FUND AN INNOVATIVE NEW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOCUSED ON DEGREE COMPLETION AND LIFE PREPARATION.

designed for them to engage in the program

and understand its objectives. It included

setting up a meeting with an advisor,

developing a plan for degree completion,

and attending an orientation for the cohort

that featured a discussion about identifying

their educational journeys facilitated

by Normandale Academic Advisor Njia

Lawrence-Porter.

In the second stage, students participated

in a resume workshop, had individual

planning sessions with Webb to develop

a career and college transfer plan, and

had a follow-up meeting with their

academic advisor. Webb collaborated with

Continuing Education to help students

develop individual career plans and guide

them through a career development and

preparation curriculum.

As part of the third stage, students

participated in a workshop focused on

financial literacy and identifying their

strengths to help assist in navigating career

“Throughout this process, we were

intentional about developing collaborative

relationships on-and off-campus to assist

the students in the cohort,” said Webb.

“Continuing Education, Experiential

Education, Marketing Communications,

Records, and Online Learning departments

were instrumental in the curriculum design

of the Finish Line Program activities. The

departmental collaboration, which is a

strength of Normandale, played a big role

in lifting up the Finish Line Program.”

Cohort participant Jonathan Castellanos-

Gomez, who is choosing between

attending the University of Minnesota and

Augsburg College, says the Finish Line

program experience played a big role

in moving him forward in his academic

goals. “The Finish Line program has made

a tremendous difference in allowing me to

finish my degree and transfer to a four-year

institution,” he notes. “The financial award

made it less stressful to deal with attending

college, and it allowed me to focus on my

coursework and carefully plan the next step

in my academic year.”

One consistent theme that cohort

students voiced was that it encouraged

them to consider all available options, both

academic and financial, for pursuing their

goals.

Brian Rose is a nontraditional student

who came to Normandale to take a new

path and pursue a career in psychology.

As a first-generation college student, he

did not know much about the transfer

process. He viewed the Finish Line

Program as an extremely valuable resource

to help him find the Alcohol and Drug

Counseling academic program he is

pursuing at Metropolitan State University.

“For someone like me, there was not a

lot of reasons to think how and when I

applied mattered,” he says. “The Finish Line

program encouraged and taught me to learn

what was actually needed in the process.

My opportunities were vastly improved

compared to my original plan.”

One byproduct of the program is seeing

motivated students who are going through

the process together, feed off each other to

accomplish their goals. Breanna Lindquist

has been accepted to Hamline University,

and plans to major in elementary education

and communication studies. After that she

would like to be part of the Peace Corps

to live out her dreams of teaching students

in a Third World country. She believes that

through working with faculty, staff and the

students in the cohort she has been pushed

to be the best she can be. “The Finish Line

Program has made a difference by pushing

me the extra mile to go above and beyond

and never settle,” she says. “It has given

me the tools to network, be successful and

allowed me the freedom to volunteer and

do incredible in school. The program gives

people the extra boost and encouragement

they need.”

There were 23 students who graduated

in spring 2015 or will graduate in the

summer 2015. Fourteen of the students who

were part of the first cohort are planning

on graduating in fall 2015. The Finish Line

Program will accept additional students

to be part of the next cohort (which

could serve up to 45 students) who will

be scheduled to graduate by fall 2015 or

spring 2016.

FIRST STEPSTO THE FINISH LINE

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Finish Line students at Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event pose withprogram coordinator Richard Webb (center, back row).

Finish Line students—back row (left to right): Jonathan Castellanos Gomez (’15),

Breanna Lindquist (’15);front row (left to right): Diana Mungu

(’15), Muna Abdi, Hannah Norwick (’15), Valeria Castro Ludert, Brian Rose (’15).

Finish Line orientation session

98

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI SHINEA LOOK AT THE CAREERS OF A PAIR OF ACCOMPLISHED NORMANDALE ALUMNI

Normandale alumni Antonia Felix and Jake Slegers received Alumni Achievement Awards as part ofthe Foundation’s Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event on April 9, 2015.

thirsty for new experiences,” says Normandale Communication

Instructor Joyce Carey. “A new world had been opened, and he

appreciated the opportunity to get an education. He became a

student leader who was active in many areas of the college, and he

was the first Normandale student to be chosen as an Academic All-

American by USA Today. Jake is a man of integrity and a very hard

worker. He is also someone who can begin a conversation with

anyone and find common ground.”

Slegers graduated from Normandale in 1991 and was the student

speaker at that year’s commencement ceremonies. He then went

on to graduate from Augsburg College. “Even though I was only at

Normandale for two years, it seems like a lot longer because I have

such fond memories of it,” he says. “I can trace where I am today

back to my time in Phi Theta Kappa and Normandale. They had a

wonderfully positive influence on my life.”

In 1994, Slegers traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia to teach English at

a bilingual high school. He initially planned to stay for a year, but

received an unexpected job offer from Slovak Radio International

JAKE SLEGERS, ‘91Jake Slegers grew up near Tyler, Minnesota, and graduated

from Tyler High School in 1978. He worked on his family’s

farm after he graduated, but decided to go to college in

1989.

While at Normandale, he was vice president of Phi Theta

Kappa and participated in theater and choir. “When Jake

came to Normandale, he was a wide-eyed student who was Jake Slegers continued on page 18

ALUMNI AWARDS STAFF NEWS

Betsy LongleyChair, Chemistry department, and Instructor

Betsy was awarded the 2015 Minnesota

State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU)

Board of Trustees Educator of the

Year award. She was one of only four

instructors in the entire MnSCU system to

receive the award.

Suzanne Beatty

Joyce Carey

James Erickson

Michael Koreen

Donna Kreger

Scott Magnuson-Martinson

Roland Maine

Ross Mason

Joseph McCulloch

John (Jack) Miller

Douglas Pearson

Gloria Robinson

Bernard (Barney) Smith

Jeanette Wall

Steven Wyffels

Susan Zeni

Awards and Honors

2014-15Normandale Retirees

Betsy Longley

Lisa Wheeler, Ed.D.Vice President of Finance and Operations

Orinthia Montague, Ph.D.Vice President of Student Affairs

Dionne DoeringChief Human Resources Officer

Patrick BuhlAssociate Vice President of Operations, Facilities & Safety

Mark Lewis, Ph.D.Director of Institutional Research

New Leadership Appointments

Colleen Brickle

Colleen Brickle, RDH,RF, Ed.D.Dean, Health Sciences

Colleen was awarded the Ann K.

Johnson Community Health Spirit Award

by Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation

for her contributions to improving health in

Minnesota. The review committee selected

Brickle out of a long list of nominees

for her “calm and skillful relationship

building, and encouragement that has led

to significant advancements in the field of

oral health, and overall health.”

Deb Sidd and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry Alumni Society President, Dr. Thomas Smyth

Deb SiddChair, Dental Hygiene department, and Instructor

Deb received the University of Minnesota

School of Dentistry’s Outstanding Dental

Hygiene Alumni award.

Psychology instructor Andy Tix, Chemistry instructor Betsy Longley, and Communication

instructor Michael Wartman were named 2015 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

(MnSCU) Outstanding Educators.

Antonia Felix continued on page 18

in-demand speaker, and share her wisdom as a college instructor.

Felix is a classical singer whose repertoire includes opera, concert

and recital performances. She has appeared all over the world as a

solo artist, and has also presented vocal master classes at the Galina

Veshnevskaya Music School in Moscow and Concordia College in

Chicago.

Along with her impressive array of music performance credentials,

Felix is a New York Times-bestselling author of 16 books, a play,

and an award-winning environmental column. The biographies she

has authored include those of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia

Sotomayor, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former New

Jersey governor Christie Todd Whitman, former First Lady Laura

Bush, former NATO Commander Wesley Clark, and musical figures

Andrea Bocelli and Harry Connick Jr.

Felix also has moderated panels about women’s rights and human

rights at the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. As an

in-demand speaker and lecturer, she appears frequently on CNN,

ANTONIA FELIX (1976-1977)Antonia Felix was originally a music major at Normandale

Community College, where she focused on music theory

and ensemble courses. In the years since, she has gone on

to excel in musical performance and other areas in a career

that has seen her succeed as a bestselling author, become an

11

YEAR IN REVIEW

10

Here are some highlights from the 2014-15 academic year. We

look forward to another great year starting in August.

Welcome reception for President Ester

Diversity mural reveal

Lunch with Leaders Fashion Show

Commencement

STEMLink5 event

Normandale

Performs at Mall

of America

Employee Recognition EventRetiree Luncheon

Bloomington Mayor Winstead visit

Student Life Awards Banquet

Success Dayglass fusing

Student Showcase

Creating Futures Celebration Gala

Current and past presidents at the Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event

Academy of Math and Science students visit Boston Scientific Financial Literacy event

Spring Fling

131312

COMMUNITY ACTION

Thanks to the generosity

of the Institute for

Mexicans Abroad

(IME), Normandale students

of Mexican and Mexican-

American ancestry have

received scholarships to

continue pursuing their

dream of earning a college

degree. The grant of $5,000

from IME was matched by

the Normandale Community

College Foundation for a total

of $10,000 in scholarship

support for an increasing

student demographic.

Talking with Latino

community leaders and cultural

liaisons at area schools, the

college developed a plan

NORMANDALE STUDENTS RECEIVE A ROUND OF MUCH-NEEDED SUPPORT.

Normandale IME Becas Scholarship recipients attend the Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event with Latino Outreach Coordinator (and Normandale alumna, ’11) Karina Moreno D’Silva and Dean of Enrollment and Marketing Matt Crawford (3rd and 4th from left).

Mónica Cruz Zorrilla, Community Affairs for the Consulate of Mexico St. Paul (second from right), presents a check for $5,000 to Foundation Executive Director Colleen Simpson, Normandale President Joyce Ester, and Dean of Enrollment and Marketing Matt Crawford.

DR. ESTER GOES TO WASHINGTON

Normandale President Joyce

Ester attended the second-

annual White House College

Opportunity Day of Action on Dec.

4, 2014. She joined President Barack

Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama

and Vice President Joe Biden, along

with hundreds of college presidents

and higher education leaders to

announce new actions to help more

students prepare for and graduate

from college.

The participants were asked to

commit to work on one of four areas:

■ Building networks around

promoting completion

■ Creating K-16 partnerships around

college readiness

■ Investing in high school counselors

as part of the First Lady’s Reach

Higher Initiative

■ Increasing the number of college

graduates in science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics

(STEM) fields

NORMANDALE COMMITS TO AN AMBITIOUSNATIONAL INITIATIVE TO EMPOWERSTUDENTS.

to improve Latino student

outreach and retention.

Latino Outreach Coordinator

(and Normandale alumna,

‘11) Karina Moreno D’Silva

oversees the plan’s activities.

Her role includes coordinating

the efforts of Latinos United

at Normandale in Action

(L.U.N.A.) and leading

outreach events such as

Latino Family Night, an event

presented entirely in Spanish.

Since starting these efforts,

Normandale’s Latino student

population has grown from

just 3% to nearly 9% of total

student enrollment in just four

years.

Normandale will again host the Region V Kennedy Center Theater Festival in 2016.

SETTING THE STAGE

Normandale was honored to host the 2015 Region V Kennedy

Center Theater Festival in January. The festival required months of

meticulous planning by the Normandale Theatre Department. After

being selected for the rare opportunity to host the festival in 2015

and 2016, Normandale Theatre instructors, Anne and Sean Bryd,

worked with Normandale Theatre instructor Tom Burgess and a

group of excellent volunteers (including many current and former

Normandale Theatre students).

Region V includes 18,000 students from colleges and universities

from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Normandale hosted more than 1,500 participants for this year’s

festival which featured a variety of theater workshops, performances by

selected colleges and universities, awards, behind-the-scenes tours of

the Guthrie Theater and a VIP final evening event.

Meeting financial needsOne challenge that Normandale faces is meeting the financial

needs of Latino students not eligible for Federal student aid. While

the college’s undocumented Latino students can apply for state

aid via the Minnesota Dream Act, the amount is small so students

often attend part-time or even stop attending college to earn money

for tuition.

“The Consulate of Mexico takes great pleasure in being able

to support Mexican and Mexican-Americans in their dream of

pursuing higher education studies through the IME Fellowship

Program,” says Consul Alberto Fierro Garza, Consulate of Mexico

in St. Paul. “We believe that the benefits of having one student

start, continue or finish college multiply tenfold in the community.”

The grant provided scholarships, supplementing aid received

through the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented Latino

students of Mexican ancestry to continue pursuing their college

education. During the spring 2015 semester, 10 Normandale

students received scholarships of up to $1,000.

These deserving students are now hard at work completing

their degrees. While working part-time, full-time, or both

they are studying business and marketing, engineering and

law enforcement, nursing and dental hygiene, among other

subjects. The financial support helps ease the stress and worry

that comes with paying for college. For some, this has been the

first scholarship they’ve ever received—or even the first time

someone has shown them they believed in them and their dream

of achieving a college degree. One student wrote: “I would like

to say thank you so much for this [scholarship]. It’s the first time

in my college years that I am able to get this help. It means the

world to me knowing that going to college is worth it in the end. I

always thought I was on my own. With this, I know there is always

someone out there willing to help me. Thank you so much.”

As a result, Normandale committed

to increase student retention in STEM

fields by 10 percent over the next

decade—a figure that would create

2,800 new STEM graduates or transfer

students by 2025. Normandale also

pledged to serve 500 low-income

women and underrepresented

students of color in STEM the next

10 years. That figure would be in

addition to the low-income women

and underrepresented students

already served by the college’s

Academy of Math and Science.

“As an institution that focuses

on the scholarship of teaching and

learning, Normandale Community

College is delighted to share our

goals and learn from others to help

students achieve academic success,”

said Ester. “We look forward to

achieving these goals, and playing a

big role in helping to increase access

and education opportunities for

underrepresented populations in our

community.”

Normandale instructors Anne Byrd (back row third from left), Sean Byrd (front row center) and Tom Burgess (front row right), and alumni, students and volunteers were recognized for successfully hosting the 2015 Kennedy Center Theater Festival.

14 1514

The Normandale Foundation debuted its Roar N’

Red 5K Run/2.5K Walk on May 1. This event brought

together students, staff, faculty, and community

members to show their Normandale school spirit.

Sponsored by Amica Insurance, Doherty Employer

Services, Mall of America, and US Bank, the festivities

drew close to 250 participants and 50 volunteers.

Staff, faculty, and students were encouraged to form

teams to demonstrate their Roar N’ Red spirit. The

winning team was the Atoms Family (Chemistry

Team), which took home the honors with a fantastic

periodic table theme.

The 5K run route looped twice around campus,

winding through the wetlands and surrounding

community. The 2.5K walk took participants on a

scenic tour highlighting the Japanese Garden, the

wooded hiking trail, and the labyrinth.

At the end of the event, participants enjoyed

sandwiches and sports drinks courtesy of

Chick-fil-A and ASPIRE. Congratulations to

everyone who crossed the finish line!

NEW EVENT PROMOTES HEALTH AND SPIRIT AT NORMANDALE.

5K CAMPUS EVENT A ‘ROARING’ SUCCESS SHAPING THE FUTURE

SOUTHWESTMINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY TO OFFER EXERCISE SCIENCE DEGREE ON NORMANDALE CAMPUS.

Normandale has added

a third university from the

Minnesota State Colleges and

Universities (MnSCU) system

to its baccalaureate partnership

programs. Starting this fall,

Southwest Minnesota State

University (SMSU) will offer the

upper division work needed

to complete a bachelor’s

degree in Exercise Science on

Normandale’s campus.

On April 24, Normandale

and SMSU celebrated the new

partnership with a ceremony at

the college’s Partnership Center.

The ceremony was attended by

Normandale and SMSU faculty

and staff, representatives from

local businesses, Bloomington

Mayor Gene Winstead, and

Minnesota Office of Higher

Education Commissioner Larry

Pogemiller.

“Partnerships like this are yet

another opportunity for us to

focus on access, affordability, and excellence as we assist students in achieving their academic goals,”

said Normandale President Joyce Ester.

Exercise Science continues to be a popular major at SMSU following its creation five years ago. “It’s

a growing area of study on our campus and at other institutions across the country,” said Dr. Jan Loft,

SMSU interim vice president for Academic Affairs. “Currently in the Twin Cities, there are no MnSCU

institutions offering a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. We have a quality affordable program, and

collaborating with Normandale will make it accessible to Twin Cities-area students.”

Students who pursue the Exercise Science degree will need 15 credits of Business courses. Those

will be delivered by Metropolitan State University on Normandale’s campus.

With this partnership, Normandale now has 12 different bachelor’s degree programs on campus

offered through its three MnSCU partners (Metropolitan State University; Minnesota State University,

Mankato; and SMSU). During the 2014-15 academic year, more than 500 individual students took

bachelor’s degree courses on Normandale’s campus.

Normandale is able to host faculty and staff from the programs in the Partnership Center, which

opened its doors in February 2013. For more information about bachelor’s programs at Normandale,

go to www.normandale.edu/masters-bachelors.

INSIGHTFUL DISCUSSIONS AND SESSIONS HIGHLIGHT SIXTH ANNUAL SUCCESS DAY.

SMASHING SUCCESS

Normandale Community

College hosted its sixth annual

Success Day “We the People:

Expanding Perspectives” on

February 10.

The keynote event featured

a performance of Defamation,

a play exploring the highly

charged issues of race, religion,

gender, class and the law with a twist: the audience was the jury.

Through the deliberations and post-show discussions, audiences

engaged in civil discourse that challenged pre-conceived notions.

The performance had a morning and an evening session, both of

which provoked quality conversations.

Success Day also featured a variety of sessions that focused

mostly on themes of careers, education, finance, leadership,

personal interest and wellness. A health fair took place in the

middle of the day, and featured more than 20 different vendors.

CAMPUS CURRENTS

Normandale President Joyce Ester, Normandale Exercise Science Instructor David Barrett, Normandale Dean of Health Sciences Colleen Brickle, SMSU Associate Professor of Exercise Science Brent Jeffers, and SMSU President Connie J. Gores at the Signing Ceremony.

Spirit Award winners

The Foundation and college extend their gratitude to Ed Meyer for years of outstanding service on the Normandale Community College Foundation Board of Directors.

Devoted. Tireless. Filled with integrity and honor. These words describe Ed Meyer. Over the past

six years, he has served as treasurer of the Foundation Board and chair of the Finance Committee,

volunteering numerous hours each week. With a friendly, steady demeanor, he has been a patient

mentor, an outstanding role model, and a tremendous asset to the Foundation.

When volunteers are needed, Ed is often the first to step up. That ethic runs in the family. Ed’s

wife, Peg, has been instrumental in assuring that recent galas have been adorned with stunning red rose bouquets, ribbons, bows and

decorations that have set ballrooms aglitter. For the inaugural 2013 gala, she created satin pouches for the fused glass bowls made by

Normandale artists. Ed customized bubble linings for the dozens of red and black satin pouches, protecting the guests’ treasured pieces of

art. Many of you may recall the cashmere mittens at the 2014 gala. Who made them? Peg, with Ed’s assistance!

Why has this couple served as such committed, caring and generous Normandale ambassadors? “It’s all about the students and making

a difference,” Ed says. “The funds everyone helps to raise will change and improve lives.”

We will miss you, Ed and Peg, but look forward to seeing you often. Thank you, dear friends.

FOND FAREWELL

1716

On Saturday, September 26, 2015, Normandale’s Japanese Garden committee will

host its annual Garden Festival in the Kopp Student Center. Entertainment will include

Taiko drums, Japanese sword demonstrations, Japanese dancers, and Garden tours.

Bento boxes will be for sale.

For more information, email japanesegarden@normandale.edu or call 952-358-8145.

NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION BOARD JULY 2015-JUNE 2016JANET BELLOWS – ChairBranch Manager, Amica Mutual Insurance CompanyAXEL STEUER – Vice ChairHigher Ed Consultant; Retired, Gustavus Adolphus PresidentJOSEPH RAPACKI – TreasurerOwner, Rapacki and CompanyJANE WELCH – SecretaryPrincipal, Morrison Sund, PLLCCAROLYN PRATT– Past ChairALAN ABRAMSONSr. VP and CIO, HealthPartners, Inc. MARK ADKINSVP, Wealth Management Advisor, BWA WealthAdvisory-Merril LynchTIA AGATE*Student Representative, Phi Theta KappaBERNARDINE BRYANTRetired VP, Administrative Services and InterimPresident, Normandale CollegeLAURA CATANIARetired, Chief Administrative Officer, GMACResidential Capital

DR. JOYCE ESTER*President, Normandale Community CollegeJOHN ETCHISONSenior Director IT, United Health CarePAULA FORBESCEO, Forbes Solutions PLLCREX GASKILLRetired, Dean and Instructor, Normandale Community CollegeLARRY JODSAASRetired CEO, PolarFabMIKE LEBENSVice President, Senior Relationship Manager,Wholesale Banking, Wells FargoRYN MELBERGIndependent Consultant NAHOM MOSSAZGHI*Student Representative – Student SenateSANU PATEL-ZELLINGER Senior Manager, Best BuyMARYA ROBBENPartner, Lindquist and Vennum LLP

DEBRA SIDD*Faculty Member, Normandale Community CollegeCOLLEEN SIMPSON*Executive Director, Normandale FoundationDUANE SPIEGLEVP Real Estate and Support Services, Park NicolletJOE WALDOCH*Japanese Garden Committee RepresentativeMARTHA WITTSTRUCK*Faculty Member, Normandale Community College

*Ex officio, non-voting

FOUNDATION STAFFCOLLEEN SIMPSONExecutive Director JAYNE TEVRUCHTDirector of Corporate and Foundation RelationsNICHOLE AXTMANAlumni and Donors Relations ManagerBRIANNA MALMDevelopment Office Manager

SAVETHE DATE

Anonymous (2)

Colleen Brickle

David Docter

Joyce Ester

Lori Gerval

Beth Grund

Teresa Klotz

Nancy Ludden

Nancy Pointer

Susan Seymour

Duane and Susan Spiegle

Lisa Wheeler

Geri Wilson

Thank youto our 2014Give to the Max Day GiveMN.org online donors!

FOUNDATION NOTES

Former Normandale head football coach and instructor Fred Moyer died peacefully in his sleep on

March 30, 2015. Moyer’s family hosted an on-campus celebration of his life on April 11.

In his 22 seasons, Moyer’s teams posted a 170-33-2 record. He led Normandale to 12 state

conference championships, 11 appearances postseason bowl games, and ten Top-10 national

rankings. Moyer also coached 32 All-Americans, and is ranked fourth among National Junior

College Athletic Association (NJCAA) football coaches in wins and winning percentage (.829). His

Normandale teams were ranked the NJCAA’s seventh-most successful national squad during the

1980s.

Moyer, who retired in 1991, was selected to the Minnesota Community College Conference Hall

of Fame in 1992 and inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2000.

SHOPPING WITH A SMILE

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will donate a portion of your purchase to the Foundation. Please shop through this site to support Normandale students and programs.

Check it out at: http://amzn.to/1BMm6fR

FRED MOYER, 1936-2015

ANNUAL GARDEN FESTIVAL

LEGENDARY FORMER NORMANDALE FOOTBALL COACH AND INSTRUCTOR PASSES AWAY AT AGE 78.

NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION BOARD JULY 2015-JUNE 2016

Check it out at: http://amzn.to/1BMm6fR

Former students who played under Coach Moyer gathered fora group photo at his memorial service.

18

FACES AND PLACES

19

Tutoring Center, continued from page 5

Center where she sees five to seven students at once. While

she works directly with one student at a time in those groups,

she’s noticed that other students pay attention and pick up

on things that help them. Nordlie also believes in modeling

skills the students need, along with guiding them toward

independent study with the skills they have learned.

“Once the students come in to use our services, they often

come back because they find it is helpful to get extra support

and instruction,” she says. “We try to show them how they

can be successful and provide them with the confidence to

apply those skills. I enjoy working with the students, so I want

them to come back. But my goal is to answer their questions

and foster independence by providing them with skills and

knowledge they can use on their own—and make sure that if

they do come back, it is for a different question.”

Come early and oftenA recent study conducted by the Tutoring Center showed that

students who visit during their first semester are more likely to

use it throughout their entire academic career. However, the

first semester is also the time students are least likely to use

it. “We continue to try to introduce ourselves to classes and

expand our overall awareness on campus,” says Perry. “Our

goal is to eliminate the stigma that we are a place for people

who can’t do well in their classes, and instead emphasize that

we are a place where people go to do well in classes.”

Based on the center’s recent growth and success, that

message seems to be getting across.

Antonia Felix, continued from page 8

MSNBC, NPR, PBS, the BBC, and other media outlets.

“As a scholar, educator, best-selling author and a highly

regarded performing artist, Antonia brings a strong training

background to her work with substantive credentials from

wonderful academic programs, but that is just the start of her

story,” says Mary Veronica Sweeney, director and executive

producer of Vera Icon Productions. “As a close friend and

colleague, I can say without hesitation that she is also a

magnetically engaging and inspiring person. Antonia has a

rare combination of artistic skills, wit, professional savvy, deep

intelligence, and caring about her role as a public intellectual

and humanitarian.”

Normandale instructor Lynette Reini-Grandell has worked with

Felix on a variety of projects and nominated her for the Alumni

Achievement Award. “I have interviewed Antonia on my radio

show and have volunteered with her on some writing-related

projects,” says Reini-Grandell. “I consider her a colleague, so it

was a pleasant surprise to find out she started her college career

at Normandale.”

After teaching at Emporia State University, Felix joined the

faculty of the Graduate School of Liberal Studies at Hamline

University in 2012. She has always enjoyed the academic

environment and has fond memories of Normandale. “I had

a great experience at Normandale that included memorable

moments with some great instructors,” she noted during

the college’s Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event.

“Normandale provided a great environment to learn and grow.”

Jake Slegers, continued from page 8

to work as a business reporter, journalist, and broadcaster. He

held that position for three years before joining the American

Chamber of Commerce in 1999 as a part-time deputy director.

He was named the organization’s executive director in 2000

and now oversees all aspects of the chamber’s operations,

including working extensively with the Slovak government.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Slegers was awarded the official Medal

of the President of the Slovak Republic by Slovak President

Andrej Kiska in recognition of his long-term contributions to

the development of Slovak-American economic relations and

his efforts in presenting Slovakia abroad.

Congratulations to these fine Normandale alumni!

ALUMNI NEWS

SEE THE POSITIVE IMPACTOF YOUR GENEROSITY

Donors often don’t get to see the impact their gifts have on

students. This video does just that. View it at www.normandale.

edu/foundation.

ALEX DELLA POLLA, ‘10Degree earned: AADella Polla received a degree in computer science from the University of Minnesota in May

2013, and two weeks later relocated to Detroit for a job with General Motors as a software developer. He works on international projects with GM’s website.

JILENA (ANDERSON)

SIMONSON, ‘13

Degree earned: AS

Married Matthew

Simonson on Sept. 13,

2014, and accepted a

full-time position with

Kroll Ontrack in March.

MAGGIE FALCO, ‘13Degree earned: AA Currently studying art as a visiting student at the Osaka University of Art in Osaka, Japan. “I’m a sculpture major at the Minneapolis

College of Art and Design,” she reports. “I will return to Minnesota in the fall and present my work created in Japan.”

JOHN ELLMAKER, ‘13Degree earned: AAWas awarded the 2014 Southwest Chamber of Commerce (Chanhassen, Minn.) Ambassador of the Year.

OLYA HOMONCHUK, ‘13Degree earned: AAHomonchuk recently graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in labor and industrial

relations. She was accepted to the Oxford University Master’s of Philosophy program

ALEX COOPER, ‘12Degree earned: AA Graduated in December 2014 with a 4.0 from Concordia University–Saint Paul with a Master of Arts in Strategic

Communication Management.

WISDOM YOUNG,

‘01

Degree earned: AA Shortly after completing her bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of

Minnesota in 2004, Young took a job as an educator with Harvest Preparatory School in North Minneapolis. She serves on the school’s board of directors, and last year helped start a group called SHINE, which empowers middle school girls to love and express themselves while growing into confident young women.

KATHY STAGNI, ‘86

Degree earned: AA

Recently promoted

to human resources

coordinator at UCare.

BARBARA TEED, ‘07Degree earned: AAGraduated from Hamline University with an MLA in 2013 and was a journalism intern at the Twin Cities Daily Planet,

where she covered the Academy Awards live from the Red Carpet. Teed was retained as journalist at the Daily Planet and covered the Oscars two other times, most recently in 2015. She notes “I’m now the paper’s Minnesota State Fair reporter and have written many other Twin Cities-related articles. I’m currently producing a play for the 2015 Minnesota Fringe Festival based on my Hamline University thesis.”

in Comparative Social Policy, which accepts only four students annually. Homonchuk also recently wrote “A Meaningful Graduation,”an article for the Huffington Post about the importance of community college. You can find the article here: http://huff.to/1Lk6dio.

JENNIFER KOLTER, ‘12Degree earned: AAFinished her Masters of Oriental medicine in December and should have an acupuncture office open in 2016.

ADAOBI OKOLUE, ‘01Degree earned: AA Adaobi Okolue wears many hats. She’s a writer, communications strategist, artist, and the executive director of the Twin

Cities Daily Planet, a local online news resource. She’s also the founder and owner of Coloring Circles LLC, a Minneapolis marketing studio that works with nonprofit and community organizations, foundations, small businesses, and creative entrepreneurs to empower people and community.

ROSE MONHAUT, ‘14Degree earned: AAGraduated from Normandale one year ago, and finished her junior year at the University of Minnesota. She is

excited that she will be studying abroad this summer in Copenhagen, Denmark, for three weeks. After graduation, she plans to apply to law school.

JESSICA (OLSON) KNACK, ‘13Degree earned: ASGraduated with a BSN from Minnesota State University, Mankato on May 8, 2015. She now works for the Minnesota Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center.

If you are interested in being featured on our alumni “Faces and Places” page or know of an alum who should be, please visit our page at www.normandale.edu/facesandplaces.

Normandale Community College Foundation9700 France Avenue SouthBloomington, MN 55431-4399

Nonprofit Org.U.S.Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MNPermit No. 913www.normandale.edu/foundation

Volume 11, Number 1

CREATING FUTURES

PRESIDENT: Joyce C. Ester, Ph.D.

FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Colleen Simpson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Geoff Jones

EDITORS: Chris Mikko, Foundation staff

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Karla Caspari

WRITERS: Nichole Axtman, Steven Geller, Brianna Malm, Colleen Simpson, Jayne TeVrucht

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mark Daniels, Steven Geller, Jerry Holt, Pavel Ignatenkov, Geoff Jones, Sandy May, Richard Tsong-Taatarii

Normandale Community College Foundation9700 France Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55431-4399(952) 358-8147 • foundation@normandale.edu

Creating Futures is published twice a year by the Normandale Community College Foundation.

The Normandale Community College Foundation depends upon contributions from individuals, businesses, organizations, foundations and the community to help respond to the educational needs of college students of all ages. Normandale Community College Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Tax ID: 41-1295802. If you do not wish to be contacted by mail or telephone, please write to the address indicated in the left column.

If you have received duplicate copies or would like to have your name removed from our mailing list, please contact (952) 358-8147.

Normandale Community College is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

This publication also may be found on the Web at www.normandale.edu/alumniFoundation or requested in alternate media by calling (952) 358-8623.

A MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SYSTEM

CAMPUS EVENTS CALENDAR

IMPORTANT 2015 FALL SEMESTER DATES ON CAMPUS

Aug. 24: Fall Semester classes begin

Sept. 7: Labor Day, no classes

Sept. 8: Involvement Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sept. 11: Fall semester weekend classes begin

Oct. 9: Roar N’ Red Fun Run and Walk

4 p.m., Normandale Campus

Oct. 15: 24th Annual Retireee Luncheon

11:30 a.m., Kopp Student Center Garden Room

Oct. 15-17: Faculty workshops, no classes

Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day, no classes

Nov. 12: Scholarship and Donor Recognition Event

5 p.m., Fine and Performing Arts Building

Nov. 26-27: Thanksgiving, no classes

THEATREPerformances in the Premanand and Black Box Theatres

The Gravedigger:A Frankenstein Playby Joseph ZettelmaierDirected by Anne ByrdOct. 28-31 & Nov. 4-5, 2015

Dr. Seward’s Draculaby Joseph ZettelmaierDirected by Sean ByrdOct. 28-31 & Nov. 4-7, 2015

The View from Hereby Margaret DulaneyDirected by Paran KashaniDecember 3-5, 2015

The Dining Roomby A. R. GurneyDirected byKathleen Bagby CoateFeb. 25-27 & March 2-5, 2016

The 25th Annual PutnamCounty Spelling BeeMusic and Lyrics by William FinnBook by Rachel SheinkinConceived by Rebecca FeldmanDirected by Paul CoateApril 21-23 & 28-30, 2016

CREATING FUTURES

CELEBRATION GALA

Saturday, April 30, 2016,

6:00 p.m.

Proceeds to support Normandale students

and programs.

It’s All About Relationships!We are here for you, reaching out to our community, students, donors, faculty, alumni, staff and retirees.

We are here to enlighten you with this magazine and encourage you to become involved at Normandale. We

need you! Rewarding volunteer or sponsorship opportunities exist for our events—spring gala, fall run/walk,

recognition events. We are grateful for every volunteer hour; for every dollar, be it for student scholarships,

emergency aid or the legacy of your name on a room or building. We are here to make a difference and

change lives, including yours! Heartfelt thanks for caring—and for sharing your time, talents and treasures!

Colleen Simpson

Executive Director, Normandale Foundation