CVTC Magazine: April 2022

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CREATING A STRONG WORKFORCE 06 | BUILDING BEST PRACTICES College and local business officials detail their plans to help western Wisconsin thrive in manufacturing.

10 | ‘RISE’ING TO THE OCCASION Immigrants at Rise Baking Company in River Falls participate in English Language Learner classes.

14 | MEDICAL MARVEL Eau Claire woman shares 1940s health care manikin with CVTC simulation center coordinator.

CVTC MAGAZINE A PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNI & COMMUNITY FRIENDS APRIL 2022 | VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 2

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Everything we do at Chippewa Valley Technical College is for the success of our students and our communities. Every committee we gather, every program we offer and every decision we make – each step forward is a move towards fulfilling dreams while building a strong workforce.

This magazine showcases just a few of the ways we’re helping our students and our communities succeed.

Most recently, our faculty and staff worked tirelessly to submit a grant proposal that will now provide opportunities for people in our rural communities to learn much-needed manufacturing skills. The collaborative $10 million Workforce Innovation Grant allows us to work with our partners to address the critical workforce shortage in the manufacturing industry in western Wisconsin.

CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED FOR ALUMNI AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

DR. SUNEM BEATON-GARCIA PRESIDENT

This group of partners came together to respond to a call from the state and designed the RESTORE project to Restore Employment through Support, Training, Outreach, Recruitment, and Education in northwest Wisconsin.

The RESTORE initiative is a true testament to the power and impact of collaboration. Various entities from education, economic development, and the business community built upon existing relationships to create a proposal addressing workforce gaps that continue to exist in the region and identify the obstacles that previously hindered the development of collaborative ideas.

EACH STEP FORWARD IS A MOVE TOWARDS FUFILLING DREAMS.

Employers are struggling to hire qualified workers into key metal fabrication careers across the manufacturing sector. While these jobs are high-paying and in-demand, workers lack the necessary training and skills required to be hired and succeed in long-term employment opportunities. Our approach will support skills development for various demographics, ages, and stages of a career path and educational journey.

We hope when you read these articles, you feel our dedication and passion to our mission of delivering innovative, applied, and flexible education to a diverse community of learners. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your passion by taking classes with us at CVTC. If you do, be assured that we will do everything we can to help you achieve your goals.

PRESIDENT Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Joni Geroux EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Karen Kohler CONTENT STRATEGIST & WRITER Alyssa Van Duyse GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mackenzie Slattery

CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE 620 W. Clairemont Ave. Eau Claire, WI 54701-6162 715-833-6200 800-547-CVTC cvtc.edu

Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, ncahlc.org.

Issue Date: April 2022.

Published biannually. © 2022 Chippewa Valley Technical College.

All rights reserved.

Gratefully,

Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia

CVTC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in employment, admissions, programs, or activities. General inquiries regarding the College’s non-discrimination policies may be directed to: Director of Human Resources • Chippewa Valley Technical College • 620 W. Clairemont Ave. Eau Claire, WI 54701 • 715-852-1377 • WI Relay: 711

AWARD NOMINATION LEADS TO SELF-REFLECTION To continue the College’s mission of delivering innovative, applied, and flexible education to a diverse community of learners, Chippewa Valley Technical College knows it can’t solely teach, it also must learn.

In November, Aspen Institute named CVTC one of 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, that nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

CVTC is one of more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide chosen as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.

“We are honored to be recognized as a leader of equitable outcomes throughout the nation,” said Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia, CVTC president. “Our instructors and staff are dedicated to fostering lifelong learning for our students – not only while they are learning with us, but well beyond graduation.”

We’re in thi s together. We aw nt our students to know ew see them, and ew ’re here to help them succeed.

- Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia

But Beaton-Garcia also knows we have much to learn.

“The best way to self-reflect and get better is to share. This opportunity provides a platform for CVTC and other colleges to share current, best practices.”

The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit data and narratives as the next step in an intensive data and practice review process, culminating in the announcement of the prize winner in spring 2023.

To reach the top 150, CVTC celebrates a 92% employment rate within six months of graduation even throughout the pandemic.

“If we see students are falling behind, we call them, we email, we bring them in. It’s very high-touch, so our students who are going through a number of challenges feel supported,” Beaton-Garcia said. “We’re in this together. We want our students to know we see them, and we’re here to help them succeed.”

The next step in the process is the selection of the top ten finalists by a panel of 15 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training, to be announced in summer 2022.

CIVIL RIGHTS PILGRIMAGE Ten CVTC students and staff went on a trip to several southern states during their winter break. But the goal wasn’t to relax on the beach; it was to learn the history of the Civil Rights Movement on a pilgrimage planned through UW-Eau Claire. The total group of more than 80 people traversed Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and other states as they learned from Freedom Riders and other live speakers who lived the experience.

Diversity means advocating for students - even if it’s just one student.

-Yer Kang

EYE ON DIVERSITY Valuing diversity has long been at the core of CVTC. Passionate faculty and staff have engaged in many activities throughout the years to promote equity and inclusion.

That is by design, said Holly Hassemer, CVTC’s dean of academic development and a proponent of College diversity.

“Every individual is unique in a myriad of ways,” said Hassemer. “What we need to recognize is that some types of diversity impact a person’s sense of belonging, their safety and their perception in the eyes of others, while some types of diversity have less impact.”

CVTC took a huge step forward in 2015 to encourage a more diverse student body when it became one of the first truly open-access colleges in the state by eliminating almost all placement tests.

In the years since, statistics show that removing the entrance exam barrier has allowed more students to increase their career opportunities and earning potential through degree attainment, Hassemer stated.

Yer Khang, a 26-year-old Hmong student working to achieve an Executive Assistant associate degree, said CVTC is on the right track.

“To me, developing diversity is seeing diverse students and staff,” Khang said. “I believe that the whole college is diverse. Having a diverse staff helps students feel more comfortable.”

She is also thankful for the CVTC resources like diverse student specialists who are always ready to help. But Khang, originally from Wisconsin Rapids, said there’s always room for improvement. She’d like her instructors to have more knowledge of diverse backgrounds.

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That, as well as tackling issues like racism, sexism, classism, ablism, and homophobism, are at the top of the list for CVTC’s DEI committee, Hassemer said.

“Diversity means advocating for students – even if it’s just one student,” Khang said. “It means making people feel more welcomed and included.”

BULLY BUCKTHORN MEETS ITS MATCH At first glance, it might seem students were senselessly killing healthy vegetation along UW-Eau Claire’s upper campus near McPhee Center in the fall.

But on closer inspection, horticulture students from Chippewa Valley Technical College, in addition to conservation biology students from UWEC, were ridding the area of the highly invasive Buckthorn plant.

“Buckthorn is easy to spot because of these thorns and its green leaves when other plants have (gone dormant) in the fall,” Susan Frame said while pointing at the spindly, prickly branches.

“If you don’t take care of Buckthorn, it will take over.”

The students, totaling 30 or more, made quick work of sheering the plant at the ground, leaving small stumps sprayed with a solution that would not allow the plant to grow back.

Neff knows she’ll never rid the campus of all Buckthorn, but she’s pleased with the progress she and students have made throughout the years. Her goal is to save the natural vegetation – one Buckthorn brawl at a time.

Frame, a CVTC Landscape Horticulture instructor, was happy to include her students in Paula Kleintjes Neff’s Buckthorn clean-up. The two colleges have a common connection in Daria Hutchinson, facilities staff at UWEC and an adjunct horticulture instructor for CVTC, which spurred the collaboration.

Kleintjes Neff, who has been battling Buckthorn for 25 years, was happy to have the additional help.

The invasive plant was first introduced to the area as a landscaping hedge. With its connected root system and ability to spread quickly, it may seem appealing to homeowners who want seclusion.

However, the plant grows berries attractive to birds. Birds eat the berries, fly away, and release seeds throughout forests. It doesn’t take long for Buckthorn to overtake forests, Neff said. Buckthorn is a bully – out-competing native vegetation, taking over the forest floor, utilizing necessary nutrients and changing the entire structure of the forest.

HER GOAL IS TO SAVE THE NATURAL VEGETATION - ONE BUCKTHORN BRAWL AT A TIME.

REAFFIRMING COMMITMENTS TO STUDENT SUCCESS Chippewa Valley Technical College has renewed its relationships and continues its commitment with its university partners: UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, and UW-Stout with Reaffirmation Days.

Reaffirmation Days will are designed to affirm the collaborative commitments with each of the universities to provide the very best outcomes for students, including seamless transfer.

Each school came together for a day that included visionary messages, highlights from each institution, and informational sharing surrounding existing transfer and engagement. Students came together in panel form and there were many opportunities to network and collaborate with colleagues from the institutions.

While it would be difficult to tackle all program areas at once, CVTC looks forward to continued opportunities to build bridges between our institutions. The deans will continue to work with each partner to identify areas of focus for each year.

If we can improve the availability of skilled workers, we can... help the community grow.

- Christopher Conard

BUILDING ON BEST PRACTICE $10 MILLION GRANT HELPS BRING MANUFACTURING EDUCATION TO RURAL STUDENTS

The president of PMI, a metal fabrication business in Bloomer, said the labor shortage is a significant barrier to growth for manufacturers like himself.

“We are being forced to turn down new work due to a lack of available labor resources,” said Christopher Conard.

His business isn’t the only one. Knowing his company’s position, and that of others, he was eager to continue PMI’s partnership with Chippewa Valley Technical College and plan to build a training classroom, lab space, and secure equipment to provide a collaborative space to train individuals.

Some might have considered it a pie-in-the-sky dream, but with proper planning and a $10 million Workforce Innovation Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development corporation to address the critical workforce shortage in manufacturing, PMI and a few other manufacturing-type companies are

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seeing their dreams come true as CVTC welcomes the continued partnerships.

Gov. Tony Evers’ announcement of the three-year grant award was like an early Christmas present to the College and its partners on Dec. 14.

CVTC’s RESTORE (Restoring Employment through Support, Training, Outreach, Recruitment and Education) program is partnering with Northwood Technical College, Workforce Resource, Inc., Bloomer School District, Osseo-Fairchild School District, St. Croix Central School District in addition to PMI to facilitate career pathways in metal fabrication for underserved populations throughout rural northwestern Wisconsin.

“Employers are struggling to hire qualified workers into key metal fabrication careers throughout the manufacturing sector,” said Sunem Beaton-Garcia, CVTC president. “While these

jobs are high-paying and in demand, we need to do what we can to attract people to the field through skilled training and education, which will lead to successful, long-term careers.”

Sullivan said previously CVTC partnered with Phillips-Medisize to offer manufacturing and quality training. When it was offered in Eau Claire, participation was abysmal at two students. When the class was moved to the Menomonie campus to offer it closer to the business and to rural participants, the class size increased to 54.

Jeff Sullivan, CVTC dean of apprenticeships, engineering, manufacturing and IT, said the idea of working with community partners to provide skilled training to people from rural areas is nothing new, but typically because of lab space and equipment, it had to be done in Eau Claire.

The grant money is opening new doors.

“We now have the ability to cut down on the barriers of transportation, space, and equipment,” Sullivan said. “We’ll be able to serve employers in rural areas. The grant gives us space and access we haven’t had before to provide training.”

“We’re doing things we know have been successful in the past,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to have access to more communities and areas that may have taken 45 minutes to an hour for those students to get to our campuses. When we’re done, we’ll be able to bring the training closer to them.

WE NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO CUT DOWN ON THE BARRIERS OF TRANSPORTATION, SPACE & EQUIPMENT.

“It’s just taking something and expanding on what we do well and trying to do it on a larger scale.”

Conard, president of PMI, acknowledges training centers like the one planned for his business will be an important resource to develop the skilled workforce for years to come.

- JEFF SULLIVAN

In western Wisconsin, 16 companies signed letters of support recognizing that the grant would ultimately help their businesses as well. Since then, several businesses have also offered support.

“If we can improve the availability of skilled workers, we can expand businesses, create more jobs, and help the community grow,” Conard said. “More jobs mean more people moving to the community who then support retail shops, restaurants, school district growth, and churches, and the tax base expands to support the community as a whole.”

The plans being put in the works now between CVTC and the named partners include new infrastructure, equipment, and space. The College also will develop training pathways and processes to work with K-12 partners for manufacturing academies in these new spaces.

PMI, BLOOMER • A metal fabrication/training facility will be provided • Will offer technology/equipment

ST. CROIX CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, HAMMOND • Will provide advanced manufacturing technology • Maintenance and systems integration training will be offered

BUILDINGS

BUILDINGS ⭐ RIVER FALLS

⭐ CHIPPEWA FALLS ⭐ MENOMONIE

⭐ EAU CLAIRE

OSSEO-FAIRCHILD SCHOOL DISTRICT • Construction of a new training facility/technical center

CVTC DISTRICT MAP

President Sunem Beaton-Garcia recently visited PMI to discuss solutions to the critical shortage in manufacturing.

• New technology and equipment will be provided along with training

BUILDINGS

⭐ NEILLSVILLE

Weld Done

Altoona senior weathers adversity, follows passion of welding at CVTC Vanessa Carr flipped through the pages of her welding workbook while standing in an empty classroom at Chippewa Valley Technical College.

The 17-year-old isn’t even out of high school yet, but she’s halfway through her first semester of welding at the college.

Carr is taking advantage of CVTC’s high school academies – a series of courses designed to meet the need of high school students who wish to explore a program or industry. In Carr’s case, she wants to finish her first semester of the welding program, graduate from high school, and then continue at CVTC to get her associate degree in welding fabrication.

Carr has the drive and ambition to get her college degree as quickly as possible to land her dream job.

CARR HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT IN HER YOUNG LIFE, BUT HER SELF-DRIVE AND

“All things are difficult before they are easy.”

That fortune from a cookie is typed on a small, rectangular piece of paper placed between Carr’s cell phone and its transparent protector. It’s likely not so much a fortune as a reminder for Carr.

ALL THINGS ARE DIFFICULT BEFORE THEY ARE EASY. She hasn’t had it easy. In her young life, she’s moved more times than can be counted on one hand.

Her home life hasn’t been the best.

“I did everything I could to keep myself out of the house,” she said. “I feel like I have to be doing something all the time.”

She acknowledged that she could have busied herself with drugs, alcohol, or other non-constructive things. But in not so many words, Carr divulged that’s not her style.

Instead, she dove into creating. Jen Robertson, Altoona High School Alternative Learning Center Program coordinator and teacher, was impressed with Carr’s determination from the get-go. Robertson met Carr three years ago.

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“Vanessa (Carr) is highly motivated and driven to succeed in her education, which just happens to be welding,” Robertson said. “She maintains good grades while working seven days a week at two different jobs. The welding academy provides her with a great opportunity to jumpstart her schooling.”

Robertson’s son went through the welding program at CVTC several years ago. When Carr met Robertson and learned of Carr’s passion for welding, Robertson knew how to foster additional learning. “(Carr) loves learning and welding, so that is a big part of what drives her,” Robertson said. “She also sees this as a way out of her present circumstances and into the life she envisions for her future. ”

SETTING UP HER FUTURE Like taking a college course is a first for Carr, teaching a college course to high school students is a first for CVTC welding instructor Kevin Taylor. But not much is different in his classroom.

“I don’t run it any differently,” Taylor said. “The class has 10 or 11 college-age students and six or seven academy students.

“To be honest, it’s not like I even think of my class as having high school students in it. They fit right in, and I run it like a regular class.”

NEW WORKSPACE, NEW TECHNOLOGY Sunem Beaton-Garcia walked into the new welding fabrication lab at Chippewa Valley Technical College wearing a welding jacket and helmet.

Beaton-Garcia isn’t a welder. She’s the president of CVTC. But that didn’t deter her from volunteering to laser cut the metal ribbon during the Manufacturing Education Center’s event to celebrate the new automated fabrication lab addition in October.

The event was a way for the College to thank donors and taxpayers who voted to approve a referendum that led to the update in facilities and technology.

D MOTIVATION SPURS HER TO LEARN THE SKILL OF WELDING FOR HER FUTURE.

When Carr, or any high school academy student, passes the semester-long class, they receive college credits. But it’s not a cakewalk, Taylor said.

“You need a practical and mechanical mindset,” he said.

“You need to be able to do math quickly – to convert decimals to fractions.”

Carr has those mindsets, said Cody Curry, Altoona High School alternative teacher. Curry began working with Carr last school year in the Alternative Program.

“Vanessa (Carr) is not only a hard-working student, but she is certain and confident in her desire to become a welder and gain financial security,” Curry said. “I am very proud of Vanessa. The amount of adversity she has had to navigate and overcome is incredible.”

Curry has helped guide Carr through courses that will help her in the future, but Carr has given back to Curry as well, even if she doesn’t realize it.

“Vanessa (Carr) is one student whom I not only brag about often, but one who makes me determined to continue to do the work I do each day,” Curry said. “I would firmly say that students like Vanessa (Carr) are the model students in high school today. Although some of her accolades are not translated to paper or noticed by all, her achievements as a human are innumerable.”

Second year CVTC welding students Sam Thurmes, Logan Kilness and Andrew Hartman attended the event and said they’re lucky to be at CVTC during this time, because no other college they know of has this kind of technology.

“It’s crazy,” said Hartman, 19, of Eau Claire. “This is a state-of-the-art facility. You aren’t going to go to any other college and find this kind of equipment.

“We’re presented with this super awesome opportunity that we couldn’t get anywhere else.”

Thurmes and Kilness, both who graduated high school in Ellsworth, said they’re not intimidated by the new equipment as much as excited.

“It’s exciting knowing I’ll be able to run these robot cells by the end of the semester,” Kilness said.

‘RISE’ING TO THE OCCASION

‘Rise’ing to the occasion

Rise Baking Company, CVTC collaborate to teach English at local business Rise Baking Company, CVTC collaborate to teach English at local business

If we can meet people where they are, it’s a more equitable experience for everyone.

- Alyssa Hedenstrom

Maria Gabriela Mouzawak shows up at Rise Baking Company in River Falls with a smile, ready to work. She quickly packs cookies into a box for distribution.

Rise Baking Company employs several people who are English language learners, and the company saw its employees’ interest in continuing to learn the language.

She likes what she does, and she’s good at it. But there was one aspect of her life she wanted to improve.

CVTC’s Workforce Solutions & Continuing Education team and Rise have been working together on various trainings for a number of years, said Holly Hassemer, CVTC dean of academic development and services. The partnership to deliver English language instruction in the workplace was a natural

Mouzawak, an immigrant from Venezuela, wasn’t easily able to communicate with her coworkers. As a Spanish speaker, she was having a difficult time with the English language.

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extension of this ongoing relationship between Rise and CVTC. The English classes are free for the students and the company.

“Workplace English instruction is a win-win-win situation,” Hassemer said. “Employees improve their English skills and earning potential, employers better compete for and retain workers because they provide this opportunity, and the College fulfills its mission to add value to our community.”

It’s an impressive partnership – one that Alyssa Hedenstrom sees firsthand from week to week.

that sentiment. A “government situation” in her home country forced her to move to the United States in 2019 with her husband and two children. She knew little English but was motivated to learn.

“I wanted to talk with people and take credit classes,” she said. “I wanted to communicate with my coworkers.”

I’VE SEEN A GREATER SENSE OF CONFIDENCE IN THOSE THAT HAVE TAKEN THE CLASS. - JEFF STRYDIO

Hendenstrom, the English language instructor in River Falls, teaches CVTC English language instructor in River Falls teaches one English Language Learners course at Rise Baking Company each semester.

“This is really about meeting people where they are and realizing many times English language learners are working 40 to 80 hours a week,” Hedenstrom said. “They’re providing for their families and don’t always have time or ability to come to our campus. And it can be intimidating.

Mouzawak is grateful for the collaboration that has helped her communicate better. Strydio sees the benefit and is appreciative to work for a company that puts people first.

“I’m proud to work for a company that understands the employment proposition is about providing resources for our employees to grow personally and professionally,” he said. “Providing these classes also is in line with our desire to be an employer of choice. When employees tell their friends and family, they can state with pride they work for a company that is providing skills that help improve their personal lives too.”

“If we can meet people where they are, it’s a more equitable experience for everyone. It gives more opportunity and makes the community better overall.”

Jeff Strydio, human resources generalist with Rise Baking Company, said bringing CVTC English instruction to the bakery to serve his employees was a gift.

“I’ve seen a greater sense of confidence in those that have taken the class. They are able to express themselves to their peers and supervisors,” Strydio said. “Their improvement makes it easier to share their opinions and to ask questions.

“A few of the students have helped recruit others given the noticeable improvement in their skills. Our business also can run more efficiently when translators are needed less frequently.”

Hedenstrom said Rise Baking Company’s model should be the norm, not the exception.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about people who immigrate, or are refugees, that come to live in our society,” Hedenstrom said. “They want to have a job. They want to learn English so they can become a part of the community. They want to have opportunities and earn a decent wage and be a part of an entire company.”

Rise Baking Company employee, Mouzawak, is an example of

Maria Gabriela Mouzawak

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ELL COURSES, VISIT

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE

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THE CVTC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2022 SPRING GALA

Awards & Partnerships KINZE BERG OUTSTANDING RECENT ALUMNI AWARD Kinze Berg comes from a long line of relatives and friends who have attended Chippewa Valley Technical College. As a graduate, Berg sings the praises of the College that helped get her where she is today.

“To have that connection and background is something special – like I’m continuing a legacy,” she said.

Berg has been chosen as CVTC’s 2022 Outstanding Recent Alumni for her dedication to the college and success in her field.

BRUCE TRACHSEL DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD Bruce Trachsel never subscribed to the notion that helping new electricians in the field would take work away from him. Instead, he has always been heavily involved in mentoring people interested in electrical work.

At the age of 23, Berg, of New Auburn, is a registered respiratory therapist for Mayo Clinic Health System. She graduated from the Respiratory Therapy program at CVTC in 2018.

She applauds the college’s tools and resources that helped her reach her career goal.

“CVTC is not only a foundation for success, but also for success as a human being in society,” Berg said. “Yes, you learn how to be successful in your career, but you learn things about yourself you didn’t even know were possible.”

That’s one of the reasons Trachsel, 62, of Fall Creek, who graduated in 1984 from CVTC’s Electrical Apprenticeship program, was chosen as the college’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni.

“The guys I worked around – they weren’t good about helping you out,” Trachsel noticed when he first started in the business. “The more you can help the young ones coming in, the more you take the pressure off of yourself.”

Trachsel, who works for B&B Electric as a project manager, praises CVTC for having the most up-to-date technology, hiring stellar instructors, and “putting young people in the right spots” for hands-on learning.

He said attending CVTC is rewarding because it helps students get their foot in the door with a company that trusts their skills, like he did.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING CVTC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL SPRING GALA!

ERIC RYGG, CENTER, PRESIDENT OF SILVER SPRING FOODS, HELPS PRESENT THE MOBILE FOOD LAB HIS COMPANY DONATED TO THE CULINARY PROGRAM AT CVTC.

ENJOYING A STRONG PARTNERSHIP Proven Business Partner: Silver Spring Foods

After several years of mutual support, the world’s largest grower and processor of horseradish has been named Chippewa Valley Technical College’s 2022 Proven Business Partner.

Silver Spring Foods, founded in 1929 and based in Eau Claire, is led by Eric Rygg – great-grandson of the late Ellis Huntsinger, who began the successful business.

Silver Spring Foods weaves its brand into the community by sponsoring the Eau Claire Marathon, Country Jam, Eau Claire Express, and other local partners, as well as hosting the 2021 Farm Technology Days and being a staple in CVTC’s Culinary Management program by, among other things, donating a food truck to be used as a mobile culinary lab.

IT’S NOT JUST WHAT WE CAN DO FOR CVTC, BUT WHAT CVTC CAN DO FOR US.

Rygg, originally from California, moved to Eau Claire and took over as president in 2018. Since then, he’s been working on four areas of interest – being a great place to work, offering - ERIC RYGG the promise of making food taste better, weaving the Silver Spring Foods brand into the fabric of the community, and “making the world a tastier place.”

Rygg said several of those pillars contribute to a strong partnership with CVTC and other organizations in Chippewa Valley communities.

Silver Spring Foods also has had experts on CVTC advisory boards, has sent employees for additional training at the college, and has commissioned the college to have training on-site at the business. Rygg said with so many programs offered at CVTC, he is able to hire people out of many career paths.

“There is a symbiotic relationship … with employers and the training that CVTC provides so we have a better, more skilled workforce,” Rygg said. “It’s been a mutually beneficial partnership. It’s not just what we can do for CVTC, but what CVTC can do for us.”

TO WATCH THE AWARDS BEING PRESENTED AT THE SPRING GALA VISIT

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MEDICAL MA MARVEL EL EC WOMAN, CVTC SIMULATION COORDINATOR BOND OVER MANIKIN

Upon hearing her harrowing tales, one might think Beverly Smith was in the cosmetic surgery business the way she speaks of recreating and attaching McTavish’s ears, fingers, and other parts.

out of the Marines and was looking for a school to attend. The dean took the family on a tour of the campus, which included the basement of the medical building.

But the true story of this 74-year-old retired piano teacher’s affiliation with McTavish may seem stranger than fiction.

McTavish, technically Model-N, is a manikin – the spelling of the word indicates he was made for medical purposes – and was created in 1947 by the Chase Hospital Doll company out of Rhode Island. The 5-foot-something gentleman prodded Smith, simply by his presence, to give Chippewa Valley Technical College a call when she came across an article recently about the College’s newly acquired medical manikins used to teach students.

When Theresa Meinen, CVTC simulation center coordinator, received Smith’s invite to her home to view the medical marvel, Meinen was in.

“I just could not pass up this opportunity to see how far these manikins have come,” Meinen said. “Smith was so sweet over the phone. She really just wanted to share what she had with us.”

MCTAVISH’S ADVENTURES Having been born in 1946, Smith was just a babe in her mother’s arms when the family happened upon McTavish – a name he was given by Smith’s parents, but Smith said the name’s origin is unclear.

Her uncle was the dean of the dental school at Washington University in St. Louis. Smith’s other uncle had just gotten

“My uncle pointed to the big stack of wooden crates – they looked like caskets, to be honest – and he said, ‘Look at that. It’s such a waste,’” Smith recalled of her parents telling the story.

The wooden boxes were full of Chase medical manikins.

They were ordered before the start of World War II to train nursing staff, but by 1947 they were obsolete, Smith said.

“They were just finishing up the war and those injuries were substantial,” Smith said. “People were coming back without limbs. These manikins just didn’t cut it as far as training at that time.”

THANK YOU! CVTC Foundation, Inc. works to advance the mission of Chippewa Valley Technical College by providing unmet needs and addressing barriers to success that students encounter. In addition to our amazing faculty, staff, and students, the great work done at CVTC is possible because of the support of local businesses, community | CVTC.EDU 14 APRIL 2022 and partners, alumni, friends.

Thank you to those who support CVTC not only through the Foundation, but to employers who hire our graduates, family members who support our students and employees, and our entire community who champions technical education. We are grateful for your support and advocacy.

BY THE NUMBERS

485 SCHOLARSHIPS & MICROGRANTS AWARDED TO STUDENTS TOTALING OVER $325,000

The dean asked the Smith family if they wanted a manikin. The answer was a resounding “Yes.” Smith keeps McTavish in a rocking chair in the basement of her split-level home.

She said he is basically a brother to her “because he’s been around forever and I don’t think of him as an object – he’s a part of the family,” Smith said.

After she read the article about the new medical simulators at CVTC, she wondered how much technology had changed.

In short, it has changed a lot, Meinen and Smith agreed. The women met at Smith’s home in early February so Meinen could meet McTavish and the women could talk about how far technology has come.

“This was probably state-of-the-art in its day,” Meinen said after examining McTavish. “Now everything looks so real. There is the appearance of veins under the skin. They cry, they sweat, they cough, they sneeze. They’re pretty spectacular.”

Meinen said the best part is that students can learn on lifelike manikins first and make mistakes before they try their skills on real patients.

“When students are in the hospital or when they’re practicing on real people, we don’t let them make mistakes,” Meinen said. “We stop them. So they never see the consequences of a mistake. In the simulation lab you can let it play out. That’s how they learn. Think about those nurses and doctors back then, when McTavish was made, they didn’t have an opportunity to learn like that. That’s how the medical community has become more skilled.”

Meinen and Smith plan to connect again in the fall when Meinen expects to host a CVTC Clinical Simulation Center open house for the community.

Until then, the dapper-looking McTavish will remain in his rocking chair with the Bible on his lap and a lifetime of memories in his manikin heart.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED TODAY!

BEVERLY SMITH INTRODUCES 74-YEAR-OLD MEDICAL MANIKIN TO THERESA MEINEN, CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE SIMULATION CENTER COORDINATOR.

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