TCC Magazine - Fall 2018 Issue

From Tragedy to

To Tears of Joy Fall is More Than Pumpkin Spice

Veterans

Finishing the Job

BIG

Joe is as as a House FALL 2018 THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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FALL 2018 4 GET SOCIAL

M AGA Z I N E

Students share back-toschool photos

5 NEVER TOO OLD

COVER STORY

Self Belief Can Go a Long Way PAGE

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Worker forced into early retirement starts new future

8 FROM TRAGEDY TO JOY

Student overcomes personal loss to reach her goals

10 FINISHING WHAT I STARTED

6 MORE THAN PUMPKIN SPICE

Veteran commits to finishing his education

7 FILL OUT THAT FAFSA!

College Chancellor and wife share unique backyard hobbies

Agriculture students are in the field

FAFSA is key to financial aid

12 CHICKENS AND BEES, OH MY!

15 JOE IS AS BIG AS A HOUSE

Alumnus featured in local billboard campaign

C O N T E N T S

EDITOR'S NOTES We love our students, they’re the greatest. The reason those of us who work here enjoy doing so is because of them. No caffeine is needed to get us going in the morning, the students provide all of the energy you would ever need.

Those students come in all ages, and with an untold number of tremendous personal stories. This issue of TCC Magazine highlights just a few of those stories. Our cover story is one of overcoming family tragedy to attain personal goals.

Other stories tell of a veteran returning to college, an older worker having to find a new career following forced early retirement, an alumnus who turned to the college after time in prison and now owns a popular local restaurant, and two of our traditional age students pursuing careers in agriculture.

These are just a few examples of the more than 10,000 unique and wonderful stories we can share about our students. There’s one for every student who enrolls with us each year and trusts us to help them reach their future.

It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age (employment), sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code §§ 216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.) Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 - 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.).

If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with the policy, please contact Debora J. Sullivan, Equity Coordinator, 306 W. River Drive, Davenport, Iowa 52801, 563/336-3487, djsullivan@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 West Madison, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661, phone number 312/730-1560, fax 312/730-1576. For Gainful Employment information related to our programs, go to www.eicc.edu/gainfulemployment

To celebrate the new school year, we asked students to send in their “first day” selfies!

Thank you to those of you WHO shared your first day with us.

Doing something cool in class? Hanging out with friends on campus? Studying at the library? We want to know about it!

Get social with EICC through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube @eicc.edu/social

Congrats!

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more commencement photos at eicc.edu/go-grads

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“We helped her polish up her resume, look for jobs and then practice interviewing.”

Never too old to start a new future

“Who is going to want to hire somebody at 55?”

That was one of the first thoughts that popped into Nancy Speck’s mind after she was forced to choose between taking an early retirement or relocating for work several hours away. For the last 32 years the 1993 Clinton Community College graduate had been working for Xerox, servicing machines throughout the Eastern Iowa area, including at Clinton Community College. Since she was too young to actually retire, she knew taking the early out would mean finding another job to keep insurance coverage.

One day while working on a copy machine at CCC, she told an employee about her predicament. She had decided to take the early out and needed to start the job search, but didn’t know where to start.

Luckily, she was in the right place to get some help. She was instantly introduced to Rob Schadt, CCC’s Career Services Advisor.

“We helped her polish up her resume, look for jobs and then practice interviewing,” Schadt said.

“It was great, he was excellent. He told me to write down what I did for Xerox and he took that and made it into an excellent resume. I would even hire myself!” Speck said with a laugh.

“My husband said I would hire you, too! Rob was able to put those keywords in there. I was stunned.”

With her impressive resume in hand, Speck landed a job in no time. She began work as an admissions clerk at the local hospital, which is just a five-minute walk from her house. She said after working the front desk in the emergency room proved to be emotionally challenging, she called on Schadt again to help her tailor her resume for another job opening in the hospital’s kitchen. Once again, her interview skills and polished resume helped her land a job working as a cook.

“Without Rob I would not have been where I am today,” she said.

Schadt said Speck had all of the right pieces to be successful in the job search. He just helped her bring them together.

“Nancy is fantastic! She was one of the first job seekers I assisted after beginning in my role with EICC Career Services. She had amazing transferrable skills, and it really was just a matter of helping her realize her own potential!” he said.

Clinton, Scott and Muscatine Community Colleges offer these Career Services for both students and alumni, no matter how long it’s been since you attended with us: - One-on-one resume/cover letter writing - Job application assistance - Interview preparation - Career exploration and more To access all the resources Career Services has to offer, visit eicc.edu/jobservices For Schadt’s Top Five Job

Search Tips!

eicc.edu/jobtips

THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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Trey Pierson

It’s this culmination of a year’s worth of hard work and the excitement of watching something you planted come to life that drew Muscatine Community College sophomore, Trey Pierson, to the field.

“In one week you can see the whole entire plant change.

It’s nice to take that info and analyze it. Knowing what you’re looking at makes it a whole lot more exciting,” Pierson said.

Fall

is more than just pumpkin spice time for ag students

A farm management major, Pierson’s path to the industry has not been typical. For many, farming is a family tradition, passed down from generation to generation. But Pierson’s first taste of the business didn’t come until high school.

“My first exposure to farming was in a high school ag class. I then got involved with FFA and was the test plot manager for my FFA program. It sparked my interest in agronomy,” Pierson said.

Seeing his passion to learn more, when a local farmer called the school looking for help, Pierson’s ag teacher knew just who to ask.

“I called the guy and said ‘I have never worked on a farm and I don’t have any experience, but I’m willing to learn.’ So I went out there, shook his hand and started right then. My first job was unloading seed out of a truck and it just expanded from there.”

From one firm handshake a special relationship was born, and Tom Hotz, who owns a 750-acre crop and cattle farm in Lone Tree, Iowa, has become Pierson’s mentor. It’s an opportunity that has allowed Pierson to dive even deeper into the field he has come to love.

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or some, fall means changing leaves, bonfires and football games.

For others, it’s the only time of year where pumpkin spice everything is totally acceptable. But for local farmers, fall is a mix of long, hard hours, team work, technology, beauty and passion.

Otherwise known as:

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Trey

“He’s really taken me under his wing. It’s been good to learn from him because he’s so knowledgeable about the industry and markets. He has shown me spreadsheets, receipts, all the paperwork side of things, and really what the money side is and how much goes into it and what it’s all about… what it takes to be successful.”

Pierson said his experiences on the Hotz farm paired with what he is learning in the Ag Program at MCC have been everything he could have hoped for and more.

“I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be there,” Pierson said. “Everything you learn, it’s really great because you can directly take it and put it into work. There’s no better way to learn than hands-on.”

Rachel Paustian

For sophomore agribusiness management major Rachel Paustian, harvest time equals family time.

The youngest of seven, her family owns a farm in Dixon, Iowa, where they care for a farrow-tofinish swine herd, marketing 22, 000 hogs each year, and produce sweet corn. Growing up, caring for the hogs and bringing in crops was a family affair.

“At times it can be stressful because you have different views of how to do things. But other than that, it’s pretty nice working with your family. I especially enjoy working with my brother since we’re so close. We always joke around and do fun things while getting the work done.”

Paustian said as a kid, she had no plans to enter the family business, but as she got older she couldn’t help but be drawn to it. After all, her family has been farming in Eastern Iowa for more than 40 years.

Rachel Agriculture Programs at MCC: Agribusiness Management Farm Business Management Agriculture Equipment Technician Starting Fall 2019 Turf and Landscape Management

Visit eicc.edu/agprograms to learn more!

“I liked it a lot because it gave me an idea of where the food we eat comes from and what the by-products of pigs are used for, like in makeup, stuff like that. It’s very interesting.”

She said the sense of pride and feeling of accomplishment you get from farming is also something pretty special.

collecting soil samples and mixing chemicals, and she will get to do another internship this year.

“It is a lot of hard work, but it really gives you a good feeling. You start off and think ‘man this is a lot of work,’ then it’s time to harvest and you get to see the outcome and how well it turned out.”

“I love going to Muscatine,” she said.

Plus, food just tends to taste better when you’ve raised or grown it yourself.

She said the program is also “dadapproved,” as he attended MCC’s Ag program too.

“The sweet corn…it’s way better than any of the other corn I have had from stores!”

Paustian said she has enjoyed being in the program at Muscatine Community College because the hands-on experience is allowing her to explore all of the career options in the field. She has already completed an internship at Liqui-Grow, where some of her duties included

“The instructors are amazing. They help you in any way possible and the classes are really fun to be in.”

“I’m so glad I chose this school. I don’t think I would have chosen any other college to go to.”

S

Fill out that FAFSA!

orry for shouting, but we wanted to make sure we got your attention. If you, your daughter or son, are planning to attend classes next year, it’s important you complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). It’s required of all students filing for financial aid and by most colleges for their college scholarships.

The great news, really, is the federal government has made some changes over the last couple of years to improve the system. Those include moving the date students can begin filing to October 1 (you used to have to wait until January) and you can use last year’s tax information instead of waiting until this year’s tax forms are completed.

That means you can file the FAFSA earlier and, in turn, learn what your federal financial aid eligibility is much sooner.

In addition to all that, the government has announced a new app called myStudentAid is now available in the Apple Store and Google Play, making the form available on your phone. If you’ve filled out the form previously, you’ll notice the FAFSA website has changed. That was done to accommodate use on cellphones and tablets.

Everyone is encouraged to file the FAFSA and determine their eligibility for financial aid. Many people are surprised to learn they are, indeed, eligible.

learn more... eicc.edu/fafsainfo THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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A little self-belief can go a long way.

Jennifer Zamora

way

At least that’s the

sees it.

“One of our greatest battles is within our own minds. Try to change the way you think about yourself, you’re wrong if you think you’re not good enough.”

Zamora, a recent Muscatine Community College graduate, knows a thing or two about getting back up when life knocks you down and facing barriers head-on, whether mental, physical, emotional or financial.

Her determination to make the most of her life started as a young girl growing up in California. Her family relocated to Iowa for work when she was 11-years-old.

“I was always different. I knew there were two paths, either be in trouble, because where I come from there are gangs and at the age of 12 they start recruiting you, or get an education and make it out of there,” Zamora said.

Zamora chose the latter, proudly being the first in her family to graduate from high school. Not knowing what she wanted to do next, she enrolled in classes at MCC after a friend recommended the college. But before she could even celebrate her first day of college classes, her life took a dramatic turn.

“The summer that I enrolled I lost my brother to suicide and my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer just months later,” Zamora said.

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As her family faced tremendous heartache and loss, Zamora dropped out of college to help raise her younger brother and nephew.

“After I lost my brother and mom, I just kind of stopped trying,” she said. “Me and my mom were very close, I felt like my hopes and dreams had kind of left with her.”

Over the next several years, she worked a couple of full-time jobs to help support her family, eventually landing a position in a factory. It was a job, but not what she really wanted to do.

However, she ended up being let go, a situation she soon realized was a stroke of good luck.

“I remember I walked into the unemployment office and they had a huge poster there for IowaWORKS, it said ‘training for a better future.’”

The poster caught her attention and she asked for more information. She didn’t know it then, but it was the start of a new beginning. Through IowaWORKS, she was offered the opportunity to take classes at MCC and earn a certificate that would help her secure a new job.

“They introduced me to Sabrina Shoemaker, who works for IowaWORKS at the MCC Campus,” Zamora said.

“Speaking to Sabrina, she really believed in me and at the moment I really didn’t believe in myself. I felt like I had a lot of support from the advisors to Sabrina, just the whole staff. I realized I could continue and get my Associate’s Degree. You just have to apply yourself.”

She not only applied herself in class, but also took a work study job at the McAvoy Center, joined student senate and started a League of United Latin American Citizens Chapter, (LULAC).

And this spring, nearly eight years after she first enrolled in classes, she proudly walked across the stage to receive her Associate’s Degree.

“Honestly, after I lost my brother and my mom, it was difficult, but I wanted to be a role model for my younger brother and nephew. I was the first one in my family to graduate from high school and the first one to graduate from college. I just wanted to break that cycle in my family,” Zamora said.

Now, Zamora is not only working to break the cycle in her own family, her brother just started his first year at MCC, but she is also inspiring students at Muscatine High School as the high school’s Americorps College Access Coach, a job she started during her final year at MCC. “Through that I realized my talent. I am able to talk to people and can make a difference.”

This self-discovery inspired her to transfer to the University of Iowa and work toward a Bachelor’s Degree in social work with a minor in political science.

“I know that there are people like me who are struggling and think they don’t have anything to

offer the world, but they do,” she said.

Zamora took her own advice to heart quite literally this summer, traveling halfway across the world. This July, she was one of eleven students chosen to take part in the Summer 2018 Study in China Program on behalf of the Wanxiang America Corporation and the City of Muscatine. As part of the program, students from the Muscatine Community School District and MCC spent a month in China studying Chinese language, culture and clean energy science at the Wanxiang Polytechnic, a vocational and technical college.

From climbing the Great Wall of China to appreciating the beautiful architecture of the Forbidden City’s grand imperial palace, Zamora said she tried her best to soak in every minute of this new adventure. In between tears mixed with joy and a little bit of disbelief, Zamora described her experience.

“It was like a dream come true, I never pictured myself on the other side of the world…looking at different stars, getting a different view of the moon, it was just amazing,” Zamora said.

She said her story is proof that anything is possible if you just believe.

“You won’t ever know if you can do something until you try.”

THE Community's College | MAGAZINE THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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finishing what

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between working 48 plus hours a week at Exelon and fulfilling his role as dad and husband to his wife and two daughters, Marvin Christiansen spends his free time at the Blong Technology Center working toward an Associate’s Degree in Engineering Technology.

While maintaining the grueling schedule isn’t easy, Christiansen is no stranger to hard work.

“I did just shy of 15 years in the Army, originally my goal was just to make Sergeant. I wasn’t planning to make it a career. I got injured a couple of times over in Iraq, so that put a kabash on that and I ended up getting out,” Christiansen said.

After leaving the military, he put his experience to use working for Exelon’s security team. He said it’s a job he’s been grateful for because it helped ease the transition back to civilian life.

“It’s been 12 years and I still have issues with some stuff. After living a certain way for so many years it becomes normal, so when you try and change it you scratch your head. I have good friends and family around to help out,” he said.

And as he recently found out, he has Eastern Iowa Community Colleges too.

Christiansen said despite doing things like spending 30 days in Africa and jumping into action after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, there is one thing he hadn’t done that has been nagging him for some time -

finishing college.

“I did one year of college after graduating from high school and then went active duty for the Army. It’s always been kicking around in my head that I need to go back and finish this,” he said.

A fellow coworker told him about the assistance program from the VA and one of the colleges listed was Scott Community College. When Christiansen first started thinking about going back to college, he figured an online program would be the only way he could complete a degree with his work and family schedule.

However, after meeting with Eastern Iowa Community Colleges’ Veteran Student Affairs Facilitator, Rebecca Geiken, he was pleasantly surprised to find out there were other options. With his oldest daughter entering her senior year of high school and the youngest one turning five, he decided to go for it.

“It was a lot more possible than I thought and Rebecca kind of highlighted that. She was amazing,” he said.

Geiken serves more than 300 veterans at all three campus locations and helps them with everything from enrollment paperwork to understanding their benefits to providing support.

“With her it keeps going even after you start, we all have her cell and personal email and she is always touching base.”

Christiansen said Geiken has even taken it a step further by organizing a Veterans group and offering a variety of programs, including a trip to Hot Glass, a local glass blowing company, where students created their own pumpkins.

“I had no idea there was a glass blowing company in Davenport just a five-minute drive from my house. By getting to go there with Rebecca, I actually made friends with the owner and his son and on my days off I get to go there and work,” he said.

The pumpkins are part of a greater project called “Fragile,” which raises awareness for Veteran suicide and gives SCC Veterans an artistic outlet.

It’s been really, really fun,” Christiansen said.

Pursuing something he really likes doing, whether it’s his new found hobby or Engineering Technology degree, has been a nice change of pace, especially since he can customize his studies to his goals and interests.

The Engineering Technology program is one of many self-paced programs offered at the Blong Technology Center, meaning students follow a guided-learning packet design using video tapes, CD ROM’s, internet, textbooks and written materials to replace traditional lecture.

Students then apply what they have learned through hands-on work in the BTC’s state-of-the-art labs. The labs are open well into the evening, giving students the opportunity to work one-onone with their instructors when it fits into their schedule.

“That type of flexibility is not something you might think of right away when you think about community college,” Christiansen said.

He hopes to secure an electrician apprenticeship after graduation and has been able to focus on what he will need to know to successfully pass the apprenticeship test. Christiansen said “keying in” on a field that interests him has been one of the best parts of going back to college.

“For once I’ll go out and try something that I’m actually interested in. It makes a huge difference to do something you enjoy. This is definitely going to give me that.”

It makes a huge difference to do something you enjoy.

He said it will also give him the satisfaction of finishing what he started, allowing him to put that voice in the back of his head to rest, all while teaching his daughters a valuable lesson.

“Once you get older and actually see the difference in your life from having completed that education versus not completing it, you realize school is important, especially when you hit college.

Like anything else in life you have to work hard for it, but the more you put in the better your odds are to get it all back.”

Veterans Services Info! eicc.edu/veterans Visit eicc.edu/fragile to watch a video about SCC’s efforts to raise awareness for Veteran Suicide Prevention.

THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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Scott Community College Alumnus Joe Gomez is as big as a house, literally. Well, ok, not Joe specifically, but his image has been.

That’s because he’s part of a new billboard campaign that is the brainchild of a consortium of Quad Cities area colleges. His sign just completed a run on that big electronic billboard near Northpark Mall in Davenport.

“The seven colleges began working together several months ago to create a campaign, spreading the word of how much impact we have on our communities,” said Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) Associate Director for Marketing and Communications, Alan Campbell. “Our first wave of billboards went up in September and others will be coming in the months ahead.”

In addition to EICC, the other colleges include Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Palmer College of Chiropractic, St. Ambrose University, Trinity School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Western Illinois University.

Collectively the colleges graduate more than 4,000 students each year, with 16,000 college credit students attending and an annual economic impact of $405 million.

Each college was asked to suggest alumni to be featured in the billboard campaign and Gomez was the ultimate choice for EICC.

Joe is as big as a house

Gomez rose from what one might call a “checkered” past to completing Scott Community College’s Culinary Program and now owning his own business, Los Primos Mexican Grill on Locust St. in Davenport.

“It saved my life,” Gomez said of his college experience.

That’s because he started college after serving time in prison on drug charges. While behind bars he learned a couple of things; he didn’t want to go back and, he liked cooking. He started cooking while still in prison.

It saved my life

“I didn’t always make the best choices or decisions. Too often, I really didn’t care about other people and did what I wanted to do without always thinking about the consequences. Looking back, that led me to years of my life that were just wasted and not something I could be proud of.”

“My instructors at Scott really believed in me. They gave me a chance.

Getting my degree wasn’t easy, I had to work hard and really commit to making it work.”

“I was so happy and so proud on the day I graduated. Now I put those feelings into my business, doing something I love and making people feel good to be here. I want everyone to know: If I can do this, you can do this!”

To learn more about the QC higher education campaign, go to qccolleges.com For more about the Scott (and Muscatine) Community College Culinary Program go to eicc.edu/culinaryarts

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ome gold medalists run, jump or tumble their way to the podium, others take a different approach.

“Brennan is a good student. He would come in before class and after class in preparation for the competition and we would go out on the internet and find complex sheet metal patterns,” he said.

For SCC heating and ventilation student Brennan Kearney, his shining moment came after an intense eight-hour sheet metal competition, where he cut, welded and riveted his way to the top, beating out 27 other competitors from across the country.

“I saw how nice the fitting was during the competition.”

Even so, nothing could prepare them both for the awards ceremony.

“There was an enormous amount of people, like a rock concert when they were calling all the winners. They called third, called second…and it just happened. We were both kind of speechless,” Gonzalez said.

“I was proud and I guess relieved,” Kearney said of the win. “It was fun.

Putting the pieces together and trying to fit everything, trying to calculate it and trying to make it look good.”

Kearney was competing at the National Skills USA Competition, which took place this June in Louisville, Ky. More than 6,000 career and technical students competed in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields during the event, which even included an appearance from television personality Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs.

Kearney qualified for the competition after placing first at the district competition earlier in the year. In the sheet metal category, contestants are tested on their ability to perform jobs such as connecting sheet metal pieces with drive cleats, spot welding and riveting. They are judged on the use of hand tools, correctness of layout, shop safety procedures, accuracy and craftsmanship.

His instructor Ezequiel Gonzalez said after spending about two months helping Kearney train for the event, he knew he could do it.

“They called him and he came right up and we were both really excited. It was just an awesome moment,” he said.

HVAC student takes home gold medal at National Skills USA Competition EICC students have been competing in the Skills USA Competitions for many years, but this is the first year a student has received a gold medal at the national level.

Other winners from the district competition include: Matthew Speidel – 1st place Collision Repair Technology Competition

And as much as it was a learning experience for Kearney, who graduated with his HVAC certificate this spring, Gonzalez said he took away a lot of valuable lessons too.

“When put in the position to train people to potentially change their lives and put them on a career path, you want to make sure you’re solid and feel good about your teaching. Obviously it takes student discipline, Brennan went above and beyond, but for me to have him do so well solidified that we are doing the right thing and teaching students the right thing.”

For more information about our HVAC and other career and technical programs, visit eicc.edu/skills

Brock Deschepper – 2nd place HVAC Competition THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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Chickens n Bees Oh My! N

estled on a hillside in East Davenport, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) Chancellor Don Doucette’s yard provides a small oasis for he and his wife, Lynn Drazinski.

Lynn is a master gardener, so it’s no surprise that plants, trees and even a hillside vegetable garden fill their property. But what some may not expect in the middle of the city is the coy fish pond, chicken coop and beehives that complement the scenery, adding a splash of life beyond the plant variety.

Doucette said taking care of these creatures is a labor of love for his wife, Lynn.

“We do this because of Lynn,” he chuckles. “But like with anything that needs to be done, we work together.”

“You know it’s just fun,” Lynn said. “I myself enjoy outside work, so I don’t mind taking care of them.”

She said they had chickens for years while their kids were growing up and the way they got started is actually a funny story. An elderly woman at their church began selling them eggs and would often bring over five dozen or more - for their children of course, growing kids needs to eat eggs!

Not being able to eat them all, Lynn and Don began handing them out at church, labeling the activity their “egg ministry.” That’s when the woman decided they ought to have their own chickens.

Visit eicc.edu/chickens Register for our upcoming Continuing Education “Chickens in Your Backyard” class and explore other course options

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She said, ‘if you are going to be eating this many eggs you need your own chicken,’ so she brought us a hen who was sitting on eggs and those eggs hatched and became our chickens. It just went on from there and we started raising our own,” Lynn laughed.

Despite being well versed in taking care of chickens, when they decided to build a chicken coop in their backyard a year and a half ago, they had to fulfill some city requirements first.

“You have to get a license, so Lynn had to become a certified chicken handler,” Doucette said. “And guess who offers the class?”

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, of course. It’s one of hundreds of Continuing Education classes offered by the college.

“The person teaching the class was very experienced, so she could tell you a lot about chickens. She was great, she brought baby chicks to the class. It was very informative,” Lynn said.

As for those aforementioned beehives, Lynn learned all about beekeeping through the Quad Cities Beekeeping Club that holds its monthly meetings at Nahant Marsh, where EICC plays a key role as one of several partnering organizations.

“I had been reading about the problem with the bee population in this country,” Lynn said. “And I was noticing my garden wasn’t really pollinating quite in the way I wanted it to. Not all of the vegetables in my garden need bees for pollination, but some of them do, so I decided to try it.”

After doing some research and connecting with neighbors who keep bees, the couple ordered 20,000 Italian bees from Kentucky, adding “beekeepers” to their list of attributes. Watching the bees work and determining how to keep the hive healthy is something both have found absolutely fascinating.

“I’ve come to realize it’s sort of a science and sort of an art,” Lynn said.

“It does make me happy,” she said. “Honey bees look different than other kinds of bees – there are solitary bees and honey bees - and I go out in my garden and I can tell that’s my bee on that flower.

It’s a real thrill when I see them in my flowers and in my vegetable garden and drinking from my bird bath. I get a real kick out of it.”

The reasons Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is THE Community’s College are plentiful.

rom the one in ten area residents who take classes with us, to the businesses who turn to us for training, to our 16 locations THE Community’s College is more than a slogan, it represents who we are and what it means to be part of the college and part of the community.

Of course, a big part of our community are our caring and devoted faculty and staff. This year, EICC welcomed 42 new faces to campus, including 18 new faculty members.

We’d love to introduce you to all of them here, but that would take a whole separate edition of our magazine. Instead, here are three examples of the great new people joining our family and furthering our mission of caring for our students and helping them to achieve their dreams.

For a full list of new employees and other expanded content, head to our blog at eicc.edu/ newemployees

Zach Campbell

Mary Bakeris-Gullion

Muscatine Community College, Speech & Communications Instructor

Scott Community College, English Instructor

Zach Campbell joined the faculty at Muscatine Community College last spring as the new Speech and Communications Instructor. While he will now be in the classroom full-time, he’s no stranger to EICC, having started his teaching journey as an Adjunct Instructor at Scott Community College during the Fall 2015 semester.

Campbell went to the University of Northern Iowa where he received both a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s of Arts in Communication Studies.

“My research while in graduate school looked at perception bias regarding student workplace competencies in direct comparison to their peers. Now, my focus has shifted to studying Generation Z students and how we can have the greatest possible impact on their educational careers,” Campbell said.

“I am excited to grow as an educator and further my career while impacting the students who enroll at Muscatine Community College, or any of the campus locations of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges!”

Mary Bakeris-Gullion is Scott Community College’s new English Instructor. She is a graduate of Western Illinois University with a Master’s of Science degree in Education.

Phoebe JanMcMahon Clinton Community College, Art Instructor

Phoebe Jan-McMahon is a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska and received a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. Prior to coming to Clinton Community College, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art at Luther College.

In addition to her artistic skills in painting and drawing, she is accomplished in woodworking, costume construction and bicycle repairs.

“My teaching encompasses art appreciation and history, as well as pairing digital processes such as Adobe Illustrator with traditional oil painting,” she said.

“I’ve actually been an adjunct instructor at SCC for seven years, but am really excited to now be a full-time faculty member in the English Department,” she said. “My teaching encompasses bringing career experience into the writing classroom, I really enjoy it.”

“In my free time I also enjoy spending time with my husband Randy, family and friends. I have three grandchildren, Addy, Danica and Aiden, and two miniature schnauzers, Sophie and Coco, who are very spoiled!”

“I am excited to be able to teach students who are both new to the arts, as well as advanced students who desire to build on their studio practice.”

THE Community's College | MAGAZINE

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