Transforming lives through exceptional learning opportunities for individual student success
The 2023-24 year has come to a close and it is time to say goodbye to our graduating students and shine a spotlight on the good things our students are doing. You learn about how MPCC impacted their career choices and set them up for their successes. You’ll also see how our students and alumni are giving back to the communities that we serve. It is also a time of transition for our Institutional Advancement office.
This summer, I accepted the resignation of Jacob Rissler, Director of Institutional Advancement. Jacob has accepted the role of Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo. Jake provided great leadership in advancement in his quick three years at MPCC. He further developed the advancement department at MPCC during his tenure. MPCC will miss Jake and we wish him well in his future endeavors.
At the 2023 Nebraska Community College Annual Meeting, MPCC recognized several deserving award winners. Kent Miller was awarded the Friend of Community Colleges Award for his nearly 50 years of service on the Mid-Plains Board of Governors. Willie Roberts was recognized as our Distinguished Alum. Willie moved to North Platte from Quitman, Miss. to play basketball for North Platte Community College. He and his family have been very active with Knights athletics, and they coordinate the host parent program for NPCC athletes. Willie is a plumber for Aupperle Plumbing in North Platte.
At the 2024 commencement exercises we recognized the Red Willow County Fair Board in McCook and Marilyn McGahan in North Platte. The Red Willow County Fair Board
has provided unmeasurable support for the MPCC Rodeo Team over the past ten plus years. Marilyn McGahan retired in 2011 after a 40year career as faculty and then administrator for MPCC. Marilyn has continued to serve the college in several capacities since her retirement.
Frank Anderson, 1979 NJCAA All-American for NPCC recently won the Men’s College World Series as the pitching coach for the University of Tennessee. Frank was a member of the 1978 and 1979 baseball teams in North Platte before transferring to Kearney State College, now University of Nebraska-Kearney. He has been a successful college coach for 40 years including nine years as head coach at Oklahoma State University.
Our current and former students are doing great things with their education. Some of the other stories you’ll read within the pages of this newsletter include: an alum working as the visual information specialist at the Library of Congress in DC, an owner of a successful local whiskey distillery in Moorefield, and a former MCC women’s basketball player closing in on her goal of opening her own chiropractic clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo.
As always, thank you all for your continued support of Mid-Plains Community College. We take pride in serving our communities and we enjoy sharing the success stories of our students and alumni. We always want your input on how we can better serve you as we desire to continue to improve in all areas to sustain and grow our region.
Please share your story with us and consider giving back for what MPCC has done for you so together we can leave a lasting legacy for tomorrow.
RYAN PURDY, MPCC President
From the simplicity of rural Nebraska to the hustle and bustle of city life, Jessica Epting is proof that humble beginnings are sometimes the best kind.
Epting is a visual information specialist at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where her days are full of creativity and intrigue.
“I had a very different trajectory for my life when I was growing up,” Epting said. “But I think if young me could have seen where I am now, she would have been pleased.”
Developing her passion
Epting was raised in North Platte, Neb., one of nine children, homeschooled from second grade on.
“I enjoyed being creative growing up – sewing, knitting, crocheting, writing poems and constantly painting my bedroom walls,” Epting said.
Before she graduated, she started researching interior design and fashion design colleges.
But after learning about a new graphic design program at Mid-Plains Community College where her mother Dot worked, “I realized that was what I’d been looking for.”
“I really enjoyed my classes at Mid-Plains,” Jessica said. “I felt like all the stuff I had been creating at home on my own suddenly had a direction.”
Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies from Bellevue University in 2019. By October of 2020, it was time for her to spread her wings. Jessica accepted a temporary position as a visual information specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Georgia before signing on full-time with the Library of Congress in March of 2021.
Finding her happy place
The projects Jessica works on are like those she did at MPCC.
“I create designs for presentations, brochures and annual reports,” Jessica said. “I also do a lot of promotional art for flyers, social media graphics and billboards to advertise events and exhibits and have done layout, design and book covers for the publishing office.”
One of her most memorable projects thus far has been the “Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library” photo exhibit publication.
She found the small classes sizes and one-onone instruction to be beneficial in helping her transition from homeschooling to a college setting and she immediately appreciated how up to date MPCC was with its computer programs and materials.
“There were some things we had in our labs before even the larger universities did,” Jessica said. “I feel like I got a jump-start by going to Mid-Plains.”
Upon entering the world of graphic design, Jessica also realized she had an interest in information technology and web design.
Her first job was with MPCC as web master. She became the full-time area lead graphic designer four years later, and in 2013, assumed both responsibilities. Jessica obtained a
The past couple of years, Jessica has also had the opportunity to develop ads for the National Book Festival, which unites bestselling authors with thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, autograph signings and other activities.
She’s currently working on a book design for an exhibit that will open this spring, “Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress.”
“I had the pleasure of designing the book’s interior to compliment the exhibit design. It’s probably my favorite project so far.”
It’s a job that utilizes her skill set well. Many of her duties involve taking information and making it digestible for the public, which is also what she did during her time at MPCC.
“That’s basically what I do every day,” Jessica said. “I take these incredible items at the library and present them to the American people, which is who the library is really for. My life has evolved living in a big city and constantly exploring new things and design really has made this life possible for me. I count that as a blessing.”
A North Platte Community College alum is resurrecting an old family tradition – one sip at a time.
Todd Roe owns Lazy RW Distillery in Moorefield with his father Bill. The duo make whiskey using recipes handed down from Bill’s great uncle, a former bootlegger who operated a still along the Niobrara River during Prohibition.
“Our uncle kept recipes in journals,” Todd said. “We use a slow process, and by doing so, we’re carrying on the pride our uncle took in making a quality product.”
The whiskey business was never something Todd imagined himself going into. When he graduated from Brady High School in 1999, his intent was to enter the medical field.
“I always thought I wanted to be a doctor, then I realized I didn’t like people that much,” Todd said with a laugh.
and chemistry, and the instructors broadened my thought process. I remember Larry Smith saying that math is in everything – if you want to be a cook, do construction or anything else, you have to be good at math, and that really rang a bell with me.”
Smith’s mentoring led Todd to consider a career in engineering.
Instead, he enrolled at Mid-Plains Community College after receiving a twoyear, full-tuition scholarship.
“I was always good at math and science but never thought it was going to take me anywhere,” Todd said. “Then I took physics
Today, Todd is the co-owner of RW Drafting and Estimating Services – building two to three custom houses per year, does design and engineering work for BPI Building Products in Iowa, runs 130 head of cows on his family’s ranch and, in his spare time, operates a whiskey business that consistently ranks in the top two in the state.
“What I’m so proud of about MPCC is that it didn’t just pigeonhole me into engineering,” Todd said. “It opened my eyes to all kinds of options and ways I could use my talents. It gave me the confidence to take risks and learn different things.”
Lazy RW has grown since its inception nearly 10 years ago. Housed in an old vacant schoolhouse, the distillery has given new life to Moorefield, population 32.
Over the past decade, the business has gone from producing three flavors of whiskey to 13. The extra production led to an expansion of the business, both in the hiring of more help and an addition on the schoolhouse.
The liquor went from only being available for purchase on-site or at a tasting to a common fixture in approximately 385 retail stores across the state. Despite the success, Todd remains true to his roots.
“We are very committed to keeping the business in Moorfield,” he said. “That’s home for us.”
He feels the same way about the education that set him on his path to success.
“I went to other colleges later on, but my core education, my base, was at MPCC,” Todd said. “They took a kid who was raised on a ranch and never let out of the barn and really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I’ll never forget that.”
MPCC gave me the confidence to take risks and learn different things.”
It was Independence Day, 2018, and Lucia Archuleta was driving to an internship and approaching an intersection when a texting teenager ran a red light, crashed into her and dramatically changed her life.
Some may remember Archuleta as McCook Community College’s 2016 commencement speaker. She attended MCC to play basketball, enrolled in a rigorous scientific path, maintained a 4.0 grade-point-average and set the school record for 3-pointers made (128) during her career.
After MCC, she went to Ottawa University in Kansas. She considered becoming a physician’s assistant and played basketball for a semester then got sick. With the time demands and all the prerequisites needed for her medical degree, Archuleta decided to step away from basketball, moved back home and enrolled at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Her life still appeared headed in the right direction until the car crash put her in the hospital and paused everything for eight months.
The accident totaled Archuleta’s car and resulted in a spine injury that left her with no sensation in her leg. She used a cane to help walk, but because of all the medical issues she had to cut back from full-time student to part-time. Archuleta spent much of the next year in various surgeries, a daunting schedule of appointments, medication changes and physical therapy.
Someone asked her if she’d ever seen a chiropractor. No, nobody in her family ever received any treatment.
She scheduled an appointment and went in for a 20-minute adjustment that changed her life again – this time for the better.
“I got more relief in those 20 minutes than in the prior eight months of surgery, injections and medications,” she said.
Knowing what kind of impact the treatment gave her changed her perspective. Archuleta decided to become a chiropractor.
Pain-free, she finished up her final year of undergraduate studies at UCCS in the spring of 2020, then found a chiropractor program at Cleveland University in Kansas City and enrolled that fall.
“When I visited there, I remember thinking that it was similar to McCook – the campus is small and everyone is there to support you and make sure you’re taken care of,” Archuleta said.
Archuleta hopes to open her own practice in Colorado Springs and will begin certification for the Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP) program.
Recently, she and her fiancé Nate Matuza returned to MCC to watch the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“We always said we’d come back,” she said.
Recalling her time in McCook, Archuleta said MCC presented a realistic foundation for career paths and gave her an informed and insightful glimpse into the options for a medical-based career.
From the stands she looked out at the basketball court where she started her path.
“This will always feel like home,” she said.
Students in the Commercial Driver Training program at Mid-Plains Community College will soon have a new tool to help them achieve success on the road.
MPCC purchased a VS600M truck simulator and school bus module from Virage Simulation that will save wear and tear on the college’s semi-trucks while still allowing students to practice and prepare for some of the many driving conditions they will experience in reallife situations.
The interactive simulated scenarios can be used to teach both basic and advanced driver training under a number of road, traffic and weather conditions. Special attention can be given to shifting, maneuvering in confined areas, energy efficient driving and hazard perception.
“It’s going to save on fuel and repairs to trucks as well as be more environmentally-friendly because it won’t be burning diesel and putting emissions out,” said Josh Young, MPCC Motor School program coordinator. “One of the biggest benefits is that we will be able to simulate scenarios that can’t be simulated in real life. We can emulate a front tire blowing out with this machine, and the steering wheel will literally jerk out of the student’s hands. Driving in icy and snowy conditions is also something that can now be practiced safely.”
The Virage simulator is modeled on a standard truck cabin and is made of real truck parts. It consists of a fully functional pneumatic driver seat with typical controls, a seat belt, pedals and a fully adjustable steering column with integrated flashers and trailer hand brake.
A range of truck models – everything from dump trucks to highway tractor-trailers and semi-trailers – engine performances, transmission configurations, differentials and payloads can be imitated. Realistic vehicle behaviors can be reproduced under various loading conditions and the effects of gravity while driving on hills can be replicated.
The simulator has both automatic and manual transmissions and a multi-function touch display for a wide range of truck driver controls and applications.
The visual system is a key component. The system consists of three high-resolution LCD displays that allow objects to move smoothly and continuously across the panels without distortion.
Students can practice driving in city, highway, industrial, farmland and mountainous environments. A full range of road surfaces and adjustable weather conditions are included.
A state-of-the-art motion and vibration system not only enhances the immersive experience but also improves overall speed perception.
The simulator won’t replace any of the on-theroad training required through the college’s CDL program, but it will supplement the classroom instruction. Classes have been filling as soon as they are offered.
About 241,200 openings for heavy and tractortrailer truck drivers are projected each year, on average, until 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of those openings are expected to result from retirement.
“The need is greater than ever, and there isn’t a huge amount of qualified drivers coming up,” Young said.
His goal is to mount the new simulator in a trailer so that it can be rolled out to all of the college’s campuses within MPCC’s 18-county service area. He also would like to take it to area high schools to get students interested in the truck driving industry at a younger age.
The total cost of the simulator and school bus module was $132,484, of that, $116,886 was provided by Perkins V state match funds. The funding includes instructor training on the simulator, preventative maintenance and online support.
Willie Roberts, of North Platte, received the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from MidPlains Community College.
“I’m surprised and honored,” Roberts said upon hearing the news. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this. I don’t do what I do for the attention – it’s just me giving back.”
Originally from Quitman, Miss., Roberts transferred to North Platte for the 1996-97 season to play basketball for the MPCC Knights under Kevin O’Connor.
“I was an older kid coming to Nebraska,” Roberts said. “I grew up around a lot of gangs and violence, so I had a protective barrier up when I got here. I was lucky to have a great host family in Rick and Laurie Johnson [now Jones], and their kids Erick and Hayley. Laurie broke down my barrier just by being a mom.”
When his girlfriend Amanda, now his wife, became pregnant with their son Dijon, Willie quit playing basketball and got a job to support his new family.
“Even though I was no longer a studentathlete, my host parents were still there for
me,” Willie said. “Laurie was the first person to buy Dijon diapers.”
When his children were little, life kept Willie busy enough that he didn’t have much time for Knights basketball. He didn’t go to many games until Dijon was in high school.
That all changed during the 2015-16 season, at
The college is what brought me to this place, and I want to give back because of what it gave me – my wife, my kids.”
which point Dijon became a student manager for the team, and Willie and Amanda were thrust back into the Knight life full-time.
“Suddenly, all these basketball kids were at our house,” Willie said. “I started asking, ‘Where is the host parent program?’ I found out it kind of fell by the wayside, so we started the program back up again,” Willie said.
They became increasingly involved with women’s basketball when their daughter Dayonna played for the Knights during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
“We’ve also had a lot of support from the community along the way,” Willie said. “I had a farmer donate a whole beef to feed these kids. We made steaks for them one summer and gave hamburgers to the host families so they could invite the kids over for barbecues.”
That support is why one of his goals is to incorporate the student-athletes into the community. Host families are encouraged to take student-athletes with them when they attend community events or participate in an activity that helps them feel vested in North Platte.
“O’Connor told me when I got recruited that when you get a scholarship, it’s like getting paid for a job before you even get it,” Willie said. “Helping these kids is a way for me to pay off that scholarship. The college is what brought me to this place, and I want to give back because of what it gave me – my wife, my kids. Mid-Plains and this town have always been good to me.”
Kent Miller, of North Platte, has been recognized with a Friend of Community Colleges Award from the Nebraska Community College Association.
“It is an honor to be recognized as a ‘Friend of Community Colleges’ as that is what I am,” Miller said.
Miller is a 48-year veteran on the Mid-Plains Community College Board of Governors, which he joined at age 26.
A North Platte native, Miller graduated from North Platte High School in 1966. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1971 and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree with a focus on structures and water from UNL in 1972.
Miller is a registered professional engineer in both Nebraska and Colorado. In 1973, he became the first manager of the Twin Platte Natural Resources District, which is still his title. It was around that time that he began thinking about doing some sort of public service. He chose education.
“Running for election for the MPCC Board of Governors was a natural choice,” said Miller. “I
had watched the college become established, and I knew the value it provided for students and the community.”
He was elected to the first area wide MPCC Board of Governors in 1975. Previously, there had been separate boards for the Mid-Plains Vocational Technical College, North Platte Junior College and McCook Junior College.
He served on the board from 1975-2007 and from 2009 to present, with the exception of a few times when he moved out of the district he was representing.
Miller took his experience to the state level in 1980 by serving as the MPCC Board of Governors representative for the NCCA. He was part of the NCCA from 1980-90, 1999-2003 and 2010 to present. He was president of the NCCA Board of Directors in 1983, 1984, 2002, 2013 and 2019.
Miller also served on the Board of Directors for the national Association of Community College Trustees from 1983-89 and 2014-20.
I always came back because I like what community colleges represent,” said Miller. “We have continued to develop opportunities for education and economic prosperity of the area, and I like being part of that.”
From small town beginnings to a sold-out stadium at the College World Series, Frank Anderson’s career has surpassed his wildest dreams.
“Did I ever imagine I’d make it this far? No, not at all,” he said.
Anderson, considered one of the top pitching coaches in the nation, is the assistant baseball coach for the University of Tennessee. He’s also a Mid-Plains Community College alum.
During his 39-year coaching career, he has been part of Division I teams that advanced to 22 NCAA Regionals, eight NCAA Super Regionals, five College World Series tournaments, and two national championships.
The D1 stage is a far cry from the farm fields surrounding Grant, Neb., where Anderson spent his senior year of high school. Back then, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life.
“My dad managed grain elevators, and I knew I didn’t want to do that,” Anderson said. “Looking back, growing up around agriculture and farms is a good thing. It promotes a strong work ethic.”
After graduating from Perkins County Schools in 1977, Anderson followed his family to Missouri and enrolled in Northwest Missouri State University.
“I didn’t particularly like it,” Anderson said. “I didn’t do well academically, I was a physical therapy major and wasn’t prepared for all the chemistry, biology and physics classes I was signed up for my first semester.”
Still wanting to pursue a degree, however, Anderson turned his sights back to Nebraska.
“I liked the baseball program at Mid-Plains Community College,” Anderson said. “Baseball in North Platte was really good at the time, and a lot of it had to do with the American Legion program.”
Going to Mid-Plains was good for me. I hadn’t done well my first semester of college, but I got back in there, and MPCC stabilized things. I made friends that I still have to this day.”
Chuck Francis, a teacher at North Platte Senior High School, was coaching the MPCC baseball team in 1978. Anderson knew him from high school athletics and also had friends who played for Mid-Plains, both of which influenced his decision to attend the college.
“Going to Mid-Plains was good for me,” Anderson said. “I hadn’t done well my first semester of college, but I got back in there, and MPCC stabilized things.”
Anderson served as an infielder for the Knights for two seasons. In his second season, in ’79, Anderson was named a junior college All-
American, but it would be the last year MPCC had a baseball program.
Anderson transferred to Kearney State College in the fall of 1980 on another baseball scholarship. He was named an All-District and All-Area outfielder before taking the next steps in his educational journey at Emporia State University.
It was during that time, that he realized the career he was pursuing might not be for him. Instead, Anderson went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in physical education and began his coaching career.
His break came with an opportunity to return to his roots – a two-year college in Big Springs, Texas.
Anderson accepted the assistant coaching position at Howard in 1987 where he became an integral part of constructing one of the nation’s top junior college programs. Over his three seasons, the Hawks ranked among the top 20 junior colleges in the country.
Anderson spent the next nine seasons, from 1990-99, as an assistant coach for Texas Tech University. During his tenure in Lubbock, the Red Raiders not only won 71.3 percent of their games, but averaged 43 wins each season and earned five consecutive NCAA Regional berths from 1995-99.
squad earned the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament that year, and in 2007 the program reached the NCAA Super Regionals.
Another successful season followed in 2008 with the Pokes climbing as high as No. 5 in the national rankings. In Anderson’s final four seasons, the Cowboys compiled a 130–100 overall record.
In July 2012, Anderson was hired as the pitching coach at the University of Houston. There, he helped lead the Cougars to three NCAA Tournaments, including an NCAA Super Regional in 2014.
Anderson took over his current role as pitching coach for the Tennessee Volunteers in June of 2017. In his initial season, he helped lead the Vols to a five-win improvement in SEC play as the team won 12 conference games for the first time since 2014.
Tennessee’s pitching staff took a giant leap forward in 2019 and was one of the nation’s best throughout the year, as the Vols returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
From 2000-03, Anderson served as pitching coach for the University of Texas. He helped lead the Longhorns to three consecutive College World Series appearances as well as a national championship in 2002.
By the end of 2003 season, Anderson had been named the head coach at Oklahoma State University. During his first season, he led the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. He also guided OSU to the Big 12 Tournament Championship in 2004 - its first in program history.
The 2006 season started an impressive run for the Cowboys as they posted three straight seasons of 41 or more victories. Anderson’s
In 2021, Anderson’s pitching staff once again ranked among the best in the country as Tennessee won the SEC Eastern division title, a feat not accomplished since 1997, and advanced to their first College World Series since 2005. The Big Orange finished the season ranked in the Top 10, and under Anderson’s guidance, three UT pitchers earned All-America honors.
Anderson continues to play a major part in the Vols success the past three years. In 2024, the top-ranked Vols won 60 games while securing the SEC regular season, SEC tournament and the Men’s College World Series titles.
Anderson has managed to remain grounded despite his success. He credits his roots in the Midwest for molding him into the person he has become, community college for giving him a start and his wife Sandra.
Marilyn McGahan received the 2024 President’s Award from Mid-Plains Community College and was recognized at the college’s commencement ceremony in North Platte on May 10.
“How rewarding it is to realize I have been part of working with many others to provide outstanding opportunities for higher education and workforce training in our part of the country,” McGahan said.
McGahan has a longstanding relationship with the college and with education in general. She and her husband Bill moved to North Platte in 1966 to take teaching jobs at the North Platte Catholic Schools.
In 1971 she took a job as an adjunct instructor for the college that would eventually become MPCC. Three years later, Marilyn was hired as a full-time business instructor at the college. Her career included roles as business division chair for MPCC’s campuses in North Platte in 1997 and eventually vice president in 2003. She retired in August of 2011.
“I believe the best possible education and workforce training opportunities should be available to all who want to participate,” Marilyn said. “I also believe those two things are vital for the growth of every community, regardless of the size or location. I have had the opportunity to work with many others who believe the same and are willing to work to make it happen.”
One of her greatest accomplishments during her tenure at MPCC was the facilitation of the planning and construction of a new Health and Science Center on South Campus. The project started in the ’90s and became a reality in 2012.
Although McGahan doesn’t have an office at the college anymore, she remains a familiar face at MPCC events and continues to be involved in its upward momentum.
The Red Willow County Fair Board was recently recognized with a President’s Award for its support and commitment to Mid-Plains Community College in providing quality postsecondary educational opportunities.
“From the start, the Red Willow County Fair Board has been generous to the MPCC Rodeo Team allowing them to utilize their facilities for practices and events,” said Michael Steele, MPCC Vice President of Administrative Services.
In the 10 years since rodeo was added, timed-events athletes have a proven track record competing in the Great Plains Region. A big factor in their success is being able to have access to great facilities.
Steele said that Red Willow County Fair Manager Jiles Bowman and staff are a tremendous support for the team.
“It’s a back-and-forth dialogue,” said Bowman. “They stay in communication with me, and we try to support them however we can, to help them have the best program.”
While rodeo team members are in charge of cleaning their areas, staff helps maintain the facility to ensure the animals are as safe as possible. The fairgrounds staff moves bales when asked, helps fill trailer tires when needed and supports the team whether it for practices or events such as the KPRA Rodeo, fundraisers or anything they are doing at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds.
With some of the rodeo team members being far from home, Bowman said it’s important the students know if they need something they can always count on the staff at the fairgrounds.
Steele said as the college looks to the future of the program it looks forward to continuing to work with the Fair Board and their staff to keep challenging for championships in Great Plains Region and adding to the list of 49 qualifiers for the College National Finals Rodeo.
An opportunity to earn some spending cash when Whitney Schoenemann was a teenager turned into a path that profoundly shaped a career and ultimately her family.
Schoenemann, a nurse practitioner at McCook Clinic, was a senior at McCook High School when she was hired at Willow Ridge (now Kinship Pointe) to work in the dining room on nights and weekends. At that time there was a need for certified nursing assistants (CNAs). McCook Community College was offering classes, and Schoenemann’s boss encouraged her to become certified.
We started our family here and plan to remain where our roots are. We just love this community. We love that we get to know our patients on a first-name basis.”
Schoenemann signed up and it was a decision that created the foundation for her career in health care.
She and her classmates were trained to help patients with everyday skills like dressing, eating, grooming and getting around. Schoenemann
earned her CNA certification before graduating from high school, allowing her to move from the kitchen to the nursing department.
She enrolled at McCook Community College full-time to continue her exploration.
“It was a leap that I took and absolutely loved,” she said.
Shoenemann continued her nursing assistant job at Willow Ridge while attending MCC. Sometimes she worked before classes and sometimes at night and on weekends.
“What I loved about MCC was that it was close to my friends and family,” she said. “We knew our instructors on a first-name basis and they knew us.” She stated that her time at MCC set her up for success in a wide range of opportunities in the health care field.
She went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s degree in nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Kearney Division.
Her future husband, Mike Schoenemann, a basketball player from Crawford, was taking emergency medical classes at MCC and working on the volunteer fire department. They met when he picked up a patient at Willow Ridge one night when she was working. MCC was the foundation for Mike’s fire science career, and later, flight paramedic.
As they pondered their future, Mike and Whitney married, returned to McCook and had three children, daughter Kensington, and sons Krew and Kreed.
Mike is a lieutenant at the McCook Fire Department. He often returns to MCC to teach classes in pre-hospital trauma life support.
Students studying Emergency Medical Services at Mid-Plains Community College are now able to practice treating patients in an ambulance –long before they ever set out on the road.
Purchased from Echo Healthcare, the simulator will allow students to train in a safe and controlled environment prior to experiencing an on-the-job emergency.
“The ambulance simulator is one of a kind,” said Alex McConnell, EMS and CPR coordinator. “Students will be able to familiarize themselves with the feel and equipment of a life-size ambulance all while getting the benefit of road noise and movement.”
“The ambulance box is fully functioning, so instead of simulating suction or oxygen application, students will be flipping switches and equipment will turn on so that they know it is working and how that feels,” said McConnell. Monitors covering the windows can depict familiar scenes.
“We can take a camera, record a drive from the college to the hospital and then play that footage on the monitors,” McConnell said. “The students will then see all of the local scenery as if they were actually driving past it.”
The ambulance box also doubles as a driving simulator, allowing students to feel turns,
bumps and speed changes in real time and prepare for radical weather, poor road conditions and an array of traffic scenarios.
“The scenarios we can run are endless,” said McConnell. “It is our hope that we can not only train new students but also encourage departments to come in, train with us and utilize the driving simulator for a portion of their EVOC training. Anytime we can give our students and providers real-life experience and put them in stressful situations where we can teach and debrief without having a real patient’s life in the balance is of huge benefit.’
The ambulance box is housed in the newly expanded area of MPCC’s Health and Science Center. EMS students will be tasked with cleaning it so they can be prepared to keep themselves and others safe on calls.
The total cost of the simulator was $290,000. Of that, $25,000 was donated by Priority Medical and $64,000 came from a grant from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Emergency Medical Services Program. That funding was part of a $1 million grant awarded to Nebraska to be used for EMS training agencies across the state. MPCC was selected as one of the recipients because of its central location and ability to serve a large population of students.
The McCook Community College softball team was one of four Region IX teams that qualified for the postseason tournament at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
MCC finished the regular season at 33-19 (13-11 Region IX) and earned the No. 3 seed in the Region IX postseason tournament. As a result, the Indians traveled to La Junta, Colo. to play No. 2 Otero Junior College in a best-of-three-game series.
The Lady Indians opened the series with an 8-4 win, the Rattlers battled back in games two and three to end the Indians postseason run.
Three players were named to the All-Region IX team. Sophomore Ella Covill-Marter and freshman Anna Elliott were named to the first team and freshman Lexi Knapp received honorable mention honors.
Covill-Marter, Elliott and Knapp were also named to the Omaha World-Herald’s all JUCO Midlands team along with pitcher Sadie Kahl, catcher Laila Gutierrez and shortstop Andie Suhai.
The North Platte Community College women’s basketball team claimed its third Region IX title in the past four seasons, cruising to an 88-57 win over Southeast Community College on March 2.
The win earned the Knights a trip to the North Central A District Championship to square off with one of the best teams in nation No. 2 Kirkwood Community College. North Platte rallied late in the second quarter before eventually knotting the game up in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
The Eagles responded with a 12-0 run to regain a double-digit lead and never surrendered the momentum down the stretch. North Platte concluded the 2023-24 campaign with an 18-12 record, which is tied for the second most wins in program history.
Dazjanae Greene, Jada Grigsby, Reece Halley and Samantha Riggles were all named to the All- Region IX team at the conclusion of the season, while Grigsby, Greene and Riggles also earned Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference Team honors.
McCOOK, Neb. — Community Hospital in McCook pledged $250,000 toward the construction of McCook Community College’s East Campus.
The project, which officially launched with a brickbreaking ceremony July 19, 2023 will allow the college to expand beyond its formerly landlocked borders and offer increased and enhanced training for students, businesses and industries.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of this project by supporting it financially,” said Community Hospital President and CEO Troy Bruntz. “We have a dual interest in East Campus. The new facility will provide state-of-the-art training for health science students, preparing them as best we can for the roles our community so desperately needs them to fill. The flex space creates an opportunity to provide the community with more access to trade workers which is also desperately needed today.”
The open-concept flex space referenced by Bruntz will be located in the upper level of the building, along with the college’s Business and Community Education department, a 250-person event space, a catering kitchen and general purpose and distance learning classrooms among other amenities.
The lower level of the building will be dedicated primarily to health occupations, including nursing, emergency medical services, nurse aide and medication aide programs.
In return for its donation, Community Hospital will have the opportunity to name the nursing area.
To discuss your impact, contact Ryan Purdy, President 308-535-3719 | purdyr@mpcc.edu
“Community Hospital is a significant provider of health care services for Southwest Nebraska,” said MPCC President Ryan Purdy. “Their gift is an investment to provide educational training for prospective and current employees not only for Community Hospital but also other businesses and residents of the McCook area. We appreciate their support in bringing the East Campus facility back online to provide these new opportunities to Southwest Nebraska.”
The total cost of the project including renovation, equipment and furnishing is estimated at $11.3 million.
Joni Bowman ’03 has started a new position teaching 3rd grade at Wauneta-Palisade schools. She graduated from McCook High in 2000, and received an Associate of Arts in 2003 from Mid-Plains. From 2010-2013 she taught at Peace Lutheran Preschool while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood from the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Carl “Cliff” Hermance passed away on Monday, August 28, 2023, in Portland, Oregon. Cliff was a former MPCC administrator, serving as the Director of Recruiting and Admissions. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and served in the United States Air Force, as well as a rural Nebraska superintendent for many years.
Dorothy Ruth (Noble) Conger passed away on April 19, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dorthy was born in Genoa, Nebraska, and graduated from Genoa High School in 1949. She went on to attend Norfolk Junior College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduating with distinction in 1959. She later attended Kearney State College earning her master’s degree. She taught in Lincoln, Superior, Minden, and 20 years in North Platte, retiring in 1989. Dorothy and her husband Ralph Joseph “Joe” Conger are lifetime supporters of education and endowed numerous scholarships for students to attend Mid-Plains Community College. Her legacy will live on for years to come, and their support of MPCC is greatly appreciated.
The Patricia “Pat” Clinger Nursing Memorial Scholarship has been established by her family. The scholarship honors Pat’s life and caring attitude as well as her dedication to education, nursing, family and children. Pat was a salt of the earth person and will be greatly missed. Donations to Pat’s memorial scholarship can be made by contacting the NPCC Foundation.
Roger Wilson passed away on Thursday, January 18, 2024, in McCook, Nebraska surrounded by friends and family. Roger came to McCook as a biology instructor and retired in 1999. In 2002, he was elected to the Mid-Plains Community College Area Board of Governors and served two terms. Roger was born in Red Cloud and grew up in Gordon. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Chadron State College and taught and coached at Sargent, Madrid-Elsie and Nebraska City before earning his masters degree from the University of Montana in 1968.
Donations to the Roger Wilson Memorial Scholarship can be made by contacting the McCook College Foundation Director of Administration, Jim Hall, at 308-345-5233 or director@mccookcollegefoundation.org.
1940s
Nola Burrus att. ’45, Died October 6, 2023 1950s
Dorothy “Anne” Jones att. ’50s, Died November 14, 2023
Phyllis Mae (Wagner) Screen att. ’52, Died September 11, 2023
Donald Leo Dodson ’54, Died December 23, 2023 1960s
William Halverson att. ’60s, Died January 11, 2024
Jeffrie Arthur Schmidt att. ’60s, Died October 23, 2023
Alice Faye (Macy) Kasson ’60, Died May 17, 2024
Barbara Jean (Sutton) Morris att. ’62, Died May 11, 2024
Lynn “Sticky” Stockall att. ’68, Died May 2, 2024 1970s
Amy Ruth (Brown) Fleecs att. ’70s, Died November 12, 2023
Jody Rae Ryan att. ’70s, Died October 20, 2023
Randy Ray McCarty att. ’70, Died March 31, 2024
Diane Lynne Scollin att. ’70s, Died November 16, 2023
Harry Michael “Mike” Stewart ’71, Died October 26, 2023
Sidney Dale “Sid” Runyan ’72, Died September 22, 2023
Nancy Rupp ’73, Died January 11, 2024
Sally Louise (Lafferty) Rowe ’76, Died August 7, 2023
Brenda Dee Brown Sims att. ’76, Died October 2, 2023
Gracie Correll (’22) & Wiley Heath June 29, 2024 | Sutherland, NE
Alora to Stephen (’16) & Stormi Barkley November 2, 2023 | North Platte
Gayle J. Tines ’76, Died August 17, 2023
Scott A. Nielson ’78, Died March 6, 2024
Susan Lurine (Swett) O’Hare ’78, Died November 27, 2023
Rodney Wayne Smith att. ’78, Died May 17, 2024
1980s
Theresa Fhuere att. ’80s, Died December 29, 2023
Doris J. Sydow att. ’80s, Died November 3, 2023
Tamri Nannette (Dack) Fredrickson ’80, Died September 22, 2023
Donna Jean Mentzer ’80, Died May 5, 2024
Kim Allan Welsh ’81, Died November 24, 2023
Patricia A. Bowers att. ’82, Died March 15, 2024
Rebecca Ann “Becky” (Brown) Ryan ’83, Died December 18, 2023
Larry “Newk” Keith Newcomb ’85, Died August 23, 2023
Karen L. Paulson ’86, Died February 5, 2024
Donald “Don” E. Reiners att. ’87, Died April 11, 2024
1990s
Joseph Harrison Adams att. ’90, Died July 2, 2023
Ruth Bertram ’96, Died January 16, 2024
Robert William Lorentzen ’97, Died June 18, 2024
Mark Christopher Matson ’98, Died August 22, 2023
Dorothy Jean Ellingrod ’99, Died November 5, 2023
