Ridgewater College

CO L L EG E

Spring 2012

MAGAZINE

Inside!

“Adventures in My World” Dillon Haug shares his life journey.

Connections and Opportunities Alumnus Kristopher Keuseman’s path to success.

National Recognition Theatre Instructor wins award for “The Seesaw.”

Ingredients

for Success

Heidi Karasch tells what it is like to be the owner and president of Black Swan Cooperage in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

FROM

BirthCare TO Senior Care

We help you handle what life brings.

Hutchinson Area Health Care ORTHOPAEDIC & FRACTURE

CANCER CARE

MENTAL HEALTH

CARDIOVASCULAR

When someone is facing anxiety, depression, addiction or simply can’t cope, they need mental health services in a safe, comforting environment. Call (320) 234-4610 for help.

Heart smart care is offered through partnerships with Minneapolis Heart Institute and CentraCare.

For an appointment with a cardiologist, call (320) 234-3290.

PHYSICAL REHABILITATION

SENIOR HEALTH

We will treat your trick knee, hips, shoulders and other aching joints. Call (320) 484-4400 and tell us where it hurts.

Our team of therapists will get you moving again.

Kid-friendly speech, occupational and physical therapy is also available if your child needs extra help. Call (320) 484-4400.

Hutchinson Cancer Center provides effective and caring cancer treatment in partnership with Minnesota Oncology. Call us at (320) 484-4695.

For senior patients, we can help you stay healthy and active. We also offer adult day care, home health care, and long-term care at Harmony River, our new skilled nursing facility.

1095 Highway 15 S., Hutchinson, MN 55350 | 320-234-5000 | www.HutchinsonHealthCare.com

81679 GH

Visit HutchinsonHealthCare.com for a complete list of specialties.

F r o m t h e p r e si d e n t

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From the President A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “College at Risk,” argues that viewing the purpose of education as simply workforce preparation is shortsighted at best and damaging to society at worst.

The author claims “that the American college is going through a period of truly radical, perhaps unprecedented, change. It is buffeted by forces—globalization; economic instability; the continuing revolution in information technology…and, perhaps most important, the collapse of consensus about what students should know—that make its task more difficult and contentious than ever before.”

From my perspective—looking at dramatic cuts in state support (in 2002 the state provided 66% of funding and tuition covered 34%, now the state provides 39% and tuition covers 61%); substantial tuition increases; a future workplace requiring more skilled workers; rising costs across the board, and it seems obvious we are in a period of significant change in higher education; however, the forces that are buffeting higher education, globalization, economic uncertainty, the impact of technology, rising costs, etc., are buffeting everyone.

Ridgewater College attempts to deliver top notch preparation for a host of occupations, from manufacturing to nursing, and the first two years of a university education. More than just preparing students for the workforce, the author wants college to be: “…a place and process whereby young people take stock of their talents and passions and begin to sort out their lives in a way that is true to themselves and responsible to others.”

I couldn’t agree more, and while the author views workforce preparation as falling short of those goals, as you read the stories in this edition of the magazine, I think you’ll agree that Ridgewater students do have the opportunity to explore their talents, find what they are passionate about and take the first steps to finding their path in the world.

Recently I spoke to a mother whose son’s experience in Dr. Benson’s chemistry classes at Ridgewater ignited his passion. She told me he’s about to begin medical school—the result of a place and process where he took stock of his talents, found his passion and is continuing to follow where that leads him. Hope you enjoy the magazine!

Dr. Douglas W. Allen President

Ridgewater College is published for alumni and friends of Ridgewater College, and for members of our surrounding communities.

Please visit us on the web at www.ridgewater.edu for more information on our programs and educational offerings.

Mission Ridgewater provides quality educational opportunities for diverse student learners in an inclusive, supportive, and accessible environment.

Editor/Director of Communications and Marketing Sam Bowen

Contributing Photographers John Borge Studios Capture the Moment Photography

Editorial Assistance Johnson Group Advertising & Design

Production Johnson Group Advertising & Design

Design Johnson Group Advertising & Design

Advertising/Sponsorship Sales A variety of advertising and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact Sam Bowen at 320-222-6090 or sam.bowen@ridgewater.edu.

Contributing Writers Janet Meier, Kris Decker Photography Direction Johnson Group Advertising & Design

Office of the President Dr. Douglas W. Allen

© 2012 Ridgewater College. All Rights Reserved.

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Ridgewater College is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

contents T A B L E O F C ONTENT S

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10 Questions 5 An introduction to TRiO, a set of federally funded opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of college degrees.

News & Notes 6 50th Anniversary Review, NDT Nuclear Ultrasonic Testing, Fulbright Scholar Grant Awarded, Ridgewater Theatre Instructor Wins Award for “The Seesaw”, Rice Hospital Foundation and Ridgewater Team Up to Provide Code Blue Team Leadership Training, Green Campus, Ridgewater Launches Critical Care Paramedic Program, Summer Courses at Ridgewater, Ridgewater Volleyball Repeats as NJCAA DIII National Champs, Ridgewater Expands Veterinary Technology Student Exchange Program, Ridgewater Hosts Forum on Civic Engagement

Cover Story: 16

Ingredients for Success

A 2007 graduate from Ridgewater College’s Marketing and Sales Management program, Heidi Karasch, tells what it is like to be owner and president of Black Swan Cooperage in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

Ridgewater Feature: 22 Adventures in my world

Meet Dillon Haug, Ridgewater College Class of 2002. Through his book “Adventures in My World”, Dillon shares his life journey thus far, everything from an accident that changed his life and his resulting story of overcoming obstacles to his clear life philosophies.

26

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT If you’re someone like Ridgewater College alumnus Kristopher Keuseman, Ph.D, all you need is a couple connections for that right opportunity to change your life.

28

Customized Training Resource Ridgewater College is proud to be the customized training resource for two new Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grants.

Foundation News

29

Angie Harrison hired as the new “Scholarship & Events Coordinator”, Auto Savings, Grant awarded to Habitat for Humanity

1 0 Q U E S T I ON S

10 Questions

1

What is TRiO? TRiO is a set of federally funded opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of college degrees. More than 840,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities — from sixth grade through college graduation — are served by more than 2,900 programs nationally. TRiO programs provide academic tutoring, personal advising, mentoring, financial guidance, and other supports necessary for educational access and retention.

TRiO programs provide direct support services for students and relevant training for directors and staff.

2

What type of TRiO program does Ridgewater College have?

Participants have access to the following free services: • Direct grant aid to eligible participants of the program (limited funds) • Modern computer labs with access to printers

• Comprehensive advising services • Scholarship search and scholarship completion assistance • Transfer assistance to four-year colleges • In-depth tours of four-year colleges within Minnesota • Financial literacy and assistance in completing the FAFSA application • Access to cultural and educational field trips and presentations

What additional services can students receive from the program?

6

What group of students could benefit more but doesn’t seek out the services?

Program eligibility includes students who are first generation (neither parent has completed a Bachelor’s degree), and/or individuals who are low income, and/or individuals with a diagnosed disability. Students must also be pursuing an Associate’s degree at Ridgewater College.

4

• Short-term laptop and graphic calculator loan program

During the summer, the TRiO program at Ridgewater College offers a three-credit, tuition-free biology course for new college students. In addition to the course offered during the summer, workshops are offered to familiarize students with their new college environment.

Who benefits the most from these services?

How do they benefit?

with Tom Tie, director of Ridgewater’s TRiO program.

5

Ridgewater College has a Student Support Services project, which is funded for five years under a grant provided by the US Department of Education. Student Support Services projects work to enable low-income students to stay in college until they earn their degrees. Participants receive mentoring, advising and transfer assistance. Students participating in this program nationwide are now being served at 947 colleges and universities.

3

Questions and answers

An aspect of the program is to assist participants who are completing their Associate’s degree and transferring to a four-year college. Many students are not aware that not only do they need to look at the transferability of their credits but they also have to look at the program requirements within the major they wish to pursue.

7 8

How large is the program?

The program at Ridgewater College serves 175 students a year with a $230,000 annual budget.

and meeting with various academic departments. An example is Jonathon, who was attending the Willmar campus and uncertain which college to attend after transferring from Ridgewater College. After visiting four colleges through TRiO, he chose to attend Augsburg College. He is now in his second semester, doing very well and pursing a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.

9

How do you know TRiO has made a difference for a student?

TRiO works with many students from different backgrounds and sees many of them progress and achieve their educational and career goals.

However, many students lack the needed support and encouragement to remain in college. Most students in the TRiO program are first generation, with their parents not aware of what is required for students to successfully obtain a degree. TRiO tries to fill in those gaps to increase the potential of participants. A case in point is Lisa, who was enrolled at the Hutchinson campus. Initially, she was a part-time student taking a few classes a semester with no chosen major. After working with her TRiO advisor, she began to see the potential of what higher education has to offer. After much insight, goal development and working with her TRiO advisor, Lisa decided to pursue a major in Business. Last spring semester, Lisa obtained her Associate’s degree and is now attending St. Cloud State University majoring in Business Administration.

10

How do you see the program transform students?

The program assists students to think long term and be good academic consumers, including learning what will be accepted at four-year colleges and what academic majors are available. Students discover options by touring four-year colleges

How can students learn more about the TRiO program?

Anyone wanting more information about the TRiO program can call 320-222-8075 or stop by and talk to a TRiO representative located on both the Willmar and Hutchinson campuses of Ridgewater College.

NE W S & NOTE S

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50th Anniversary Review Ridgewater College commemorated its 50th Anniversary in style this past fall by hosting some successful campus celebrations.

The Willmar campus kicked things off on Saturday, September 24th with a prospective student event, dubbed Discover Ridgewater. Immediately following that event, a campus-wide party ensued, with over 550 alumni and community members in attendance.

There were department open houses, live music, food vendors, alumni art exhibits and car shows, fun for kids, and much more. And to top it off, the weather was almost perfect. To cap a great day, the Ridgewater Warriors football team hosted its homecoming game, complete with a pre-game tailgating party!

The Hutchinson campus event followed a couple of weeks later, on Saturday, October 15th. The day started with

Discover Ridgewater, which included potential students and their guests exploring the campus and program areas of interest. At 10 a.m., about 30 youngsters lined up and ran the kids’ 1K, followed by about 130 people who participated in the first Ridgewater 5K in Hutchinson. There was steady traffic on campus from noon to 3 p.m. for the anniversary event – we estimate around 200 people. It appeared that most corners of campus had activity throughout the day. The weather was cool and windy (although dry), so the activity outside was sporadic, but the kids were busy in the bounce houses and the food vendors had some sales. For those who braved the cool conditions, the music Jeff James performed was great.

Thank You to everyone who came and celebrated a successful 50 years for Ridgewater College.

FPO

NE W S & NOTE S

NDT Nuclear Ultrasonic Student Training Nuclear power demands the highest level of quality control to protect workers, communities, and environments. Lives and global resources depend on it.

Ridgewater College’s nationally known Nondestructive Testing program is the ideal choice for the new 58-credit Nuclear Ultrasonic testing diploma.

Thanks to help from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission grant that helped purchase equipment, Ridgewater is now on the map for training ultrasonic technicians for the nuclear industry.

“Today’s NDT ultrasonic nuclear work force numbers are about 700 people,” explained Wade Padrnos, one of Ridgewater’s NDT instructors. “By the year 2020, the projected need for NDT nuclear workers will be at about 1140 people.” Ridgewater is on its way with the students now enrolled in this program.

The year-old program, one of just two in the country, trains students to ultrasonically inspect carbon steel and stainless steel pipe samples to eventually inspect actual components in nuclear power plants. It is very precise work, with the safety of many on the line. That being the case, Ridgewater instructors obtained the necessary additional teacher training and then developed the student curriculum in conjunction with EPRI and Central Piedmont Community College, the other training college located in North Carolina.

Students look for service-induced flaws, Padrnos explained. The inspection scans search for stress corrosion cracks, which students then precisely identify and locate.

This year, current students had the chance to work with former Ridgewater NDT graduates Jeremy Timm and Rich Jasken, both of Hutchinson but who work in the field for California-based LMT Test/Anatec International, and Virginia-based Areva, respectively.

Throughout the classroom work and testing prep that takes 18 to 24 months, students must log more than 1,000 hours of actual ultrasonic scanning on industry-provided pipe samples. That’s equivalent to working full time for nearly six months. Students must then pass strict performance standards in the EPRI Performance Demonstration Initiative (PDI) test. They can’t miss one single inspection flaw on the PDI exam. Since the test alone costs $3,000, students are committed to intense practice in hopes of passing on the first try. With additional industry experience, inspectors reach Level I and Level II status.

Joel Schnell of Albertville and Mathew Zawada of New Germany became the first two Ridgewater graduates with the new credential last summer, both passing on their first attempt. Thanks to an industry partnership, they were both sponsored by LMT Test/Anatec International, which then also hired the graduates for fall internships. Upon achieving their Level II certification, graduates of the Nuclear Ultrasonic program are expected to make around $50/hour.

“A major challenge for us is to continue to receive an adequate number of pipe test samples from either EPRI or other nuclear facilities for our students to inspect,” Padrnos explained. “We also hope to continue the financial support from the industry to sponsor students taking the examinations, as well as internship opportunities for our students to obtain industry experience toward certification.”

The year-old program, one of just two in the country, trains students to ultrasonically inspect carbon steel and stainless steel pipe samples to eventually inspect actual components in nuclear power plants.

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Fulbright Scholar

Grant Awarded Sam Nelson, History instructor at Ridgewater College, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach at the Kazan Institute of Economics, Management, and Law for the entire 2012-13 academic year, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Nelson’s proposal is to teach American History and Government, Hollywood History, and Oral History beginning in September 2012, although that plan could vary depending upon the needs of the institution.

Why did he pursue the opportunity? “It’s broadening from a professional perspective,” Nelson says, “to experience another culture and to be exposed to the students and educational system from another country.” Nelson adds that he especially looks forward to exploring where Russian and U.S. history intersect from the perspective of Russian students and instructors, such as World War II or the Cold War. Nelson is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2012-2013.

“Sam’s selection is testimony to his excellence in the classroom and his commitment and dedication to the teaching profession,” commented Ridgewater President Douglas Allen. “Students at Ridgewater College have long known of his outstanding teaching ability.”

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional

“ Sam’s selection is testimony to his excellence in the classroom and his commitment and dedication to the teaching profession,” - Ridgewater President Douglas Allen achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education, and athletics. Forty-three Fulbright alumni from 11 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 75 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. Prominent Fulbright alumni include: Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director and Founder, Grameen Bank, and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; John Atta Mills, President of Ghana; Lee Evans, Olympic Gold Medalist; Ruth Simmons, President, Brown University; Riccardo Giacconi, Physicist and 2002 Nobel Laureate; Amar Gopal Bose, Chairman and Founder, Bose Corporation; Renée Fleming, soprano; Jonathan Franzen, Writer; and Daniel Libeskind, Architect.

NE W S & NOTE S

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Ridgewater Theatre Instructor

Wins Award for “The Seesaw” A 10-minute play titled “The Seesaw,” has earned its author, Drew Hampton, Ridgewater Theatre faculty, national recognition. The play was named as one of 18 finalists last fall at the Source Festival in Washington D.C. Hampton wrote “The Seesaw” in 2009 as a final project for a Playwriting II class. 2009 was also the first year the play was entered into national competition - making the semifinalist (top 100) cut.

After a number of revisions, “The Seesaw” was submitted for the Source Festival again this past October. The Source Festival received over 650 10-minute play submissions, which were read

by DC-area theatre-goers, actors, directors, and even playwrights of national fame, including Adam Rapp (Red Light Winter) and Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde).

This committee narrowed down their choices to the top 18 plays, which included Hampton’s work.

As part of the prize package, “The Seesaw” will be professionally produced this summer in Washington D.C.

Rice Hospital Foundation

and Ridgewater Team Up to

Provide Code Blue Team Leadership Training You feel pain in your left arm, the sensation of pressure on your chest, and shortness of breath. You are having a heart attack. You are “code blue” to the emergency medical personnel who are on their way to treat you – to save your life.

Heart attacks are the number one cause of premature death in America, and 44.2 percent of Kandiyohi County residents are age 45 and older – an age where risk of heart attacks begins to rise significantly. We are indeed blessed to have well-trained and dedicated emergency medical personnel in our region.

Now, in partnership with Ridgewater College, 200 healthcare professionals in Kandiyohi County are taking their training in cardiac care to the next level.

Thanks to a $24,000 grant from the Rice Health Foundation, Ridgewater is delivering its Code Blue Team Leadership (CBTL) training to the Rice Hospital system in Kandiyohi County. Ridgewater Customized Training and Continuing Education has been delivering the CBTL training to healthcare personnel for three years, but this is a first-of-its-kind pilot project that will document the results of a system-wide cardiac care training initiative.

Participating in the training will be Rice Hospital Emergency staff, Atwater Fire and Ambulance, New London Ambulance, Raymond Ambulance, Sunburg Ambulance, Willmar Ambulance, Bethesda Pleasantview, and Rice Care Center.

CBTL uses a high fidelity simulation manikin to create a lifelike cardiac event scenario, allowing healthcare providers the

opportunity to practice, identify, record, and evaluate each process, procedure, obstacle, and challenge that they may encounter while treating a cardiac event patient.

“It’s facilitated self-discovery,” notes Ron Flannigan, Ridgewater CBTL instructor. “We help design a functional work space for each person on the team by eliminating physical and procedural obstacles, thereby helping each person on the team achieve ‘perfection’ per benchmarks established by the American Heart Association (AHA).”

This project will deliver thirty-eight 2-hour training sessions, beginning with a mock 911 call, and will involve a complete “full through” cardiac patient session from the patient’s residence to the Basic Life Support ambulance, to the Advanced Life Support ambulance, to the hospital, and finally to the rehab center. Each step and exchange will be observed, critiqued, and repeated with procedural and process adjustments implemented for each department and individual.

The facilitated adjustments that improve efficiency and effectiveness will be replicated in subsequent sessions.

What is the significance of all this? Initial results of CBTL training have shown significant improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of cardiac life support providers measured against benchmarks established by the AHA. In fact, the stated goals of the project include potentially saving lives and impacting cardiac survival outcomes in our area by 20%, and greatly improving the quality of life for those surviving cardiac episodes. The bottom line – lives are being saved.

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Green Campus

new central heating plant and a lighting retrofit “Going Green” on college campuses has been grabbing headlines for the past few years, and for good reason. New technologies and products are allowing college administrators and facilities managers to reduce their impact on the environment, and also to realize tremendous cost savings for the institution, the students and the taxpayers. Those cost savings come in many forms, most notably in energy savings and reduction of time and labor from maintenance personnel and contractors.

Fiscal Year 2011 saw the completion of two large facilities projects at Ridgewater’s Willmar campus: the implementation of a new central heating plant and a lighting retrofit covering half of campus. In and of themselves, the projects don’t sound very exciting, but the impact is impressive. The new central heating plant replaced 5 outdated, inefficient boilers with new, efficient condensing boilers. This move resulted in rebates from energy providers in excess of $100,000, in addition to an estimated operational cost savings of over 30 percent! Retrofitting campus light fixtures and switching to more efficient, lower-wattage bulbs is estimated to result in an estimated energy savings of 10-15% of the cost to illuminate the campus.

Impressive, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Take a broader look at how Ridgewater is committed to “going green”: • Radiant heat installed in some large shop areas. This heats the masses inside the classroom (tables, chairs, etc.) instead of just the air, resulting in less heat loss when large overhead doors need to be opened.

• Green cleaning products. The cleaning products used on the Hutchinson campus are 80% “green”. The Willmar campus has achieved a level of 65%. Facilities managers are continually monitoring for additional ways to use green products in keeping campuses clean.

• Renewable fuel use in college vehicles. Outdoor maintenance equipment runs on bio-diesel during warm weather periods when possible, and all college vehicles are required to refuel with E85 when available.

• Broad recycling efforts. Yard waste from campus groundskeepers is composted; receptacles for recyclable materials such as plastic, cardboard, paper, and aluminum are conveniently located around campus; carpet and ceiling tiles are recycled during remodeling projects; and rags used in the Automotive Service Technology program are recycled.

Recycling is just one of the ways Ridgewater is working diligently to be environmentally friendly and reduce energy consumption. A number of other projects are being considered that will surely have considerable impact for the future.

• Lighting improvements. In addition to major lighting retrofitting projects, other lighting improvements are helping to reduce energy consumption. All exit lighting has moved from incandescent bulbs to LED’s, and newly remodeled or added classrooms and offices are equipped with occupancy sensors to automatically turn lights off when a room is not in use.

• Energy management. The Willmar campus participates in “load shed” programs through the local utility company, helping to save thousands of dollars per year in energy usage. The Hutchinson campus has signed on to a PBEEE Project to monitor energy usage and make recommendations for energy reduction. Large spaces on campus also use CO2 sensors to only allow air handlers to bring in outside air when needed, avoiding unnecessary heating and cooling of outside air.

This is just a brief look at all the ways Ridgewater is working diligently to be environmentally friendly and reduce energy consumption. A number of other projects are being considered that will surely have considerable impact for the future.

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Ridgewater Launches

Critical Care Paramedic Program You’ve heard of the “golden years”, but are you familiar with the “golden hour?” In traumatic and medical emergencies, the “golden hour” is a window of time in which delivery of proper medical care can make a significant difference in whether a patient lives or dies. In rural areas such as central and west central Minnesota, where response and transport times in emergency situations may be longer than in heavily populated areas, well-trained emergency medical service personnel become a critical component in making the most of the “golden hour.”

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the United Way of West Central Minnesota, Ridgewater College is launching a new Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) program. Building upon a strong history of training Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics in central Minnesota, Ridgewater’s CCP program provides access for practicing paramedics and emergency room personnel to a fully-accredited critical care paramedic training program, enabling them to achieve a nationally-recognized certification as a Critical Care Paramedic.

Paramedics and other medical personnel who choose to pursue certification as a Critical Care Paramedic will build upon their current training and skill levels. The CCP program will emphasize an advanced and in-depth understanding of illness and injuries of the pediatric, adult, and geriatric patient. Specifically, a CCP: • Will have a greater ability for more concise differential diagnosis • Can perform rapid sequence induction (sedate and paralyze a patient for placement of a breathing tube) • Can perform retrograde intubation (insert a breathing tube when the patient has had extensive facial trauma) • Can perform a surgical cricothyrotomy (surgical airway) • Will have the ability to set up operating parameters for mechanical ventilation • Can perform sutures • Can insert a central IV line in the jugular or subclavian vein for massive trauma or a cardiac patient with collapsed veins • Can hang and start blood product for transfusion • Can interpret 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) in a cardiac emergency • Can assess and manage implanted cardiac defibrillators, pacemakers, and intra-aortic balloon pumps In addition, a CCP is trained to recognize and manage the special needs of pediatric and geriatric patients, including shock, pain, and breathing, which can be harder to identify and diagnose in these populations.

The United Way grant will enable the College to purchase the program curriculum from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, which is the only nationally-recognized and certified program in the nation. Ridgewater will provide the classroom

portion of the training, and the clinical portion of the training will be delivered at Hennepin County Medical Center, expanding on the College’s current partnership with them in delivering the standard Acute Care Paramedic program. The grant will also pay for the travel expenses for CCP examiners to come from the University of Maryland to oversee the testing portion of the training.

More than a dozen current paramedics will participate in the initial cohort, including professionals from the Willmar Ambulance Service and several other local ambulance services.

In addition, Ridgewater has a core instructor who will proctor the program and two other instructors will participate to earn their CCP instructor certification.

This will be the only program in Minnesota through which a paramedic can earn nationally-recognized certification as a Critical Care Paramedic. The closest program currently is in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. By placing student resources online and incorporating use of the College’s mobile simulation training vehicle, SimLab L1, Ridgewater’s CCP program will be a viable option for paramedics employed virtually anywhere in the state and region.

Initially, the program will cost students $1,000, and is delivered through Ridgewater’s Customized Training and Continuing Education department as an hour-based program. As the program grows and develops, the College will examine the possibility of advancing the program to a credit-based certificate program.

All emergency patients will benefit by having a greater number of CCPs in the region, but the most critically ill and injured will see the greatest benefits from this advanced training. The most critical patients, after assessment and stabilization at the nearest hospital, are often transferred to a tertiary care facility in St. Cloud or the Twin Cities. This is accomplished by: 1. Flying the patient in a CCP-staffed helicopter.

2. Transporting the patient by local ambulanced staffed by a CCP. Ultimately, the CCP program will enable the already well-trained ambulance services of the region to save even more lives, while reducing the costs to the patient and insurance companies, and keeping the funds in local economies.

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Summer

Courses

at Ridgewater

Summer term for college students can be a time to catch up, get ahead or simply keep progressing toward academic goals.

Ridgewater College summer 2012 registration opened in March for the term beginning May 29. It’s advantageous for interested students to register early because many courses fill fast. Last year, close to 1500 students took summer courses in Willmar and Hutchinson.

“We have a wide variety of students who take summer classes,” explained Lisa Wagoner, Ridgewater counselor on the Hutchinson campus. Common motivations include: • Taking advantage of the flexibility of online courses • Picking up a few credits while home from four-year schools for the summer • Spreading out credits over the entire calendar year so credit loads are more manageable during other semesters • Completing prerequisites for other courses • Retaking a course for a higher grade • Accessing third-party agency funding which may require it “Online courses certainly have been popular,” Wagoner said. This year online summer courses include such topics as psychology, natural disasters, communications, nutrition, government, wellness, introduction to film, Native American studies, math, computers, economics, music, criminal justice, and more.

The spectrum of traditional classroom courses includes English, math, biology, communications, accounting, history, nursing assistant, agriculture, chemistry, and more.

While summer term begins May 29 and ends August 3, the term actually includes multiple start and end dates, depending on the courses.

Wagoner, who has been a counselor at Ridgewater for several years, offered some advice for students considering summer school.

“Be prepared to work hard,” she said. “Summer courses are condensed in time, but not material. They are a great option for gaining college credit. The completion rates are excellent for students who are reasonable and honest with themselves regarding how much time they can dedicate to learning over the summer.” Plan to be actively engaged in the course from the first day to the last to succeed, she said. Some students discover that taking just a few credits, as many summer students do, helps them really focus on a subject.

For university students wanting to save some money by taking coursework at Ridgewater, Wagoner recommends that they visit the Ridgewater website at www.ridgewater. edu and then visit their university advisor prior to registering.

This helps students know what’s available and helps them ensure that the courses they choose to take at Ridgewater will advance them in their chosen major or educational plan.

These “casual” students don’t have to pay the Ridgewater application fee if they have taken fewer than 8 credits from Ridgewater, but casual students should plan to pay for credits when they register.

In addition, new federal financial aid rules have muddied the waters a bit. Students who will need financial aid to pay for summer credits should check with the Ridgewater Financial Aid Office to ensure that they are eligible for summer aid, and that it won’t affect eligibility for next fall or spring semester.

To learn more about Ridgewater courses, go to www.ridgewater.edu.

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National Champions

Ridgewater Volleyball Repeats as NJCAA National Champs The Ridgewater College Lady Warriors are again NJCAA Division III National Champions! In a rematch of the 2010 title game versus Brookhaven College, an intense and competitive atmosphere produced the same result - a Warrior win!

Ridgewater was able to lock down a 31-29 first set win, though let down 17-25 in the second set. Extra points were needed in the third set, but Ridgewater edged the community college from Dallas County, Texas 29-27. An early fourth set lead was all that was needed as they sealed the championship with a 25-22 win.

Molly Hurrle, Kelsey Stommes, Taylor Elzenga, and Hannah Smith were named to the All-Tournament team, with Smith winning Tournament MVP honors.

The Lady Warriors opened the tournament with a 3 set victory over Davidson County Community College, and followed up with another 3 set win over Rock Valley College to set up the championship match versus Brookhaven.

This is the second consecutive National Championship for the Warriors, the third in six seasons and the fourth title for the program overall. The Warriors end the

Ridgewater Expands

season with a 31-3 record, the best winning percentage in school history.

That record and another national championship earned Ridgewater coach Joe Sussenguth Coach of the Year honors.

Veterinary Technology Student Exchange Program

In 2011, Ridgewater took steps to establish an international student exchange program with Hansenburg College in Kolding, Denmark, with three students from Europe coming to Ridgewater in the spring and three Ridgewater students accompanying Dr. Allen Balay to Denmark in August 2011.

The benefits to students from this two-week portion of a 12-week internship have been clear, and the two schools are planning to grow the partnership in 2012.

Eight students and two faculty members from Hansenburg College will be travelling to Willmar this spring to take two weeks of courses at Ridgewater. This visit will be followed up by eight students from Ridgewater travelling to Denmark and Norway with instructor Karen Marcus in September.

The cost to students is $100 in addition to internship course tuition and fees. Students also must pay for their own airfare, meals, and social experiences. Together, this is estimated to be between $2,000 and $2,500. The goal is to have the host country arrange housing with local families both to add to the cultural experience and to eliminate housing costs for the two-week stay.

The program was initially developed to provide students with a global, cultural and social experience, in addition to teaching students medicine in a global context. The colleges were excited to begin this partnership because they both have large and well-respected Veterinary Technology (called Veterinary Nursing in Denmark) programs.

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14

Ridgewater Hosts Forum on

Civic Engagement It doesn’t take careful examination to recognize that civic engagement in America today is very different than it was even a handful of years ago. Watch the evening news, read almost any periodical, or even listen in on conversations at the corner bar, and you will quickly realize that there seems to be only two sides to every topic, and not much enthusiasm for finding middle ground.

Where has effective civic engagement gone? From environmental concerns to economic turbulence, the world is full of daunting challenges and intriguing opportunities, but to fully face what lies ahead, people with opposing ideologies and viewpoints must be willing and able to come together and have meaningful discourse.

This past November, Ridgewater had the opportunity to help build a foundation for effective civic engagement for students and community members. Thanks to a partnership with Minnesota Campus Compact, Ridgewater was able to host a public forum on civic engagement.

Representatives from Minnesota Campus Compact facilitated the discussions, and began by instructing participants to find someone in the group who they did not know. Each pairing would have 30 minutes, 15 minutes each, to learn about the other person by asking questions and practicing effective listening. Following this exercise, John Hammerlinck of Minnesota Campus Compact led a discussion that moved the group from participation in a personal conversation to one more relative to social issues.

The group showed enthusiasm when asked what issues they feel passionate about. Several participants volunteered to share their passions or concerns, which then turned into conversation topics for the culminating stage of the event.

Having practiced the art of asking probing questions, and listening for understanding, the group broke into eight small groups, each facilitating a discussion around one of the topics that had been volunteered. The discussion topics spanned a wide range of interests, including: • How to make Ridgewater College more welcoming • The digital divide • How to make Ridgewater/Willmar more “green” • Young people unaware of what to expect in adulthood • Tolerance of differences – LGBT • Awareness of cultural differences – Somali community/mosque • Reducing waste at Ridgewater College (e.g., cafeteria/food)

“I believe that complex issues require engaging whole communities in understanding and responding to those issues,” said Ridgewater President Douglas Allen regarding the importance of such a forum. “In order for that to happen, we need to learn how to have those conversations with each other—these community forums provide us with a refresher about how to have those conversations.”

Indeed, the community showed strong support for the forum. Lori Park Smith, Ridgewater Sociology instructor, coordinated the event at the Willmar campus and reported a total attendance of 80 individuals, including 40 students, 31 community members, and nine college faculty or administrators.

“The forum served as an excellent primer for engaging people of good will to come together and address issues of shared concern in a constructive manner,” said Sam Nelson, Ridgewater history instructor. “Whatever differences people may bring to an issue—socioeconomic status, political background, religious beliefs, etc.—can be transcended using the methods outlined in the forum. It was a great opportunity for my students to experience a grassroots approach to framing issues and developing concrete, achievable action plans.”

Event organizers at Ridgewater and at Minnesota Campus Compact are hoping that this forum planted a seed, and served as a platform from which students and community members can begin to engage in the sort of meaningful conversation that can turn into extraordinary results for communities and organizations.

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17

Ingredients

for Success

A 2007 graduate from Ridgewater College’s Marketing and Sales Management program, Heidi Karasch, tells what it is like to be owner and president of Black Swan Cooperage in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

Sometimes, bringing the simplest of ingredients together and introducing them to unusual elements can make for an exciting and wonderful result. For example, combine barley, water and yeast and store them in a charred oak barrel, and after time, they change into whisky. So too, when the ingredients of passion, inquisitiveness and a little serendipity unite, they can transform a person’s direction, turning life toward an unexpected, yet rewarding outcome.

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Black Swan Cooperage can produce as many as 150 hand crafted barrels per week.

Such was the case for Heidi Karasch, owner and president of Black Swan Cooperage in Park Rapids, Minnesota. A 2007 graduate from Ridgewater College’s Marketing and Sales Management program, Karasch’s AAS degree -- and the rest of her life for that matter -- might have turned out differently had she followed the formula she’d originally intended.

“I had a cousin who’d graduated from Ridgewater with a degree in photography, so I was going to pursue it as well,” says Karasch. “But I was put on a waiting list for the Photography program and advised to start in Marketing and Sales my first year, and then transfer over.”

When a spot opened up in the Photography program right before the start of the semester, Karasch decided she’d stick with Marketing and Sales after all. It turned out to be a lifechanging choice.

“I use what I learned in the program every day in my business,” she says. “I love marketing and sales.”

But operating a cooperage, or barrel-making shop, isn’t just about marketing and selling barrels to distilleries. In her capacity as owner, Karasch does much more.

Says Karasch, “I do all the sales work and all the marketing.

I talk with the customers and work to customize products to their exact needs. Sometimes, I even go out in the shop and help the guys get an order out if need be. I perform any and every part of the business — I can make a barrel from start to finish.”

Full involvement in an operation as a company president isn’t all that rare. What’s truly unique is the type of business Karasch runs.

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“ I do all the sales work and all the marketing. I talk with the customers and work to customize products to their exact needs.

Sometimes, I even go out in the shop and help the guys get an order out if need be. I perform any and every part of the business — I can make a barrel from start to finish.”

For Black Swan, barrel making is very much a family business.

Russ Karasch, Heidi’s father, putting the final touches on a group of barrels.

The Craft of a Cooper The craft of coopering (the making of wooden staved vessels or barrels) has existed since the days of the ancient Babylonians and the Egyptians. In all the centuries since that time, there have been very few changes made to the details of barrel design. It is an enduring craft and its construction comes about by means of a rigorous process performed with skill and talent by those whose training in the profession has been passed down from generation to generation.

Throughout history, coopers have built barrels to store and ship everything from flour to gunpowder to tobacco. But the finest barrels, known as “tight barrels,” are those made for storing liquids, such as whisky or wine.

These days, coopering is viewed as a dying craft, even though the art of coopering and its end result are still in high demand throughout the world. Producing between 150-180 barrels each week, Black Swan Cooperage sells their handcrafted barrels to those in the craft distillery industry. (Craft distilleries are to large distilleries as micro breweries are to major breweries.)

Even for the large distilleries, mass-manufactured barrels produced from any other material just won’t do. In fact, a 1964 act of Congress deemed it so.

“There’s a law that states that for a spirit to be called whisky or bourbon, it has to be aged in a charred oak barrel,” says Karasch.

That’s because freshly distilled whiskey is colorless and possesses only the flavor of the grain and the alcohol. It is only after it is aged in charred oak barrels that it takes on its final hue, intricacy and rich blend of flavor.

All of these factors combine to make Black Swan Cooperage a very busy and thriving business. Of course, with Karasch at the helm, it couldn’t possibly be otherwise.

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A Blend of Experience, Education and Initiative With a Marketing and Sales Management degree earned at Ridgewater, Karasch could have chosen to pursue a career in practically any business. So, why choose to operate a cooperage?

Says Karasch, “My parents owned several different wood-related businesses, and I grew up around it. So when the opportunity arose for me to own a cooperage, I jumped at the chance.”

Launching Black Swan Cooperage in 2009, Karasch’s family has worked alongside her ever since, helping her build and grow the enterprise into what it is today. The entire family pitches in — brother Jacob is the shop foreman, her mother, Mary Ann, handles bookkeeping, while Karasch states that her dad, Russ, is “the brains behind the operation.”

“I never would have anticipated that I’d someday own a barrel shop, but it’s what I knew,” says Karasch. “And I really enjoy the sales aspect and talking to customers.”

“My parents owned several different wood-related businesses, and I grew up around it. So when the opportunity arose for me to own a cooperage, I jumped at the chance.”

Tapping into that affinity for marketing and sales began at Ridgewater, and continues to influence Karasch long after graduation. In effect, she feels strongly that her courses and instructors made a significant impact on how she operates her business to this day.

Says Karasch, “Lyle Mullins was one of my main sales instructors from whom I took a Personal Selling course and David Korsmo taught Entrepreneurship. I also took quite a few marketing courses with Vicki Melbye, and we’ve stayed in touch since that time. She’s been a great influence and mentor to me, always encouraging me to ‘think outside the box.’”

That kind of ongoing relationship is not unusual for students who participate in the program. In fact, Melbye encourages all her students to keep in touch, whether it’s to report their successes, network or ask questions.

“When a student calls me to tell me about a promotion or bonus, it’s a bonus for me as well. It’s part of the joy of teaching,” says Melbye. “Heidi was one of those students who was always looking for new and creative ways to do things; very conscientious. And she wasn’t sure where she was going to land, but she found her way. One of the goals I always stress with my students is to ‘be better than you ever thought you were going to be.’ And that shows with Heidi. She didn’t know what her goal was, but she moved forward anyway and discovered what she was meant to do.”

Adds Karasch, “I’ve definitely used what I learned from all of them every day.”

The blending of Karasch’s education, experience and initiative has created enhanced success and growth for her business. This is evidenced by the development of new products for her company, like Black Swan’s Honey Comb barrels, an alternative

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The blending of Karasch’s education, experience and initiative has created enhanced success and growth for her business.

charred barrel that accelerates the extraction process while invoking deeper flavor profiles in the whisky. It can also be seen in the scope and breadth of Karasch’s five-year plan for the future of her company.

While only recently having moved the cooperage onto the ten acres at their new Park Rapids location, the crew at Black Swan is taking no time to sit idle.

Instead, they’re busy putting down roots and becoming acclimated to their new environment, while also planning for expansion of the business. That includes increasing production to 250 barrels a week, as well as putting in a stave mill (to generate the staves, or wooden planks, which make up the barrels) so that they can age and process their own lumber. Karasch would even like to someday start a distillery of her own.

“In the past two and a half years, the industry has been expanding like crazy,” says Karasch. “When we first started, there were probably only about 200 craft distilleries, but in a very short time, that number has grown to at least 350, and continues to grow.”

For Heidi Karasch it’s all the proof she needs that the passage of time, along with the right combination of ingredients, can truly make for a rewarding outcome.

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312 24th Ave. SW, Willmar, MN 56201 320.235.6425 phone | 320.231.1886 fax | www.bennettoffice.com

Adventures in my world Meet Dillon Haug, Ridgewater College Class of 2002. Through his book “Adventures in My World�, Dillon shares his journey thus far, everything from an accident that changed his life and his resulting story of overcoming obstacles to his clear life philosophies.

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23

“After high school I wanted to go to college so much, but I didn’t quite know where,” Dillon said. Dillon and his mom started exploring occupational skills programs … and discovered Ridgewater College’s program in Willmar.

What parent wouldn’t be proud if your child graduated from high school, earned a college scholarship, and graduated from college with honors while also being involved in several college and community activities?

What if that child also stayed active in his faith, made lots of friends, went on to work at a university, wrote a book, and was selected as a board member on a national council?

Is your chest beaming with pride yet?

Now imagine your pride if your child did all that while having a traumatic brain injury from a car accident that resulted in a six-week coma when he was 5 years old, 25 years ago.

Meet Dillon Haug, Ridgewater College Class of 2002.

“Going to work on that day in November 1986, it was just a normal day,” wrote Dillon in his book, “Adventures in My World.” “Mom and the brothers, age 5 and 3, were heading into Custer, South Dakota to go to work, school and the babysitter’s when all of a sudden we hit black ice, spun into the other lane and hit a vehicle coming from the other direction.”

Accidents with trucks are always scary, but when the first responder on the scene happens to be the father and husband of the victims, the shock and fear of the unknown is understandably overwhelming.

“I knew what I was going through was bad, but I didn’t realize how significant it was,” Dillon’s father, Reed said. “It was major triage.”

His entire family was rushed to the Rapid City Regional Hospital, but injuries were so severe that they sent the boys, Dillon and Brandon, to Denver Children’s Hospital, while mother, Beth, stayed in Rapid City. It was challenging for Reed to have them separated, but fortunately, Beth had a brother who was a nurse at the Denver facility, helping to keep everyone emotionally connected when they were physically separated.

Fortunately, Dillon doesn’t remember any part of the accident.

They were scary times, Reed recalled. At one point, both the boys and mom were all in comas. Dillon was in a coma the longest, for six weeks. At another point, 3-year-old Brandon actually died, but came back to life to eventually serve in the US Marine Corp and earn a nursing degree.

Dillon had a severe right-side brain injury affecting his left-side function. His emotional and social skills are great, but he struggles with executive functions like preplanning, abstract thinking, and reading subtle cues.

With cognitive rehab and therapy to learn to walk and talk again, he eventually made it through school with an Individual Education Plan. Short-term memory is a challenge, but remembering historical dates and songs is a strength. He’s dependent on others for transportation, but he still had dreams for his life.

“After high school I wanted to go to college so much, but I didn’t quite know where,” Dillon said. “My mom started looking on the computer.” They investigated several schools, but couldn’t initially find one that would make enough modifications and adaptations in order for Dillon to be successful.

R I D G E W A TER F E A T U RE

24 “We began looking for something hands-on where he didn’t need too much English or math,” Beth explained. That’s when they started exploring occupational skills programs in several states, and discovered Ridgewater College’s program in Willmar. They met with Mary Gafkjen (now retired) and Tim Laffen.

“I knew I needed support,” Dillon said.

It was the calm demeanor and steady personalities of Mary and Tim, plus available college and community services that led Dillon and his family to believe that Ridgewater would be a good choice for him.

Another plus was an aunt and uncle who lived an hour away from Willmar.

“Once he settled on the school, like any decided senior, Dillon was excited about his future,” Beth said. Gafkjen encouraged him to apply for a scholarship. “He applied and received it, so when people asked what he was going to do after graduation, he could say, ‘I got a scholarship so I’m going to Ridgewater College.’ At his senior banquet, he didn’t have to say he was just going to stay living with mom and dad.”

“My eventual goal was to work on a college campus,” Dillon said. He wanted to make a difference to other students the way Ridgewater staff had made a difference for him.

It wasn’t long and Dillon was proving to his parents that his dream of going to college and maybe some day even working at a college was realistic. His mom was nervous about his developing independence and distance from home, but like many moms with kids at college, she soon learned she simply needed to loosen her protective strings, get out of the way and let him grow.

“It was a good choice on my part to go to Willmar and to live independently,” Dillon said. “It was more fun than anything being away from home!” He loved his family dearly, but he loved the excitement of his new independence as well. It was a whole new world. “It was the Campus Ministry Center and the Occupational Skills program that caught my attention.”

Both Dillon and his mom agree, people are what make Dillon’s life worthwhile. While attending Custer High School, Dillon was a South Dakota delegate to the 1997 Youth Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. A year later, he was a delegate to his state’s first Leadership Forum, and was the student manager for the boys’ basketball team for four years.

Serving others and connecting with people are two missions that have long made Dillon’s heart sing. After primarily focusing on his Occupational Skills courses and his new independent living the first year in Willmar, Dillon became heavily involved in activities his second year. Campus ministry and his church gave him support, guidance, and opportunities to help with fundraisers, special events, and supervising church lock-ins for middle school students. Student Senate taught him about governmental processes and advocacy and built his confidence through activity involvement. The local Lion’s Club connected him with community volunteers and outreach, and former coach Mike Johnson and the men’s basketball team gave him a special camaraderie like he had enjoyed in high school by being a team manager.

“We really liked Willmar and the community,” Beth said. “It was so wonderful. He just blossomed!” She and Dillon give much credit to Gafkjen, who was his advisor.

“What I did for Dillon was not any different than what I would do for other students,” Gafkjen explained. “What Ridgewater staff and the community do is give students a real strong place to start. It’s safe; it’s welcoming.

We want to make sure students get started off on the right feet and provide what they need to grow in their own direction.

“What was different with Dillon,” Gafkjen fondly remembered, “was the degree he made use of resources and the degree he integrated himself into the Ridgewater College and Willmar communities.”

“He became a much more confident person,” Ridgewater’s Laffen recalled. “It was a real growing experience for Dillon.”

“I just want people to know how important Ridgewater College was to who Dillon is today,” Beth said. “I’m so thankful to Mary Gafkjen and Tim Laffen and the program, college and community. The college is so solid with support and everything they offer the students.”

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25 “It helped me find jobs I was interested in,” Dillon said of the Occupational Skills program specifically. He learned job skills, job seeking skills, job keeping skills and eventually worked at Walmart for seven years and at Target during a separate summer job.

“My eventual goal was to work on a college campus,” he said. He wanted to make a difference to other students the way Ridgewater staff had made a difference for him. Being the motivated, goal-oriented person that he is, Dillon headed back closer to his parents and now works in food service at Black Hills University in Spearfish, S.D., as well as in the athletic department as the student manager for yet another men’s basketball team, the Yellow Jackets.

Camaraderie is the part of life that Dillon really loves. It’s why he continues to be involved in the Lion’s Club in Spearfish by being a board member and coordinator for guest speakers and the well-known Lions glasses collection. It’s why he sings in his church choir. It’s why he loves being part of the food service staff and athletic department at BHSU. It’s why he loves hanging out at the Spearfish Common Grounds coffee shop, meeting people.

It’s that connecting with people, in fact, that led Dillon in 2010 to write his own book, “Adventures in My World.”

In his book, which sold 1500 copies its first year, Dillon shares his life journey thus far, everything from the accident that changed his life and his resulting story of overcoming obstacles to his passion for Black Hills history and his clear life philosophies. He has now even donated a signed copy to Ridgewater to share with others.

Dillon has received multiple awards for his leadership, community involvement and protection/advocacy/policy making efforts for individuals with developmental disabilities. In fact, after serving as an officer of a state planning council for developmental disabilities, Dillon was also named as a South Dakota representative and board member for the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities.

Recently, Dillon was appointed to the Governing Board of South Dakota Advocacy Services. He begins his first term in that protection and advocacy role this spring.

Ridgewater’s

Occupational Skills Program Ridgewater’s Occupational Skills program, one of only three in Minnesota, is a post-secondary vocational program for students with disabilities that provides training for entry-level, competitive employment. Occupational Skills combines community-based vocational training with personal management classes on campus.

Key components of the diploma program include: • Personal Safety • Job Seeking Skills

“The most rewarding thing is that Dillon is a model citizen,” said his dad. “The most admirable thing is he’s a happy individual (despite his challenges).” “We’re really proud of him and his motivation,” Beth added. Dillon’s family was pleased that he was able to reconnect with his instructors at Ridgewater College’s 50th anniversary celebration last September, almost 10 years after Dillon graduated from Ridgewater.

• Personal Development

He loved being able to share stories of his progress and independence with Ridgewater staff and friends.

• Community and Leisure Resources

“I told them how things were going good and that I was now working at a college too, a university in South Dakota,” Dillon shared. “Tim said, ‘Wow, you’ve really moved up in the world!”

Indeed he has and life is good.

Dillon loves to hear from people regarding his life story. You can send your comments to him - or order a copy of his book through this address: Dillon Haug 810 N. Main Street #193 Spearfish, SD 57783 Books cost $8.00 each, including shipping and handling.

• Relationships • Independent Living • Consumer Skills • Internships The community-based portion of the program partners students with area employers to allow them to practice their workplace skills. Willmar partners have included such employers as Tires Plus, Loving Arms Day Care, Runnings, Walmart, Walt’s In Out 10-minute Oil Change, Taher, and Bethesda Pleasantview Nursing Home.

For more information, contact Mary Benson, 320-222-8041, mary.benson@ridgewater.edu or Tim Laffen at tim.laffen@ridgewater.edu or the Ridgewater website at www.ridgewater.edu.

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Photo courtesy of Mount Mercy University

Making the

Connections

Connections and opportunities can take a person in many directions. If you’re someone like Ridgewater College alumnus Kristopher Keuseman, Ph.D, all you need is a couple connections for that right opportunity to change your life.

As a Willmar High School senior, Keuseman knew he wanted to attend St. Olaf College in Northfield some day, but he was not necessarily set on heading there right after high school.

“Both of my parents went to Ridgewater and then transferred to the University of Minnesota,” Keuseman explained. He was familiar with the option and knew it worked for his parents, Jim and Suzanne, who eventually became a pharmacist and nurse. Keuseman applied for Ridgewater scholarships and was eventually awarded the Presidential Scholarship. The scale of decision tipped in Ridgewater’s favor for the financial benefit available thanks to the Ridgewater Foundation and the savings available by living at home.

While at Ridgewater, Keuseman earned an Associate of Science degree in Chemistry in 1999. Why chemistry? “I’ve always enjoyed cooking,” Keuseman said with a chuckle.

“That skill set and the one you use in a lab are very similar…

I’ve always had a curiosity for why things happen – why salt melts ice, how medicine helps headaches.”

That spring after graduation, thanks to encouragement from Ridgewater’s Dr. John Benson, Keuseman applied for and received a research position at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D., to study the synthesis of organopalladium compounds, which are organic compounds containing the metal palladium (similar to platinum) that can sometimes act as catalysts.

“That was fun,” he said. “I enjoyed doing things that no one has ever done before.” It was then he realized he was naturally drawn to organic chemistry because it is so handson and visual. He still didn’t really know what he wanted to do with organic chemistry though.

With his chemistry foundation from Ridgewater and now a summer research experience, Keuseman transferred to St. Olaf College as planned. In 2001, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry, and then went on to graduate school at UND to receive his doctorate in organic chemistry in 2006. He currently is an assistant professor in the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a school of about 1700 students.

“I guess you could say I got my start in teaching at Ridgewater,” Keuseman explained. “At the time, I wasn’t really considering being a professor, but I did some tutoring.” It helps boost your confidence when your department awards you the “Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award,” which he earned in 1998. The honor made him happy to tutor. “That was my first paid experience helping others learn.” That opportunity began the wheels of change for him.

His next teaching experience was as a student teacher’s assistant and science lab instructor at St. Olaf. There he received the “Excellence in Student Teaching Award” as well as the “Distinguished Departmental Service Award”

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in 2001. Mix in some experience as an undergraduate research assistant and you have many options for potential chemistry careers.

Upon receiving his four-year degree, Keuseman headed to graduate school at UND, where a couple of key opportunities helped mold his future.

In 2003, Keuseman was the one UND student selected to represent the college in a contingency of students traveling with the U.S. Department of Energy to the 53rd Nobel Laureate Conference in Germany.

That experience remains one of his proudest moments in the field of chemistry. In addition to tutoring peers and some undergraduate students in the summer of 2005, he was given the chance to be the lecture instructor for organic chemistry.

“I enjoyed it,” Keuseman said. That’s when he realized he preferred teaching over industry or research. Shortly after, Keuseman found himself as an adjunct assistant professor back at St. Olaf for a few years before accepting his current position at Mount Mercy.

“What’s most fun is working with students,” Keuseman said. “I try to instill in students the desire to understand the difference between a more mature, deeper understanding of a concept rather than memorizing things and facts.” Sure, a chemistry student needs to memorize the polyatomic ions and names of alkanes, but Keuseman wants his students to learn to think critically in order to apply what they learn. He emphasizes fundamental ideas and concepts to figure out problems and to be able to apply what they’ve learned to new situations.

As Keuseman works with students both as an instructor and as an advisor, he can’t help but reference his personal chemistry career journey that started at Willmar High School and Ridgewater College. He encourages high school and college students to pay close attention to the courses they take so as to learn with a purpose and to take on the challenges of rigorous classes rather than just building or protecting a GPA.

“Some people worry too much about their GPA and that’s not necessarily what most students should do,” Keuseman explained. Not only does he feel they are then doing themselves and their education a disservice, but he also feels admissions staff are good at recognizing when students have gone beyond introductory classes and challenged themselves and take that into consideration.

Keuseman is grateful for his own experience, in that, by knowing his bachelor’s degree goal and by knowing where he wanted to transfer to upon graduating from Ridgewater, he was able to maximize transferability of underclassman credits to his four-year college. He sees it as an asset that most community colleges like Ridgewater “do a really good job of keeping track of students,” helping them know what steps are next and what decisions lay ahead. It helps prevent students from feeling too overwhelmed, and yet it transitions them to act more independently.

To complement student growth on campus, Keuseman also encourages parents of community college students to treat their students at home as college students and not high school students who happen to still be at home. He has seen some who have felt a sense of disconnect when they transfer to university as a junior if they haven’t matured in their first two years of college because parents continued to pamper them rather than encourage them build their independence by doing and making decisions for themselves.

Learning how to think and how to learn, he said, is critical in getting the most out of college and out of life.

Keuseman resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he lives with his wife, Sarah.

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Customized Training Resource

for two new Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Grants Ridgewater College is proud to be the customized training resource for two new Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grants, one for Custom Roto Mold (CRM) in Benson and one for Right Way Manufacturing in Lester Prairie.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded nearly $50,000 for the CRM training and another $33,600 for Right Way. The grants will be implemented through Ridgewater’s Customized Training and Continuing Education program in Hutchinson’s Business Development Center.

CRM, which is a global rotational molder supplying custom-engineered products, will gain training for 59 workers to address workforce skills gaps in product quality, continuous improvement, and customer service.

Employees will receive advanced

training and retraining in leadership development, continuous improvement, time management, customer service, coaching and developing teams, and conflict resolution.

At Right Way, which provides manufacturing solutions for engineering, welding, assembly, fabrication, machining and finishing, all 46 workers will receive training in team building and managing change.

Additional training will be offered to targeted employees to address Lean for leadership, cell layout, dual sourcing/time slicing, set-up reduction, and quick response manufacturing.

The trainings are expected to expand Ridgewater’s ability to offer Lean training in smaller regional businesses, improve employee productivity, and enable the businesses to better meet increased customer expectations.

Ridgewater’s Customized project manager for the grants will be Pat Lang.

! u o Y s e m o c l e W

w w w .m i l l s a u t o .c o m

The trainings are expected to expand Ridgewater’s ability to offer Lean training in smaller regional businesses, improve employee productivity, and enable the businesses to better meet increased customer expectations.

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29

Foundation News Angie Harrison recently joined the Ridgewater College Foundation staff as the new “Scholarship & Events Coordinator,” filling the vacant Foundation Specialist position. Angie received her AA degree from the Legal Administrative Assistant program at Ridgewater College in 2008 and served as the Foundation Assistant through the college’s work study program from 2007 to 2008.

Angie has worked in various office capacities since 2008, gaining valuable computer and office administration skills and experience. From August to December 2011, Angie served as the temporary/interim Foundation Specialist

for the Foundation before being hired permanently. She was instrumental in administering the first session of the new Stars Online scholarship management system for students, donors, and reviewers. Angie is well-versed in the operations of the Foundation and brings to the position an excellent mix of skills, experience, knowledge and competencies. Angie and her family (husband Donnie and daughter Brenna) are relocating to Willmar this month from Benson.

Auto Savings

Here’s how you can help educate tomorrow’s mechanics and auto body technicians — and potentially save on your taxes at the same time.

Want to get a break on your taxes while helping to train the region’s future workforce at the same time? Consider donating your used car to Ridgewater’s Auto Body Collision Repair and Auto Technology programs.

While both programs feature outstanding instructors and technically advanced facilities, they also face an ongoing challenge. In short, it’s extremely difficult to find vehicles to use for hands-on training.

Now the Ridgewater College Foundation is making it easy for you to help.

Here’s how: • Contact the Foundation to set up a time to deliver your vehicle to campus.

• Determine the value of the vehicle you are donating. (According to the IRS, fair market value is “the price a willing buyer would pay and a willing seller would accept for the vehicle when neither party is compelled to buy or sell, and both parties have reasonable knowledge of relevant facts.” For more information, see www. irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4303.pdf or www.irs. gov/publications/p561/index.html).

• Bring the vehicle, title, and keys to Ridgewater.

• Complete a one-page donation form that the Foundation provides.

Tax break Within seven to 10 business days after you donate the vehicle, the Foundation will send you a letter of appreciation and receipt that contains the information required by the IRS. Because the Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the donation is a charitable contribution that can be deducted from your taxes. However, some limitations may apply and individual tax situations can vary, so you’ll also want to check with a tax professional.

For more information, contact Kelly Magnuson at (320) 222-6094 or Kelly.magnuson@ridgewater.edu

Support Your Warriors!

2012 RidgewateR College athletiCs golf touRnament Dinner, Prizes, $10,000 Hole-in-One, and Fun!

FriDay, June 8, 2012 eagle Creek gOlF COurse — Willmar 4-person Scramble 12:30 p.m. Shot Gun Start Featuring:

o see Hope t ff Too! sta & i n m alu

Dinner, $10,000 Hole-in-One Contest, Skins Game, Putting Contest, and Many On-course Contests For More Info or to Register: www.ridgewater.edu/foundation/events 320-222-6094 Registration Deadline: June 4, 2012 A Member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

Ridgewater College is an Equal Opportunities Employer/Educator.

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R I D G E W A TER M A G A Z I NE

For great careers and intern opportunities, think Rice.

Learn about careers, nurse residency programs, and healthcare internships at www.ricehospital.com.

Rice Memorial Hospital www.ricehospital.com

301 Becker Ave. SW | Willmar, MN 56201

Y ES! I would like to invest in student success. enclosed is my gift and/or pledge. please detach and mail to:

Ridgewater College Foundation, PO Box 1097, Willmar, MN 56201

Giving Information

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am giving $ ___________________________________ .

Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I give my donation as indicated below:

City: ____________________________________________________________________

Individual Organization Business

Phone: (

) ___________ – _________________________

Please send me information on: Including Ridgewater College Foundation in my estate planning Endowments and memorials

E-mail: ______________________________________________________________

I am selecting the following payment option: Check enclosed payable to Ridgewater College Foundation Please charge my gift to (please circle)

My gift is to remain anonymous (All donations will be listed in the annual report unless otherwise requested.)

State: _______________ Zip: ________________________

Visa

MasterCard

Card #: _________________________________________________ Exp Date: ______________________ Signature: _ _________________________________________________________________________________________ I am a Ridgewater College alumni (taken credit course or received degree) My spouse or I work for a company with matching gift program and have enclosed a completed form Employer Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Employee Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank You for making a difference in our college and community with your investment in the Ridgewater College Foundation.

2101 15th Avenue NW PO Box 1097 Willmar MN 56201

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