IN THIS ISSUE Jacob Stodola’s Story College News Alumni News Where Are They Now? - Peg Boudreau Classnotes In Memoriam August 2020 | Volume 18, Number 1 Western Alum Jacob Stodola A publication for alumni & friends of Western Technical College WESTERN C O NN E C T2 Thank You, Sally! As many of you may already know, Sally Emerson retired after 13 years at Western, and more than 30 years in education! Sally was instrumental in creating and running the Western Alumni Association. Without her leadership, hard work, and dedication to building relationships and making connections, the Alumni Association wouldn’t be what it is today. We wish Sally the happiest of retirements and can’t thank her enough for everything she has done! Happy Retirement, Sally! While we can never replace Sally, Western has hired a new Alumni Relations Coordinator! Please join us in welcoming Stephanie Knutson. Hello, Western alumni! I am pleased to be here and even more excited to meet as many Western alumni as possible. I am from the La Crosse area and came to Western after six years working in Organic Valley’s marketing department. I am drawn to the mission and culture of the college. I couldn’t be more pleased to help support the mission of Every Student, Every Day! Growing up in this area and starting a family of my own, it’s apparent Western is a staple in this community. Many family members and friends have completed degrees and programs here and have only positive experiences to share. Speaking of sharing, I would love to hear from you and learn about your experiences at Western. Please feel free to email me (alumni@westerntc.edu) anytime and keep me updated on what you have been doing since Western! I look forward to hearing from you! Warmest Regards, Stephanie Knutson Alumni Relations Coordinator WesternConnect is published twice a year for alumni and friends of Western Technical College. Western Technical College President: Roger Stanford, Ph.D. Writer/Editor: Lauri Hoff ’00 | Contributing Writers: Stephanie Knutson, Casey Meehan Alumni/Foundation Manager: Stephanie Knutson Graphic Designer: Sharon Burchardt ’91, ’93 Western Technical College is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Accommodation requests, or questions and complaints about discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation should be directed to the Employment, Benefits, and EEO Manager, 608-785-9274 or TTY 608-785-9551. Welcome Stephanie! westerntc.edu/alumni Connect with us! 20-FA-0252 Sally Emerson Stephanie KnutsonOriginally from Rice Lake, Wis., Jacob Stodola has since made La Crosse his home. Stodola attended Western and graduated with a Nursing degree in 2018 and completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2020—an exciting time to be a healthcare worker! Immediately after school, he secured an impressive job at Gundersen Healthcare System. Stodola was already well-accustomed to fast-paced stress as a nurse on the Cardiopulmonary unit at Gundersen’s main campus in La Crosse. He would care for patients with cardiac disease at all phases: post-open-heart surgery, post-thoracotomy, pace-makers, pre-and post-angiography, post-cardiothoracic surgery, and those suffering congestive heart failure and COPD. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the furloughing of staff at Gundersen, Stodola decided to join the frontlines in New York—a city in desperate need of registered nurses with just such a background. Stodola was stationed at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Stodola joined the team in April at the height of the pandemic. At that time, 95 percent of Jacobi’s patients were COVID-related while having a nurse-to-patient ratio of eleven to one. Before COVID, the typical ratio was six to one. A nurse with good instincts, he hit the ground effectively and efficiently with very little hospital orientation. At this time, Jacobi was primarily staffed by travel and military nurses from all over the country. Because the intensive care units (ICU) were at max compacity, almost every unit in the hospital contained ICU-level patients. Stodola is gaining a priceless amount of experience during his time in the Bronx. He’s learning different technical and interpersonal skills while gaining strategic efficiencies employed by experienced healthcare professionals. Upon leaving the hospital after each fast-paced 13 hour shift, the din of neighborhood cheers would lift their spirits and assure them their work is essential and appreciated. As summer progresses, the hospital census, too, declines. Travel and military medical professionals are starting to return home, and it feels as though a new normal is approaching, none too soon. At the time of publishing, Stodola is still working on a cardiac step-down unit and is very happy that he chose such an essential and meaningful profession. Nursing is gratifying and exciting—a career that always offers daily challenges. Stodola plans to stay in New York through August. When he finally arrives at home, he plans to look for a permanent position in an intensive care unit in the Midwest. A true Midwest native, Stodola loves spending time outdoors hiking, running, and biking on La Crosse’s enviable trail system and topography. Keeping it in the family, he has younger twin brothers attending school in Madison, Wis. They are also planning on a medical career, perhaps because of their inspiring, smart, driven, and overall impressive older brother—the living definition of “role model” and “cool in a crisis.” Western alum travels to the pandemic epicenter 3 “I’ve encountered many deaths. This disease works very quickly. I’ve witnessed people in excellent health lose this battle.” — Jacob Stodola Jacob Stodola4 Deb Klug retired after a dedicated 42 years of service to Western. She started her employment in 1978 after receiving her Food Service Management associate degree from Western—a solid testament to the program’s quality! She was devoted to her students and inspired others to be so too, a positive ripple effect in action. During her tenure, Klug worked in every division at the college except Health and Human Services. She was the food service director and catering manager while teaching non-credit classes to food service personnel. Her absolute favorite time spent at the college has been in the Family and Consumer Sciences division under the creative and innovative dean, Sabra Ann Mumford, with herself as an essential role in a department deeply dedicated to holistic student success. The students were Klug’s primary responsibility. As an instructor, she would advise, counsel, refer, support, orient, and recruit students. As the program head, Klug kept the department focused and driven through regular team meetings, dealing with student issues, supporting adjunct instructors, budgeting, curriculum development, community involvement, and keeping communication lines open from one area to another. However, the students always came first. Teaching meant everything to Klug. Upon her departure, she offers this advice to her fellow instructors, “As teachers, we are in a unique position to make a difference in someone’s life, so you need to treat everyone with compassion and empathy. You never know what storms rage inside.” Klug patterned her teaching career on this long-remembered quote, “Fair isn’t everyone getting the same thing. Fair is everyone getting what they need to be successful.” Part of what she will miss the most is the visible moment when a student finally comprehends a difficult concept. She will always cherish the affirmation of watching College News Keep up to date on all of Western’s news at westerntc.edu/news Deb Klug will be missed her students thrive and succeed in an area they love, witnessing the pride and hope as they walk across the graduation stage, and learning of happy employers and thriving employees! Klug took the outside issues that disrupted the classroom seriously and was there to help. It was heartbreaking to witness the homelessness and hunger of students. It was a challenge to provide the right support and encouragement to students dealing with family issues, mental illness, addiction, employment, and financial problems. It was nearly impossible to keep students current in their studies when they couldn’t balance life with the rigors of college for a million valid reasons. “I was, and will always be, impressed with how Western always managed to answer the call for help,” stated Klug, who is proud to have spent her time at Western making real differences in many lives. To Klug, retirement looks like a time to enjoy thoughtful pastimes at a relaxed pace with no deadlines. Sleeping past 4:30 a.m. and enjoying literature over textbooks are first and second on the list! As far as other plans, it’s pointless to plan around a pandemic. Watching movies and cooking with her granddaughter is perfection. She allows herself six months before volunteering for community service, proving that her generosity of spirit will always be her driving force. Deb Klug, you will be missed! “No matter how well written the curriculum is, no matter how state-of-the-art the facility is, no matter how well trained you are, if you don’t care about your student’s welfare and progress, learning will not happen. Though seeing the new Foods Lab for the first time is one of my happiest memories!” — Deb Klug Deb Klug during class with one of her students5 Abdul Cole, of Sierra Leone, West Africa, is the 2020-21 Western Technical College Student Ambassador, an official spokesperson for Western and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). As Student Ambassador, Cole will have opportunities to speak to potential students, community leaders, community groups, and others, and will spotlight the important role of technical and occupational education to the economy and society. In addition, he will represent Western at the state level by working with other student ambassadors throughout the system. Cole is a Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technician program student and is the first in his family to attend college. He first heard about Western from a Wisconsin resident he met while volunteering on a medical mission ship, the African Mercy. The African Mercy travels along the Atlantic coast to provide necessary and free medical care to communities. With his friend’s parents as his sponsor, Cole spent two years obtaining a visa before travelling to La Crosse to achieve his dream of learning to repair diesel technology and equipment and earning a college degree. Cole chose Western after visiting the college’s website; he was impressed by the student-centric approach to education. Since the start of classes, he says his experience at Western has been more than he imagined. “I never believed I could make it in college. Where I’m from, many kids never get past high school.” Cole, nervous at first, is now focused, infectiously optimistic, curious, comfortable, and extremely grateful for his opportunity. Cole plans to use this opportunity to develop his leadership and speaking skills, while expressing the importance of career and technical education. “I am so grateful for Western Technical College,” said Cole. “This place has offered me so many chances to learn different cultures and backgrounds. I look forward to meeting with new people as the ambassador and sharing my story with others.” Cole intends to complete his education in 2022. Following graduation, he plans to return to Sierra Leone to start a business in the diesel field and teach others the skills he has learned at Western. We are extremely honored Cole chose to make Western his home away from home. Abdul Cole is Western’s Student Ambassador “What I see and experience at Western is that student voices matter; I know that what I say matters. Every staff member, employee, and instructor is doing their part to ensure each student succeeds—all I need to do is put in some effort! Students are at the center of the Western experience and this is proven true to me every day.” — Abdul Cole “I am extremely grateful for what I learned, and continue to learn, from Abdul.” — Nancee Nelson, Adult Education instructor at Western. Abdul Cole6 Coronavirus overshadows Cavaliers spectacular tournament win! College News Western plans for back-to-campus complexities; seeks PPE donations The Western women’s basketball team are the Division III national champions! This is the first NJCAA championship for Western Technical College in any sport. Congratulations to our very own Cavaliers! The talented and cohesive team won the 2020 championship by defeating Northland Community & Technical College 69-60 at Rock Valley Community College in Rockford, Ill. The tournament took place during the growing concerns over the novel Coronavirus. In fact, this tournament was one of the last sporting events allowed to take place in the nation, though all tournament games were closed to the public. The three-day competition was condensed to two days, with winners of the semifinal games playing the same day for the championship. It’s worth noting that the 2019 women’s team also made it to the national championship semi-finals and ended their impressive season with a third-place finish. Western Technical College developed an evolving plan for returning to campus as COVID-19 restrictions are revised according to current situations. The plan includes providing personal protection equipment (PPE) for the foreseeable future to ensure the safety of students and staff, and particularly for training essential workers in health and public safety careers. To do this, the college is in need of donations to replenish their PPE supplies. (In March, Western donated extra supplies to in-need medical facilities.) Western is calling on community partners to help with the shortage. The needed PPE items are gloves, eye protection— goggles or glasses, and cloth or reusable masks and gowns. If you have PPE to donate, please contact Western’s Emergency Operations Liaison Patti Balacek at 608-785-9201 or balacekp@ westerntc.edu.7 Chad Wehrs, proud recipient of Western’s Distinguished Alumni Award Congratulations to our 2020 Alumni Award recipient, Chad Wehrs. He is the owner of Wehrs Machine and Racing Products located in Bangor, Wis. Wehrs is a powerful voice for technical education and careers. Wehrs has long held a passion for vehicles, a tradition that runs in his family. Since childhood, he was building vehicle parts in his father’s garage. His passion continued through high school and into adulthood at Western Technical College, where he enrolled in the Machine Tooling program in 1995. Following graduation in 1997, he used his life savings to purchase equipment to design and create vehicle parts and products. He set up his business in the same building his grandfather and great uncle began the Wehrs Chevy dealership in 1935. Today, Wehrs Machine and Racing Products provides vehicle parts for racers around the world. Western welcomes John Gillette as the college’s dean of the General Studies division. Gillette brings a strong and diverse higher education background to Western. He has taught at the University of Pittsburgh, Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, and Gateway Community College in Florida before moving into administration at the New College of Florida, Henderson State University in Arkansas, and Montana State University. His most recent position comes from Pasadena City College in California as the associate dean of Learning Resources. “John brings a phenomenal wealth of experience to this position. His diverse background will help us move our student success initiatives forward in new and exciting ways. We look forward to having him, his experience, and his expertise on the Western team,” said Vice President of Academics, Kat Linaker. “I embrace cultural humility as a means to remain open to listening to others,” said Gillette. “I am committed to bringing people together to accomplish that goal. Working together, we move our institutions forward, enabling teachers and learners to thrive.” Gillette is a first-generation college student, going on to earn his bachelor’s degree in literature from the New College of Florida, a master’s degree in rhetoric and composition from New Mexico State University, a PhD in communication from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. After 23 years, his business remains strong and is recognized world-wide. As a proud Western alum, Wehrs employs several grads at his own business. He is passionate about technical education in our area and is a strong advocate for Western Technical College. Meet Western’s Dean of General Studies Chad Wehrs John Gillette8 Western Technical College’s Electromechanical Technology program lives in the manufacturing world. Students learn about systems that integrate with computers, hydraulics, and mechanical control systems. It’s a mix of theory and hands-on work that prepares students with a skillset in an increasingly technological field. Since the pandemic, educators had to swiftly convert their traditional classrooms to effective online formats. Some programs transition easier for online delivery than others. Jon Burman’s Electromechanical Technology program is challenging—the subject inherently makes an online transition something of a puzzle to be overcome. “When reality set in that this was going to be for the rest of the term, I panicked,” Berman said. “How were we going to deliver material for a hands-on course in an online format?” Creativity, adaptability, and patience have been vital attributes for all educators. Programs like Zoom and Microsoft Teams became a natural adaption to educators, with everyone settling into a new routine. But for Burman, a looming and substantial question remained—how could he deliver hands-on education in an arena where it seemed impossible? Now, the answer seems so obvious: simulation software. College leadership suggested exploring simulation software as a possible solution. It happens that Western could rely on a trusted partner to pair us with quality simulation software. Fortunately, the simulations worked correctly and were put in place quickly. For the rest of the semester, Burman lectured in front of his laptop to a group of students online, but would meet with them individually. All quizzes and tests were administered online. Students received the same lecture with all of Burman’s usual classroom rituals of jokes, banter, and genial charm. They started every class chatting about what they had been up to—very much the same as before. “There are hiccups here and there, but the students are great in their ability to work through them and offer online help during our class sessions,” said Burman. Burman is one of many instructors making the sudden transition to online. Staff across the College busily prepared students for a new normal. For the foreseeable future: math, communication, and science tutors have adjusted and are ready for virtual tutoring this fall. Assistance is always just an email or call away. Help always goes beyond the classroom. Counseling services are available for students who need to talk to someone. Western’s food pantry, the Cavalier Cupboard, offers meal packages for students who cannot afford food at this time. “Western has a great group of people who work to make sure everyone and everything is as perfect as possible,” said Burman. “The people of Western have made this transition as smooth as possible, especially considering the speed with which everything progressed.” Western’s Foundation is taking donations for the college’s student emergency fund, which supports students in unexpected financial hardship. These expenses could include dependent care, gas, medical expenses, utilities, vehicle repairs, food, and housing for students who qualify. A new and sudden normal as classrooms adapt College News To learn more about how you can help, visit: community.westerntc.edu/ studentemergencyfund These are just some of the hands-on technical classroom activities transferred to online simulations.9 Please help us out by completing our graduate follow-up survey; go to: westerntc.edu/survey **Attention 2020 graduates** The survey is short and sweet and greatly appreciated! Thank you! to all 2020 Graduates! 2020 has proven to be a year to remember in many ways! We see you Graduates! We are proud of you and everything you have accomplished! Although we have not been able to celebrate your accomplishments as we typically would, we are here to applaud your success and wish you nothing but the best! You are officially Western Technical College alumni! Don’t forget that as Western alumni, you have access to additional benefits and services. Visit westerntc.edu/alumni >Services and Benefits for details! Drive-through diplomas Saturday, July 25, made history as the most unusual graduation ceremony to date. Western hosted a special drive-through graduation to honor the academic achievements of its graduates while keeping safety top-of-mind. The celebration was as meaningful as it was unique.Next >