ΒιΆΉΣ³» College to host Discover ΒιΆΉΣ³» for new students
ΒιΆΉΣ³» will host Discover ΒιΆΉΣ³», an informational event for new students and their families. Discover ΒιΆΉΣ³» is from 11 am-3 pm Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at the College.
Read MoreFrom setting up medical equipment to educating patients about their illness to providing emergency care, nurses do it all. They are on the frontline of patient care, and Janetta Martina β a 2019 graduate of ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs Nursing Program β has been using her education to help the community.
Janetta decided to attend ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs nursing program after being laid off from a previous role. She had always wanted to be a nurse, and ΒιΆΉΣ³» turned out to be the best choice at the right time.
βLittle did I know how ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs nursing program was going to prepare me for the career ride of my life,β Janetta said.
Following graduation in December of 2019, Janetta passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in January and began working in the nursing field by February.
βI had never landed a job so fast after graduating from college. With my previous degree, it took me over a year to find a job,β Janetta said.
Janetta spent her first one-and-a-half years in a medical/surgical/pediatrics unit at a community hospital. By the fall of 2021, a recruiter from a travel agency sought out Janetta after discovering her resume online. The recruiter offered her an opportunity as a local travel nurse, and Janetta began working βpro re nataβ β as needed β in her hospital role and started full-time as a local travel nurse. Additionally, her employer has encouraged Janetta to apply for a nurse educator position at the hospital.
βI honestly never realized how obtaining my nursing degree was going to allow me to have so many career choices,β Janetta said. βIβm still on my first assignment and have learned so much.β
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical field faced nursing shortages due to factors such as economic downturns, waves of retiring nurses, and increased health care demand, according to the American Nurses Association. As the pandemic hit in March 2020, nurses β who represent the largest group of health care professionals in the country β were already under strain. During the pandemic, demand for registered nurses surged.
βMy family and I are thriving now largely due to my decision to attend ΒιΆΉΣ³» for nursing and also the high demand for nurses,β Janetta said.
Nursing roles range from direct patient care and case management to establishing nursing practice standards, developing quality assurance procedures, and directing complex nursing care systems.
βIβm in the middle of my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program, but the fact that I first obtained my RN (Registered Nursing) degree from ΒιΆΉΣ³» has not held me back one bit,β Janetta said. βItβs true that a BSN is the βgold standardβ these days, but if a person is looking for a quality nursing education that wonβt break the bank, then ΒιΆΉΣ³» just might be the school for them.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³» students get hands-on training in modern classrooms, nursing labs and a high-fidelity simulation lab, which mimics real-world experiences. The College holds clinicals at regional health care facilities, such as Northwestern Medicine Group, allowing students to practice their skills while working with real patients.
βAttending ΒιΆΉΣ³» for my RN degree has been the best educational and career decision of my entire life. ΒιΆΉΣ³» provided a sound nursing education at a price I could afford,β Janetta said. βIβve also made what I think will be some lifelong friends because we all worked so hard together to get through ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs demanding nursing program.β
Though the profession can be challenging, nursing offers the opportunity to help people live longer, healthier lives.
βI think the best part about it is that even though my job is difficult at times, I truly enjoy being an RN,β Janetta said.
For more stories of ΒιΆΉΣ³» alumni, visit . For more information on ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs Nursing program, visit .
Two paramedics for the DeKalb Fire Department are using their training and education to make an impact at the local level. Jackson Marbutt and Sarah Faivre, both 2019 graduates of ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs Emergency Medical Services program, were recently hired to work at DeKalb Fire Station 1.
At ΒιΆΉΣ³», Marbutt and Faivre said they learned the critical skills needed for their job through a program that provides hands-on, real-world training.
βYou canβt teach experience out of a book,β Faivre said.
ΒιΆΉΣ³» students practice critical skills through clinical rotations at various local stations within the Northwestern Medicine ΒιΆΉΣ³»waukee Hospital EMS system. During the clinicals, students learn life-saving practices like CPR, administering oxygen, glucose or medication, patient resuscitation, and advanced airway management. Both Faivre and Marbutt said learning these skills through local professionals helped guide their post-graduation career choice.
βΒιΆΉΣ³»βs EMS program allowed me to develop, network and build friendships within the community,β Marbutt said.
βThe program made me want to stay in the community,β Faivre added.
The new paramedics will join a department that dates back to 1869. DeKalb Fire Department provides service to the community from three fire stations, and employees are highly skilled professionals who practice teamwork and communication during critical situations.
βThe Emergency Medical Services program at ΒιΆΉΣ³» gives its students a high-level and real-world education and provides the workforce with an individual who is ready to engage,β said Jeff McMaster, DeKalb Fire Chief. βThe DeKalb Fire Department has grown to appreciate people, like Jackson and Sarah, who come into our organization prepared to contribute and serve the community.β
Paramedics receive licensing on the state and federal level, and ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs EMS program prepares students to pass the certification examinations. As licensed paramedics, Faivre and Marbutt are recognized providers of life saving skills, such as advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and pre-hospital trauma life support.
βI felt confident to take the national exam. Instructor Sue Lencioni prepared us for the written and hands-on part of the exam,β Marbutt said.
ΒιΆΉΣ³» offers multiple degree or certificate opportunities in the EMS program. Students can earn an EMT certificate in one semester. The more advanced paramedic certificate is a one-year program. Students also have the option of obtaining a Paramedic Associate in Applied Science degree over two years.
For more information on ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs EMS program, visit .
For more stories of ΒιΆΉΣ³» alumni, visit .
With skilled welders in high demand, ΒιΆΉΣ³» is helping meet the needs of the local workforce. Cresswood Shredding Machinery of Cortland is one local company benefitting from building a relationship with the College.
"In today's super-competitive labor environment where finding qualified skilled welders is such a struggle, I simply don't know what I would do without our relationship with instructor Zachery Caccia at ΒιΆΉΣ³»,β said Ryan Butzman, President of Cresswood.
Cresswood currently employs four ΒιΆΉΣ³» graduates from the Welding Technology program. The family-owned company designs, builds and installs industrial shredders for paper, plastic, pallets and wood nationwide. Butzman said the welding students from ΒιΆΉΣ³» have the right skillset and attitude from the day they are hired.
βWe've been very blessed with finding our next generation of manufacturing talent from the pool of students who have passed through the Welding Technology Program. These young workers are securing Cresswood Shredding Machinery's future, and I feel like it's in very good hands," he said.
At ΒιΆΉΣ³», students study relevant disciplines through hands-on training. Oxy-fuel cutting, brazing, welding and various forms of arc welding are part of the curriculum. Students work with mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum to prepare for what they might experience in their careers.
βThe welding program at ΒιΆΉΣ³» not only teaches you the fundamentals of welding but sets you up for success in the field,β said Moises Pizano, a ΒιΆΉΣ³» welding student. βWith efforts from the instructors, it creates so many career opportunities.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³» offers small class sizes and a fully-equipped lab for its students. Instructors and industry professionals tailor the curriculum to current workforce standards and help provide employment services to students. ΒιΆΉΣ³» students can earn a Basic Welding Certificate in one year or an Advanced Welding Certificate in two. Both certificates are also a path to earning an Associate in Applied Science degree in Technology and Manufacturing.
Welding is an essential skill in most manufacturing fields, with the demand for qualified welders growing at a steady pace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To learn more about ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs welding program, visit . For more stories of ΒιΆΉΣ³» alumni, visit .
Keep calm and transfer on. ΒιΆΉΣ³» graduate and former Student Trustee Dakota Montavon is now a Northern Illinois University student who established and runs a journaling website. He graduated from ΒιΆΉΣ³» in 2020 with an Associate in Science degree and transferred to NIU to study Business Management.
βI felt heard, seen and encouraged at ΒιΆΉΣ³». I was able to understand myself better with the close connectivity to the community atmosphere. The TRIO program supported my educational journey, and all the faculty were eager to help,β Montavon said.
More than half of ΒιΆΉΣ³» students complete their program or transfer to a four-year institution within three years, according to data from the ΒιΆΉΣ³» Annual Data Book. With a student-to-faculty ratio of about 13:1, students can expect more personal attention and one-on-one time with instructors. Additionally, ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded program, offers a variety of resources and services to help participants overcome barriers and have a successful college experience.
βI wouldnβt be where I am today without ΒιΆΉΣ³». The Student Trustee experience at ΒιΆΉΣ³» gave me a humbling and eye-opening understanding of business management,β Montavon said.
The Student Trustee represents students on the Collegeβs Board of Trustees, where they attend meetings each month and offer an advisory vote on all action items. Montavonβs familiarity with College leadership helped lead his education in a new direction.
"I can exactly remember this moment β I was leaving ΒιΆΉΣ³» and Dr. (Michelle) Rothmeyer said, βHave you ever thought about business management?β That phrase made me consider another path. I think of that second being the turning point of my educational track. I would not be in the business field if it wasn't for Dr. Rothmeyer challenging me to think about the possibilities of business management,β Montavon said.
After graduation, Montavon took time and expanded on the ideas of how to help others. He found his solution in February 2021 when he started developing his own business β Sprout β a journaling community. Following months of building a business plan, purchasing a domain, establishing branding, and setting up a website and social media accounts, Sprout was launched on Sept. 1, 2021.
βI was not surprised when Dakota reached out to tell me he started his own blog called Sprout and decided to pursue a bachelorβs degree in business management. He is very organized in his thinking and an individual that really wants to make an impact on the daily lives of others. I believe that with his degree in business management and the life skills that Dakota has gained, his future will be whatever he wants it to be,β said Dr. Rothmeyer, Vice President of Student Services at ΒιΆΉΣ³».
Sprout has expanded with weekly podcasts on Mondays, challenging the audience to ask self-questions such as, βHow can I lead a fulfilling life?β There is also a YouTube channel asking those same questions. Montavon explained he wants the viewers to feel invited and welcomed as soon as they get to the webpage β like a sense of community and connection.
For more stories of ΒιΆΉΣ³» alumni, visit kish.edu/alumni. For more information on Sprout, visit
Two ΒιΆΉΣ³» alumnae are putting their horticulture skills to use as team members of the Sycamore Hy-Vee floral department. Diane Gittleson, a 1979 graduate, and Melissa Findlay, a 2016 graduate, both completed the horticulture program at ΒιΆΉΣ³» and now design arrangements at Hy-Vee.
βAs a community college, ΒιΆΉΣ³» offers a great steppingstone and an easy process to the workforce, especially within the community,β Findlay said.
Both Findlay and Gittleson highlighted the hands-on training they received at ΒιΆΉΣ³» as integral to their careers. Gittleson said many of the landscaping efforts her class made on campus β like trees and flower beds β are still visible today. Between ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs sprawling 120-acre campus, greenhouse, and athletic facilities, the College offers many real-world learning experiences for its horticulture students.
βI loved my experience at ΒιΆΉΣ³»,β Gittleson said. βThey have such a strong, developed horticulture program. The small class size allowed me to have great friendships that still thrive today.β
As a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers, ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs program allowed Findlay and Gittleson to travel on field trips to states like Missouri, Michigan, Colorado, and California. Gittleson said she competed in student competitions for floral design, which helped give her confidence in her future career.
Findlay and Gittleson both believe these experiences at ΒιΆΉΣ³» have benefited and challenged their skills as floral designers. At Hy-Vee, they provide floral arrangements for any occasion and share their expertise and recommendations if customers arenβt sure of what to get. As florists, they design and create arrangements of flowers in wreaths, bouquets, vases and centerpiece elements.
In addition to arranging flowers, Findlay and Gittleson are also responsible for their care. They must be proficient in all aspects of plant care and maintain a variety of species in the flower, foliage, herb and ornamental grass families.
ΒιΆΉΣ³» offers many opportunities for students looking for careers related to plants and landscaping. With certificates available in floral horticulture, greenhouse/garden center, landscape design and sustainable horticulture, students can build many skills needed for a career. They can also stack all these certificates to earn an Associate in Applied Science degree. ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs new Cannabis and Hemp Cultivation certificate also offers students an opportunity to train for Illinoisβ booming recreational cannabis industry.
Overall, the outlook for βgreen jobsβ has a strong future, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting strong growth for careers associated with plants and landscaping over the next decade. Horticulture specialists can work as landscape contractors, park naturalists, nurserymen, city foresters, groundskeepers, retail or wholesale florists, landscape designers, turf specialists, golf course superintendents, greenhouse managers, horticultural journalists, garden center managers and more.
For more stories of ΒιΆΉΣ³» alumni, visit kish.edu/alumni. For more information on ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs Horticulture program, visit kish.edu/horticulture.
ΒιΆΉΣ³» will host Discover ΒιΆΉΣ³», an informational event for new students and their families. Discover ΒιΆΉΣ³» is from 11 am-3 pm Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at the College.
Read MoreThe ΒιΆΉΣ³» Foundation awarded $99,978 in program enhancement funds to ΒιΆΉΣ³» departments for the 2024-2025 academic year. The Foundation has various program enhancement funds established by the generosity of donors for specific purposes.
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