What's Happening at Ranken Technical College

RCDC Continues to Move Toward Building "Green"

Recognizing a need for housing in the community it serves, the College established the Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC) backed by the development expertise of SLAYCO, in April 1994. The program combines the technical skills of its students and faculty with the need for affordable housing, enhancing North St. Louis city’s neighborhoods.

The program has continued to grow and thrive over the past 17 years and the hard work of faculty, staff and students can be seen by the more than 50 new homes that have been built in the area surrounding campus. In recent years it has become an important mission of RCDC to begin to build more "green" and efficient homes. Last year the program participated in an Energy Star home inspection from Applied Science Energy Ratings (ASERusa). During the audit students were shown areas that needed improvement, then they went back and made improvements in insulation and caulking. After the final inspection done in May, the home was given an Energy Star Home rating.

The program has also started using advanced framing techniques that involve two-foot framing centers, which minimizes material usage and waste. On one of the homes being built this semester, RCDC used a product called Superior walls system which are precast concrete walls made with steel rebar, making them stronger than traditional foundations. The walls, which come pre-insulated and include features like built-in accesses for wiring and small plumbing, stud facing for easy drywall installation and custom openings for windows and doors, are more energy efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly. RCDC has also started using the ZIP System roof sheathing and wall sheathing which are structural panels with built-in protective overlays that eliminate the need for housewrap or felt forever. Siding and roof covering can be installed directly on top of the panels.

"We continue to look for new ways to build homes more efficiently," said Jeff Bosick, carpentry instructor. "A lot of these new techniques save us money while building and definitely save the homeowner money in the long run." Studies have shown that homeowners with more energy efficient homes enjoy energy bills that are approximately 30% less than average homes.

"Finding ways to build homes using more energy efficient building techniques is the right thing to do," said John Wood, vice president for student success. "Beyond that though it’s also a great learning tool for our students who will be able to go out into the work force with this knowledge and potentially teach their employer and colleagues these new building techniques."

 

 

Sisson Participates in Fishing For Freedom Event

 

Fishing for Freedom is a chance to celebrate the freedoms we love with those who provided and sacrificed more than most will ever understand. This event pairs "wounded warriors" with volunteer boaters for a day of tournament bass fishing. The hope is that a day on the water will help our returning service members escape the hardships of their wounds and numerous combat deployments to begin the process of readjusting back to everyday life.

Larry Sisson, ESDT instructor has taken part in this event for the past few years. "I know this event is intended to give something back to the injured soldiers who participate but it really gives something to me as well," said Sisson. "It is such an amazing feeling to spend the day on the water getting to know a soldier and knowing that you are taking part in his or her healing process."

The event was held on Truman Lake in Missouri. It was made possible by volunteers and paid for by local and corporate sponsors as well as private donations. All warrior participants received a pack of tackle donated by sponsors. Below is a letter from the wounded warrior who was paired with Sisson for the event:

"I would first of all like to thank you for giving me some of my life back. I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed myself and was at peace. The weekend of September 18-19 was my first escape from my nightmares and also the first time in a very long time that I felt I could take my guard down and be myself.... We had the best time of our lives. We did not catch anything but "smallies" but yet I got the best therapy I have ever gotten since June 2008 when I came back from Iraq. Due to my PTSD I do not do very many things with complete strangers but now I have a true friend.

"You don’t understand just how much it meant to me...and I gratefully thank you and can’t show you my gratitude because it is too large. You showed me there are TRUE HEROS still in this world. This is how I see you now. This was one giant leap for my recovery and that is what we were there to do.

Our sole purpose of the wounded warrior program is to heal and that is exactly what you helped me do. Thank you for the opportunity to go to this very special event and being there as a friend instead of a tournament partner. Hanging out with you put me at ease and I have learned to take that ease and use it for everyday life. That is something a doctor cannot teach or put in a bottle. I sincerely thank you for being you and showing me I have it in myself to get better and being there to just show me a good time fishing which I enjoyed more then I can put into words.

"I participate in this event because I know what these guys are going through," said Sisson. "I have been out for so long that most of the PTSD symptoms for me are gone but these guys are just starting on their journey. If I can do something I enjoy like fishing while also helping someone else, why wouldn’t I do it?"

"Veterans day is right around the corner so take a few minutes to think about the ongoing sacrifice each military member and their families give so we may all enjoy the everyday freedoms we take for granted. As a retired veteran I would challenge you to get involved because you can make a difference in the lives of our returning veterans."

Sincerely, A Grateful Warrior"

IT Instructor Using YouTube to Teach More Effectively

In today’s world, education and technology are constantly changing. In order to keep up and stay ahead of the curve, teachers are trying to find innovative ways to teach their students more effectively. One Ranken Information Technology (IT) instructor has done just that. Ashley Reddick who teaches the Operating System (OS) classes, is now using YouTube to upload videos that his students can use to practice what they have learned in class.

"With more people expanding their education and returning to school, our classes are really full," said Reddick. "It was becoming difficult to make sure I was giving all of the students the time they needed and answering all of their questions."

Students can now go to Reddick’s youtube page (www.youtube.com/user/Arreddick?blend=8&ob=5#p/u) to watch videos that walk them through lessons that have been covered in class.

"It helps students keep pace with the class at their own speed and it helps me focus more on the students who may be struggling in the class," said Reddick. "Not all people learn the same way. Some are kinesthetic learners, auditory learners, visual learners and some hybrids in the mix. As teachers we need to try our best to meet the needs of not just one type but all of them and I really think these videos do that."

Reddick graduated from Ranken’s IT program in 2008 and has been an instructor at the College for about two years. He and his wife have set up a scholarship fund called the Ashley and Destiny Reddick Scholarship which is a $1,500 scholarship awarded to a new IT student each year.

 

Ranken Announces New $900,000 Pipeline Grant

Photo: Robbyn Wahby from the Mayor's office spoke at a press conference last Friday. Stan Shoun also presented her with two $2,500 scholarships to be awarded to St. Louis students.

 

 

 

Addressing the need for a steady pipeline of highly-trained technical employees in our region, Ranken announced today that it is the recipient of a $900,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, aimed at creating a "pipeline" of students ready for, and interested in, technical careers. This grant combines with the College’s new $1 million scholarship fund, which will be used to ensure St. Louis city students have access to an education at the College.

"There is a significant need for highly-skilled technical workers in this region," said Ranken president, Stan Shoun. "We have to make sure that we are graduating enough students with the right skills to meet the needs of employers." In order to do that, Shoun says the school has to do three key things. "We have to provide a great technical education, we have to make sure that education remains accessible to all types of students, and we also have to get these kids interested in a technical career at a young age. This grant and scholarship fund will help students learn more about the lucrative, secure careers that are available."

The NSF grant is designed to foster partnerships with local businesses, school districts and other non-profit agencies, to provide activities and training for students from middle-school to college-age, as well as engaging their teachers, counselors and potential employers. Activities will include camps and classes for students, internship opportunities at both the high-school and college level, and micro-enterprises hosted on Ranken’s campus, to give students vital hands-on experience as they work toward their degrees.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for us to take what we do best— highly-skilled technical education—out into the community, offering a new opportunity to students who might not have been able to access this type of training before, or even known they had the aptitude for it," said Ed Monser, Chairman of Ranken’s Board of Trustees and President and Chief Operating Officer of Emerson.

"This type of workforce development effort is going to be absolutely vital to sustaining and growing the St. Louis economy."

Ranken has partnered with the St. Louis Public School System in the past, and this grant will continue that partnership, offering dual-enrollment opportunities for students to earn college credit while still in high school. The College is also open to the possibility of partnering with other local agencies and businesses in order to carry out some of the planned activities.

The new $1 million scholarship fund is need-based, and will focus on students from St. Louis City and the surrounding area. Scholarships are already being awarded from that fund. The three-year NSF grant was awarded in September, and the College is already busy planning this year’s grant-related activities. On Friday, September 30, Ranken hosted a group of local high school teachers and counselors, for a workshop highlighting the school’s various educational offerings and programs.

On Friday, October 14, Ranken held a press conference on campus to announce the new grant. Robbyn Wahby, executive assistant to the Mayor, spoke on behalf of Mayor Slay. The Mayor was unable to attend the press conference due to the recent death of his mother. Stan Shoun also presented Wahby with two $2,500 scholarships to offer to St. Louis students.

Recent Scholarships Awarded

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Martin, a second year Precision Machining student who was recently presented with a $5,000 scholarship from the St. Louis chapter of National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). Martin is from St. Charles, Mo. and graduated from Francis Howell High School.  

 

 

 
 
Shauna Wollmershauser,a second-year Automotive Maintenance student was recently awarded The Arnie Knepper Memorial Scholarship. This $500 scholarship is presented annually to a student in the Automotive division at Ranken who takes a particular interest in racing. It recognizes the winning student’s commitment to the motorsports industry and is based on grades, teacher recommendations and two essay questions. Wollmershauser is from St. Louis, Mo. and graduated from Cleveland Navy Junior ROTC High School. Last year she was the official photographer for Ranken’s Annual Car Show and recently had one of her photos published in Hot Rod Magazine.  

Career Services Hosts Resume & Interviewing Workshop

 
Last week the Career Services office sponsored the first in a series of Resume Writing & Interviewing Workshops which are held throughout the school year. These workshops are open to current day and night school students as well as past graduates. These workshops are intended to give students tips on a successful job search and to prepare them for the upcoming job fair on November 2.

Local companies are invited to campus to give these workshops and the first event was presented by Erin Coble from Basler Electric, a privately-held corporation with worldwide headquarters in Highland, Illinois. During the workshop, Coble reviewed the "do’s and don’ts" of interviewing and gave students tips on information that employers look for on a resume. She also had the students participate in a mock interview session and answered questions from the attendees.

"These workshops are a great opportunity for our students as well as the companies that are excited to get their name out to our future graduates," said Janie Summers, director of Careeer Services.

Upcoming workshops scheduled are as follows:

Friday, October 7 at 12:10 p.m. and 1:10 p.m. presented by U.S Steel

 

Wednesday, October 19 at 8:10 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. presented by Savvis Center

 

Brueggeman Receives Gift of Appreciation from ASHRAE

Photo: Chris Brueggeman, HVACR department chair (left) receives a certificate of appreciation and checks from ASHRAE representative and HVACR alumnus, Eric Rogers.

 
Most people may not even realize that Ranken has a student chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) on campus, but for the past few years HVACR Department Chair, Chris Brueggeman has been working diligently to get the chapter off the ground and running.

On Wednesday, September 28 a representative from the St. Louis chapter visited campus to help recruit HVACR students into the chapter and to present Brueggeman with a gift of appreciation and funds to support the on-campus chapter.

Eric Rogers, who represented ASHRAE at the meeting, is a 1990 graduate of Ranken’s HVACR program and is currently a mechanical engineer with McClure Engineering in St. Louis.

"We are really appreciative of what Chris has done to promote the student chapter here on campus," said Rogers. "Over the past couple of years he has invested a lot of his own time and money into getting this chapter started at Ranken. We just wanted to give him a small token of our appreciation and to show that we plan to continue to support this chapter."

"This is a great opportunity for our students," said Brueggeman. "Becoming a member of ASHRAE opens a lot of doors for them in their future careers. It gives them access to the newest technologies and the opportunity to network with individuals currently in industry."

 

Automotive Hosts Conference for Local Teachers

 
On October 6-7, Ranken hosted the 72^th semi-annual Illinois College Automotive Instructors Association Conference (ICAIA). The first day of the conference began with a trade show where more than 30 vendors from industry set up and displayed their products. By 8:30 a.m. more than 120 automotive instructors had made their way through the trade show.

Conference attendees included 143 automotive instructors from Missouri and Illinois, many were from the Chicago region. Technical presentations took place throughout the day and presenters included representatives from GM, Ford, Hunter Engineering, Snap On , and 3M. Lunch was served to 220 people in the atrium of the Mary Ann Lee Technology Center.

On Thursday evening, a banquet was held at the Pear Tree Inn and 135 people were in attendance. Jim Halderman was the guest speaker and gave an excellent presentation on the emerging technologies in the automotive industry. Two $950 scholarships were awarded to Ranken students. Lucas Klinkhardt from AMT and Steven Hayn from ACR received the scholarships. The scholarship money was donated from ICAIA, Mac Tools, Keystone and ATI.

The second day of the conference continued with technical presentations from Ranken instructors, Omar Trinidad from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale , Tom Freels from Sinclair Community College, a representative from Snap On and a representative from 3M, just to name a few. Many positive comments were made by attendees on Ranken’s facilities and overall everyone seemed very impressed on what the College has to offer.

 

TRiO Hosts Stepping Stones to Success Event

 
On Wednesday September 28th TRiO SSS presented their Stepping Stones to Success event. The event took place on the Finney Lawn and students were host to an inflatable obstacle course, brain teasers and campus resource booths. The Stepping Stones to Success event serves as a catalyst for students to participate; learning how to overcome and press through challenges which may stand in their way during their academic and professional careers. To participate in the obstacle course, students were instructed to race one another through the course, however, 1 student would have a delayed start time. The student with the delayed start time was instructed to still attempt to win the race. Although possible, the students found they had to work harder and push themselves further to win the race even though they were at an obvious disadvantage. Afterward it was explained to them that the same principle applies in class. If they begin falling behind they have to work harder, improve their study habits, and push themselves in order to be successful. In addition, they practiced their critical thinking skills through completing brain teasers and perused different department booths to learn about other services offered to them on campus. TRiO SSS would like to thank the following persons and departments for volunteering their time to aid in making this event a success: Roy Gilespie, Ben Wohldmann, the SAC, the Library, Counseling office, Career Services, the Student Ambassador program, Housing, and SGA.

Ranken Alumnus Returns to Campus After 68 Years

 
Ranken alumnus, Rolf Mitchel recently decided to celebrate this 87^th birthday by coming back to campus. Mitchel is currently living in Las Cruces, New Mexico and hasn’t been back since graduating in 1943 from Patternmaking.

Mitchel was treated with a tour of a very different Ranken campus which he really enjoyed. He also received an official transcript from President Stan Shoun, a birthday cake from Alumni Relations, and a big happy birthday welcome from Precision Machining Technology. After returning home to New Mexico, Mitchel too the time to write the below thank you letter to Kathy Fern:

 

"Dear Kathy

I have, now, returned home after a very memorable and satisfying visit to St. Louis. I had the opportunity to meet a relative and several friends that I had not seen in many years and meet relatives and friends I had never met before. That made it a very rewarding experience for me. One of those memorable times was meeting and getting acquainted with you. It was a visit I shall never forget because of the marvelous reception I received from those newly found friends and relatives. You did a marvelous job planning the tour of Ranken College and I, particularly, enjoyed the special birthday luncheon you had arranged. You must have put out an APB about my visit because everywhere we went, people were aware of the significance of the day. And, our son was fascinated with the program that has been established at the College. He joins me is sending his thanks as well.

I want to thank you for being among those wonderful people who made this visit such a memorable occasion. It was a pleasure to meet you and converse with you and spend some time in your presence. Thank you for those special moments.

I send my very best regards.

Rolf"