What's Happening at Ranken Technical College

2012 Commencement Breaks Records

On Saturday, May 12 Ranken held its 2012 Commencement Ceremony at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University.

This year’s graduating class was the largest in the College’s history, with more than 1,000 students eligible to graduate and approximately 600 students participating in the ceremony.

The keynote speaker for the event was Michael McMillan, Lincense Collector of the City of St. Louis. McMillan has spent more than two decades pursuing ways to advance educational opportunities to under-served students. He began creating scholarship funds while still in high school at Bishop DuBourg and continued his service as an alderman and as co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of the St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation.

McMillan gave a powerful and motivational speech on what it means to be "a Ranken grad" and that their education should not only be used as a means of support but also as a means to continually better themselves and serve others. He also surprised all in attendance by committing to a $100,000 endowed scholarship fund for students at Ranken. The College would like to thank Mr. McMillan for his time and very generous contribution.

The David Ranken, Jr. award was presented to graduating Industrial Technology student Alex Glenn. Glenn graduated with a 4.0 GPA, nearly perfect attendance for all four semesters and an "Exceeds Expectations" in work ethic in all four semesters. He is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, a recipient of the STEM and

President’s scholarships and was involved in community service activities with Ranken as well as with his church. Glenn worked as a student worker in the Buildings and Grounds department at Ranken and has now been hired as full-time general maintenance technician.

Prior to the Commencement Ceremony, the Alumni Association held an anniversary celebration to honor Ranken graduates who were celebrating their 50 year graduation anniversary.

 

Threatening Weather Doesn't Dampen Car Show Attendance

 

Photo: Student Ambassador Jeremiah Brummel (right) with racing legend Kenny Schraeder

Even the threat of severe weather couldn’t keep local car enthusiasts away from Ranken’s 9th Annual Car Show and Alumni Reunion which was held this past Sunday on campus. About 1,000 guests of all ages attended the event and over 230 vehicles registered to compete in the 19 different classes. Registrants had the opportunity to take part in the action by voting for their favorites then a "Participant’s Choice" was awarded in each class.

Many food, drink and entertainment vendors were on hand as well as local business sponsors. A couple of highlights included a visit from the Arch Rival Roller Girls and an appearance by racing legend Kenny Schrader who graciously signed autographs for racing fans.

Also during the event, the annual prize raffle was held as well as an Alumni Reunion luncheon sponsored by Schaefer Autobody Centers for all Ranken alumni. Jim Kyle, former Ranken instructor and members of the class of 1972 held their 40th class reunion and the first annual Spark Plug Challenge was held sponsored by ET Tuning. Proceeds from the 4- in 4-out spark plug timed contest benefitted the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

For additional photos, visit Ranken’s Flickr page.

Congratuations to the following participant’s who took first place in their class:

 

1. Original, 1900-1948

Ryan Brazier, Florissant, Mo., 1912 Ford Model T

 

2. Original, 1949-1965

Don Loyd, St. Louis, Mo., 1956 Chevy Belair 4-door

 

3. Original, 1966-1975

Les Schwenk, Bridgeton, Mo., 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible

 

4. Original, 1976-1995

Jason Prichard, Highland, Ill., 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra

 

5. Original, 1996-2002

Ryan Vandillen, Warrenton, Mo., 1998 Pontiac TA WS6

6. Original, 2003-present

Charles Morgan, Florissant, Mo., 2010 Chevy Camaro

 

7. Street Rod modified, 1948 and older

Jim Davis, Cedar Hill, Mo., 1933 Ford Coupe

 

8. Modified Cars, 1949-1975

Jim Dalton, O’Fallon, Mo., 1956 Chevy Bel-Air

 

9. Modified Cars, 1976-1995

Don Lopen, St. Louis, Mo., 1977 Pontiac T/A

 

10. Modified Cars, 1996-present

Jason Prichard, 2011 Mini Cooper S

 

11. Street Machine, 1949-1975

Tyler Richardson, St. Louis, Mo., 1971 Chevy Chevelle SS

 

12. Street Machine, 1976-present

Jerry Zielinski, Jr., St. Louis, Mo., 2005 Chevy Monte Carlo SS

 

13. Full Size Trucks, including 4x4s

Sharon Walsh, St. Louis, Mo., 1954 Ford F100

 

14. Mini-Trucks and SUVs

Joe Titchenal, Granite City, Ill., 1993 Dodge Dakota,  

15. Imports, 2000 and prior

Ryan Harrison, St. Louis, Mo., 1976 VW Super Scirocco

 

16. Imports, 2001-present

Jason Brassard, Fenton, Mo., 2010 VW CC

17. Sport Compacts

Frank Ramdesiri, Chesterfield, Mo., 1957 VW Bug

 

18. Under Construction

Stephen Peters, St. Louis, Mo., 1937 Pontiac Coupe

 

19. Special Interest (includes motorcycles)

Joe Marino, St. Ann, Mo., 1986 Kep Dino 246

 

Ranken Honors Its Scholarship Donors, Recipients

On Friday, March 23, Ranken’s Development office hosted a Scholarship Luncheon in the atrium of the Mary Ann Lee Technology Center. All scholarship donors and recipients were invited to attend the luncheon.

"We wanted to hold this event so that the donors could meet the recipients of their scholarship and see first-hand how their generosity is affecting lives," said Tony Pisciotta, Ranken’s director of institutional advancement

More than 125 guests attended the event which began with a welcome message from Don Pohl, Ranken’s vice president for education. The guests then enjoyed lunch and had the opportunity to hear from three students who are benefiting from scholarships; Shauna Wollmershauser from High-Performance Racing Technology, Roger Mudd from Information Technology and Abdullah Matteuzzi from HVACR. All are second-year students who will graduate in May. Each speaker took the opportunity to thank all of the donors and spoke on how the funds are helping to benefit them personally.

"Because of your contribution, I’ll leave this campus with confidence knowing I will be an asset, not just an employee," said Mudd during his remarks. Mudd talked about his personal Ranken journey which started two years ago while he was living in a homeless shelter downtown St. Louis. "With your help I have gone from a line at the soup kitchen to the line in a graduation ceremony and for that I am eternally grateful."

The program ended with remarks from Ranken’s President, Stan Shoun who once again thanked all of the donors for their contributions and their dedication to the future workforce.

"We are very excited to provide a venue in which sponsors can actually see and get to know the students that they have provided support for this past year," said Shoun. "We hope to continue this for years to come."

 

Spark Plug Challenge

Enter the Spark Plug Challenge with a friend at the upcoming Ranken Car Show on April 15th. 

Sponsored by the Alumni Council this challenge will test your skills at spark plug changing— 4 out and 4 in—the fastest time wins a prize! At the end of the day are you the fastest? Champion trophy will be given during the awards ceremony for the fastest time recorded. Singles, duos and teams are welcome. The cost per timed contest is $1 and all proceeds go toward the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

See you there!

 

Godfrey Business Owner Mike Edwards Visits Campus

Mike Edwards (1990 HVAC) spoke to 40 or more students and faculty during the February Alumni Entrepreneur Workshop on campus. Mike had much to tell 'from the heart' and first-hand experience. Students kept him even longer with questions about the HVACR field.

Mike is pictured here with Chris Brueggeman (L) depatment head and Kevin Joyce (R) HVACR faculty.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Alumni Entrepreneur Workshop please contact Kathy Fern. We are looking for graduates who own their own businesses and can relate the path of that success. The next workshop will be held on campus in September.

Ranken Support from Many

Thank you to the following donors who made a gift of $1,000 or more in support of the programs at Ranken Technical College between July 1 and December 31, 2011. We appreciate all of our donors and gifts in any size. Contributions support campus growth and success and we couldn't do it without you.

Adorjan Family Foundation
Air Masters Corporation
Ameren Missouri
American Express/Members Give
Austin Machine Inc.
BKD, LLP
Ballmann Family Foundation
Elizabeth E. & Joseph H. Bascom Charitable Foundation
Theresa Belding
bioMerieux Inc.
Bitrode Corporation
Boeing Company
Cardinal Steel Supply, Inc.
CARSTAR St. Louis Business Group
Russell E. Cayse
Chelar Tool & Die, Inc.
City of St. Louis Community Development Administration
Richard P. Conerly
Designs For Tomorrow, Inc.
Charles W. Disbrow, II
Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers
Dennis D. Dvorachek
Ehrhardt Tool & Machine Co.
Emerson
Emerson Process Management Instrument & Valve Services
Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
French Gerleman Electric Co.
Fresh Ideas Management, LLC
Nance and Alan Frost
Lou Fusz Automotive Network
GKN Aerospace Services
Edward Chase Garvey Foundation
Clifford W. Gaylord Foundation
John R. Goodall Trust
Hammerts Iron Works
HBE Corporation
Heidtman Steel
Home Builders Association
Hunter Engineering Company
Interco Charitable Trust
JM&A Group
Pamela B. Jackson and John R. Bush
Robert and Doreen Jaudes Charitable Fund
Laclede Gas Company
Lanny Lamont
Oliver Langenberg
Mary Ann Lee
Lewis Pumps
John Allan Love Charitable Foundation
MARS Motors & Armatures, Inc.
Mascal Electric, Inc.
Maverick Technologies
Midwest CMM Services
Edward L. Monser
James R. and Mary Moog
National Science Foundation
Nu Way Concrete Forms Inc.
Overhead Door Company
Patterson Mold & Tool
Pettus Foundation
J. Jeffrey Pitts
Red Bud Industries
William Rueckert, Jr.
Stan Shoun
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation
Elsie St. Cyr
Robert W. & Elizabeth Staley
Stupp Bros., Inc.
Sunnen Products Company
Albert E. Suter
The Saigh Foundation
Tomara Corporation
Tool Specialties Company
Trio Foundation of St. Louis
Tubular Steel Inc.
U.S. Department of Education
US Bank
Valent Aerostructures
W.R. Persons & Associates
Walker Precision Machinery, LLC
Joseph D. Wibbenmeyer
John M. Wolff Foundation
Jill E. Wood
John E. Wood
The Herbert A. and Adrian W. Woods Foundation

Should you wish to join this list of our many friends in the community by giving a gift to Ranken, go to our giving pages and click the donate button in the upper right. Any size gift will help programs, scholarships and general needs of the college.

Summer STEM Academy for Teachers

Ranken Technical College is offering a week-long STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) summer institute designed to showcase opportunities in advanced technology. The focus of this institute is to give teachers for grades 6 - 12, counselors and administrators a chance to explore innovative solutions in areas such as environmental sustainability, automotive performance, information technology and precision machining.

Each morning, we will experience cutting edge technologies using state-of-the-art laboratory and industrial equipment, such as Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine. Over lunch, you will have an opportunity to meet current students, professors and leaders in the business community. In the afternoon, we will work through hands-on activities that can be integrated into the classroom curriculum to broaden the students’ appreciation for a high technology career.

Regardless of your specialty, this institute will expose you to tomorrow’s technology in a format not found in a traditional classroom setting.

Instructor: Michele Perrin is a local educator and a consultant for Vernier Software & Technology, specializing in STEM education. She has over 20 years of experience teaching engineering, physics, algebra and computers at the K12 and college level, and holds Masters degrees in both electrical and civil engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology and Kansas State University. She is the co-editor of four Vernier STEM project books, an advisor to the Missouri STEM consortia, and a referee for both the FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge robotics contests.

NSF ATE Pipeline Grant Opportunity: Teachers and administrators who attend this academy will receive a stipend of $100 per day (full week attendance required), a quality instructional experience, hands-on demonstrations from Ranken faculty, and supplemental take-home materials. This 40-hour workshop may be credited toward PD hours, pending approval from the participant’s home school. Lunch will be provided.

When: Monday through Friday, June 18-22, 2012, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: Ranken Technical College, 4431 Finney Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri

For more information, contact Barbara Bragg, S.T.E.M. Pathways Development Coordinator at (314) 286-4822 or bebragg@ranken.edu

2012 District Competition Results

On Friday, February 3, Ranken hosted the District competition for SkillsUSA. Approximately 140 competitors from local high schools and community colleges as well as visiting advisors attended. Thirty-nine of the 140 competitors were Ranken students.

The College will be sending all Ranken students who finished in first or second place in their competition to the

Missouri state competition scheduled for March 29 - March 31 at Linn State. For secondary competitors who placed, Ranken awarded scholarships of $500, $1,000 and $1,500. These students can continue to earn additional scholarships if they compete and place at the State and National levels.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and placed in this year’s SkillsUSA District Competition:

Architectural Drafting
Alexander Carter	1st place
Bryan Sohn	2nd place
Meghan Krato	3rd place
Automotive Refinishing
Shawn Brummet	1st place
Katie Beck	2nd place
Clay Williams	3rd place
Automotive Service
Josh Myers	1st place
Lucas Klinkhardt	2nd place
Carpentry
Ryan Faust	1st place
Joseph Len	2nd place
Cody Ritzell	3rd place
Collision Repair
Stephen Hayn	1st place
Ben McLean	2nd place
Rodney Fitzpatrick	3rd place
HVACR
Jeffrey Thompson	1st place
Chris Duwa	2nd place
Jacob Gianino	3rd place
Precision Machining
Robert Bindrim	1st place
Nick Moutrie	3rd place

CNC Milling
Matthew Warnecke	1st place
Jared Cheatham	2nd place
CNC Turning
Aaron Farrington	1st place
Andy Schaefer	2nd place
Automated Manufacturing
Blaine Mescher, Scott Martin and Ian Wille	1st place
Ghreg Wellmaker, Nick Goris and Jeremy Franklin	3rd place
Welding
Steve Spring	1st place
Carl Shepley	3rd place
Welding Fabrication
Jeff Pope, Robert Thompson and Tyler Doerr	1st place

Women In Technology Group Gets Lesson in Personal Finance, Credit

Ranken’s Women In Technology (WIT) group hosted a luncheon on Thursday, February 9 and invited guest speakers from the Clayton branch of Bancorp South.

Angie Finks, vice president for lending, and Eric Griffith, a personal banker, both attended the event and gave a presentation on credit reporting, financial goal setting and borrowing. Griffith covered the "4 C’s of Credit" that banks look at when deciding to loan you money. These include Character (signs of stability and reliability), Collateral (backing up a loan with personal property), Capacity (the likelihood that you can repay the loan plus interest) and Credit (the amount of credit you already have.)

Both speakers answered questions from the group and also gave helpful tips on how to deal with credit and borrowing. Some of these included:

DO check your credit report once a year to make sure all information is accurate. Everyone can get a free credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.

DO NOT only pay the minimum payments month after month.

DO pay rent or mortgage payments on time every month

DO NOT open up credit cards in several different stores that offer you discounts or coupons.

DO open a credit card account, pay it off each month and remain with the company for an extended period of time. This helps your credit score

DO NOT open several credit card accounts and cancel them quickly. This shows short term credit and can affect your credit score negatively.

DO communicate with your lender if you know you are going to be late on your payment or are unable to make the payment due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

Join the Texting Trend

Prefer to text? Would you like to donate a gift via text? Donations to Ranken Technical College can now be made via your cell phone. Text RANKEN to short code 20222 to donate $10.00. You will also have to respond 'yes' to a gift confirmation text and you will receive a text confirmation of your gift within minutes. Your donation will appear on your cell provider monthly invoice which serves as your receipt. Give as many times or as many months as you would like. 

Messaging and data rates may apply. You can unsubscribe/opt out at any time during your text gifting process by texting STOP to short code 20222 or text HELP to 20222 for help.

As a donor your privacy is important to us. You may review our privacy and confidentiality policies here http://www.ranken.edu/development/giving-ranken/privacy-confidentiality.