The Fall 2016 TMCC Veterans Job and Resource Fair took place in November, hosting 67 employers and resource agencies.
See Also: November Good News at TMCC (Part One)
Veterans Job and Resource Fair
A community Veterans Job and Resource Fair took place at Truckee Meadows Community College on Nov. 4, and was open to all local veterans, their spouses, and student veterans at other colleges.
The V. James Eardley Student Center was filled end-to-end with multicolored booths of 67 companies and resource agencies. Employers represented a wide variety of fields including: retail, banking, logistics, manufacturing, education, law enforcement, state government and nonprofit organizations. Large employers such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and United States Forest Service (USFS) were represented.
“There was a wide range of businesses, local and international,” said Kelly Persich, U.S. Marine Corps veteran student. “I’m in the logistics program, earning my associate degree in December and will start the Bachelor of Applied Science in January. I interviewed with Valeo, an international auto parts manufacturer. They’re in the region partnering with Tesla at the new Gigafactory. In March or April, they’re looking to start hiring people to coordinate logistics and shipping from Valeo suppliers to the Gigafactory warehouse.”
This is the third Veterans Job and Resource Fair, with 52 companies and community resource organizations at last year’s Fall event and 62 in Spring 2016. About 80 veterans attended this Fall’s Nov. 4 event, chatting with the employers, handing out resumes and meeting representatives of the veteran-centered resource agencies.
Student Highlights: Meet Two Veteran Students
Campus Community Conversations is a monthly free lunch and discussion event for students and staff at TMCC, sponsored by the Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability Office. For the Nov. 2 event, Veterans were celebrated in honor of Veterans Day.
Two student veterans, Gunnar Annis and Jesse Bates, sat on the four-person panel, speaking with and answering questions from about 20 members of the campus community. Zack Totans, TMCC Veterans Coordinator moderated the discussion and Paul Stockton, Navy veteran and Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (V.I.T.A.L.) staff member also participated.
The students addressed the uniqueness of veteran scholars and also talked about stereotypes. Gunnar Annis grew up in California, is a U.S. Army veteran and is studying psychology at TMCC. He plans on transferring to the University of Nevada, Reno.
“A big difference for me is that veterans are usually a little bit older and it puts up a barrier when you want to talk to younger students,” he said. “You can’t let that get in the way and so you’ve got to get out there and communicate with each other.”
Jesse Bates completed his tour with the U.S. Marine Corps in 2012 and is a business major at TMCC, working toward his associate degree.
“Sometimes we face stereotypes that we’re crazy guys, but in fact most veterans don’t come back with post-traumatic stress—the vast majority are simply trying to work on their education,” he said. “We try to portray ourselves as proactive and giving back to the community.”
He added that there has been a vast improvement of services for veterans since 2012. Stockton agreed.
“This is the best Veterans Resource Center in the country,” he said.
TMCC Named Military Friendly College
TMCC has been named as a 2017 Military Friendly® School. The designation was awarded by Victory Media, publisher of “G.I. Jobs®" and “Military Spouse”.
Each year, the list of Military Friendly Schools is provided to service members and their families, in order to help them select the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from Victory Media’s proprietary survey. More than 1,700 schools participated in the 2017 survey; 1,273 were awarded with the designation.
Ratings methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Victory Media with feedback from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the college’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet baselines for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically for student veterans.
TMCC will be showcased along with other 2017 Military Friendly Schools in the annual “Guide to Military Friendly Schools,” special education issues of “G.I. Jobs” and “Military Spouse” magazine, and on MilitaryFriendly.com. The organization will announce on Dec. 8 the Top 10, and three awards in each category.
Visual and Performing Arts Program Named To Top 50
The Community for Accredited Online Schools has released its rankings for best art schools in 2016-2017, listing TMCC as one of the top 50 two-year college art programs in the nation. TMCC Visual and Performing Arts placed as number 17 in the U.S.
“We are pleased to announce that Truckee Meadows Community College has been named one of the best art schools in the United States,” wrote Angela Hanners, Communications Director for the Community for Accredited Online Schools in an email to TMCC.
Fine arts included for the rankings are fashion design, music production and visual and performing arts. Schools were weighed based on factors such as cost, financial aid, class size, program count and graduation rates.
“I would agree with it—the teachers are always there for you, the classes are small and there’s plenty of time for them to give you feedback,” said Bailee Banta, portfolio emphasis student. “You get one-on-one time whenever you need it.”
Fellow art student Teresa Flammia agrees.
“They give you feedback, guidance and they’re patient,” she said. “I feel like that about all the teachers in the College in all the departments.”
Portfolio emphasis student Breanna Inga also agreed, and added that faculty introduce the young artists to art organizations and resources locally, helping them to get a brush in the gallery door.
“The teachers always make you know that you’re welcome to come in and talk with them,” she said. “Art teachers help us network with others in the art community—which galleries you can volunteer at, and where to find connections to mentors,” she said.
Full ranking list and judge's criteria can be found on AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org. Schools were evaluated in 12 categories including cost, student support and services, placement and other measures. Colleges making the list must be accredited and be public or private nonprofit institutions.
“The classroom atmosphere in TMCC’s Art Program is a mix of aspiring career-driven artists and casual artists studying art as a hobby or for self-improvement,” according to AccreditedSchoolsOnline. “For degree-seeking students TMCC offers Associate in Arts degree in fine arts, among other concentrations, that is developed for a studio art career. Students learn history and communication in art while chiseling their artistic talent into a fine skill set.”
For more information about studying Visual and Performing Arts at TMCC, call 775-673-7291.
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