Since 1970, Marion Technical College (MTC) has opened its doors to more than 40,000 local students. College can be an intimidating place, but MTC offers an accessible, supportive, and personal education to students from all walks of life. Inside its classrooms are high school students earning free college credit and working parents finding flexible options. The students appreciate the small class sizes, hands-on learning, and affordability.
More than 2,500 students currently attend MTC; half are from Marion County. The average age for a Marion Tech student is 27. Graduates range from high school students to grandparents. Many are first generation college students, which means they are the first in their families to attend college.
Marion Technical College alumni are across our community and beyond making a difference, from local health care to government to business. Here are just a few that are helping to improve our community every day.
Marion native John Metcalf started at MTC while he was working full-time and looking for skills to advance his career. Metcalf enjoyed the small class sizes. “Professors cared if you were there,” Metcalf recalls. From MTC, Metcalf continued growing in his career and education and is now President and CEO of Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative.
Alumna Amy Bush-Marone was a local salutatorian with a passion for nursing and found MTC’s program was right for her. Bush graduated from MTC in 1995 and is now a Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Operating Officer of West Virginia Medicine Children’s Hospital.
Other MTC graduates have started small businesses in our community. Jean Obenour used her degree from MTC to start Custom Professional Accounting in 1992. When Obenour started at MTC, she was a working mother. She took one class at a time for six years until she could walk across that graduation stage. “I was the oldest one in my class. I wanted my dad to be proud of me. It was my starting point,” Obenour shared.
Dr. Vicky Wood graduated from MTC in 1985. She was hired at MTC as an administrative assistant. Wood continued her education, and worked her way up to Chief Academic Officer and Provost at MTC before accepting the job as president of Washington State Community College. While here, she helped other MTC students along the way by starting the ASAP Accelerated Business Management Program, which offers one-night-a-week classes. Wood also oversaw the successful growth of the College Credit Plus program at MTC, in which about 1,000 high school students from across the region earn college credit at no cost to them or their families. To help high school students achieve a certificate or associate’s degree by the time they left high school, she created the Graduate Pathways to Success program in partnership with Marion Harding High School. Due to its success, it is being expanded to other local schools.
Cindy Hartman graduated from MTC in 1977. She returned to MTC to bring her experience to shape new nursing students as a faculty member and now as director of nursing technologies. “Cindy is a very hard worker and is devoted to the field of nursing and teaching in particular. I find her to have a servant’s heart. She is an excellent role model,” said Eileen Vorst, a faculty member.
These are just a few of the members of the MTC Alumni Hall of Fame. The public is invited to attend the next induction on Thursday, Nov. 21at 6:30 p.m. Just email rsvp@mtc.edu or call 740-389-4636 to let MTC know you are attending.
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