Joy Shultz of Wahoo and Dawn
Thumser of Plattsmouth became the first students to graduate from Southeast
Community College without ever setting foot on an SCC campus. Both utilized
SCC’s learning centers in their respective communities to earn degrees in
December.
Shultz earned an Associate of
Applied Science degree in business. The 39-year-old had enrolled at SCC two
previous times but never was able to finish a degree. Until now. She completed all
of her classes online and in-person at the Learning Center in Wahoo.
“Going back to college can be overwhelming, but being at the
learning center helped to take that feeling away,” Shultz said. “I also didn’t
spend time finding parking, walking into class or trying to find my class. An
added bonus is I stayed warm because I didn’t have to walk from the parking
lot.”
Shultz worked next door to 536 N. Broadway, the location SCC
selected in 2018 for its Learning Center, when she decided to enroll. Initially
she thought she’d take some classes at the Learning Center, but would have to
take the rest at an SCC campus. She soon found out she could take the classes
in Lincoln via robot technology, which SCC secured through grants. Basically,
she was the face of a robot on wheels, navigating classes in Lincoln while she
stayed in Wahoo.
“I was very hesitant due to being nervous and unsure of how it all
worked,” she said about the robots. “With the wonderful help of SCC staff, I
was able to navigate to and from classes via robot. After the first few times
of driving it and getting over the nervousness, I was hooked.”
Shultz learned a lot about herself as a student, too. She
discovered that she achieved much better taking online classes than she thought
she would. However, she also knew that math was one of her more challenging
subjects, and she did better with those classes in-person. She encourages
others to try this route.
“The biggest thing was flexibility, time and saving money,” she
explained. “I was able to take classes as my schedule allowed, I didn’t have to
drive an hour or so getting to and from, and I didn’t have to wait around for
my next class to begin.”
Thumser found herself in a similar situation. The 53-year-old was
taking classes at a for-profit college when she decided to check out the
Learning Center at Plattsmouth. She took the Accuplacer test and started at SCC
soon after.
“As soon as SCC opened, I went in and enrolled,” she said. “They
had the exact program I was looking for (Long Term Care Administration), and I
live in Plattsmouth, so it’s convenient. Who wants to drive an hour for
classes?”
Thumser earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Long Term
Administration. She works as an administrative assistant in Plattsmouth, a job
she obtained on the condition that she graduate. She’s glad she took a chance
and returned to school.
“I always tell people to go
to school, even if it's just to learn one thing, like computer stuff, or a
second language,” Thumser said. “Keep challenging yourself.”
Meanwhile, Shultz plans to
continue her education at Peru State College while she works full-time, also as
an administrative assistant. She knows it will take time to earn her bachelor’s
degree, but she’s prepared to stay in for the long haul.
“This all happened for a reason, and I couldn’t be more proud to
attend Southeast Community College and will always advocate for SCC and the learning
centers,” she said.