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Community Magazine is a publication of Tulsa Community College

CONTENTS SUMMER 2022

Tulsa Community College 6111 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 400 Tulsa, OK 74135 Leigh B. Goodson, PhD. President & CEO

TCC Board of Regents: Caron Lawhorn, Chair William R. McKamey, Vice Chair James H. Beavers, Secretary Wesley G. Mitchell, Member Samuel Combs III, Member Paul H. Cornell, Member P. Mitchell Adwon, Member

Community Magazine is published each Fall and Spring semester

TCC A Family Affair

Five Things with Jeff Brown

Getting Into Gear

TRIO Hall of Famer

TCC A Family Affair

Work Ready

Tulsa Transplants Support TCC

Meet Blü

TCCF Annual Impact Report

Catalyst for Change

Honoring Their Contributions

Surgical Technology Program Launches

TCC President Leigh Goodson with True Blue Leaders at Vision Dinner 2021.

College Ready and Refocused on the Future It would be a tremendous understatement to say the past two years have been a challenge, not just for Tulsa Community College, but for our community, our students, and the rest of the world.

many aspects of education may have changed in the past few years, TCC continues to empower our graduates to transfer to a four-year university or transition straight to the work force, and without the burden of excessive student loan debt.

We have been stretched to our limits and forced to think, learn, and adapt at a rate many of us have never experienced in our lives.

Graduating from college is always a remarkable achievement, and perhaps more so now, given the circumstances. This May, there are many Tulsa Community College graduates who completed the majority of their degree requirements during a pandemic. Consider the perseverance and resilience they have developed in completing their studies, and imagine the impact they will have as they work, live, and serve in our community.

Prior to the pandemic, the College had just introduced our new Mission, Vision, Beliefs and Values, and shortly thereafter, we rolled out our new five-year strategic plan. It was a strong, aspirational plan, and provided us with both direction and ambition moving forward. Because of that plan, we were able to tackle COVID-related challenges head-on, and while our progress slowed, it did not stop. We have successfully weathered a huge, unexpected challenge because of our steadfast adherence and collective belief in our mission and values. We are focused on the future, and we will use what we have learned to build an organization that can better withstand unexpected changes and that can better serve our students. While

Higher education has always been the promise of hope for a better life, a better community, and a better world. We will continue to be steadfast in our dedication to that mission. As always, thank you for your continued support of Tulsa Community College. Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D. President & CEO Tulsa Community College

FIVE THINGS WITH

Jeff Brown

Being entertained by new stuff is probably the only way you can retain all the absolutely useless information needed to be on Jeopardy. -JEFF BROWN

Jeff Brown, TCC assistant director of sponsored programs, lost on Jeopardy. Well, second place. There was money. And he was actually on Jeopardy, so there’s that. “While I didn’t win, because I wasn’t fast enough on the buzzer, I was the only one of the three who got Final Jeopardy, so I’ll take that to my grave,” says Jeff. At TCC, while he helps trivia teams, like the one from the External Affairs, win internal contests, he mostly sticks to work that changes students’ lives. Grants typically take between 45-60 days to put together, and require coordinating with people all across the College. “It’s interesting being a grant person because you’re kind of constantly onto the new thing,” says Jeff. “There are things I don’t know about I have to learn, and gather other people’s expertise about those subjects. I work with Dr. Barbara Waxman to look at government-provided grants to make sure they fit with the College’s Mission and strategies, and put together a persuasive package to get funding. “The idea that a student coming back to education could have an easier time because of the work we do … it feels good to know we’ve knocked down some of those barriers.”

Five things you should do to be better on Jeopardy than Jeff: 1. Be curious. Sometimes you see a commercial for an Alaskan cruise, go online to hear more about it, and then, three hours later, find yourself coming out of a Wikipedia blackout that ended with you learning John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved Abe Lincoln’s son from being crushed by a train. Being entertained by new stuff is probably the only way you can retain all the absolutely useless information needed to be on Jeopardy. Watch good sports documentaries if you don’t care about sports. Talk to your friend who loves The Bachelor if you find the show deeply uncomfortable. Listen to Spotify’s top hits if you find yourself more out of touch every day with today’s pop music … I’ve made this way too personal.

2. Practice the buzzer. Being good at Jeopardy is 70 percent buzzing in first, 28 percent knowing trivia, and 2 percent perspiration. For Jeopardy to be fun to watch at home, the host reads the “answer” before contestants buzz in with the “question.” Once they’re done reading, some lights come on around the board and everyone can ring in. If you wait to see those lights, it’s already too late! You fool! Buzz in too early, you’re locked out for a half-second. Too late, and your competitors have beat you to it. It’s delicate magic I never got right. If you watch Jeopardy, grab a highlighter practice furiously clicking the buzzer. Wait a quarter-second after Ken or Mayim finish reading the answer and then go to town.

3. Have confidence in your answers … especially spelling. There’s a video of me drifting around online where I start spelling “narcolepsy.” Two letters from the end, my brain goes critical and implodes. Luckily no one was injured, and it was a fun TV moment, but BOY do I wish I had just trusted myself and finished those last two letters. Trust your gut and trust that your guess is valid. You misspell 100% of the shots you don’t take and another sports cliché.

4. Have fun with the entire process. After I passed the online test, I was invited in for an inperson one. Producers use the in-person aspect for two reasons: 1) Weed out people who cheated on the home test and 2) Make sure you’ll be okay on camera. They’d rather potential contestants be fun to watch and not nervous-vomit when the TV lights come on. I tried to be kind, outgoing, and a little interesting. Choosing to have fun made me more comfortable in the room. How do you get comfortable with trivia? Pick out a local trivia night and go with friends! I recommend Questionable Company Trivia at Shuffles Board Game Café on Tuesday nights. The atmosphere is fun, plus the host is handsome in a weird way and incredibly charming (The host is me. I’m the host).

5. Use the restroom when you get a chance. It’s easier to play Jeopardy when you don’t have to go to the bathroom … and I will be taking no further questions.

TRIO Student Fulfills College Dream If not for breaking his neck, Tracy Moore might not be a college graduate. An injury on the job followed by numerous surgeries forced him to take medical retirement. “I couldn’t let that be the end of my story. I was in my 40s,” says Moore. Early chapters in his life included being the first in his family to graduate high school and joining the military - serving in Panama and Desert Storm. Sandwiched between his miliary service and a 22-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, he attended college for one semester. Nearly three decades later, he thought about returning to college. “When I had the opportunity in 2019 to revisit the subject and study the world around me, I wanted to develop and build websites, apps and databases to help businesses,” says Moore. Using the Veteran Readiness and Employment program, he enrolled at TCC. While he knew what he wanted to study, he also recognized the challenges as an adult student balancing family as a husband and father of two school-age children along with the psychological scars of war. “I was very apprehensive and at times, I was overwhelmed.”

But following his December 2021 graduation with an Information Technology degree and a 4.0 GPA, he has this advice. “As an older student, don’t think you can’t do it. Yes, it was stressful, but people encouraged me and inspired me. Understanding I knew nothing about the field I was studying, I asked for help and went for tutoring.” More specifically, support came from TRIO Student Support Services, a U.S. Department of Education federally funded program that helps first generation college students, economically challenged students and students with disabilities. “The TRIO Student Support Services staff provided assistance in finding accommodation for my medical issues, advising for educational goals, tutoring, and daily encouragement, especially those days I felt discouraged,” says Moore. He credits his TRIO family for helping him make a better life for his wife and two children, who saw him studying a great deal. “I haven’t quit anything before, but I must admit there were times when I thought about giving up on my college dream. I wanted to set an example for my children. I hope they learned that while it may be difficult, you don’t give up.”

Tracy Moore is one of three TCC students named a 2022 Oklahoma TRIO Hall of Fame honoree, sponsored by the Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance. Each one received a TRIO scholarship from the TCC Foundation.

Businesses have immediate hiring needs, especially coming out of the pandemic, and many students have immediate job needs. They both just needed to know what is being offered. -PETE SELDEN

Work Ready Not all students are seeking a four-year degree. Not all businesses need employees with bachelor’s degrees. “Work Ready” means TCC graduates completing one of the College’s professional certification or degree programs are ready to go to work and contribute the day they graduate. Faster and specialized training and degrees for less. TCC built its reputation on providing quality education for an affordable price (something that’s becoming more and more important in the current economy). Come here, graduate with an associate degree, and transfer to complete your four-year degree at one of our transfer partner institutions across the region. But the College launched by partnering with American Airlines and other businesses, providing training specifically for their workforce needs. It’s in TCC’s DNA. TCC’s Pete Selden, vice president for workforce development, spends a lot of time talking to business leaders about their workforce needs. “I hear from company leaders and representatives about how they struggle to find qualified candidates for their open positions,” says Selden. “It often became apparent they were unaware of programs offered through TCC that teach skills aligned with those jobs. We realized we needed to take a different approach to some of our advertising programs and emphasize the programs that lead to well-paying jobs with quality Tulsa companies.

“Businesses have immediate hiring needs, especially coming out of the pandemic, and many students have immediate job needs. They both just needed to know what is being offered.” The “Work Ready” campaign launched Fall of 2021 on digital signs, television, local radio and various social platforms targeted toward specific audiences. It emphasized in-demand, well-paying jobs and their associated degree programs with a “get this, earn that” approach. The campaign response was immediate, with “work ready” students comprising nearly 77 percent of new student enrollments for the Spring 2022 semester. The advantage of a TCC degree, apart from being work ready, is that should a student decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the future, their TCC credits transfer, which is an advantage many tech schools can’t offer. “The role of community colleges is evolving to serve the workforce in more meaningful and deliberate ways,” says Selden. “We need to be flexible and innovative to meet the needs of students and industry. As we modify our approach to workforce development with more short-term and online programs, TCC is well-positioned to help students succeed in the classroom and on the job.”

Meet Blü. TCC’s chatbot, BLU, launched in December 2021 with answers to more than 1,200 questions, and 24/7 availability via the TCC website or via text message. BLU has a specific directive: to answer questions for current and prospective students whenever or wherever they had them. Blu now has more than 1,500 answers, and is dynamically growing its knowledge database. In its first six months of service, Blu received 29,195 incoming messages via the web page, 12,748 incoming text messages, and has sent nearly 280,000 outgoing messages. BLU handles everything from graduation notifications to mid-semester check-ins. In one instance, BLU messaged 577 students who needed to file for graduation or visit with an advisor, and more than half of those responded, which is a higher rate of engagement than other methods of communication, such as email. Questions for specific areas are directed to the appropriate point person within TCC and anything highly sensitive or deemed critical is escalated to the appropriate area(s). Users can also request to speak to

a person and those responses are handled individually. “It’s really about customer service,” says Laurie Tilley, TCC director of marketing. “We saw we had a great deal of web traffic outside our normal hours of operation, and wanted to be able to answer questions when our students and prospective students were active on our site and needed answers or clarifications. We wanted to be responsive 24/7.” TCC’s Admissions, Advising and Marketing departments collaborate on messaging and updates to BLU’s learning, though Lydia Mauldin, TCC admissions and prospective student services coordinator, manages its day-to-day operations. Colleges with bot functionality find bots help keep students on track to enroll, nudge students toward their goals, and help the institution capture information on potential students, such as their name and contact information. BLU received its operational funding from the TCC Foundation, which raises money to fund scholarships, projects outside the scope of the College’s budget, and to improve TCC’s ability to meet the needs of its students.

Signature Symphony member Gordon Robson performs during the “Love and Obsession: The Beatles to Berloiz” concert, Saturday, April 23, 2022. 13

Catalyst for Change Think of college as a sport. In most sports, you have multiple coaches – there’s the head coach, who oversees the whole team, and then other assistant coaches who build up players with targeted skill development. The coaches see the whole picture, leverage strengths, develop growth plans, use strategies, and help each player reach their potential. College students are the players, and the College the coaching staff. Imagine how multiple coaches, each focusing on unique skill sets, could help a student — beginning one class, one discrete skill at a time — complete the path to college graduation. Coaches are the catalyst for change. TCC plans to use a $2.25 million Title III Strengthening Institutions Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, one of the largest grants a community college can receive, to create additional student supports to increase retention and completion rates. Data shows 28 percent of TCC students are firstgeneration, which means the first in their family to go to college. Foundational courses are heavily populated with firsttime entering college students. Therefore, the College will embed classroom coaches in developmental reading and writing courses and add academic associate coaches to sections of the College Success courses. “We are meeting our students where they are,” says Dr. Paula Willyard, dean of communication, English, & world languages. “This approach makes success inescapable by providing additional wraparound student and academic supports.”

Embedded coaching is an intrusive tactic to ensure students remain engaged and connected to campus resources. The coaching compliments existing supports for all students and capitalizes on resources from two areas of TCC: Student Success and Equity with Academics. “This work creates a supportive environment with convenient access to resources for each student at TCC based on leveraging their strengths to address their course and life challenges,” says Dr. Dewayne Dickens, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The grant will also provide a career component, so students have early exposure to their chosen career path. The College is then better positioned to give each student a more individualized success plan based on personalized assessments with a highly specialized support network. It is that network and the Title III grant team, consisting of faculty and staff from multiple departments, who are working together to see all students succeed at college. The timing of this grant, while not directly related to the pandemic, allows TCC to respond to the needs of current and future students and any ongoing repercussions related to significant societal change. “We want students to know we care deeply about them and want to see them succeed,” says Dr. LaKrisa Walker, Title III program manager. “This proactive approach will go a long way to increasing the number of graduates ready to go into the workforce or transfer to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

Surgical Technology Program Launches TO MEET HIGH DEMAND

This Fall, TCC is excited to launch a Surgical Technology program at the West campus to meet the high demand for the position. “Due to changes taking effect this year by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, an associate degree will now be required for individuals interested in being a Certified Surgical Technologist,” says Sherry Conder, TCC Surgical Technology Program director. “Tulsa has been named a hotspot for this kind of job so we are excited to meet the high demand.” According to Salary.com, the average Surgical Technologist in Tulsa makes $46,700 with a range between $42,000 and $51,600. The TCC CST program will prepare students for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting CST certification exam, (pending CAAHEP accreditation) while equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to ensure surgeries go as planned and are done in safe environments. The Work Ready program in the School of Health Sciences will prepare TCC students to work alongside surgeons and assist with the surgical procedures. Students will learn human anatomy and medical terminology related to various surgical procedures,

as well as a firm understanding of surgical instrumentation and technologies.

What sets TCC’s Surgical Technology program apart? “Our program leverages technology creating a schedule that will permit some free daytime hours during the week for students who still need to work while attending class,” says Conder, who has been a CST, RN, and/or educator in the Tulsa area for more than 35 years. “Our program curriculum has been carefully matched to the content outline for the national certification exam to give students the best opportunity to succeed.” To help with the program, Founders of Doctors’ Hospital granted TCC money to purchase equipment, instruments and simulators needed for the program’s clinical labs. The program will include an online component along with hands-on lab and clinical experience. “We have heard from local hospitals and they have been waiting for an affordable program like this,” says Angela Sivadon, TCC senior vice president and chief academic officer. “We are grateful to the Founders of Doctors’ Hospital for helping us launch this program.”

Our program curriculum has been carefully matched to the content outline for the national certification exam to give students the best opportunity to succeed. -SHERRY CONDER

Getting Into Gear BIKES4TOOLS

For the past seven years, Don Crall, associate professor of advanced manufacturing and business, has been working with students in the Union Public Schools district repairing bikes and then giving them to young children as part of a program he developed called Bikes4Kids. This program for high school students sparked an idea to help TCC students. “Many TCC students rely on public transportation or family members to get to school or work. I realized I could expand the project to adult students taking the Manufacturing Maintenance course as a servicelearning project,” explained Crall, who renamed the TCC project Bikes4Tools. “I was able to get funding through the TCC Foundation for replacement parts and a bike repair stand and then began the class this Spring.” Students in Crall’s Manufacturing Maintenance class at the Northeast Campus refurbish the donated, broken bikes. “Once they are in tip-top order, we’ll give the repaired bikes to students who need transportation to and from work or school. Students have a better opportunity to retain jobs if they aren’t dependent on others to transport them,” said Crall. Crall expects to refurbish roughly 30 bikes a semester. “Using the bikes, students learn about Preventive and Predictive maintenance concepts,” said Crall. “These

are real examples of equipment breaking, downtime for repairs, and the difference between regular or routine maintenance and techniques to determine the condition of the equipment to estimate when maintenance should be performed.” The program impacts students in class who are learning maintenance skills, as well as those who receive the bikes. One TCC student who received a bike said, “Where I live, I don’t really get bus stops, necessarily. The closest one is maybe three or four miles away. So, with a bike, I can just bike to school, to work, to the gym, just whatever I need to do.” Another TCC student who has had health issues and is no longer on medications or using a walker says the free bicycle will help her exercise. “I’m continuing to move forward in my life. I just started physical therapy. Things are confirming, this is confirmation that I’m moving forward.” “It really makes learning come to life when students see the impact their work has,” added Crall. “The only way to success is to help others be successful.” If you would like to donate a bike that needs repair, contact Don Crall at don.crall@tulsacc.edu

It really makes learning come to life when students see the impact their work has. The only way to success is to help others be successful. -DON CRALL

TCC A Family Affair FOR TULSA’S DEPUTY MAYOR

Juris doctorate holder from the University of Tulsa. Opera singer. Daughter of a former Mr. TJC. Mother of two. Owner of Peaches the goldendoodle. Bearer of a bachelor’s degree and two majors - one in International Business, one in Spanish. Alumni of Tulsa Community College, and … and Deputy Major of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cassia Carr believes in TCC. It’s a family tradition, after all, and someone whose father was Mr. TJC has to attend. It’s in a bylaw somewhere. “My dad went to TCC right after high school in 1980 and completed a year of his associates. However, after he got married, he needed to work,” says Cassia. “For the last part of his associate degree, he was working in an oil industrial chemical plant, going part time to TCC, working a second job at Mervyns and being a new dad. Since TCC had so many campuses and night courses, he was able to complete his associate degree even with his crazy schedule – it took him four years. His boss left to go into the finance industry and encouraged my father

to do the same. He went on to take the Series 7 test and become a stock broker. “Most of my childhood, he was a stock broker,” says Cassia. “He attributes that to his education at TCC. He felt confident from his studies there that he could compete with any other stock broker.” When it came time for Cassia to attend college, in part because of family history, and in part because of what TCC offered, it was a no-brainer to attend before transferring somewhere else. “You go to TCC for your associate degree,” she says. “Why would you not do that? When I attended, if you had a 3.5 GPA, TCC would give you a 12 credit-hour scholarship. If you took some honors classes, they’d give you 18 hours of tuition. I took all the honors classes I could get.” Cassia attended TCC with her husband, Joel (who currently works at TCC as Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Management), and loved the experience.

Left to right: Charica Daugherty, CJ Jacobs Jr., Cassia Carr, Joel Carr

To be able to say we have a nationally recognized community college is attractive to business. Employees and parents want to know that. -CASSIA CARR

“You’re with people from all walks and all stages of life,” she says. “It prepared you for the working world. If you can be comfortable working with people who’re not like you, you’re going to do that much better in your career. TCC was such a great experience, I would’ve stayed for four years.”

Development Corp, which is a non-profit that helps entrepreneurs get their small business ideas off the ground through access to loans for which they would not normally qualify. She volunteers monthly through the Tulsa County Bar Association to represent tenants facing evictions.

Cassia’s sister also attended, and she already plans to steer her children toward TCC.

She’s a natural, enthusiastic fit for Tulsa’s Deputy Mayor role. Cassia credits her start at TCC as an important catalyst in her career, and as Deputy Mayor, appreciates the role it plays in the success of the city.

“For my children, that’s going to be a must. And they’re going to start during high school. I don’t care how much scholarship money they get, they’re going to TCC first.”

“We love Tulsa,” says Cassia.

“One of the main things we do in the Mayor’s office is economic growth. We need to attract businesses,” she says. “To be able to say we have a nationally recognized community college is attractive to businesses. Their employees want to know that. The parents who work for their companies want to know that.

She pursued all her degrees in Tulsa, transferring to Oral Roberts University after TCC, and then pursuing her law degree at The University of Tulsa. During her career, she’s worked for Pepsi Co., Hall Estill, Winters & King, and Williams. She works with Tulsa Economic

“Other communities do not have a college the caliber of TCC. We get really spoiled in Tulsa because we’re used to TCC. A city that does not have a quality community college with all the benefits TCC has is at a disadvantage.”

The Carrs’ dedication to the College is in step with their dedication to Tulsa. Both have passed up other career opportunities to stay in T-town.

Tulsa Transplants Support TCC Ron and Myra Jeffris moved to Tulsa from the Chicago area in 1973. Ron had taken a job with Williams Companies as an assistant controller, and the first thing he did was look up Tulsa. He read Tulsa was the “cultural capital of Oklahoma,” which sounded good enough. “When we moved here, finding a restaurant you wanted to eat at was difficult. Finding a place to buy a suit was difficult,” says Ron. Time here changed most of his opinion. “I’m not terribly impressed with Oklahoma politics, but Tulsa is a nice place to live. It’s about the ideal size. You can get anywhere you want. You have all kinds of entertainment.” Myra missed, and still misses, the green of Illinois. The two grew up on adjoining farms less than a mile a part and are coming up on their 59th wedding anniversary. But even after he retired from Williams, they stayed in Oklahoma, and may even consider themselves Oklahomans. While still at Williams, Ron received a call from the chairman of the Eastern Illinois University Foundation, where he’d earned the first of his degrees. “He wanted to stop by and have lunch,” Ron says. “I told him I knew what foundation officers did and I wasn’t

sure I wanted to have lunch with one. He promised he wouldn’t ask for money, but by the end of the lunch, I’d agreed to endow a scholarship for the business school.” Other endowed scholarships in Illinois followed, and then they had a revelation. “We’ve been living here for 40 odd years,” says Ron. “We’ve been here longer than we’ve lived in Illinois, and all our money is going to students in Illinois. So we thought we ought to have something in Tulsa.” Both Ron and Myra attended some classes at TCC, so they were familiar with the College’s mission. Ron was aware of the national and local nursing shortage and knew TCC had a nursing program, so he reached out. Shortly after, they had endowed a scholarship in Nursing. Ron had his hip replaced in September 2021. While in the hospital, he asked his nurses where they studied. Both said TCC. Ron says they were both non-traditional students, both married and had children. He thought they would have appreciated scholarship funding. “Last year, I saw the announcement for College Park, and I decided that was something I’d be interested in. I’ve always been a fan of the OSU accounting department, and had a lot of employees who had attended OSU. The combination of TCC and OSU sounded like something I wanted to follow up on.”

To Ron and Myra, donating to education is the easiest, most direct way to help change the lives of others, especially in today’s economy. “When I was in school,” says Ron, “it didn’t cost anything, basically. In the 1950s, the State supported higher education. I think probably my tuition was only a few hundred dollars a year. I feel I got to where I am because of my education, both my undergraduate degree and my master’s. It’s an important thing to support.”

Ron and Myra are big fans of TCC and its role in the community. “They really care about their students,” says Myra. “It’s a reasonably inexpensive way to get started in your higher education, especially with Tulsa Achieves,” says Ron. “If you go right out of high school, it costs very little. The people we’ve been supporting are nontraditional students. They’re either working or married and looking to change their careers.”

Impact Report Support on Campus More than $3.6 million of donor-designated funds support projects, such as:

Academic Advisors

A multi-year campaign to increase the number of Academic Advisors -- TCC moved from one Advisor for every 1,044 students to one Advisor for every 300 students and embedded them in the Academic Schools.

AEP Credits Count

This partnership with American Electric Power Foundation benefits high school and middle school students in Tulsa Public Schools to fill in learning gaps, so they are ready to study college-level courses while still in high school.

Bridging The Gap

Funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, this program provides scholarships to TCC students interested in pursuing a certificate and/or degree in the field of child development. Coursework in TCC’s Child Development Program focuses on early childhood, including infant/toddler development. The scholarship covers 90 percent of tuition and fees, and 100 percent of books, provides one-on-one assistance to students when they need it in any subject, and has a transfer option to the University of Oklahoma where students can continue to receive GKFF loan forgiveness while finishing their four-year degree. The program, in partnership with Tulsa Educare, offers students paid internships.

Projects Funded by the TCC Foundation Blu: TCC’s chatbot

College Park student textbook vouchers

Higher Ed Day at the Capitol

Holiday Card Design Contest

Since launching on the TCC website in November 2021, more than 25,000 individuals have interacted with Blu. Since January 2022 when Blu’s SMS (texting) feature launched, more than 35,200 individuals have accessed it.

Hotspot at Home

Integration Bee

TCC Honors Awards

TRIO Educational Opportunity Center for New Beginnings Award Ceremony

provides the TCC Library with 40 hotspot devices and one-year data plan for students without access to broadband internet service

team and individual prizes

Support Through Scholarships In order to provide a permanent source of academic enrichment at TCC, endowed funds are critical for scholarships because they generate predictable, growing streams of income in perpetuality that create and sustain teaching and learning. Named scholarship funds are a wonderful way to create a legacy for your loved ones. In the past year, the TCC Foundation has been privileged to receive multiple scholarship donations, such as:

The Aldean Newcomb Memorial This endowed scholarship was created as a tribute to the donor’s late wife. Aldean Newcomb was passionate about education and was teacher for Tulsa Public Schools and TCC. This scholarship provides $1,000 to multiple students per year based on investment earnings.

The Martha Unklesbay Memorial Scholarship This endowed scholarship was donated to honor Martha Unklesbay, a woman who devoted her life to her family. She worked as a team member at Arby’s in Jenks for more than 40 years. This scholarship was created to award a single parent who works in the hospitality/restaurant industry.

The Steven Tyler English Scholarship This scholarship is an intended endowed scholarship, honoring a TCC employee who passed away suddenly at a young age. In honor of his passion to serve TCC students, Steven’s family is honoring him by creating a scholarship fund. As an “intended endowed” scholarship, family and friends are encouraged to contribute to the scholarship fund. Once the fund reaches $25,000, the funds will be invested and over time, the earnings are awarded as student scholarships.

Shannon L. Matthews Scholarship Purple Heart recipient, Shannon Matthews is a TCC alumnus and U.S. Army veteran. He wants to give veterans the opportunity to attend college and complete their degrees. This scholarship awards students who are members of the National Guard, Army Reserve or Active Duty Capacity who served in a combat zone or where hazardous duty pay was authorized and were honorably discharged before Sept. 11, 2001.

My Promise Scholarship This scholarship was created to support students who are Hispanic, meaning the student must be at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino; this is an ethnic category. The scholarship will cover $1,000 per semester and will renew each semester if the student has a minimum 2.3 GPA.

If you would like to learn more about any of these or other scholarships, or to donate to an existing scholarship, visit tccfoundation.org.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2022

SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 COX BUSINESS CENTER

To sponsor or buy tickets, go to tccfoundation.org/vision 27

Honoring Their Contributions

As part of the TCC 50th anniversary celebration, the College revealed two portraits to honor past TCC luminaries: one of former TCC president Thomas K. McKean, and one of former Signature Symphony at TCC maestro, Dr. Barry Epperley. McKean’s portrait hangs in the gallery of the Thomas K. McKean Center for Creativity on TCC’s Metro Campus, and was revealed in a private showing to McKean and his wife. Epperley’s portrait debuted at the 2021-22 Signature Symphony Kick Off event, and is on display in the lobby of the VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education. Epperley’s portrait was funded by a donation from longtime Signature Symphony supporter, Mollie Williford. TCC commissioned Oklahoma native and nationally recognized artist Mike Wimmer to paint both portraits. Wimmer’s work has been featured in the Emmy Award-winning show, Gallery, and he has produced work for some of the largest corporations in the world, including Disney, Proctor and Gamble, and RJR Nabisco. Many of his portraits hang in the Oklahoma State Capitol. “The fun part about this portrait series was that so many of my friends and associates knew the sitters,” says Wimmer. “They all gave me feedback on the likenesses and told me how much it looked like them.”

President’s Society members contribute a minimum of $1,000 to the TCC Foundation annually. President’s Society contributions provide the College with resources needed to take advantage of unique and often unforeseen opportunities and quickly address critical needs that may otherwise go unanswered. Join TCC’s President’s Society online at tccfoundation.org or call the TCC Foundation office at (918) 595-7977 for assistance. With your membership, you will be invited to attend special events throughout the year, connecting with President Leigh Goodson and learning how your support impacts programming for TCC students.

Membership Levels Presidential Level – Individuals and businesses $10,000 and above Executive Level – Individuals and businesses $5,000–$9,999 Platinum Level – Individuals and businesses $2,500–$4,999 Gold Level – Individual donors $1,000–$2,499

2022 President’s Society Members as of 4/1/22 Thank you to our current President’s Society members for their support of TCC students and academic programs! Your contributions help put students on pathways to success. Presidential Level Jim and Susannah Adelson Ruth Nelson Executive Level Bank of America Hilti Inc. John and Christy Lindsay Matrix Service Company The Mervin Bovaird Foundation John and Stephanie Rupe

Platinum Level Alana Hughes Gold Level Leeland Alexander Montie and Betty Box Pat Bruner Kristopher and Ranee Copeland Lisette and Brad Coston Don Crall Dr. Peggy Dyer Ted and Shiela Haynes Jennifer Jezek/York Electronic Systems Megan and James Korn Nancy and Joe McDonald Teresa Meinders Burkett Rick and Susan Neal Evelyn Nienhuis Jim and Ronda Norton Pierce and Debbie Norton Phil Lakin Susanne and Millard Pickering Julie and Justin Porterfield David and Cheryl Poth Roger and Terri Ramseyer Michael and Cathryn Render Bernard and Marcy Robinowitz Kari and Matt Shults Dr. Angela Sivadon David and Cassie Stratton Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation Sean Weins Lifetime Members Robin Ballenger Howard and Billie Barnett Konnie Boulter The Honorable Terry Kern and Mrs. Jeanette Kern Caron and Shawn Lawhorn Bill and Pat McKamey Dr. Frank and Mrs. Mary Baker Shaw Jana Shoulders State Farm Insurance Company Note: Lifetime memberships are no longer available

The Tulsa Community College Foundation provides support to Tulsa Community College and its mission by developing key relationships and financial resources.

2022 TCC FOUNDATION BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR: JACKIE PRICE JOHANNSEN, President, Price Family Properties VICE CHAIR: JESSE GUARDIOLA, President, Guardiola Outreach Development, LLC SECRETARY/TREASURER: DR. ELEANOR PAYNE, Retired Educator PAST CHAIR: TIM LYONS, President & CEO, TTCU Federal Credit Union TRUSTEES Leeland Alexander, Associate Vice President, OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center Scott Asbjornson, retired, AAON Billie T. Barnett, civic leader Konnie Boulter, Program Director, The Oxley Foundation Jeff Brooks, Chief Information Officer, Muscogee Creek Nation Casinos – River Spirit Teresa Meinders Burkett, Partner, Conner & Winters, LLP Lisette Coston, Executive Director of Support Services, Saint Francis Health System Laura Creekmur, President, The Williams Companies Foundation. Vice President, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, The Williams Companies Sharon King Davis, Partner, King Investments Curtis Dinan, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, ONE Gas Jim Dunn, Chairman, Mill Creek Lumber & Supply Company J. Ed Fariss, retired Kevin Gross, President & CEO, Hillcrest HealthCare System Sarah Hansel, Attorney/Director, Hall Estill Attorneys at Law Susan E. Harris, Tulsa Regional Chamber, retired M. Ted Haynes, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, retired Kirk Hays, President & CEO, Arvest Bank John Hewitt, President & CEO, Matrix Service Company Alana Hughes, Director of Tulsa Grantmaking, Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies Molly Jarvis, Senior Vice President, Marketing Communications and Cultural Tourism, Cherokee Nation Businesses Jennifer Jezek, President, York Electronic Systems, Inc.

David Kollmann, President, Central Region, Flintco LLC Sean Kouplen, Chairman and CEO, Regent Bank Phil Lakin, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Tulsa Community Foundation Jim Langdon, Publisher, Langdon Publishing Company William Lissau, Oklahoma Market President, Bank of America Robert Martinovich, Executive Vice President and CAO, ONEOK Susan B. Neal, Executive Director, Gilcrease Museum and the Helmerich Center for American Research. Vice President for Public Affairs, The University of Tulsa Karl Neumaier, COO, Hilti North America Roger Ramseyer, Vice President & Tulsa Market Leader, Cox Communications Lou Reynolds, Senior Partner, Eller & Detrich John Rupe, Jr, CEO, Rupe Helmer Group E. Paul Samuels, Senior VP, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley M. Susan Savage, CEO, Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. David Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer, MidAmerica Industrial Park Melinda Stinnett, Managing Director, Stinnett & Associates, LLC David Stratton, Executive Vice President, Tulsa Commercial Banking, Bank of Oklahoma Steve Turnbo, Chairman Emeritus, Schnake Turnbo Frank Scott Asbjornson, Investor FOUNDATION BOARD INTERN Andrew Carlson, Development Analyst, ONEOK STAFF Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D, President & CEO Kari Shults, VP of Advancement and President of the TCC Foundation Mark McMullen, CFO Mackenzie Wilfong, General Counsel Megan Korn, Chief Development Officer Isaac Sheets, Development Officer Bethany Weaver, Foundation Assistant Controller Ali Abdul, Foundation Accountant Jill Deutscher, Database Administrator Mallory Duncan, Coordinator Sally Osburn, Foundation Board Liaison, part time

TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION 6111 East Skelly Drive, Suite 605, Tulsa, OK 74135-6198 Phone (918) 595-7836 | tccfoundation@tulsacc.edu 31

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6111 E. Skelly Dr. Tulsa, OK 74135 www.tulsacc.edu

OUR MISSION

OUR VISION

Building success through education

An educated, employed, and thriving community

O U R B E L I E F S & VA L U E S

YOU BELONG HERE

EVERYONE CAN LEARN

COMMUNITY IS OUR MIDDLE NAME

QUALITY EDUCATION IS AFFORDABLE

EXCELLENCE IS OUR CULTURE

We foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion that welcomes and respects everyone for who they are and who they will become.

We meet people where they are by creating a safe and supportive learning and working environment leading to success.

We build community, inside and out, through collaboration, service, sustainability, and social and financial responsibility.

We create a rigorous and engaging learning experience that provides exceptional value.

We live out excellence at every level by embracing change, always improving, and persisting to reach our full potential.

Notice of Non-Discrimination: Tulsa Community College is committed to establishing an environment for its students and employees that fosters inclusion, values equity and diversity, embraces and respects the dignity of people, and provides equal educational and employment opportunity. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations the College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination law in its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational programs, activities, or services. The Civil Rights Compliance Administrator, 3727 E. Apache Room AB218, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phone 918-595- 8487; email: TCCnondiscrimination@tulsacc.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies. The Title IX Coordinator, 909 S. Boston Ave, Room 505, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phone 918-595-7842; email: TCCTitleIX@tulsacc.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, pregnancy, domestic violence, and stalking. This publication, printed by Target Marketing, is issued by Tulsa Community College as authorized by Title 70 O.S. 4413. 1300 copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $3982.10 ($3.06 per copy). This publication is issued by Tulsa Community College authorized by Title 70 O.S. 4413 and is located at the following website(s): TulsaCC.edu/CommunityMagazine.