Student Showcase

Bryan Helms

Bryan Helms graduated with an Associate in Applied Science from the Chrysler CAP program at the OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee. Born in Oklahoma, he spent many of his childhood years in Alva. His family then moved to Texas and he graduated from Cedar Park High School in 2001. He returned to Alva and attended Northwest Technology Center, specializing in Automotive Technology under the instruction of Mr. Ron Rader. During this time he also worked at Mark Ream Motors in Alva.

Helms competed in the SKILLS USA Automotive competitions two years in a row, winning the state competitions and placing 12th nationally during his second year of competition. These accomplishments earned him a series of scholarships to attend OSU Institute of Technology.

In September of 2005, he enrolled in the Chrysler CAP program at OSU-Okmulgee and carried a 4.0 GPA until the fall of 2006, when he became ill with leukemia. He missed his chance to graduate with his friends and classmates but was invited to their graduation ceremony, where they presented him with the coveted TOP GUN award for 2007. Helms returned to the program in the spring of 2008, still undergoing chemotherapy.

Helms’ courage and dedication have been an inspiration to many. Following graduation, he will be employed as a technician at Allen Samuels Dodge in Austin, Texas.

Bryan is the grandson of Herb and Jerrie Smith of Alva.

Kellie Whipple

Until the fall of 2006, Alva High School senior, Kellie Whipple never imagined that she could graduate from high school and college in the same month. However, in May, Kellie will walk across the stage at commencement ceremonies at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) earning an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Information Technology. Kellie will also graduate from Alva High in May 2008.

“There are quite a few students who could also pull this off, if they set their mind to it.” said Whipple. “Anyone should do this whether they want to pursue a career in web design, business or accounting or just learn a skill that they can use in college.” The dual graduation was accomplished by enrolling in courses at NOC in conjunction with her high school curriculum. She earned college credit through competencies earned in the Web Development and Graphic Design program at Northwest Technology Center.

According to Whipple, the Associate’s Degree will end up costing her about $1500 which includes books. She will finish the degree in May and will receive her diploma on May 3. Whipple took several core curriculum classes on-line from NOC including Comp I, Comp II, US History Since 1865 and Government. She took a CLEP test for Algebra and also completed a Speech class at Northwestern Oklahoma State.

“I am planning to enroll at Oklahoma State next fall,” stated Whipple, “I will be a junior with 63 hours and I plan to major in Animal Science. I am really looking forward to meeting new people. I am planning to use the skills that I learned at Northwest Technology Center to design websites, so that I can make some money while I am in college and in vet school.”

“My parents are really happy that I am saving time and money on my college education,” continued Whipple. “My instructor, Mrs. Frascht has helped me a lot by encouraging me to do this and helping me to get enrolled. Without her assistance, I’d just be starting college like any other freshman.”

In addition to many other honors, Whipple is an institutional nominee for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) scholarship, a result of her high ACT score. She can use the scholarship to cover her expenses at OSU. Whipple is looking forward to pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. She is the daughter of Mandy and Alan Whipple of Alva. She is active in the Nazerene Church and is an officer in FFA and in 4-H. At Northwest Technology Center, she has been a member of the Business Professionals of America and the Superintendent’s Leadership Class. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the guitar.

Shayla Watkins and Jamie Mathis

Northwest Technology Center students Shayla Watkins and Jamie Mathis are shown in the photo above celebrating the opening day of their massage therapy business. The business owned by Watkins and Mathis is called Redbud Bodyworks Therapeutic Massage and is located in Cherokee, Oklahoma. They opened their business in May 2007. The pair has completed the 500 hours of instruction needed to receive National Massage Therapy certification and will continue their training at Northwest Tech in order to complete the Health Careers Certification program.

Derrick Austin

Until last fall, Fairview High School senior, Derrick Austin never imagined that he could graduate from high school and college at almost time and walk across a college stage before putting on his high school cap and gown. However, on April 29, Derrick walked across the stage at commencement ceremonies at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) earning an Associate's Degree in Information Technology: Web Development. On May 26, Derrick will graduate with his class from Fairview High School .

“There are quite a few students who could also pull this off, if they set their mind to it.” said Austin. “Anyone who wants to pursue a career in web design, business or accounting should do this.” The dual graduation was accomplished by enrolling in courses at NOC in conjunction with his high school curriculum. He earned college credit through competencies earned in his Web Development and Graphic Design program at Northwest Technology Center . He was also able to “CLEP Out” of six hours.

According to Austin , the Associate's Degree will end up costing him about $850. So far he has paid about $350 dollars for books, materials and CLEP test fees and this summer he will finish English Composition II and Oral Communications which will cost approximately $500. Austin took several core curriculum classes on-line from NOC including English Composition I and American Federal Government. He took the CLEP tests for College Algebra and American History Before 1865. He began working on the degree in August of 2005.

“I am planning to enroll at Northwestern next fall,” stated Austin , “I will be a junior and I plan to major in E-Commerce and minor in computer science. I think that time management and keeping up with classes will be my biggest hurdle. I am really looking forward to the freedom and meeting new people.”

"My parents are really happy that I am saving time and money on my college education,” continued Austin . “My instructor at Northwest Technology Center, Mrs. McClure and Mrs. Woods the Tech Prep Coordinator at NWTC have helped me a lot by encouraging me to do this and setting me up. Without their assistance, I'd just be starting college like any other freshman.”

Austin has earned the Regional Baccalaureate Scholarship awarded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as a result of his high ACT score. He can use the scholarship to cover his expenses at Northwestern. Austin is looking forward to pursuing a career in web programming. He is the son of Gary and Annette Austin of Fairview and is a member of the National Technical Honor Society and the Cleo Church of the Nazarene Youth Group. Austin is employed at Taco Mayo of Fairview.

Gayla Wilder

Gayla Wilder, a Health Careers Certification (HCC) student from the Fairview Campus, has been selected as the recipient of the Laerdal Medical Corporation Scholarship. The announcement came from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (ODCTE).

Wilder is a native of Fairview and is a licensed cosmetologist. She lived in Colorado and northern New Mexico for 25 years. Recently, she came back to Fairview and opened "Forever Nails", a salon specializing in manicures and pedicures. She is focusing on the massage therapy pathway of the HCC program and hopes to incorporate the massage skills into her business.

"It hasn't been easy going back to school and not working every day. I am learning anatomy and massage skills and the medical aspects related to this field. I thought it would be uncomfortable going back to school with younger people, but I have really enjoyed it!" stated Wilder. "I would recommend Northwest Technology Center's courses to anyone who is thinking of pursuing a new career or who is thinking of enhancing their skills."

David Harder

Growing up in Fairview, David Harder never imagined that he would play an important role in the growth of the Charles Machine Works Company of Perry, Oklahoma which is known world-wide as DitchWitch. Harder, a Fairview native, graduated from Fairview High School in 1994. While attending high school, Harder was also a student in the Northwest Technology Center's Welding Technology Program.

Harder went on to work for Waldon in Fairview for over two years. For the past eight and a half years, he has worked at DitchWitch in Perry where he is a Hand Arc Welder. His duties include working with robot welders and programming the robots. Harder holds certifications in Stick and MIG welding which are the main certifications needed to get a job in the welding industry.

Harder also handles many other duties at DitchWitch. He is one of the company's Blood Drive Coordinators, Coordinator for the Cherokee Strip Parade for DitchWitch products, serves on the DitchWitch Christmas Committee and is a company tour guide. Harder has also held the position of Safety Representative for his area of the company and is an Internal Auditor for the company's ISO Certification Program.

"I had a great teacher and motivator--Delbert Moore! From my experience, the technology center teaches more than just welding. It prepared me for the workplace. We participated in putting together a resume, learning interview skills and what to expect on the job." stated Harder.

Marcia Briant

In 2002 Marcia Briant decided to enhance her education and enrolled at the Northwest Technology Center Fairview Campus. Since then she has completed the Business and Information Technology program as well as the Interactive Media program (currently called Web Development and Graphic Design). "I am very proud of Marcia for her strong work ethic in achieving her goals and for continuing her education through NOC and NWOSU" said Mrs. Lisa Fuller, Business and Information Technnology instructor.

During Briant's time at Northwest Tech, she was part of the Superintendent's Leadership Class for two years and a member of the National Technical Honor Society. She also completed her A+ Certification. Briant was on the honor roll at Northern Oklahoma College through her concurrent enrollment at Northwest Tech.

While attending Northwest Tech, Briant earned college credit from Northern Oklahoma College and received her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Information Technology. She plans to continue her education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Briant now works for Northwest Technology Center as an assistant to the network administrator.

Shane Lehr

When Shane Lehr began working part-time at his father's business, Lehr's Auto Shop, he did not realize the growth the family business would experience in such a short amount of time.

Almost four years after joining his father, Steve, the younger Lehr expanded the operation to include auto restoration and custom paint jobs.

“I never thought that the business would grow as much as it has, it's nearly doubled. We haven't advertised either. Most of our business comes from word of mouth,” Lehr said.

Lehr recently purchased a building located at 622 Flynn, just across the street from his dad's corner business. This location is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features Lehr's new semi-downdraft paint booth, the only commercial-use one of its kind in Alva.

“My dad and I do most of the repair work and restoration processes ourselves in our shops. We take great pride in the work we do and it is reflected in customer satisfaction,” Lehr added.

Lehr graduated from Alva High School in 2000. While in high school, Lehr attended Northwest Technology Center part-time (half-days) for two years. After graduating, Lehr continued at Northwest Tech full-time as an adult student the following year.

Lehr credits the Auto Collision Technology program under the instruction of Mr. Jeff Owen for providing him with the basics that has built his automotive foundation.

“I had little automotive knowledge before I attended Northwest Tech, but I learned a great deal of valuable information about the auto collision and restorative processes. I learned the basics of paint and body jobs, as well as welding, and even writing estimates,” Lehr said.

“ Northwest Technology Center is a great place to learn the basics and get started in the automotive field. Mr. Owen is a good instructor who is very knowledgeable in his field and is always willing to offer help in any way,” added Lehr.

Owen also spoke highly of Lehr's skills, “Shane is very talented and artistic. He has a bright future in the automotive field.”

Lehr also credits his father, Steve, as being his role model and mentor. “Growing up, my dad took my brothers and me to drag races and car shows, so being around automobiles is something that's always been in the family.”

Curtis Greb

Northwest Technology Center student, Curtis Greb of Isabella recently passed two certification exams and met the requirements for the CompTIA A+ Certification. Greb is a first year student at Northwest Technology Center and is enrolled in the Computer Repair and Networking program. “In order to prepare for this certification test, I completed curriculum for IT Essentials. This certification is highly recognized by CompTIA and I am pleased to have passed the certification exam.” said Greb.

CompTIA A+ certification is an international industry credential that validates the knowledge of computer service technicians with the equivalent of 500 hours of hands-on experience. Major hardware and software vendors, distributors and resellers accept CompTIA A+ as the standard in foundation-level, vendor-neutral certification for service technicians. The skills and knowledge measured by the CompTIA A+ exams were derived from an industry-wide and worldwide job task analysis. To date, more than 500,000 individuals have obtained CompTIA A+ certification.

“Earning the CompTIA A+ certification proves that a candidate has a broad base of knowledge and competency in core hardware and operating system technologies including installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking.” stated Shaylyn Weder, Computer Repair and Networking Instructor at Northwest Technology Center. “We are thrilled for Curtis and are looking forward to working with him toward the next certification which includes the Cisco Certified Network Associate curriculum.”

Markus McPhail

Making sure that the meat we buy in grocery stores is free from dangerous bacteria and harmful diseases is a job that must be done by a highly knowledgeable, dependable and trustworthy individual. It may not be something that we generally think about while preparing dinner, but how do we know the meat that we are serving our family is actually safe? Who is making sure that our beef is not infested with harmful bacteria and potentially fatal diseases?

It is comforting to know that one of Alva's own Northwest Technology Center graduates is filling that important role at National Beef, Inc. in Dodge City , Kan. Former student Markus McPhail is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service assigned to National Beef, Inc. His job can involve traveling to area plants to inspect and verify the safety of the meat processed at each location. Each plant has rigid inspection rules to watch for problems in meat that can cause contamination and sickness. McPhail has been employed with the USDA at National Beef for the past eight months. “I enjoy my job because I feel that I am protecting their food safety in a way most people never think about,” McPhail said.

He completed the Health Careers Certification course at NWTC in May 2003, under the direction of Tara Thomas. “Mrs. Thomas's program is excellent. It's more in depth than high school and is good if you are going to college, getting a job or just moving on with life,” McPhail said. While enrolled in the Health Careers program, his emphasis was in veterinary assisting. “Markus was a very good student. He enjoyed anatomy and dissecting, which are a big part of the job he has now,” Thomas said. “He has a good work ethic and is very determined to reach his goals.”

Upon his graduation from NWTC, McPhail visited with friends who are employed by the USDA. He decided to call and request an application, which consisted of more than 20 pages and required an extensive personal and professional history. He had to have a complete background check and an investigation for security clearance. Those who served as references like Mrs. Thomas, had to complete a three or more pages of reference information regarding his personal and professional history. McPhail is currently at an introductory-level (GS-5) position. He will be at this grade level for the first year. Then he can test and advance to the next level of GS-7. With each advancement, comes a substantial increase in wages and benefits. The grade level of GS-15 can have the income potential of more than $100,000 per year.

He wants to continue on his career path with the USDA at National Beef. He is also looking into continuing his education with classes in veterinary science.

McPhail resides in Cimarron , Kan. , just outside of Dodge City . He is a 2001 graduate of Cimarron High School . While attending NWTC, he resided in Alva and was employed by Salt Plains Veterinary Clinic in Cherokee.

“ Northwest Technology Center helped me to understand things like medical terminology and pathology and gave me excellent background skills and experiences,” McPhail said.

Lucinda Terrel

Lucinda Terrel attended the Business and Information Technology program at the Fairview Campus during the 2003-2004 school year. During her enrollment at NW Tech, she was a member of the Superintendent's Leadership Class and served as the BPA Historian. Upon completion of the program, Lucinda gained employment as the Deputy Assessor at the Alfalfa County Assessor's office in Cherokee.

Lucinda said, “Choosing to attend Northwest Technology Center 's Business and Information Technology program was one of the best investments I could have made in my future.  The skills I gained in my technology class enabled me to achieve personal goals and also challenged me to continue learning.  I earned college credit from Northern Oklahoma College and plan to complete my Associate's Degree.“ 

Mason Lindquist

Mason Lindquist attended the Northwest Technology Center’s Computer Repair and Networking Program. Mason successfully completed the requirements for CompTIA’s Server+ Certification as well as certification in Network+ and A+ PC Service Technician.

After completing the Computer Repair and Networking program, Mason was hired full time as a computer technician for Alva Schools.

While at Northwest Technology Center, Lindquist was a member of the Superintendent’s Leadership Class, Business Professionals of America and the National Vocational-Technical Honor Society. Lindquist placed second at BPA State Contest in March 2003 in Network Administration.

“We are so excited for Mason.” stated Shaylyn Weder, Computer Repair and Networking Instructor at Northwest Technology Center. “Mason is a great student. He is accomplishing his goals, and is willing to help others along the way. He does an outstanding job.”

Bryan Bartlett

After attending Northwest Technology Center's E-Commerce and Web Services program for two years as a high school student, Bryan returned to Northwest Tech as an adult student and attended the Computer Repair and Networking program. Because of the skills acquired from Northwest Tech, Bryan gained employment at Plane Plastics, Ltd. in Alva as their Network Administrator and Programmer in the E-Commerce Department!

Lora DeMoss

Lora DeMoss is a Business and Information Technology Program completer who is now working fulltime as an assistant for Agri Placements International, Inc. in Fairview, Oklahoma. She is also employed by Northwest Technology Center as an AT&D Instructor to teach Introduction to Computers at the Fairview Campus. While a member of the Business Professionals of America, Lora served as secretary and chairperson of the social committee. She placed first at the State BPA Convention in Advanced Word Processing in 2003. Lora received Microsoft Office Certification in Word Expert Level, Outlook, and PowerPoint. She is working to complete the Associate's Degree in Office Management from Northern Oklahoma College that she started while completing articulated coursework at Northwest Technology Center.

Jeannie Dupuy

Jeannie Dupuy, a former Career Technolocy Student Organization President from the Fairview Campus, has been promoted to General Manager of Chili's at Stillwater, Oklahoma. Jeannie said that the strong customer service skills acquired in the Business and Information Technology Program was quickly recognized by management. She was then recommended for management training. Jeannie feels that participating in competitive events at the state level gave her the confidence to pursue her career.

Steven Haldeman

Steven Haldeman, a former Business and Information Technology Student specializing in multimedia and technical support at the Fairview Campus, is a video engineer for Southwestern Oklahoma State University, in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Steven completed the BITE course at Northwest Tech as a junior and senior from Ringwood High School. After high school graduation, he enrolled at SWOSU where he was able to work part time for the Distance Education Department while he completed his computer science degree. Steven says it is because of his training at the Northwest Technology Center in Fairview that he has the success he does in his present career. Steven conducted workshops at the state level for Business and Information Technology Career Organization students and state staff while he attended Northwest Tech which gave him the experience he needed to begin his career in video producation.