Each year as I prepare to write this year-end letter, I go back and read the letters from previous years. When I am here every day, it is so easy to begin to feel that things are just not moving forward very quickly. But, as I read these old letters, I am amazed at the growth and change that has taken place in twelve months. God continues to bless us and supply our needs.
The Spring semester concluded with the Tarkio Tech graduation exercises that saw eight graduates in the welding program, four graduates in the wind energy program, and one graduate in the plumbing program. We added two graduates in the summer welding program. As the fall semester opened, we doubled our enrollment from the previous year and added two new programs, HVAC installation and Computer Technology. The totals were eleven in welding, one in advanced welding, four in wind energy, three in plumbing, two in HVAC installation, and three in computer technology.
The work on the campus has also continued at a steady pace. The welding lab transformation from the heating plant to a state-of-the-art welding center has been completed and dedicated in the memory of Dr. Jack Schmidt. We have added an HVAC lab and are in the process of building a ten-station computer technology lab, compliments of Midwest Data Corporation, our regional communications company. The Rotary Theater in Thompson is being used more and more each month, bringing countless individuals onto the campus. We are working with our county’s leaders on a grant to repair the elevator in Thompson which will allows us to open the third floor. Another exciting addition to the campus is an actual nacelle (the building at the top of the wind towers) which has been donated by Invenergy, Ameren, and Vestas. This unit is scheduled to be delivered in January. This will allow our wind technology students to train in the type of lab in which they will be working. We have completed the remodel of the Presidential office suite in Rankin Hall and have rented it to Connections Counseling and Wellness. This has been a great addition for us and for our rural communities, as clinical counseling is very hard to find in remote rural areas.
At the Homecoming Weekend in September, we shared the findings of the eighteen-month Capital Campaign Feasibility study with those on campus for the alumni celebration. If you were not able to attend this, the presentation can be found on our website under Heritage Campaign.
Perhaps the most exciting progress has been in some programs that I call “humanitarian” programs that will add value to Tarkio Tech’s programs. We are in the final stages of creating a mobile learning program that will offer our technical classes to individuals who are housed at Maryville Treatment Center, a Department of Corrections facility. This program will allow their clients to enroll in a four-tier program that will provide instruction in job-seeking skills, job-keeping skills, industrial certifications, and completion of existing Tarkio Tech technical programs. This will provide them with a marketable skill when they are released and will increase the likelihood of their success. We are also in the final stages of developing a cooperative welding program with the St. Joseph Christian School Association in St. Joseph, Missouri that will create a Tarkio Tech welding lab at Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph. This campus will be available to the students at the Christian high schools, the public high schools, and the general population in the St. Joseph area. The third of these programs is a Christian Business Endorsement that we will offer to students enrolled in our technical programs and to the public. This endorsement provides twelve credit hours, which totals 180 class hours of business training which is based on the Christian principle of business as mission. We feel this will provide our technical students with the skills they would need when starting their own business.
As we look toward 2022, our advisory committees in health sciences and manufacturing are moving toward a September 2022 opening. This will add a program in advanced manufacturing, a program in medical assisting, a program in emergency medical technician, a class in certified nursing aide, and a class in medical terminology.
We also look forward to formally announcing a Capital Campaign at the annual Board of Directors’ meeting in February. This will provide funds to move forward on repairing the rest of the campus. With Thompson Learning Center and the Dr. Jack Schmidt Welding Center almost completely refurbished, we anticipate completing the repairs at Rankin and converting Jenison Hall to our first student housing facility. In Rankin, there are two major projects. With the help of the Alumni Association, we repaired the slate roof on Rankin and temporarily patched the flat roofs. But the flat roofs must be completely replaced to move forward. The second project to complete the structural repair is the window replacement. We have started with the four windows on the north end of the second floor and the four windows on the south end of the second floor. We now have five of those windows spoken for and are placing that order as I write. If you are interested in helping with this project you may purchase a window for $3,500 and have a plaque placed under it to honor whomever you choose.
I want to give you an open invitation to visit us anytime you wish and allow me to give you a personal tour of the campus. I know that it would bring back some memories but would also bring you some hope and excitement for the future of Tarkio College.
We hope that this season brings joy and comfort to you and your family. All of us at Tarkio College wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
John Davis, President
Tarkio Tech