Alumni Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees and Dr. McCall. From left to right: Jean Obenour, Robin Schelb, Cynthia Hartman, Annette Walton, Nathan Miller, and Dr. McCall
Marion Technical College recently honored five outstanding graduates in the Third Annual Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This year’s honorees included:
- Cynthia Hartman, Class of 1977, Director of Nursing at MTC
- Nathan Miller, Class of 2008, Operations Manager at the Nielsen Company
- Jean Obenour, Class of 1985, Owner of Custom Professional Accounting
- Robin Schelb, Class of 2013, Marion Regional Branch Manager, United Federal Credit Union
- Annette Walton, Class of 1980, Workforce Specialist at Ohio Means Jobs – Marion County
“These alumni seized an opportunity to get to next. They are now succeeding in the professional world and giving back to their communities,” said Dr. Ryan McCall, president of MTC. “We are proud to recognize their achievements.”
The new state-of-the-art human anatomy and physiology lab was opened in an official ribbon cutting ceremony on November 15, 2018. This 1,400 square foot classroom will include cadavers to enhance student learning. OhioHealth made a generous $100,000 donation to MTC to support the lab. In addition, OhioHealth will use the lab for physician and staff training.
Dr. Curt Gingrich, OhioHealth COO at Marion General Hospital; Luann Wilkinson, Science Professor at MTC; and Dr. Ryan McCall, President of MTC.
“OhioHealth is proud to partner with Marion Technical College (MTC) to upgrade the college’s Skills Lab, offering a more comprehensive experience to students there,” said Curt Gingrich, MD, MBA, FAAFP, Chief Operating Officer at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital. “We are big supporters of education in the Marion community. Programs like this are especially impactful as we prepare students to pursue a career in health care, and hopefully see them come full circle, providing care right here at Marion General.”
Students will use the new lab starting in fall of 2019. To also assist with student learning, a RAPIDS grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education funded an anatomage table to show 3-D imaging of organs, bodies, and structures in an interactive, life-sized screen to facilitate learning.
For those inducted into the MTC Alumni Hall of Fame on Nov. 15, it was a moving evening.
Alumna Jean Obenour recalled working full-time, raising a family, and saving to take one class at a time.
“I was pregnant while taking classes. I would sit by the door so I could step out and throw up and come back in. My professor took notes for me until I came back,” Obenour recalled.
After six years, she graduated with her associate’s degree in accounting. “I was the oldest one in my class. I wanted my dad to be proud of me. It was my starting point.”
Obenour used the degree to advance her career and eventually open Custom Professional Accounting, a local business that has thrived for decades and now has eight employees.
Robin Schelb needed a degree to advance in her career. At a business networking group, she heard that Marion Technical College offered a business degree with classes one night a week. She decided to take that next step.
“It was like standing in front of a fire hose for two years,” Schelb recalls. “I’m glad I did it. It gave me confidence in my abilities. I could never move up without a degree.”
Schelb transferred on to complete a bachelor’s degree and is now a Regional Branch Manager at United Federal Credit Union in Marion.
Each of the honorees received a commemorative statue, had their names placed on the Alumni Hall of Fame plaque, and selected a book with meaning to them to be added to the Marion Campus Library. Each book will have a commemorative nameplate and a display featuring these books and the honorees will available in the spring.
For the latest news from MTC, visit www.mtc.edu.
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