News.

Detroit Pistons DC9 Donation

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:49:42 -0600

Wind chills that approached 40 below zero were not enough to stop community members, faculty, students, local media, and Northland Foundation members from braving the elements to see the Detroit Pistons DC-9 aircraft land at the Thief River Falls airport. A crowd of over 75 people watched the aircraft land at its new home on the Northland Community and Technical College Aviation campus.

The Detroit Pistons announced on Tuesday, Feb. 7,2012 the donation of their second generation Roundball One DC-9 aircraft to the Northland Community & Technical College Foundation to support Northland Community & Technical College’s (Northland) aerospace programs. Northland’s aviation campus is located in Thief River Falls, MN. The DC-9 aircraft served as the Pistons’ team plane from 1998-2010. The club’s latest generation of Roundball One, a MD-20 aircraft, debuted during the 2010-11 season.

After landing, anxious spectators were welcomed aboard the plane to sit in the very seats that held the 2004 NBA Championship team members. Pilots, Foundation members, students and faculty all mingled inside the warm plane about the history behind the generous donation.

Upon entering the plane one student exclaimed, “Okay, let’s get started working on this thing!” This comment mirrored the moods of students who didn’t let the cold bother their excitement. They concurred that it was going to be pretty exciting to work on a plane that has held so many millionaires and famous athletes. “Its just too bad that Isiah Thomas didn’t come with it,” joked a group of students.

“We are pleased to donate this aircraft to the aviation program at Northland Community & Technical College knowing that it will benefit a tremendous program and provide students the opportunity for future careers in the aviation field,” said Dennis Mannion, President of Palace Sports & Entertainment and the Pistons.

The Roundball DC-9 serviced Pistons’ teams that made six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals (2002-2008) and two NBA Finals appearances (2004, 2005), including the 2004 NBA Championship. Other key flights included two “Flight of Champions” missions where the Pistons delivered relief items to survivors and relief workers affected by Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998 and Hurricane Katrina in the gulf coast in 2005.

“We are honored and thankful to the Detroit Pistons for making such a generous donation,” said Dr. Anne Temte, Northland Community & Technical College president.” She shared, “This aircraft donation will allow our students to have the important hands-on experience that is vital to professional success in the workforce.”

Northland Community & Technical College, home of Northland Aerospace, is one of the nation’s premiere aviation maintenance training schools. Northland Aerospace features the aviation maintenance technology (AMT) and the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) maintenance training programs. “We are very grateful to the Foundation and the Detroit Pistons organization for donating the DC-9. It’s got some of the latest and greatest technology on it and there isn’t a thing on it that we aren’t teaching our students. It is really going to give them some real world experience,” said Dean of Workforce and Economic Development Jim Retka.

The AMT program is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) part 147 approved program. The UAS maintenance training program is the first of its kind in the nation. Northland’s campus features 86,000 square feet of training area with cutting edge equipment. “They can turn it into an instant classroom. This aircraft has a lot of technology and extras many planes don’t have so this is a huge bonus for students to learn on. Who wouldn’t want to have class in these leather seats everyday?” added a Foundation member.

“The AMT program encompasses everything on a plane. This donation is going to allow for hands-on training on all aspects of this plane. The plane will be hugely important for the program and it’s students as a training tool, added Biggi Haraldsson. Haraldsson is the Director of Aviation Programs at Northland.

The Roundball DC-9 aircraft made its last voyage from Detroit Metro Airport on Friday, February 10 at 9:00 a.m. and arrived at the Thief River Falls Airport on Friday, February 10 at 10:40 a.m. much to the delight of the frozen yet eager spectators.

For in-depth analysis by website editor Keith Langlois and special video content, visit www.pistons.com, the official source for news and features on the Detroit Pistons.

2011 Fall Thief River Falls Campus Scholarship Ceremony

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:00:36 -0500

101 Scholarships Totaling $57,875 Awarded to 72 Northland Students

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN. (TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011) - The Northland Community and Technical College Foundation (NCTC Foundation) hosted their 2011 Fall Scholarship Ceremony on Monday, August 29. The ceremony was held in the theatre on the Thief River Falls campus of Northland Community & Technical College (Northland). Dr. Anne Temte, president of Northland, welcomed those in attendance and congratulated the scholarship recipients. She shared, “We are so grateful for our generous donors who make these scholarships possible. I also want to congratulate our students on receiving these scholarships. Your hard work and academic efforts have paid off.”
Overall, 72 Northland students received 101 scholarships worth $57,875. Many of the scholarships went to first-year Northland students. The majority of the scholarships are directed towards students with a high grade point average and an interest in a specifiec Northland program.

This year marked the first “Ignite” Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) scholarship pilot program. The Ignite scholarships were started through the generous donation of Orren and Odette Bendickson. These scholarships are currently offered to juniors and seniors attending Lincoln High School (LHS) who are are taking college credit courses at Northland as part of the PSEO program. The student may earn a scholarship by successful completing Northland credit courses while in high school.

Seventeen LHS graduates were awarded the first Ignite scholarships. Odette Bendickson shared, “We are so pleased by the number of students who are taking advantage of this great opportunity. Looking at the success of this program so far, we are encouraged and are hoping additional people will invest in it so it can continue. It truly does seem to be a win / win for all.” Anne Temte agrees, “I am so thankful to the Bendicksons and the NCTC Foundation for creating this Ignite scholarship pilot program. The intent of the scholarship program encourages qualified students at LHS to take advantage of the PSEO program and to attend Northland in Thief River Falls following graduation. Dan Klug, executive director of the NCTC Foundation stated, “I hope more people will catch the vision for how important this scholarship program is to our local students. With more financial support, we can continue to provide this opportunity, as well as spread it to other area high schools.”

Fall Scholarship Ceremony

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:00:14 -0500

The Northland Community & Technical College Foundation will be hosting its Fall Scholarship Ceremony on Monday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Northland’s Thief River Falls campus. The ceremony will be held in the theatre. The public is welcome to attend.

Northrop Grumman Scholarship

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:43:57 -0500

NORTHROP GRUMMAN LEADERS CONGRATULATE
NORTHLAND COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION
SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Hussein Abd, a native of Baghdad, is awarded a $1,000 Northrop Grumman Scholarship

EAST GRAND FORKS, MN. (MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2011) - Leaders from Northrop Grumman Corporation recently visited Northland Community & Technical College and met their 2011 scholarship recipient, Hussein Abd. The $1,000 scholarship was the result of Northrop Grumman’s support of the Northland Community & Technical College Foundation’s annual golf tournament.

Hussein Abd is in his second year at Northland Community & Technical College. Hussein immigrated to the United States as a refugee, from Baghdad, Iraq. The Department of Homeland Security sent him to Grand Forks, ND in 2008. Although the weather is vastly different from Iraq, he was impressed with the friendliness of the people and chose to stay.

Hussein enrolled at Northland in 2009 and is finishing his computer networking and liberal arts degrees. He is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for students in two-year colleges. To be eligible for membership in Phi Theta Kappa, a student must have completed 12 credit hours toward an Associate in Arts degree, and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Hussein plans to continue to work towards his bachelors degree in computer science.

Hussein shared, “I really appreciate the scholarship from Northrop Grumman and the Northland Community and Technical College Foundation.” He continued, “It really helped me further my education.”

“Hussein’s accomplishments are truly amazing,” said Sean Callahan, manager Business Development, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “It is an honor for Northrop Grumman to support an outstanding individual like Hussein and Northland Community and Technical College Foundation.”

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Northland Community & Technical College Foundation is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation in the state of Minnesota. Its mission is to support the college by providing opportunities for contributors to invest in and enhance the educational experience of Northland students.

PSEO Scholarship Program Launch

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:56:24 -0600

Taken from the Thief River Falls Times
Used with Permission

Northland Community & Technical College Foundation offers new scholarship program for Thief River Falls students.

by David Hill
Editor

Northland Community and Technical College Foundation has unveiled a new scholarship program for Lincoln High School students taking classes at the college.

During a meeting at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls Friday, Dec. 12, the College Foundation unveiled the “Lincoln High School Post Secondary Enrollment Option Scholarship Pilot Program.” Under the program, Lincoln High School students taking college level courses through PSEO are eligible to earn $50 for each successful NCTC semester credit earned. If the program is fully funded, students could earn up to a maximum of $1,500 toward an education at NCTC.

The pilot program got a boost from Orreim and Odette Bendickson of Thief River Falls. Odette explained that when she was a 17-year-old freshman at the University of Minnesota, she had way too much fun. Odette said that if the community can keep children in Thief River Falls under their parent’s thumb while they learn to make good decisions on their own, it will be better for them and the community. The Bendicksons have also had a long relationship with the community. In their long relationship with Thief River Falls, Odette said she and Orreim have been small business owners and educators. At one time, Orreim was a teacher at Lincoln High School and Northland College. And third, Odette said that as former small business owners, they could appreciate how important it is for the stability of a small business to keep good employees in the community. Odette and Orreim said the purpose of the scholarship is not so much a reward as an incentive to continue past high school to achieve a college education.

Dan Klug, director of the Northland Foundation said rather than a reward, the scholarship is a recruitment tool, and he’s not bashful about saying so.

About 100 Lincoln High School students enroll in the PSEO program and take classes at NCTC each year. Officials don’t believe every student will take advantage of the opportunity, but they are glad to offer it and hope that it encourages them and others to continue with a college education at NCTC.

Klug said they are still working on many of the details, particularly how much it will cost to continue to offer the pilot program at the college. Current estimates put the amount for each participating student at about $600.

Shane Zutz, principal of Lincoln High School, said they welcomed the partnership between NCTC and Lincoln High School. He thanked them and those in the community who have donated to the Foundation and the program for sharing their energy and heart for students.

Lincoln High School, he said, has become a good school, but that’s not good enough. He wants it to be a great school. One of the areas at the school that he believes could improve, and bring the school closer to being “great,” is college career readiness.

Zutz added that when people think of students enrolled in PSEO, they often think of highperforming, college-bound students seeking a liberal arts education. Zutz said he would like to think that programs like this will also encourage students interested in vocational technology.

High school funding is based on per pupil units attending the school. When a qualified student participates in PSEO, the school district pays for the course. When questioned about the apparent conflict between high school and college, Zutz said the number of students participating in PSEO each year has remained the same for several years. The amount the School District pays the college is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and he doesn’t see that changing. But, he doesn’t see the program going away, and based on the opportunities for students, the partnerships with businesses and the college, Zutz said they had decided to embrace this program.

When Zutz was an NCTC student, he said he really didn’t know what he wanted to do. His time at the college, and his professors, helped him sort that out. He sees this program as helping students who may not know what they want to do.

Bill Stock, Lincoln High School counselor, offered a heartfelt thank you to those who made this program possible. At a time when the economy is poor and the state’s budget deficit is at $6.2 billion, being able to afford college becomes very difficult for many students and families. Programs like this, help bridge the gaps, he said.

From the college’s perspective, College President Anne Temte said it’s important for the college to have a healthy enrollment. The population of young people in rural areas is not growing, so the college must do what it can to keep students here and recruit students from outside the area.
Temte said a program like this may even help to attract and keep the brightest students in Thief River Falls. When these leaders attend the college, she said, their action may influence their friends to follow. That’s good for the college and the community. Temte is excited about the potential this program offers. If this pilot project is successful, it could be implemented in other communities, like Badger or Goodridge.

There are many benefits to this program. Klug said it will benefit and challenge the students, the high school, build enrollment at the college, help small business, benefit parents and many programs in the community.

Klug said it’s remarkable what people from Thief River Falls have been able to accomplish, and he cited Digi-Key and Arctic Cat as examples. But Klug said young people always think that it’s better somewhere else. Why not, he asked, help them stay in the community, and realize the opportunities and potential that exist here?

Klug said the program will not work without the support of the community. He encouraged residents to pledge their supportto the program.

To comment on this story, write to dhill@trftimes.com,
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