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By Kate Wallace

If you show up to student events on campus this year, you may have the opportunity to chat with us about your experience at ���ϲ�����. At “Donuts by the Donut” in early September, three students agreed to share their ���ϲ����� story.

Michael Whelan

Michael Whelan was grabbing a donut with a few classmates, all of the decked out in scrubs. While most of ���ϲ�����’s health sciences programs are held over at the Health Sciences Building, the Cardiovascular Technology (CVT) classrooms and labs are in the Northway Building.

Michael was happy to sit down to chat about his time at ���ϲ�����, and a couple of his classmates looked on, giving their approval and general support as he talked about his time here at the College.

An Apple Valley native, Michael chose ���ϲ����� because it was one the few places that offered the CVT program at a two-year level, and this field combines two things he enjoys.

“I really like working with people and technology, and it’s a great opportunity to do both of those things,” he said. After he graduates, he’s hoping to find a position in the Twin Cities area.

Michael was thankful for the donut break – it’s his second year in the CVT program and internships are right around the corner, so an opportunity to take a moment is always welcome. Being present is one thing he mentioned has been important to keep in mind as he moves through his education, internships, and ultimately his career.

“Accept and appreciate where you are. It’s important to plan for the future but it’s also important to understand where you are in the moment and not get too far ahead with that.”

Halla Omar

When a group of students stopped to grab donuts, laughing with each other, Halla Omar was first to respond when I asked if someone wanted to sit down in front of the camera to talk about their experience at ���ϲ�����.

And it turns out, Halla is a PSEO student! She’s a junior at St. Cloud Tech High School, and PSEO has been on her radar since middle school.

“It’s a really good opportunity,” Halla remarked. “There are online options as well as in-school options. It’s less rules and more freedom in general.”

Right now she’s taking generals classes: history, analytical writing, Middle Eastern culture, and chemistry. Her ultimate goal, after transferring to SCSU, is to become a respiratory therapist.

But when asked what her future looks like after that, Halla wasn’t quite so certain – she’s open to different options at different health care providers. For a junior in high school, Halla’s goals and drive are inspiring, and she understands that balance is key.

“Stay on task, do your work, don’t get behind,” she said when asked for advice for future students. “But also take care of your mental health and just have fun. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Larry Reisinger

Larry Reisinger is living his best retiree life. After 20 years of active duty and 10 years in the Merchant Marines, Larry retired from the military and got down to business using his GI Bill for education.

“The GI Bill is nice – it pays for tuition and gives you money for housing,” he explains. “Then Minnesota has their own GI Bill that’s good until you’re 60 years old. There’s plenty of money out there.”

Larry has been at ���ϲ����� for eight years, so if you’ve seen him around, that’s no surprise. He started in the Automotives program, then over to Medium/Heavy Truck before realizing that being a mechanic was probably not good for his “little old body.”

So he went on to get a degree in what he knew he was good at: Information Technology. And right around that time, the IT program added Cybersecurity, so he went back and got that as well.

After that, Larry tried his hand at Culinary, where he learned that was not the career for him. But he wasn’t ready to leave ���ϲ����� yet!

Now Larry is in his second year in the Architectural Construction Technology program because he has always enjoyed drawing homes. This is his eighth year of full-time college.

Is he ready to graduate? Well, Larry is shooting for 10 years at ���ϲ����� before “graduating” and maybe finding a part-time job doing architectural drafting to keep him occupied during retirement.

Larry’s endurance for education is reflected in advice he would give to future students, no matter how long they are planning on being in college: “Stick with it. It might get tough. You might think it’s not worth it. It is.”

Additionally, he’s unwavering in his opinion that the instructors here are some of the best. He’s had nothing but good experiences with them. “If you have problems, see your instructor – they are all willing to help you out no matter what,” said Larry. “And don’t give up.”

Learn more about ���ϲ�����’s History & 75th Anniversary

To share your ���ϲ����� story, email marketing@sctcc.edu.