LifeSkills Academy students earn certificates in Celebration of Achievement Ceremony

Apr. 30—MITCHELL — Four students from LifeQuest took part Tuesday morning in a ceremony celebrating their accomplishments in the LifeSkills Academy program.

The four — Justin Lippert, Natasha Preston, Sean Nagel and Maddie Zeimer — are the first group to make their way through the program, which hosts clients of LifeQuest who are looking for a college-like experience offering educational experiences on everything from fire safety to nutrition.

"This ceremony marks the culmination of many months of hard work, dedication, discovery and learning," said Kim Mohr, a nursing instructor at Mitchell Technical College who taught the nutrition and wellness class for the LifeSkills Academy, in her welcoming remarks. "(They studied) everything from first aid and the use of fire extinguishers, nutrition and blood pressure, recipes, drones and all kinds of things while they were here. We were happy to have them as our guests."

The program

kicked off in October of last year

in an effort to bring LifeQuest clients into the world of post-secondary learning. Through the program, the participants took time to learn from both instructors and up-and-coming Mitchell Technical students already on their way to becoming leaders in their fields.

Subjects at hand included menu planning, drone flight, nutrition and wellness, financial literacy, graphic design and photography, Internet of things and first aid and personal safety.

The program is a way for LifeQuest clients to engage with experts in academia and gain skills in several disciplines, but it also serves as a reminder that learning in life also occurs outside the classroom and beyond the school year.

Carol Grode-Hanks, vice president for academics for Mitchell Technical College, told the audience gathered on the Mitchell Tech campus that the four students are an example of students who were always looking to broaden their horizons.

"I want to remind you that learning doesn't just stop here today. You don't just get your certificate and say I'm all done learning, right? We're all going to continue to learn as we go," said Grode-Hanks. "Lifelong learning is like a big adventure, and this is our map. This is how we're going to learn all about the things we need to do to accommodate our big adventure. With our map we can explore new places, try new things and we can meet new people. Isn't that exciting? And that's exactly what you guys did the last seven months."

Learning in an environment like Mitchell Technical College can open doors to employment and provide the skills and insight to do well in those careers. She said it can also help students understand the world around them.

The classes held through the LifeSkills Academy offer a pathway to that type of understanding, Grode-Hanks said. It was an experience enjoyed by both the participating clients but also by the Mitchell Tech instructors and their students as well, she said, thanks to an engaging atmosphere that focused on fun as much as knowledge.

"When we learn about wellness and nutrition, we can live better. When we learn about financial literacy, we can be more fiscally responsible, we can pay our bills and spend our money wisely," Grode-Hanks said. "But learning isn't just about jobs or about school. It's also about having fun, and I think you four will attest that we had a lot of fun."

The program has been a positive experience for all involved, said Pam Hanna, executive director of LifeQuest in Mitchell. And it's been one that was relatively easy to launch thanks to like-minded leadership at both institutions.

When Hanna came to Mitchell Technical College with the proposal for the program, officials with the local technical college jumped on board.

"I want to say thank you to Sean, Justin, Natasha and Maddie and all those at Mitchell Technical College who said yes," Hanna said. "You said yes to a new opportunity for people. You said yes to opening doors for friendship and learning and yes to a new partnership between Mitchell Technical College and LifeQuest."

With the idea and structure of the program in place, the last thing needed was students, and the foursome celebrated Tuesday were noted as pioneers for the LifeSkills Academy. They chose to come aboard and be part of something new, which is not always easy, Hanna said.

The LifeSkills Academy program is not just for the students who take part, but it's a way to bring people in the community together through learning and growth, Hanna said. The program's impact will be felt by everyone involved well after the semester has ended, she said, and the four students were a big part of that.

"You guys have left a mark on people's hearts forever," Hanna said.

The students were presented with a certificate of achievement for their work in the program, and several rounds of applause cascaded down from the audience in the Muth Electric Technology Center Amphitheater as their names were announced.

Zeimer took a few minutes to address the audience, which was filled with Mitchell Tech personnel, LifeQuest staffers and friends and family. She said the experience was one worth taking part in and remembering.

"It has been an experience that I really will never forget," Zeimer said. "Our instructors and the students were instrumental in helping us to learn and have fun at the same time."

Zeimer and Hanna both took time to single out Darla McGuire, program manager at LifeQuest, for her contributions to getting the program off the ground. Zeimer also said that the four students in the inaugural LifeSkills Academy class thoroughly enjoyed their time learning skills that will serve them for a lifetime, and hoped their instructors found the experience as enjoyable as they did.

The program also included recognition of the instructors who headed up each class in the program. That included Dixie Herll, menu planning; Devon Russell, drone flight; Kim Mohr, nutrition and wellness; Jordan Von Eye, financial literacy; Wendy Royston, graphic design and photography; Michael Benjamin and Jesse Royston and Lisa Johnson and Gregg Thibodeau, first aid and personal safety.

Grode-Hanks congratulated the four on their completion of the program and urged them to continue cultivating their love of learning. It will serve them well in life, she said, and it will enrich the lives of the people they meet and work with in the future.

That, after all, is what lifelong learning is all about, she said.

"As we learn together, we also become friends, and for that I am very grateful. I'm excited to see where your adventure takes you next, whether it's continuing your education, pursuing your passions or exploring your opportunities, I have no doubt that whatever you embark upon, you are going to have many amazing adventures ahead of you," Grode-Hanks said. "No matter where life takes you, the bonds we formed here at Mitchell Tech through our learning and our friendship will always be cherished. Here's to many more memories."