Posts from June, 2020

Eastern Wyoming College Announces Graduates

Eastern Wyoming College held the 71st annual commencement for candidates on May 8, 2020 virtually. There were 233 graduates. The graduates from the Fall 2019, Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 semesters are as follows:

From Torrington, WY:  Canton Afdahl, Jordan Arnusch, Angel Barajas, Alexandra Battleson, Ryan Black, Shane Brown, Katelyn Buller, Brook Cecil, Rylee Clarke, Hannah Cline, Laurel Cline, Natalie Davila, Taylor Debock, Alicia Demott, MacUllie Elwood, Grace Fenn, Elizabeth Foos, Daniel Fox, Nathaniel Gifford, Kathryn Griggs, Hayden Hill, Clay Hiser, Jewel Hull, Winter Hunt, Kaeden Jackson, Cameron Juma, Sarandon Keeran, Joseph Lookingbill, Brooke Paules, Joshua Posten, Larry Prieto, Karissa Rayhill, Tyler Schaub, Ashley Schlagel, Abbe Syrovatka, Brooklyn Tucker, Taylor Wagner, Jacob Wamboldt, Dalton Wieneke, Laine Wolfe, Skyler Wrage, Autumn Zulauf

From Albin, WY: Lash Branigan

From Casper, WY: MacKenzie Altaffer, Rachel Bull, Danielle Gaither, Carolynn Heaton, Carissa Jacobsen, Nicole Kleenmeyer, Kendra Ojeda, Samantha Watts

From Cheyenne, WY:  Devon Anderson, Bethany Bonilla, Joshua Crozier, Alexander Flores, Jacob Fogg, Kolby Humphrey, Austin Mickle, Nicholas Mirich, Ashley Santora, Katelyn Soske, Cara Tomsick, Alexis Trowbridge, Tyler Workman 

From Chugwater, WY: Decker Anderson

From Cody, WY: Adelle Ostrom

From Daniel, WY: Sylvee McClure

From Douglas, WY: Griffen Boe, Roberta Burley, Cassidy Cole, Mari Corkill-Bomgaars, Shantelle Fritz, McCall Garner, Charlotte Jordan, April Klava, Hannah McReynolds, Celia Muncy, Rebecca Muncy, Jaylene Oliver, Treyton Pearson, Ashley Peregory, Tessa Raba, Rebecca Rasmussen, Kayla Read, Dimitri Nesbitt, Danita Palmer, Brandon Phillips, Brandon Pickens, Chad Schmitt, Allegra Wagner, Sarah Wilkens, Sindney Wisser, Michael Zahrowski, Christopher Zamora

From Encampment, WY: Tyler Nuhn

From Evanston, WY: Lane Barker

From Evansville, WY: Danielle Porter

From Evanston, WY: James McMurtrey

From Gillette, WY:  Cassandra Klein, Robert Perry

From Glenrock, WY:  Raedel Kellogg, Sydnie Stellpflug

From Greybull, WY: Skyler Wrage

From Guernsey, WY: Lakin Reichert

From Huntley, WY: Whitney Foos

From Keeline, WY: Kaden Gaukel

From Laramie, WY: Colby Clay, Shae Ibarra, Whitney Lewis, Ashley Mendoza, Joshua Skinner

From Lingle, WY:  Dena Anderson, Patricia Colby, Taylor Cooper, Robert Greenwald

From Lusk, WY: Cassandra Callender, Audrie Flores, Kristen Henderson, Brandy Nelson, Dawn Trevino, Ahna Velasquez

From Moorcroft, WY: RiLee Bonaguidi, Elizabeth Peterson, Rowdy Pfeil, Christian Robinson, Parker Schlater, Marla Sproul, Payton Timberman

From Newcastle, WY:  Alaina Boettcher, Robert Carmichael II, Shad Carter, Patrick Erwin, Jenna Goodart, James Jaure, John Kallbacka, Teigen Marchant, Gage Markgraf, Madison Pearson, Chayanne Rodriguez, Raul Rodriguez, Shelby Stith, Heath Tawater, Maurice Turner, Steven West, Tessa Vandersnick

From Pine Bluffs, WY: Hesston Fornstrom, Tristin Lind, Kayla Thurin

From Pinedale, WY: MacKenzie Sellergren

From Pine Haven, WY: Amanda Otto

From Rawlins, WY: Anna Blackford

From Riverton, WY: Leena Gard, Kaitlyn Ward

From Saratoga, WY: Hailey Barkhurst, Sarah Burton, Dalton Taylor

From Sundance, WY: Parker Seeley, Parker Selting

From Thermopolis, WY: Codi Goffena

From Veteran, WY: Kassidy McClun

From Weston, WY: Charmayne DeLong

From Wheatland, WY: Teague Crane. Sydney DeWitt, Brooke Gudahl, April Hill, Jeannette Kaufman, Khrystina Snyder

From Wright, WY: Rosita Araiza

From Yoder, WY: Bryan Richards Baker

From Chino Valley, AZ: Todd Murphy

From Paulden, AZ: Alexia Velasco

From Arriba, CO: Kayleen Saffer

From Aurora, CO: Peyton Greeson

From Castle Rock, CO: Alexandra White

From Ft. Collins, CO: Samuel Tiley

From Greeley, CO: Jace Roselle

From Haxtun, CO: Kylie Donovan

From Sterling, CO: Emma Seghi, Cydnee Sexton

From Walden, CO: Bailey Vanvalkenburg

From Sandstone, MN: Clara Carlson

From Fromberg, MT: Ashley Richardson

From Great Falls, MT: Kaylee Nash

From Alliance, NE:  Tiara Clark, Haley Hoxworth, Kaleb Moss, Katelyn Nunes, Ezra Ray

From Atkinson, NE: Mason Hale  

From Bayard, NE: Riley Bassett, Shaley Peterson

From Bridgeport, NE: Deborah Rowe, Eric Stevens

From Chappell, NE: Taylor Stupka

From Dalton, NE: Alyssa Powell

From Dunning, NE: Ridge Anderson

From Elwood, NE: Bailey Moffatt-Irish

From Gering, NE: Chance Barrett, Tre’ Patterson

From Gordon, NE:  Brady Kersey

From Inavale, NE: Maria Ockinga

From Lincoln, NE: Joshua Andreasen

From Madison, NE: Kurtis Palmer

From Minatare, NE: Savannah Anderson

From Mitchell, NE: Noah Hernandez, Frances Plasencio

From North Platte, NE: Caleb Parsons

From Scottsbluff, NE: Briana Enlow, Elizabeth Groskopf

Mooresville, NC: Katelyn Conklin

From Black Hawk, SD: Hayley Orth

From Hermosa, SD: Taylor Ruhoff, Seth Shorb

From Martin, SD: Keith Hodson

From Rapid City, SD: Emily Colaiuta

From Sturgis, SD: Mary Grubl

From Wanblee, SD: Tigh Livermont

From Three Rivers, TX: RJ Moya, JoVin Tan

From Bothell, WA: Jordan Potts

From Vinkovci, Croatia: Barbara Trehub

From Belgrade, Serbia: Charlène Hosley

From Barcelona, Spain: Mar Bastida-Olivares, Paula Martinez, Sanz

From Grenada, Spain: Nadia Montalbán El-Hiriche

From St. Croix, US Virgin Islands: Earl Baker, Jr.

From Gothenburg, Sweden: Alexander Karras

From Lulea, Sweden: Jonatan Arvidsson

From, Nässjö, Sweden: David Hook

EWC Athletic Department announces academic recognition of athletes

The Athletic Department at Eastern Wyoming College has announced the recognition of 29 student-athletes for high academic achievement.

The student-athletes must have accumulated a minimum of 24 semester hours with a minimum 3.25 grade point average (GPA) in the academic year.

Volleyball Academic All-Region 9 student-athletes were:

Peyton Greeson – Aurora, CO
J’Dore Hayes – Euless, TX
Nadia Montalbán-ElHiriche – Granada, Spain
Devyn Voz – Parker CO
Charlene Hosly – Rixheim, France
Emma Larsen – Hyrum, UT
Vittoria Cacciavillani – Florence Italy

Women’s Basketball Academic All-Region 9 student-athletes were:

Emilia Axelsson – Ragunda, Spain
Mar Bastida-Olivares – Barcelona, Spain
Paula Martinez-Sanz – Barcelona, Spain
Emma Strom – Lulea, Sweden
Barbara Trehub – Vinkovci, Croatia
Jada Ybarra – Cheyenne, WY
Montse Guiterrez-Ibanez – Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Ane Esnal Afuirre – Donostia, Spain

Men’s Golf Academic All-Region 9 student-athletes were:

Colby Clay – Laramie, WY
Mason Hale – Atkinson, NE
Tomas Kubata – Prague, Czech Republic
RJ Moya – Three Rivers, TX
Eric Stevens – Bridgeport, NE
JoVin Tan – Taiping, Malaysia

Men’s Basketball Academic All-Region 9 student-athletes were:

Jonatan Arvidsson – Lulea, Sweden
Earl Baker, Jr. – St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Carter Berish – Logan, UT
Jonathan Hall – Cradiff, Wales
David Hook – Nässjö, Sweden
John Karras – Gothenburg, Sweden
Nicholas Miriche – Cheyenne, WY
Jordan Potts –  Bothell, WA

EWC had 22 student-athletes who earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Academic Team. The criteria for each level are as follows: 1st Team, 4.0 GPA; 2nd Team, 3.8-3.99 GPA; 3rd Team, 3.6-3.79 GPA.

1st Team

Student Sport
Mason Hale Golf
Tomas Kubata Golf
Carter Berish Men’s Basketball
Emma Larsen Volleyball
Emilia Axelsson Women’s Basketball
Emma Strom Women’s Basketball

2nd Team

Student Sport
Colby Clay Golf
John Karras Men’s Basketball
Peyton Greeson Volleyball
Jadore Hayes Volleyball
Devyn Volz Volleyball
Charlene Hosly Volleyball
Mar Bastida-Olivares Women’s Basketball
Barbara Trehub Women’s Basketball

3rd Team           

Student Sport
Roy Moya Golf
Jonatan Arvidsson Men’s Basketball
Earl Baker Jr Men’s Basketball
Jordan Potts Men’s Basketball
Nadia Montalban El-Hiriche Volleyball
Vittoria Cacciavillani Volleyball
Paula Martinez-Sanz Women’s Basketball
Jada Ybarra Women’s Basketball

EWC Athletic Director, Tom Andersen, shared the following about the athlete’s academic performance, “I am very proud to announce this recognition for our student athletes. It is a great tribute to our coaches for recruiting high caliber student athletes and to our faculty and staff for the great support they supply. It is also a tribute to our student athletes who work extremely hard both in their respective sports and in the classroom. We can all be very proud of their accomplishments.”

EWC President issues statement

Eastern Wyoming College president Dr. Lesley Travers released the following statement.

“Last night, we received news that we are now tasked with developing sustainable cuts rather than one-time cuts for this biennium. The plan for 10% cuts is due July 1.  A plan for a 20% cut is due July 15 and the community colleges are part of this cut. I will provide more information next week as it is received, and we will now be making cuts that involve people and positions. I will keep you abreast of these circumstances as I obtain more information. Please know these are very difficult times in the State of Wyoming and at Eastern Wyoming College.”

EWC to Recognize Employees

Eastern Wyoming College will hold a Drive-Thru Employee Recognition reception to recognize and honor employees for their years of service to the College.

Retiree Linda Evans, Graphic Designer will be recognized for her 33 years of service.

Employees recognized for years of service include the following: 30 years – Terri Hauf; 25 years – Bob Creagar; 20 years – Tami Afdahl, JR Gutierrez, and Monte Stokes; 15 years – Lori Moore; 10 years – Gwen Yung.

Please join us for curbside refreshments as we recognize our retiree and employees for their achievements and years of service on Wednesday, June 24 at 2:30 pm on EWC’s Pinnacle Bank Drive.

Eastern Wyoming College Employee Recognition Drive-Thru

EWC instructor received recognition for writing works

Eastern Wyoming College instructor of English and Spanish, John Nesbitt, has received notification of recognition of his writing works.

First of all, two of his works were selected as finalists in short story fiction for the Western Fictioneers Peacemakers Awards. “Return to Laurel,” the short story published by Five Star Publishing and “Leaving the Lariat Trail,” a novella published by Sundown Press, are both contenders for this award. Winners will be announced on June 15th. Western Fictioneers is an organization of professional authors of western novels and short stories. The organization has been recognizing authors with the annual Peacemaker Awards for 10 years.

The Western Fictioneers Peacemaker will be awarded in the following categories:

Best Western Novel – Any novel published during the award year set in the appropriate time period (1830-1920), 30,000 words and higher. There are no format requirements. The novel may be a hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, or eBook, as long as it has been published by an appropriate publisher.

Best Western Short Fiction – Any short story, novelette, or novella published during the award year set in the appropriate time period (1830-1920), 500 words to 29,999 words. There are no format requirements. The short story may be published in any publication, print or electronic, and can be self-published.

Best Western First Novel – Must meet the same requirements as Bes Novel or Best Independently Published Novel, and must be the author’s first published Western novel. If the author has published novels in any other genre they will not disqualify the author from the Best Western First Novel Award competition. Submission for Best Western First Novel may also be submitted in the Best Novel category in the same year.

“I want to express my appreciation to the publishers of these two works as well as the organization and their judges,” said Nesbitt. “I also would like to express my appreciation to all the people who encourage me in my work, including Eastern Wyoming College.”

Mr. Nesbitt also shared that earlier this year he received news that his short story “Return to Laurel” earned the Western Writers of American Spur Finalist award. This story was originally published in an anthology entitled Hobnail and Other Frontier Stories by Five Star Publishing. “The Spur competition is somewhat prestigious, so I was very honored to receive this recognition,” added Nesbitt. Winners and finalists will be honored June 17-20 at Western Writers of America’s convention in Rapid City, SD.

 

EWC braces for statewide budget cuts

Eastern Wyoming College is in the process of trying to appropriately prepare for statewide budget cuts which could range from 10%-20%. These cuts could impact the College in the amount of nearly $600,000 to nearly $800,000.

At the June 9th monthly meeting of the EWC Board of Trustees, Dr. Lesley Travers, President, presented a tentative plan of how the institution might be able to react to the cut and alternate cost-saving measures. Details of the plan are as follows:

  • Classes with enrollment of less than 6 students will not be allowed
  • Only approved travel will be allowed
  • All department/programs will cut 2% across the board
  • Any purchase over $1000 will require prior approval
  • There will be a hiring freeze

The hiring freeze will have the following financial impact:

Number of current vacancies Type Approx. Amount
8 Full-time $442,748
4 Part-time $ 21,400
Proposed 2% expense reductions $128,716
TOTAL   $592,864

Dr. Travers has worked with the administrative team to identify a savings of at least $568,774, the value of a 10% cut, but in reality, the college may need to identify closer to $793,205.

“I do not want employees to lose their jobs after all the folks have been through this spring,” said Travers. “This is a hard time for our state and for EWC. We won’t be filling positions that we desperately need but it will save someone’s job.”

Travers also presented some long-range topics for consideration as there is speculation that the next budget cycle will also be bleak. “Long-term I want us to assess low enrollment programs and courses. We also need to assess the amount of fees that are currently charged for courses with high material costs and some of those may need to be raised due to those high costs. We also need to keep the amount of overload pay received by faculty to a minimum. Then, unfortunately, we will likely have to look at cuts of programs and personnel to meet additional state cuts.”

This is a draft proposal at this point as EWC awaits final direction from the Governor and Legislature which should be forthcoming in the next several weeks.

EWC student commissioned for artwork project at County library

EWC student Winter Hunt explains her artwork created for the Goshen County Library

EWC student Winter Hunt explains her artwork created for the Goshen County Library

Eastern Wyoming College student Winter Hunt, Torrington, has kicked her business off as an artist before she even completed her associate’s degree. Hunt was contacted by Ellen Creagar, EWC Instructor and President of the Goshen County Library Board for a project.

“I went to John Cline, EWC Art Instructor and asked him if he would recommend any students for a project at the Library,” shared Creagar. “He recommended Winter right away. I had the pleasure of already knowing her from class so it was a good fit.”

The Goshen County Library has taken on several remodeling and modernizing projects and were specifically seeking an artist to create something special for the entry of the newly remodeled children’s area of the Library. Hunt met with Creagar and members of the committee that designed the children’s room. Through their collaboration and concept sketches, they landed on the perfect idea for the space.

The acrylic paint and foam board structure encases the doorway into the children’s area. It is a two-dimensional display of books that transitions to three-dimensional across the top of the doorway. The colorful display contains some of Hunts favorite book covers as well as many books found right in the Library. Not all titles are real books.

“This is the biggest project I’ve ever done,” said Hunt. “It took me a few weeks and I am still finishing up some details before I put the final coat of varnish on it. Personally, this was a long, painful process and as an artist I will always think it could be better but I really like how it turned out.”

Creagar added, “It was really cool to watch her sketch come to life and to end up even better than we all could have imagined. We are so happy with it.” She also shared that they are planning on working with Hunt on a couple of additional murals on the outside of the Library building.

“Winter is what I call a ‘true’ art major. She is motivated, talented, and she can quickly adapt to any artistic situation that she faces,” shared Cline. “The library mural is quite in line with her way of working, and represents well her ability to bring a personal style to a project in a way that also respects the needs of the space in which she is working. This mural beautifully captures the sense of wonder and adventure appropriate for a library. I also know Winter to be an avid reader, so I can’t imagine a more perfect public debut of her work than this library.”

EWC President, Dr. Lesley Travers added the following, “We are so proud of Winter and the wonderful community collaboration between the Goshen County Library and EWC. She is receiving well deserved recognition for her beautiful work.”

Hunt will complete her art degree at EWC at the conclusion of the Summer 2020 semester.

Golf Coach Zach Smith recognized

Eastern Wyoming College golf coach Zach Smith has been recognized as Gold Pride Grips Region and District Coach of the Year for NJCAA Division I, District I. The complete release from Golf Coaches Association of America is attached.

Congratulations to Coach Smith!

EWC Lil Digger Volleyball and Youth Basketball Camps T-shirts have arrived

Youth who participated in the EWC youth volleyball and basketball programs through the Community Education department can stop by to pick up t-shirts.

The shirts are located in the EWC Community Education office in CTEC. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 7:30 am-4:00 pm. It is advisable to call 307.532.8323 to make sure the office is open. All campus visitors must sign in and must wear a mask.

EWC receives approval from ACEN review panel, awaiting board approval

Eastern Wyoming College has received notification from the ACEN Evaluation Review Panel that the College is being recommended for approval to their Board of Commissioners for Continuing Accreditation status. EWC underwent an ACEN Substantive Change review with the addition of the night cohort nursing program on the Torrington campus. The ACEN Board of Commissioners will convene in September and EWC will be notified of approval in late September or October.

“We are very proud to open the first program in Wyoming to successfully launch a Night School for students who otherwise could not attend,” said Suzey Delger, Director of Nursing. “It is very exciting to be on the forefront in this state and we thank all those involved both on campus and off. Banner Health in Torrington and Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, NE were instrumental in helping us achieve our goal.”

The next full accreditation cycle for the nursing program will be Spring 2023.

For more information on the EWC nursing programs, please contact Ms. Delger at 307.624.7000.