Northwest College graduates look to the future

Posted 5/4/17

For NWC President Stefani Hicswa, graduation is a bittersweet time, as she watches students who arrived as wide-eyed freshmen leave as confident graduates.

“I am very proud of our graduates and all of their amazing accomplishments while they …

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Northwest College graduates look to the future

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As Saturday’s graduation day approaches, Northwest College students’ hard work and sacrifice over the past two years will come to fruition, as would-be graduates finish up finals, pack up their things and prepare to take the next step in whatever direction their future holds.

For NWC President Stefani Hicswa, graduation is a bittersweet time, as she watches students who arrived as wide-eyed freshmen leave as confident graduates.

“I am very proud of our graduates and all of their amazing accomplishments while they attended NWC,” Hicswa said.

Here are the stories of four students who will graduate on Saturday.

Scott Chanthongthip

As a non-traditional student, Scott Chanthongthip’s path to Northwest College lived up to its non-traditional billing.

Unlike most of his fellow graduates, Chanthongthip already has a degree, having received a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Wyoming a few years ago. The Stockton, California, native is now getting an associate degree in science and general studies. It’s just another step in his quest toward medical school. He chose NWC based on a visit to campus.

“I didn’t realize how nice the facilities were for a two-year institution,” Chanthongthip said. “In fact, I was out in Nashville checking out their community colleges. They were not as well-funded, so the buildings were really dilapidated and didn’t seem there were a lot of resources available. NWC had what I was looking for.”

Compared with his time at UW, Chanthongthip said he focused more on campus and community involvement. That included volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club as part of a project for Phi Beta Kappa, participating in an Indiana University research project over the summer and working with Dr. Juanita Sapp at Heritage Health.

Chanthongthip is currently studying for the MCATs (Medical College Admission Test), which he will take in June. He’ll then apply to medical schools, though he’s not sure where he will eventually land.

“At this point, it’s mostly any school that will take me. But I would really like to get into the University of Wyoming program if I can,” Chanthongthip said. “I really like Wyoming a lot and would love to come back. Being from California, I’m not too fond of crowds. I really like this rural setting; I just really enjoy it here.”

Chanthongthip said he’d tell prospective NWC students it’s an affordable choice with excellent instructors — especially if you’re unsure of a major.

“It would give you that time to immerse yourself in a transitional state where you can learn at a pace that’s not quite as fast,” he said. “The faculty-to-student ratio is so low, you get a lot of extra attention. It’s a great situation for success. They are genuinely concerned about the success of each student.”

If he had it to do over again, Chanthongthip said he’d start his academic career at a two-year institution.

“I probably would have done much better academically if I hadn’t dove straight into a four-year school,” he said. “I’m not saying it would be the route for everybody, but for me at least, I think I would have been more successful.”

As he leaves NWC, Chanthongthip said he will miss the tight-knit community.

“You had this sense of familiarity and community on campus that I don’t think I’ll have once I get to medical school,” Chanthongthip said. “Most medical schools have larger campuses, so it will be an adjustment.”

He commuted to NWC each day from Lovell. He and his wife Lara recently opened a child care facility there called The Think Learn Create Early Childhood Center; Lara will be an NWC student herself soon, starting in the nursing program in the fall. The couple juggles all of this with raising three kids of their own, so there’s little downtime. The family will be in attendance Saturday to watch Chanthongthip receive his degree — a ceremony he passed on when he got his bachelor’s.

“I feel like I invested more into my education this time around,” Chanthongthip explained. “It just means a lot more this time; that’s why I’m walking.”

Samantha Stewart

For Greybull native Samantha Stewart, NWC’s proximity to home and smaller size were definite selling points.

“That usually lends itself to a closer-knit community, which is something I wanted when I first came to college,” said Stewart, who will graduate with an associate’s degree in English writing. “My experience at NWC has been more fantastic than I ever could have imagined. All of the professors have been so amazing, and the campus does a very good job at giving everyone a lot of opportunity.”

Stewart will continue her education at a four-year university this fall to double major in English and secondary education — perhaps at Central Washington University.

It was a class assignment in seventh grade that stirred her interest in becoming an educator.

“There was a unit in our English class where we had to teach an entire chapter to our peers,” Stewart said. “The minute I did that, I knew that I was going to love teaching English. Pretty much from that moment on, I wanted to be an English teacher.”

For a student on the fence about considering NWC, Stewart said she would make the case for the college being a great place to start — especially if you don’t know what path to take.

“NWC is a place where, even if you’re going just for your generals, you’re going to get quality course work and professional instruction,” she said. “It will help you with whatever you’re going to do in the future. It feels like you’ve spent two years making friends, connecting, networking and making the most of what an associate’s degree has to offer.”

Stewart said she’ll miss her time at the peer tutoring center, helping classmates with their writing assignments. But what she’ll really miss are the dances.

“NWC has some pretty amazing dances,” Stewart said, laughing. “They’re always super fun.”

She recalled one where participants threw bags of colored chalk at each other.

“It got in your eyes, it got in your mouth, it stained every piece of clothing you were wearing, including your socks,” Stewart said. “I think that’s probably one of the things I’ll remember the most.”

In terms of people to thank, mom tops the list for Stewart, closely followed by everyone in the Humanities Division at NWC.

“Everyone there was always very supportive,” she said.

Haley Shrinarine

A self-proclaimed military brat, music education major Haley Shrinarine traveled to 44 states before finding her way to the NWC campus.

Shrinarine originally wanted to attend the University of Wyoming, but musically, the opportunities she was looking for weren’t quite available. A couple of weeks before the start of her freshman year, Shrinarine reached out to Craig Olson, visiting instructor of music and director of bands at NWC.

“Craig asked me to meet him at Walker’s in Billings; he had a gig and told me to bring my saxophone,” Shrinarine said. “He had me play with his band in front of a bunch of people, and asked me to solo. I love soloing, but I probably played the worst solo of my life. But he liked my attitude and that I wanted to do it, so he offered me one of the bigger music scholarships they have at NWC. I couldn’t turn it down.”

Shrinarine is graduating with an associate degree in music education, and will head to the University of Montana in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s in music education.

“I would love to teach later on, that’s sort of the end goal for when I have a family,” she said. “But I want to see what I can do performance-wise.”

Because of stringent program requirements in the music department, Shrinarine has been a student at NWC for three years instead of the standard two.

“My first four semesters, I took over 21 credits each semester,” Shrinarine explained. “My last two semesters, I only took 12, so this last year has been a blast, definitely my favorite. I’ve been able to take classes that I probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to take at a four-year school.”

Those included rock climbing, wilderness survival, pottery and firearms.

She also served as vice president of Student Senate and as president of the Ski Club.

What would she tell a student who’s considering NWC?

“I would tell them that NWC is a great first step,” Shrinarine said. “You’re not going to a gigantic university, you’re able to just dive into a smaller area where the teachers actually know you by your first name. You can get more out of your education for your first two years.”

When it comes to leaving NWC, Shrinarine said it’s the people — students and faculty — she’ll miss the most.

“All of these professors truly care about the students,” she said.

Shrinarine is particularly grateful to Olson, who took a chance on her three years ago.

“He’s the reason I got here, and he’s helped me achieve many different things,” she said. “None of it would have happened if he didn’t push me to my limits and help me grow as a musician.”

Susanne Sutton

A native of northern Colorado, NWC Student Senate President Susanne Sutton discovered an affinity for agriculture at an early age, participating in FFA and 4-H throughout her childhood.

She brought that affinity with her to NWC, though it was a bit of a journey before the agricultural business major settled on northwestern Wyoming.

“I joke that I went all the way to Montana to find NWC in Wyoming,” said Sutton, who was also NWC’s nominee for the 2016-17 Student of the Year Award among Wyoming’s community colleges.

She had looked at and liked MSU-Billings, but they didn’t have an ag program.

“They said for an ag program, I either had to go to Bozeman, or go to Northwest College,” Sutton recalled.

Having never heard of NWC, Sutton was dubious, but once she stepped foot on campus, those doubts vanished.

“I knew right away NWC would be a successful place for me and my education,” she said. “The heart of the people on campus and their willingness to help was amazing.”

Sutton has been active on campus and in the community during her time at NWC. In the Senate, Sutton said she learned a lot about the inner-workings of the college, and how to see things from different perspectives.

“One thing may seem really important as a student, but in reality, when you look at it from the college’s perspective, it may not be that big of a deal,” she said. “Then there are other things where students are on-point with things that need to be addressed.”

Sutton said she’s enjoyed working with NWC President Hicswa, calling her an inspiration.

“She just has this aura around her of caring about students,” Sutton said. “The passion she has really goes all the way into her heart. She’s been a great mentor to me and someone I look up to.”

Sutton said working with the campus community has been the most rewarding part of her time at NWC.

“The uniqueness of our size and the diversity of our programs allows you a chance to get to know people across campus,” she said.

Looking toward the future, Sutton is currently weighing her options, having been accepted to the University of Arkansas and the University of Wyoming. She’s also contemplating taking some time off to work, though getting her bachelor’s degree is a priority.  She’s planning to work in Cody this summer.

Sutton has been wrestling with possible careers, “but I can tell you where my heart is,” she said. “I went down the agricultural route because I love the smaller communities. Some of them are disappearing and being forgotten. If I can play a role in giving a voice to a community, encouraging people to thrive, I would like to do that.”

Could Powell be one of those places?

“I’ll go wherever the Lord takes me,” Sutton said.

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