Spring Semester 2008

January 7

Classes begin

Tina Nohren: A Driven Student

Many of the students in the PACE program commute to the Millikin, Parkland or Lincoln Land campus, but few drive 6 hours one way to attend class. Meet Tina Nohren, of Shelby County, a December graduate in the Organizational Leadership program, who drove from Topeka, Kansas each week for 15 weeks to complete her degree.

Tina previously worked at Firestone from 1994-2001, but after the plant closed, she attended Richland Community College and earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice. She was hired on a contractual basis as a counselor for the Decatur Correctional Facility.

Tina started in PACE in the Organizational Leadership program, and in February 2007, applied for a temporary position as an area manager with Goodyear Tire in Topeka, Kansas. Her job did not require a degree but she learned that there could be other career opportunities for her if she finished her degree. After researching various programs in the Kansas area, she realized it would take her less time to finish the degree at Millikin.

In June, Tina told her boss she needed 15 credits to graduate and asked if she might be allowed to finish the program. Management at Goodyear agreed to give her a leave of absence to take her final 6 classes over the next 90 days. Tina returned to Decatur in July to begin the final six class sequence, but began working an occasional weekend in Kansas to relieve other area managers who were working overtime to cover her absence. Soon her boss was asking her to work on a regular basis on the weekends and over holiday breaks, and Tina agreed.

Every Monday, Tina drove six hours to Decatur to attend class on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Then she drove six hours back to Topeka to work the night shift Friday through Sunday. Tina completed her classes on October 25 and graduated in December. Tina is a single mother of 3 children ages 18, 15, and 9. Her 15 year-old recently moved to Topeka and her 9-year old will move soon.

Tina says her PACE experience has been good, and she describes her cohort as fun-filled, both in and out of class. The Organizational Leadership program has given her a strong sense of accomplishment and strengthened her ability to express herself and communicate with others. One thing is for sure . . . she’s a very driven woman! Congratulations, Tina!