SCC Board of Governors proclaim April as Community College Month

Members of SCC's Board of Governors gathered around three students to commemorate April as Community College Month. Seated, from left: Iman Alsaadi, James Holder and Paige Smith. Standing, from left: Ruth Johnson, Lynn Schluckebier, Nancy Seim, Ed Heiden, Terrence Kubicek, Robert Feit, Kathy Boellstorff, Helen Griffin, Steve Ottmann, Bill Beltz, Dale Kruse, and Edward Price.

Members of SCC’s Board of Governors gathered around three students to commemorate April as Community College Month. Seated, from left: Iman Alsaadi, James Holder and Paige Smith. Standing, from left: Ruth Johnson, Lynn Schluckebier, Nancy Seim, Ed Heiden, Terrence Kubicek, Robert Feit, Kathy Boellstorff, Helen Griffin, Steve Ottmann, Bill Beltz, Dale Kruse, and Edward Price.

Stu Osthern, Administrative Director of Public Information and Marketing
April 17, 2014

Three students, one from each of Southeast Community College’s three campuses, participated in a brief panel discussion Tuesday during the Board of Governors monthly meeting.

The panel was assembled as part of Community College Month. Board Chairperson Kathy Boellstorff read the proclamation prior to the student panel discussion.

Paige Smith from the Beatrice Campus, Iman Alsaadi from the Lincoln Campus and James Holder from the Milford Campus spoke about their experiences while at SCC.

“I was looking to play volleyball,” said Smith, a sophomore from Overton who played for Coach Carrie Puhalla two years. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”

Smith said she wants to pursue additional education in a medical field, but she’s not sure which one. As a member of the Storm volleyball team, Smith served as team captain and was named an Academic All-American and an Academic All-Region IX selection. She is president of the Beatrice Campus Student Senate. Smith also is representing SCC as a member of the 2014 All-Nebraska Academic Team through Phi Theta Kappa.

Alsaadi was born in Saudi Arabia but came to the United States as an infant, growing up in Michigan. She came to Lincoln eight years ago.

“Two of my sisters enrolled at SCC, and I said ‘why not?’ Alsaadi said. “I originally wanted to go to UNL (the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), but I was not accepted. I’m very happy here. Classes are smaller and it is much more affordable than UNL.”

Alsaadi is in SCC’s Academic Transfer program and said she plans to transfer to the University of Nebraska Medical Center to study nursing. She recently became a member of the Lincoln Campus Student Senate.

Holder is a 2008 graduate of Millard West High School. He already holds one degree from SCC, having graduated last June from the-then Machine Tool Technology program, now Precision Machining and Automation Technology. This December, Holder will graduate with another degree from SCC, this time from the Manufacturing Engineering program.

“I was tired of always hearing my younger brother come home with all these stories about how companies like 3M came out to Milford and they bought us lunch and talked to us about jobs,” Holder said, referring to younger brother Tyler, who graduated from SCC’s Electrical & Electromechanical Technology program in December 2012. “So I decided to quit the job I had and come out to Milford.”

Holder works in the Milford Campus Admissions Office. Giving tours to prospective students and their families is among his responsibilities.