2019 DC3 Senior Day Success

DCCC

DODGE CITY, Kan., September 24, 2019 — Over 120 students registered for the first annual Dodge City Community College Senior Day.

The event, held September 19 on the DC3 campus, promised to be significantly different than the typical college campus visit. Instead of being deluged with stacks of program cards and promotional brochures, high school seniors from more than a dozen schools across Kansas and Oklahoma were given a tour of the college’s personality as much as facilities and programs.

Andrea Loll, director of marketing and communications, said the college wanted to create positive memories and a positive image of DC3 in the minds of students.

“This event was about potential students having the experience of Dodge City Community College,” Loll said. “We made sure the seniors got all the program details and their questions answered, but the main priority was making sure those students felt welcome and hopefully picture themselves here next year actually taking classes.”

While the seniors were on campus tours they encountered activity modules at the different departments on campus. Most of the activities were at least vaguely related to the department’s subject matter but many times were as much simple fun teambuilding exercises. All across campus there were games, short, fast-moving competitions, quiz bowls. The Tech Ed Department brought out all their high-tech toys, science and math shot off water bottle rockets, humanities ran a blindfold maze, among dozens of other activities designed to exhibit the spirit of the college as much as its academic offerings.

Students were treated to lunch and then went to the LRC where they were able to meet instructors and program directors face to face, and sit down and get specific details. Instructors were able to pitch their programs and at the very least served to put a face to names these students may see in the DC3 catalog next fall.

To ensure advisors and administrators from the high schools are familiar and comfortable with DC3, several counselors were given a separate tour and treated to a private lunch. They had the opportunity to meet different college administrators and department heads more closely and were provided with specific details they can take back to their school.

Every student who attended the event received an annual $500 scholarship.

“These students show a lot of initiative by coming to this great event,” said Dr. Harold Nolte, DC3 president. “That’s the type of student we’re looking for, so we definitely want to reward them and hopefully incentivize them to register next fall.”

Tara Salmans, a counselor at Dodge City High School, said students were very surprised and impressed with the scholarship offers and the uniqueness of the event.

“The college really rolled out the red carpet for us,” Salmans said. “It was a great day. I think they are absolutely moving in the right direction for our students.”

The event was a campus-wide, coordinated effort that brought together dozens of faculty, as well as staff and support personnel, and maintenance and grounds workers.

“We are so grateful for all the work everyone put into Senior Day,” Loll said. “The reviews from the comment cards were overwhelmingly positive. It was exciting to have so many potential students on campus, and the people of Dodge City Community College showed them a very good face that day.”