Profiles_COTC_Nov2018_ConsecutivePgs

George Clark isn’t your typical cadet in Central Ohio Technical College’s (COTC) Peace Officer Basic Training (POBT) academy. This 46-year- old army veteran just completed the academy as part of the law enforcement technology degree program and is awaiting the state peace officer examination this month. Clark was a combat medic in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2014. He was stationed in Italy with two deployments to Afghanistan where he received two combat medic badges. Once his service was complete, George was left with a void to fill. That’s when he discovered COTC. “I met Commander Sowards. I was really impressed that the commander of the program was willing to sit down and answer any questions that I had. I had a lot of hard questions – why I would want to go to your academy, what’s great about your instructors – and he had a lot of really great answers,” said Clark. He enrolled in autumn 2017. The instructors have exceeded Clark’s expectations. “They’re truly teachers. They treat you with respect. I’ve gotten to know all of them really well, which I think is unheard of.” But he also questioned himself. He wondered if he was smart enough to participate in a classroom of millennials, or if he had the patience. Fitting in, he admits, was tough at first. He was determined to be just another student, to hear their thoughts and participate in the classroom as equals. “As a non-traditional student this ‘gentleman warrior’ brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the classroom and laboratory that is intelligent, enlightening and often times humorous to both student and teacher,” said Associate Professor Mark Prince, BCJ, M.Ed. “He is well received by all who meet him.” Enrolling at COTC was seamless, said Clark. He thought using his G.I. Bill benefits would be difficult, a commonly held belief by veterans. He found that the opposite was true, but he has faced other challenges: the academic challenge of going back to school after more than 20 years; the physical challenge of fitness tests required for Ohio peace officers; the social challenge of relating to students half his age. He had to learn how to be a student, something he learned from his classmates. “I’m learning about myself through this program. I don’t want it to be over. It’s fun,” said George when considering graduation. “I’m looking forward to the achievement because it wasn’t a sure thing.” G When Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) Assistant Professor and Surgical Technology Program Director Kim Gates, R.N., M.S.N., CNOR, C.S.T, hands out a business card it’s hard not to notice the long string of letters behind her name. But for someone not in the nursing field, the acronyms can be confusing. But here’s why prospective and current students should really take notice. That long list of letters is actually a great thing for COTC surgical technology students. Gates is not only a registered nurse but also earned a Master of Science in Nursing and specialized professional certifications in the field (CNOR - specialty professional nursing certification for patient care before during and after surgery and C.S.T. - certified surgical technologist). That translates to classroom expertise and being able to offer COTC surgical technology students exactly what they need to know to get a job and succeed in the field. Gates also brings a wealth of work experience into the classroom. After spending three years as an R.N. in the intensive care unit at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, she moved to Zanesville where she worked for 13 years in a combination of hospital nursing jobs in intensive care, the operating room and nursing management. Today, in addition to teaching, she continues to work part-time in the operating room at Mt. Carmel Hospital, ensuring that she stays current in the field. Faculty Member Expertise Combines Credentials and Work Experience Veteran Finds New Path with Peace Officer Basic Training November 2018 CENTRAL OHIOTECHNICAL COLLEGE Continued on page 3 “Operating room procedures change so quickly that it’s important I stay up to date. I maintain credibility because I’m still in a working hospital environment, and I get to know hospital staff firsthand.” Kim Gates Surgical Technology Program Director Central Ohio Technical College

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