College prospects to NCTA Oct. 6, Nov. 10

Sept. 30, 2020

By Mary Crawford, NCTA News

The first Discovery Day of autumn is Tuesday (Oct. 6) at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

“We launch ‘NCTA: Where your passion becomes a career’ Discovery Days so prospective high school students or college transfers can come to our campus and see what we have to offer them in agriculture or veterinary technology,” said Gaylene Stinman, enrollment associate.

A Discovery Day begins with registration at the Welcome Center at 8:30 a.m., followed by a group assembly at the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center auditorium.

Visitors can take guided tours to see campus residence halls and academic divisions at NCTA, Stinman said.

Faculty and staff will be available for agribusiness management systems, agronomy/ag mechanics, animal science/ag education, and veterinary technology. Five interactive demonstrations are planned by faculty.

Pre-registration is requested since a Discovery Day luncheon is provided at the student union known as “The Barn.”

In the afternoon, parents can attend a financial aid program presented by Andrew Hunzeker of EducationQuest. They will learn about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which begins Oct. 1.

Also, Nebraska students whose parents earn less than $60,000 in annual income are eligible for free tuition through the Nebraska Promise initiative.

Students can participate in some interactive, academic classes, followed by an opportunity to explore NCTA student membership clubs and competitive, travel teams.

Haley Krumpus, a veterinary technology freshman from Colome, S.D., said a campus visit sealed her college decision in the fall of 2019.

“For the longest time I knew I wanted to work with animals and that comes from working with livestock, primarily,” Krumpus said. “We drove down in October last year to just look around and I fell in love with NCTA.

“I had a tour the next day. I loved the facilities that I would be working in and the people showing me around,” she added. “Everyone was very friendly and helpful.”

Student ambassadors guide Discovery Day tours so the college-bound applicants can gain insights from a current Aggie, said Stinman.

Also, Nebraska students who apply to NCTA on Tuesday or anytime during Oct. 1-18, can have the $45 application fee waived.

Although next Tuesday’s events are filled, pre-registration is open for Tuesday, Nov. 10 at https://ncta.unl.edu/discovery-days.

Due to COVID-19 guidelines, attendees are asked to bring a facial covering in case they are unable to physically distance during the sessions.

Discovery Days also will be offered March 2 with a dedicated “Junior Day” on April 12, 2021.

Campus tours of NCTA can be virtual or in-person visits.  See https://ncta.unl.edu/ncta-campus-tours for details on days and times.

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and for the success of student teams in numerous competitive activities including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.