A legacy of education – Part 1

NCTA Dean's Message

By Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

Congratulations to our campus community! The Class of 2021 has graduated!

Our Aggie students at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture have navigated the challenges of an uncertain year. Thursday we celebrated graduates and their families in an outdoor commencement.

It was a picturesque day, with blooming flowers, green grass, blossoms and budding trees, ideal weather and sunshine, and enthusiasm which was palpable for this “chamber of commerce quality day” in Curtis.

I am grateful to the many college friends, staff and faculty who made May 6 an extra special day here at NCTA.

Thank you for supporting Aggie students and all of us connected to the mission of education.

We are proud of the role NCTA has with the University of Nebraska. Our 108-year legacy at Curtis is education in agriculture.

Graduates are off to their careers, well prepared for the workforce.  In fact, several had already been in their places of employment and were unable to attend graduation.  They are committed and dedicated to their employers and Nebraska agriculture.

For example, class valedictorian and Elwood native Tiffany Dickau, completed her college career in December. She studied agronomy and agribusiness with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and immediately went into the workforce as a crop consultant with Agricultural Services, Inc., in the north-central community of Emmett.

During a busy spring planting season, Tiffany has responsibilities every day, serving her company and their farmer customers.  “The work atmosphere is spectacular.  The hours are usually pretty long but I don’t mind. At work, I am in charge of the daily inventory of chemicals and fertilizer that I handle in the mornings, and in the afternoon I head to the field.”

Her testament to work ethic exemplifies the commitment shared by graduates from the veterinary technology program, as well.

Nineteen went into internships in March, at locations in Nebraska and elsewhere.  Several had fulltime job offers before they’d completed degrees at NCTA. Often, due to distance, it wasn’t feasible to leave work for a day or two to return to Curtis. Employers in veterinary clinics and animal hospitals are relying on their skilled contributions to successful animal care.

Congratulations, as well, to each of our freshmen who completed their first year at college! This group of students took on challenges and persevered in their new experiences. I know they will work hard this summer and are planning their fall programs back at NCTA.

Bravo to these “achievers and completers” at Curtis!

NCTA Events:

May 14-15: Kent Herbel Stock Dog Clinic, LTC, NCTA

May 22: Collegiate Cattlemen Summer Preview Beef Show, Lincoln County Fairgrounds

May 26: NCTA Standard of Excellence Livestock Judging Camp, NCTA

May 27: Animal Science Discovery Day, NCTA

June 7-10:  Nebraska Youth Range Camp, NCTA

June 8:  New Student Enrollment, 8:30 a.m., Ed Center

June 26:  Aggie Alumni Day, 10 a.m., Registration, 11:30 a.m. Luncheon, program

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 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.