Spring with the Aggies

April 8, 2021

By NCTA Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

Campus is alive with the freshness of Spring!

Signs of seasonal activities are everywhere for Aggies at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. Here are a few observations this first week of April:

• Spring calving at NCTA’s Aggieland pasture
• Intramural softball’s first game at Mill Park in Curtis
• Equine students riding outdoors
• Community walks with friends or pets
• Lawns and plants greening up everywhere
• Outdoor fitness and campus walks
• Guests on campus tours to see, hear, discover NCTA

Our academic year culminates in less than four weeks. We are on the final stretch of an outstanding and successful year for our campus community.

Aggies finalizing their college career by earning their associate degree or a program certificate will graduate in an outdoor ceremony on Thursday, May 6.

It is, indeed, an exciting time for me in my first year as Dean at NCTA to be a part of this unique campus, and the special community of Curtis and Frontier County.

Thank you, area residents and friends, for your encouragement and engagement with our NCTA students, faculty, staff and families. You are making a difference in the lives of young people.

An invitation to NCTA

We invite you to our beautiful campus in the next few weeks for Aggie events.

Some are smaller 1-hour activities, and others are daylong opportunities to engage with students and observe their technical skills in action.

Saturday, April 10:   Vet Tech Pet Spa Day, 9 a.m. -3 p.m., Vet Tech Clinic. Bring your dogs for some pampering as the club for veterinary technology students give your dog a bath, check ears, and trim nails. Dogs must have received their rabies vaccination 28 days in advance. Donations go to the Student Technicians of Veterinary Medical Association.

Monday, April 12:  Discovery Day, Student open house, 8:30- 3 p.m., Ed Center. Tour campus, meet with faculty, interactive academics, learn about financial aid, Aggie teams, clubs and more. Contact Gaylene Stinman at 1-800-3-CURTIS.

Tuesday, April 13:  Trailer Safety Refresher, 1-2 p.m., Ag Mech classroom, Dan Stehlik, instructor, open to all, a free session with the Nebraska State Patrol at the NCTA Industrial Safety Class. Trailer safety chains, lights, load securing procedures, general safety measures applicable for transports of equipment, materials, and livestock on Nebraska roads and highways.

Saturday/Sunday, April 17-18:  Cattle and Stock Dog Trials, 8:30 a.m. daily, Frontier County Fairgrounds, Stockville. Hosted by NCTA Stock Dog Club and the Outback Stock Dog Association. Details from Kelly Poppe, Eddy Merritt, Leighlynn Obermiller.

Thursday, April 22: The Curtis Community Clean Up is from 5-7 p.m.  Meet at Curtis City Park and let’s spruce up Curtis!  For details, contact Karmen Herrick for information.

Also, mark your calendars to join us for graduation at campus on Thursday, May 6.  Then, on Saturday, June 26 we welcome alumni and friends for the Aggie Alumni Day starting at 10 a.m., with a noon luncheon and an afternoon of reminiscing and alumni conversations.

I hope to see you on campus or around Curtis for some of these upcoming activities. Go Aggies!

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.