RBC | At Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC), the educational experience extends well beyond the classroom walls. From recent experiences with environmental sciences and dental hygiene’s work with New Horizons — the possibilities reach as far as the heart’s desire and the mind’s imagination. Inspiring stories of selfless service and commitment to their education continue to be told as the school year rolls along.
The Student Government Association (SGA) has been quietly serving the Rangely community and campus in various engaging ways. Randi Mogul serves as the CNCC staff that oversees the SGA, and Derek Nielson serves as president. The SGA includes vice president Kelcey Martin, treasurer Zachary Vallance, and senators Carolynn Washington, Alana Nielsen, Isaiah Miles and Emily Amick. The members represent both the Craig and Rangely campuses. Opportunities have been limited in Craig since Covid but are beginning to become available. Nielsen is excited and hopeful for new opportunities to present themselves. The Board meets to organize the opportunities and reaches out within the community to seek out places to serve. Some favorite events include reverse trick-or-treating at Parkview Elementary for Halloween and regular bingo on biweekly Friday evenings at Eagle Crest Assisted Living.
Mogul shares that the residents of Eagle Crest are a lot of fun to play with, and it is a good time for students and residents alike.
“It feels nice to receive callbacks — requests for encores, if you will, by the organizations we have served. We want to return and serve them,” Mogul said. Nielsen shared how excited the Parkview staff were to have them.
These college students are enthusiastic about participating in these extracurricular activities despite their busy schedules. They come from a spectrum of places and degree programs, from aviation/flight, livestock management, and Associate of Arts degrees. Washington is also an athlete on the women’s basketball team.
A popular event that the SGA has held is “midnight madness,” which involves basketball and volleyball tournaments at midnight on Saturdays. Faculty and students enjoy the engagement and the opportunity to create a unique experience. Campus cleanup was another event that involved students — including most of the athletes. They organized into groups and took direction from Nick LeFevre to help clean trash, trim hedges and rake gravel. The aim was to assist the grounds department in their work to keep the campus beautiful and functional.
Community engagement can bring the experience of education into the hearts and hands of students. Active participation in service increases social tolerance and acceptance. The Colorado Northwestern Community College students understand this and are the forces to bring the change they wish to see to the community and the hearts they serve.
By KATIE KING | Special to The Herald Times
