My most memorable moment as a DCTC student was… The first day of school at DCTC is clear as a bell in my mind. I woke up at 5 a.m. and headed off to class early. I remember sitting in Scott Gunderson's class like a bright-eyed child full of questions and uncertainty. Mr. Gunderson quickly gained my trust with his knowledge and honesty. As an instructor, Scott gave me the confidence that DCTC was the right school and I was learning the right material.
My family would describe me as… …a dedicated, driven, and honorable man. They would know that everything I aspire to achieve and my loving actions towards them are based on the desire to leave a profound legacy and honor my faith's tenants.
DCTC's greatest asset is… …the faculty and staff! The DCTC instructors, professors, and advisors are world-class. Scott Anderson and Matt Boudinot from Automotive Technology are field experts that care about their students' success. Margaret Milne and Denise Strenger prepared me to be a successful student at DCTC and Loyola University Chicago. Advisor Jeremy Clark made sure my school experience prepared me for the next stage in my educational and professional journey.
DCTC Alumni Advisory Board
Board Members
Naydeen Pollak
I wanted to serve on DCTC's Alumni Advisory Board because… I wanted to be a part of giving back and investing in the students. I can accomplish this by getting involved, staying connected and keeping informed on what is going on at DCTC. I strongly believe in furthering one’s education and increasing one's knowledge because it makes one a valued employee, gives one the skills, and it shows pride in oneself and in one’s profession.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an… teacher. Reflecting, I role-played being a second and third grade schoolteacher, teaching the subjects of Math and English using old schoolbooks given to me by my older cousins. I had a chalkboard and chalk in an assortment of colors, and an eraser. I would read out loud to my class and work out math problems on my chalkboard. I would write out questions for a pop quiz and loved grading papers with a red inked pen. Still today I am compassionate about teaching and learning.
My proudest career accomplishment so far is… going back to school at age 52 after being displaced as a surgical technologist of 32 years because I physically couldn't work in surgery anymore. Kerry at DCTC welcomed and assured me that DCTC was the place for me as a student in the Medical Coding Specialist Program. The staff and faculty believed in me and helped me to believe in myself, with encouragement from everyone I met along the way, no one gave up on me and they always found time for me. I graduated from the Medical Coding Specialist Program here at DCTC with high honors on December 17, 2021!.
Michaela Holman-Schmidt
My most memorable moment as a DCTC student… …being offered a position at Dakota County Technical College right after my graduation.
My family would describe me as… …a kind, smart, hard-working, and sensitive individual.
My favorite thing to do… My absolute favorite thing to do is listen to music in my room with aromatherapy in the air.
