Joanna (Wampler) Roller attended Northwest Technology Center during the 2004-2005 school year.  She was enrolled in the Health Careers Certification program and earned her certification as a dental assistant.  Roller then went on to attend Rose State College in the Dental Hygienist program.  

According to Roller her decision to enter this field came early in life,  “I decided I wanted to be a dental hygienist when I was 16 years old. I always enjoyed going to the dentist, the staff was very friendly and always made every visit a positive one. I really enjoyed getting my teeth cleaned and I was very curious about dentistry in general. My hygienist, Keena Burnet, was always very friendly and answered my numerous questions about dental hygiene.”  

Roller continued, “I earned my dental assisting certification after attending the Health program at Northwest Tech.  My dental assisting experience was such a huge key to my success throughout hygiene school and in my career as a hygienist. Already having a basic knowledge of dentistry put me ahead of the game. It also helped me to learn how to interact with the patients. Patients always have questions that extend past dental hygiene, such as what all goes into a root canal procedure, it is really nice being able to discuss all aspects of dentistry with my patients.”

“My favorite part of being a dental hygienist is the people. Every person is different and it is so much fun getting to know them and their families. I would like to encourage those from my community to always make their dental health a priority. More and more research shows how poor oral health can negatively affect the body. My small town didn't have a local dentist, so you had to be motived to seek out routine dental care.” stated Roller.

Roller is a graduate of Burlington High School.   She now lives in the Oklahoma City area , is a licensed Dental Hygienist and practices at Legacy Dental Care. 

“My positive role model was my husband James, he really motivated me to finish my education. I also got to know numerous dental professionals through my experience as an assistant that were all very encouraging along the way.” said Roller.

Bryan Helms graduated with an Associate in Applied Science from the Chrysler CAP program at the OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee. Born in Oklahoma, he spent many of his childhood years in Alva. His family then moved to Texas and he graduated from Cedar Park High School in 2001. He returned to Alva and attended Northwest Technology Center, specializing in Automotive Technology under the instruction of Mr. Ron Rader. During this time he also worked at Mark Ream Motors in Alva.

Helms competed in the SKILLS USA Automotive competitions two years in a row, winning the state competitions and placing 12th nationally during his second year of competition. These accomplishments earned him a series of scholarships to attend OSU Institute of Technology.

In September of 2005, he enrolled in the Chrysler CAP program at OSU-Okmulgee and carried a 4.0 GPA until the fall of 2006, when he became ill with leukemia. He missed his chance to graduate with his friends and classmates but was invited to their graduation ceremony, where they presented him with the coveted TOP GUN award for 2007. Helms returned to the program in the spring of 2008, still undergoing chemotherapy.

Helms’ courage and dedication have been an inspiration to many. Following graduation, he will be employed as a technician at Allen Samuels Dodge in Austin, Texas.

Bryan is the grandson of Herb and Jerrie Smith of Alva.

Until the fall of 2006, Alva High School senior, Kellie Whipple never imagined that she could graduate from high school and college in the same month. However, in May, Kellie will walk across the stage at commencement ceremonies at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) earning an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Information Technology. Kellie will also graduate from Alva High in May 2008.

“There are quite a few students who could also pull this off, if they set their mind to it.” said Whipple. “Anyone should do this whether they want to pursue a career in web design, business or accounting or just learn a skill that they can use in college.” The dual graduation was accomplished by enrolling in courses at NOC in conjunction with her high school curriculum. She earned college credit through competencies earned in the Web Development and Graphic Design program at Northwest Technology Center.

According to Whipple, the Associate’s Degree will end up costing her about $1500 which includes books. She will finish the degree in May and will receive her diploma on May 3. Whipple took several core curriculum classes on-line from NOC including Comp I, Comp II, US History Since 1865 and Government. She took a CLEP test for Algebra and also completed a Speech class at Northwestern Oklahoma State.

“I am planning to enroll at Oklahoma State next fall,” stated Whipple, “I will be a junior with 63 hours and I plan to major in Animal Science. I am really looking forward to meeting new people. I am planning to use the skills that I learned at Northwest Technology Center to design websites, so that I can make some money while I am in college and in vet school.”

“My parents are really happy that I am saving time and money on my college education,” continued Whipple. “My instructor, Mrs. Frascht has helped me a lot by encouraging me to do this and helping me to get enrolled. Without her assistance, I’d just be starting college like any other freshman.”

In addition to many other honors, Whipple is an institutional nominee for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) scholarship, a result of her high ACT score. She can use the scholarship to cover her expenses at OSU. Whipple is looking forward to pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. She is the daughter of Mandy and Alan Whipple of Alva. She is active in the Nazerene Church and is an officer in FFA and in 4-H. At Northwest Technology Center, she has been a member of the Business Professionals of America and the Superintendent’s Leadership Class. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the guitar.

Northwest Technology Center students Shayla Watkins and Jamie Mathis are shown in the photo above celebrating the opening day of their massage therapy business. The business owned by Watkins and Mathis is called Redbud Bodyworks Therapeutic Massage and is located in Cherokee, Oklahoma. They opened their business in May 2007. The pair has completed the 500 hours of instruction needed to receive National Massage Therapy certification and will continue their training at Northwest Tech in order to complete the Health Careers Certification program.

Until last fall, Fairview High School senior, Derrick Austin never imagined that he could graduate from high school and college at almost time and walk across a college stage before putting on his high school cap and gown. However, on April 29, Derrick walked across the stage at commencement ceremonies at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) earning an Associate's Degree in Information Technology: Web Development. On May 26, Derrick will graduate with his class from Fairview High School .

“There are quite a few students who could also pull this off, if they set their mind to it.” said Austin. “Anyone who wants to pursue a career in web design, business or accounting should do this.” The dual graduation was accomplished by enrolling in courses at NOC in conjunction with his high school curriculum. He earned college credit through competencies earned in his Web Development and Graphic Design program at Northwest Technology Center . He was also able to “CLEP Out” of six hours.

According to Austin , the Associate's Degree will end up costing him about $850. So far he has paid about $350 dollars for books, materials and CLEP test fees and this summer he will finish English Composition II and Oral Communications which will cost approximately $500. Austin took several core curriculum classes on-line from NOC including English Composition I and American Federal Government. He took the CLEP tests for College Algebra and American History Before 1865. He began working on the degree in August of 2005.

“I am planning to enroll at Northwestern next fall,” stated Austin , “I will be a junior and I plan to major in E-Commerce and minor in computer science. I think that time management and keeping up with classes will be my biggest hurdle. I am really looking forward to the freedom and meeting new people.”

"My parents are really happy that I am saving time and money on my college education,” continued Austin . “My instructor at Northwest Technology Center, Mrs. McClure and Mrs. Woods the Tech Prep Coordinator at NWTC have helped me a lot by encouraging me to do this and setting me up. Without their assistance, I'd just be starting college like any other freshman.”

Austin has earned the Regional Baccalaureate Scholarship awarded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as a result of his high ACT score. He can use the scholarship to cover his expenses at Northwestern. Austin is looking forward to pursuing a career in web programming. He is the son of Gary and Annette Austin of Fairview and is a member of the National Technical Honor Society and the Cleo Church of the Nazarene Youth Group. Austin is employed at Taco Mayo of Fairview.

Gayla Wilder, a Health Careers Certification (HCC) student from the Fairview Campus, has been selected as the recipient of the Laerdal Medical Corporation Scholarship. The announcement came from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (ODCTE).

Wilder is a native of Fairview and is a licensed cosmetologist. She lived in Colorado and northern New Mexico for 25 years. Recently, she came back to Fairview and opened "Forever Nails", a salon specializing in manicures and pedicures. She is focusing on the massage therapy pathway of the HCC program and hopes to incorporate the massage skills into her business.

"It hasn't been easy going back to school and not working every day. I am learning anatomy and massage skills and the medical aspects related to this field. I thought it would be uncomfortable going back to school with younger people, but I have really enjoyed it!" stated Wilder. "I would recommend Northwest Technology Center's courses to anyone who is thinking of pursuing a new career or who is thinking of enhancing their skills."

Growing up in Fairview, David Harder never imagined that he would play an important role in the growth of the Charles Machine Works Company of Perry, Oklahoma which is known world-wide as DitchWitch. Harder, a Fairview native, graduated from Fairview High School in 1994. While attending high school, Harder was also a student in the Northwest Technology Center's Welding Technology Program.

Harder went on to work for Waldon in Fairview for over two years. For the past eight and a half years, he has worked at DitchWitch in Perry where he is a Hand Arc Welder. His duties include working with robot welders and programming the robots. Harder holds certifications in Stick and MIG welding which are the main certifications needed to get a job in the welding industry.

Harder also handles many other duties at DitchWitch. He is one of the company's Blood Drive Coordinators, Coordinator for the Cherokee Strip Parade for DitchWitch products, serves on the DitchWitch Christmas Committee and is a company tour guide. Harder has also held the position of Safety Representative for his area of the company and is an Internal Auditor for the company's ISO Certification Program.

"I had a great teacher and motivator--Delbert Moore! From my experience, the technology center teaches more than just welding. It prepared me for the workplace. We participated in putting together a resume, learning interview skills and what to expect on the job." stated Harder.

In 2002 Marcia Briant decided to enhance her education and enrolled at the Northwest Technology Center Fairview Campus. Since then she has completed the Business and Information Technology program as well as the Interactive Media program (currently called Web Development and Graphic Design). "I am very proud of Marcia for her strong work ethic in achieving her goals and for continuing her education through NOC and NWOSU" said Mrs. Lisa Fuller, Business and Information Technnology instructor.

During Briant's time at Northwest Tech, she was part of the Superintendent's Leadership Class for two years and a member of the National Technical Honor Society. She also completed her A+ Certification. Briant was on the honor roll at Northern Oklahoma College through her concurrent enrollment at Northwest Tech.

While attending Northwest Tech, Briant earned college credit from Northern Oklahoma College and received her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Information Technology. She plans to continue her education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Briant now works for Northwest Technology Center as an assistant to the network administrator.

When Shane Lehr began working part-time at his father's business, Lehr's Auto Shop, he did not realize the growth the family business would experience in such a short amount of time.

Almost four years after joining his father, Steve, the younger Lehr expanded the operation to include auto restoration and custom paint jobs.

“I never thought that the business would grow as much as it has, it's nearly doubled. We haven't advertised either. Most of our business comes from word of mouth,” Lehr said.

Lehr recently purchased a building located at 622 Flynn, just across the street from his dad's corner business. This location is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features Lehr's new semi-downdraft paint booth, the only commercial-use one of its kind in Alva.

“My dad and I do most of the repair work and restoration processes ourselves in our shops. We take great pride in the work we do and it is reflected in customer satisfaction,” Lehr added.

Lehr graduated from Alva High School in 2000. While in high school, Lehr attended Northwest Technology Center part-time (half-days) for two years. After graduating, Lehr continued at Northwest Tech full-time as an adult student the following year.

Lehr credits the Auto Collision Technology program under the instruction of Mr. Jeff Owen for providing him with the basics that has built his automotive foundation.

“I had little automotive knowledge before I attended Northwest Tech, but I learned a great deal of valuable information about the auto collision and restorative processes. I learned the basics of paint and body jobs, as well as welding, and even writing estimates,” Lehr said.

“ Northwest Technology Center is a great place to learn the basics and get started in the automotive field. Mr. Owen is a good instructor who is very knowledgeable in his field and is always willing to offer help in any way,” added Lehr.

Owen also spoke highly of Lehr's skills, “Shane is very talented and artistic. He has a bright future in the automotive field.”

Lehr also credits his father, Steve, as being his role model and mentor. “Growing up, my dad took my brothers and me to drag races and car shows, so being around automobiles is something that's always been in the family.”