a

So can you.Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington

Student Experiences

Ivy Tech Community College

Bloomington students come

from diverse backgrounds and

overcome challenges to make education work. Many

of them finance school while still managing to pay the

bills. Many of them work full time, are parents, and

take care of families. Many of them overcome anxiety

about returning to school after years away from the

classroom. Some of them are military veterans. Some

of them are single parents. Some of them overcome

illness or disabilities while attending school.

All of them work hard and make education fit into their

lives. All of them say it is hard work, but worth it.

At Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington students

can choose from more than 30 different academic

programs, and earn associate degrees that allow them

to find careers or transfer to four-year colleges and

universities.

In 2015, 1,254 degrees and certificates were conferred

upon graduates. They did it, and so can you. Some of

them volunteered to share their experiences at Ivy

Tech, hoping they could encourage others.

For more information: ivytech.edu/bloomington

can you.

Financial

led me back to Ivy Tech. You get so much training that there are multiple opportunities.

You might look in one area and then you’ll find

something that fits you better. And then the school

helps you find what turns out to be the very best fit.

I’m a bit of a perfectionist and being older than

many of the students here, sometimes I have to work

harder. There are some days I come in at 7:00 a.m. and

don’t leave until security kicks me out at night. It hasn’t

always been easy, but like anything, you get what you

put into it. Being a returning student with a little age on

me and a little bit of wisdom, I see how great Ivy Tech

is about preparing students for the working world. I

honestly could not be more excited about my future.

– Rob Seger, Ivy Tech Design Technology student

aid

So can you.ivytech.edu/design-technology

where we come in and bake for events

like the Gallery Walk. At Ivy Tech, you get the opportunity,

consistently, to participate in community events. There are

receptions for donors. And while they are a lot of work, they’re

fun opportunities for hands-on, real-world experience. It gives

you a chance to get out of the kitchen, and a chance to interact

with the public. You learn how to present your pastries and

how to talk about your food, which are important skills.

Rather than feeling nervous about graduation, I’m excited

to know I have so many opportunities. That’s the great thing

about this industry, and about Ivy Tech.

– April Williams, Hospitality Administration student

So can you.ivytech.edu/hospitality-admin

always knewI

I knew my first day on the floor for nursing clinicals, that nursing was for me. My very first nursing

instructor was Nona Melton, who helped inspire me to be the

nurse I am today and strive to be in the future. Nona made me

want to be a great nurse and pushed me to be the best that I could

be. I couldn’t forget to mention, Pam Thomspon, Karen Elick, Deb

Quimby, Michelle Hamric, and many more wonderful instructors.

I feel so lucky and blessed to say I am now currently the Assistant

Director of Nursing at Hearthstone Health Campus. Ivy Tech’s

nursing progarm is top notch, and I’ll always be proud to say I

graduated from Ivy Tech-Bloomington.“

– Ashley Copas, RN Ivy Tech ASN Nursing graduate 2011

always knew that nursing was for me.

So can you.ivytech.edu/nursing

taughtme

Ivy Tech

Andy Kyger came to Ivy Tech after 12 years of being in the workforce. In 2008 he was let go

from a salaried position, and while in the process of getting

things figured out, he lost his home and car. “When I first

came into Ivy Tech to sign up for classes I was at the

proverbial rock-bottom,” said Kyger. “Ivy Tech helped me

to start seeing my own self-worth through the personal

relationships which I was able to develop, and have

continued since.“

At Ivy Tech, Kyger became involved on campus and

in his community, becoming a member of the Phi Theta

changeyour

path

that it’s okay to

Kappa honor society and the president of the

Student Government Association. He volunteered

to help raise money for suicide prevention and the

homeless. “I have had some amazing instructors

in economics,” said Kyger. “Coupling that passion

with a passion for servant leadership, which I

learned from Ivy Tech, is the driving force behind

my pursuit of economic development.”

Kyger credits two Ivy Tech instructors who

helped him stretch his capabilities: Keith Klein

and Anil Nain. “Keith taught me the power of

questioning,” said Kyger. “Anil gave me a love for

economics, which has become my lifelong pursuit.”

After graduating from Ivy Tech, Kyger

transferred to Indiana University. “I know that had

I not started my process at Ivy Tech, I would have

been completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of

IU,” said Kyger. In December 2015 he will receive

a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs

majoring in Environmental Management.

In summer 2015, Kyger began a new role as

Economic Development Director of Loogootee

where he will focus on housing, land-use,

employment, education, attraction/recreation,

beautification and quality of life. “The complex

nature of the role is really what attracts me to it,”

said Kyger.

Kyger’s goals today are not what they were

when he first began college, but he says he could

empoweredme to

and

write a book (or five) on how Ivy Tech helped him

reach his potential. “Ivy Tech is where it all started

for me,” he said. “Ivy Tech taught me that it’s okay

to change your mind, to change your path, and

empowered me to believe in my own abilities to

achieve whatever goal I might set for myself.”

– Andy Kyger, AAS Computer Information Technology/Networking, 2013

believein my own abilities

So can you.ivytech.edu/liberal-arts

TheFineArts

program at Ivy Tech Bloomington is fantastic. I have learned and grown so much as an artist and student since

beginning my classes in the fall of 2013. It has been an experience

that I would recommend to anyone considering a degree in fine arts,

because of the smaller classes and the opportunity to get to know your

instructors and what they want you to get from the courses.

The instructors in the Fine Arts program are definitely all fantastic

but Keith and Amy have really made an impression on me and my

artwork. They helped me to grow and to see an angle I wouldn’t

have before. In high school, I wanted to go to IU and didn’t get in but

fortunately, now I wouldn’t change anything.

– Katrina Turk, Fine Arts student

ArtsSo can you.

ivytech.edu/fine-arts

Graduates

Graduates of the Respiratory Care degree program are

often considered hire-on-the-spot candidates, and the

Bloomington program has more practice equipment

in a new state of the art lab than many of the other

programs around.

Bloomington also has, in my opinion, two of the

best instructors in the field. Sasha and Jennifer have

exacting standards that are designed to produce the

finest therapists possible. While this is some of the

hardest work I’ve ever done, it is completely worth it.

– Lorayna Sanders, Respiratory Care student

So can you.ivytech.edu/respiratory-care

but I never enjoyed the classroom experience until I attended Ivy Tech. When I got to Bloomington, the teachers

were different. There was a lot of structure, which is what I

needed. Before I had the creativity, but now I have a really

firm base, and I can approach my art more easily and more

successfully. I love being around other artists because I

get inspired by my peers. When I see someone doing

something really awesome, it’s inspirational.

– Tillman Reyes, Ivy Tech Fine Arts graduate 2014

So can you.ivytech.edu/fine-arts