After more than 30 years with Ohio Wildlife Enforcement in Erie County, alumni Brad Baaske is looking towards retirement.

Baaske lived in Sawmill Creek, Ohio as a child hunting, fishing and trapping. After high school he went on to attend Hocking College, where he graduated with a degree in Wildlife Resources Management. Baaske then worked at a variety of local places including the Lake Erie Fisheries Unit, Crane Creek Research Station, Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area and Resthaven Wildlife Area.

In 1989, Baaske attended the Wildlife Officer Training Academy. He was later assigned to Wyandot County were he remained until his retirement this past November.

Hocking Community Helps Fitness Alum's Family

Bill Finnearty from the Fitness Management program reports an amazing response from the Hocking College community in support of a recent grad.

Jimmy Barnes, a Fitness Management graduate and supporter of Hocking College, recently learned his father has non-treatable cancer. Finnearty put out the call for donations to help fly Mr. Barnes' son and grandchildren (Jimmy's brother and his children) from Alaska to Ohio to see Mr. Barnes.

Finnearty and the second year Fitness Management class promised to match dollar for dollar any donations collected before the weightlifting competition this past weekend. Donations reached $700 plus the $700 match, for a total of $1400.

Kudos to Finnearty, the Fitness Management program, and everyone in the Hocking College community who reached out to help!

Police Academy Grad Opens Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Athens

Carlos Mendez, a graduate of the Hocking College police academy, has placed his roots in Athens, Ohio for an exciting new career.

Originally from Venezuela, Mendez came to the United States and attended Hocking College Police Academy, where he completed his degree and moved to Columbus to become a police officer. In 2006, Mendez took up an old hobby he had practiced since he was 14, jiu-jitsu, and ultimately decided to open a jiu-jitsu academy.

The renowned Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy can be found across the United States and throughout the world. Mendez is the owner and lead instructor at the academy in Athens, Ohio. The former police officer says, "I liked being an officer but it's a different world. Personally, I just loved jiu-jitsu more," while explaining his growing passion for a jiu-jitsu lifestyle.

"Any person can do Gracie," Mendez said. "It's not hard on the body. The techniques are made simple. Its purpose is self-defense, in the arena or on the street." The academy offers a variety of fit classes including a women's empowerment class and beginner and intermediate levels.

Read more about Gracie in the Athens News.

Lake Snowden Prescribed Burn

Hocking College students participated in a prescribed burn in late November at Lake Snowden.

Prescribed burns are a tool in natural resources used to achieve forest management objectives such as: natural regeneration, competition control, hazard reduction and habitat manipulation.

Hocking College Wildland Fire students, led by Natural Resources instructor Mark Puhl, were able to utilize this tool at Lake Snowden in a controlled burn of prairie grassland.

Police Chief Publishes Article

Hocking College Police Chief Al Matthews was recently published in Ohio Police Chief Magazine.

His article, "My Experience with Academia Policing and Municiple Policing: A Brief Comparison," discusses the differences between policing for an institution of higher learning and for a city, county or township. Differences discussed include budgeting, communi-cations and community relations.

Read the article here.

Students Travel to D.C. on Memorial Voices Trip

Students in Sue Fletcher's Research Skills class visited Washington D.C. from November 9-11, 2014 as part of a class trip.

The trip focuses on veterans issues. This was the fourth Memorial Voices field trip to take place as a requirement for the class. Eighteen students participated in this year's trip. Several of the students on the trip are veterans themselves,

including chaperone and faculty member Luke Horn.

Fletcher reports the group had beautiful weather, and their Veteran's Day celebration included participation in national ceremonies with speaker Vice President Joe Biden, to honor Veterans Day and our service men and women.

See more pictures from the trip on the Hocking College Flickr page.

2015 Commencement Update

Based on the changes to the schools within the college, the schedule for graduation 2015 will be as follows:

School of Health & Safety - Friday, May 8, 2015, 7 p.m.

School of Natural Resources - Saturday May 9, 2015, 10:30 a.m.

School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, Engineering and Technology - Saturday, May 9, 2015, 2:30 p.m.

Stay tuned for further info about commencement after the first of the year.

In Memorial

We honor and remember these members of our Hocking family:

John Bowers '74 - Human Services & Corrections

Blanche Brown '82 - Nursing

Charles Blankenship '90 - Nursing

Denise Rust '95 - Medical Records HIM

3301 Hocking Parkway

Nelsonville, Ohio 45764

alumni@hocking.edu

740.753.7010

Libby Villavicencio,

Executive Director

Jestinah McDonald '01,

Development Coordinator

Career Corner

Hocking College offers

great resources to our alumni to aid you in your job search.

College Central Network: Members receive access to valuable career search tools including resume builders, videos, podcasts and informative articles. Register today to receive their regular e-newsletter. Here's an article that appeared in a recent issue:

Is Working for a Non-Profit the Right Path for You?

While working in the nonprofit sector may not be as rewarding as other jobs in terms of monetary compensation, the opportunity to serve other people is a good career option.

Currently job hunting? Working for a nonprofit organization should definitely be part of your plan because it allows you to do some very challenging work in a variety of industries. As a nonprofit worker, you gain the ability to serve other people and effect some positive change in society. If helping others is your passion, you will surely enjoy your time working in a nonprofit. But, before you do so, take the time to look at the advantages and disadvantages so you can make a well-informed decision. Read more...

Holiday Break Closure Information

All Hocking College campuses will be closed for holiday break Monday, December 22, 2014 through Friday, January 2, 2015. All campuses will officially reopen Monday, January 5, 2015.

During this time, all college buildings and offices will be closed. There will be no on-campus, in-person or telephone student services available. Online registration and payment will remain available over break via WebAdvisor but students are encouraged to register before leaving campus at the end of the semester.

Alumni Spotlight

"If it weren't for Hocking..."

1972 Alum Shares His Story

We all have had those individuals and times in our lives that have helped define who we are and what we are.

One of those bookmarks in life can be graduation from college, possibly Hocking College. While completing that journey was important and marks a goal achieved, do you remember filling out the application and the anxiety of waiting to see if "You're In." Did you ever wonder what you would be doing or who would you be if "it weren't for Hocking?" I do quite often.

I attended a small high school in rural Mahoning County, Springfield Local. While I could probably have been considered one of the popular kids; sports, student council president, etc, and a "pleasure to have in class," I approached academics with an attitude of "anything greater than a C was wasted effort." Hard to imagine that the college scholarship offers didn't come rolling in. A former guidance counselor even suggested that I consider a career in the Youngstown steel-mills because I wasn't "college material." While I would like to think she was using a reverse psychology ploy to motivate me - I'm sure it was a literal and mostly accurate suggestion.

A new guidance counselor, Fred Muder, called me into his office one day, usually the discussion was about cars, but this time he handed me a Golden-rod colored, mimeographed brochure from Tri-County Technical College (now Hocking College) and said I should "check it out." Upon reading the list of technologies, Recreation and Wildlife caught my eye. I always loved the out of doors, hunting and fishing, just hanging out in the woods. With the support of my family and the new guidance counselor I applied and soon received my "You're In" letter, I cried. When I graduated high school in 1970 I knew was going to college, studying something I really wanted to study and it would only take two years. I graduated from Hocking Technical College in 1972, received an Outstanding Student Award and the day after graduation went off to Naturalist training for the Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). If it weren't for Hocking.

I have had a great life journey and career primarily related to natural resources. I went on to earn a B.S. in Business Administration and M.A in Public Policy and Management. My career started at ODNR, I worked at the Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Farm Bureau. I owned my own natural resources consulting and lobbying business for 15 years. I was then asked to return to ODNR as Chief of Soil and Water Resources and later as Deputy Director. I am now at OEPA as Chief of Surface Water and Deputy Director for Water Resources in Ohio. If it weren't for Hocking.

All of the instructors I had while at Hocking are gone as are the administrators. I attended classes, when we were in a class room, in what is now the vocational school. While the buildings and people of the school have changed, Hocking is bigger than any person, or building. Hocking College was my "door-way" to a future I had no idea existed. As a proud alumnus I have an obligation to now help ensure that others can have their opportunity because of Hocking College.

I try to attend events, financially support the college, the student emergency fund and the Alumni Association as best as I can. I have nudged many kids and adults to "check it out," I know many have.

So what's your story? We all have them. How do you finish the statement "If it weren't for Hocking...?" At some point in your life and for some reason you filled out the enrollment application and anxiously awaited the reply. How did you feel that moment when you knew the door was open and "You're In?" It's now our obligation to ensure others can experience that excitement and have experiences they aren't even aware of exist. If it weren't for Hocking

- Karl Gebhardt '72

TRIO Program Meets Annual Objectives

TRIO logo revised Hocking College TRIO programs have been working to serve disadvantaged students in the community. The program had a successful year, both meeting and exceeding their requirements.

The Annual Performance Report submitted to the U.S. Department of Education showed the TRIO staff's exemplary work on the TRIO Talent Search and the TRIO Student Support Services.

TRIO Talent Search
The program is required to serve 592 middle and high schools students; 601 or 101.52 percent of goal were served. Goals were exceeded in other areas including: 100 percent of TS non-seniors persisted to the next grade level (goal was 98 percent), approved objective for senior graduation rate was 50 percent with 97.87 percent graduating, and the approved objective for postsecondary enrollment of 60 percent with 67.39 percent of TS graduates enrolled in a postsecondary program for the 2014 academic year.

TRIO Student Support Services
This program also achieved or exceeded the approved objectives. They are required to serve 190 Hocking College students, 192 were served. The approved objective for persistence from autumn 2013 to autumn 2014 was 70 percent, actual rate attained was 70.31 percent. The approved objective for academic standing was 70 percent, actual rate attained was 92 percent. The approved objective for graduation within four years was 12 percent, with an attained rate of 34.61 percent. The program also met the 10 percent approved rate for graduation and transfer to a four year institution.

Spring Fitness Classes are Available

Spring registration has started and Hocking College is offering various group fitness classes for the new semester. Classes include: Personal Training, Spinning, Zumba, Yoga, Beginning Swimming and Lifeguard Training. Each class requires one additional PACE hour a week or an hour of additional fitness training outside of class.

Fitness classes are available to alumni and community members. Class times and information can be found on the Hocking College website on the Student Center Fitness page.

Please encourage your family and friends to get active and get involved.

Campus Events

Upcoming January Events

QuickStart is an event where new students can:

Register for classes
Evaluate transfer credit
Get their financial aid questions answered

Friday, January 9, 2015. starting at 9:30 am

Saturday, January 10, 2015, starting at 9:30 am. For these events, returning students are also being invited to campus to complete their registration, if they need additional assistance.

The Student Services Concourse in Light Hall will have extended hours of operation the week prior to the start of the term and the first four days of classes:

Tuesday, January 6 - Thursday, January 8: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, January 10: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Monday, January 12 - Thursday, January 15: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Regular hours will resume on Friday, January 16.

Involvement Fair at the Student Center provides students the opportunity meet the leaders of clubs, organizations and societies, ask questions and get involved. Thursday, January 15, noon - 2:00 pm.

Blood Drive at the Student Center. Thursday, January 29, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

For a complete listing of campus events, visit our online events calendar.

Coffee and Conversation with Hocking

Do you work in an office with other Hocking College grads? If so, we want to come visit your office with some free coffee and muffins! We call it Coffee and Conversation with Hocking. We head out regularly to an office near Nelsonville (within a 50 mile radius) and visit our alumni while they're working. If you'd like us to pay your office a visit just complete the form to be entered into our drawing for Coffee and Conversation with Hocking.

Do WE know about YOU?

Please continue to send in your updates so that we may provide Class Notes. If you've gotten married, moved, had a child, changed jobs, or whatever, we want to know your story. If you're interested in being a featured alumni, contact us today!

Help Support Students at Hocking College

The Hocking College Foundation is focused on providing scholarships and student support to assist all those attending Hocking College.

Help us achieve our purpose by providing your charitable contribution today.