Well, I made the mistake of blinking and sure enough it's already time for Thanksgiving… The school year is flying by and it's amazing to see the progress our students are making in their programs.  Activities in our Career Technical Student Organizations are getting started and it's awesome to see how these organizations help to foster professional growth in each student.  We also encourage all students to be as involved as possible.  Not that there's enough already going on, but we have begun hosting sophomores from all of our eleven sending schools as they begin to make preparations for next school year.  We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for at Table Rock Career Center.

Table Rock Career Center would like to recognize two students from our Early Education Careers Program as our October Professionals of the Month.  Congratulations to the following students:

Molly Pollard is a junior from Forsyth High School who is dedicated, thoughtful, and consistently goes above and beyond in everything she does. She works wonderfully with teachers, students, and peers—always showing kindness, teamwork, and professionalism. She loves taking what she is learning in the program and using it during her practicum. We’re so proud to recognize her hard work and positive attitude!

Reeds Spring High School senior Timothy Torske has shown incredible growth during his time in the program and continues to impress everyone with his positive attitude and dedication. As the only male in a class full of young ladies, he stands out for his kindness, sense of humor, and ability to make everyone feel included. Timothy loves working with children—and they absolutely love him right back!

Thanks to Tracy Carver-American Family Insurance Agency for her continued support of our TRCC Professionals of the Month!

The Culinary Arts program has been beyond busy this fall.  In addition to getting settled into the new kitchen, the students have been hard at work earning their ServeSafe Managers certifications and mastering the following skills in the kitchen:  Salads, dips, soups, sauces and appetizers.  The students have had opportunities to cook and serve in a variety of catering events like the benefit dinner hosted by the Kimberling City Elks Lodge where they partnered with the Veterans of the Ozarks a night in support of the Heartland Canines for Veterans where they had an opportunity to collaborate with Chef Todd Schrade.

The highlight of the school year has been the partnership with the Kids Feeding Kids Initiative. This national endeavor supports high school teachers who help students develop culinary skills while addressing food insecurity in their communities.  Funding comes in part from the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, established by Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes.  These projects provide students with technical skills and a deeper understanding of community service.  In October the students in the program prepared and distributed 1,000 meals in support of Elevate Branson.  Click on the following link to learn more:  https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/culinary-students-fight-food-insecurity/ 

Culinary Arts instructor, Jenifer Noriega earned a degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management from Missouri State University.  She has over 15 years of industry experience as a restaurant and kitchen manager before she decided to begin a career as a CTE educator.  Mrs. Noriega has a passion for the hospitality industry and clearly communicates to all of her students that the hospitality/restaurant industry provides many different types of opportunities for students.  She knows that some of her students may not seek a career in the restaurant industry, but they will develop an appreciation and respect for those who work in this industry for the rest of their lives.

We would like to take the opportunity to spotlight our Project Lead the Way Engineering instructor, Brent Patrick, for being selected as the October Teacher of the Month. One of his students said it best, “Mr. Patrick is a very encouraging person who always helps his students with everything and always challenges us to be better everyday.” The Project Lead the Way Engineering program is in its second year at TRCC and Mr. Patrick has been very impressed with how his second year students have taken on a mentoring role for the students new to the program.

A shoutout is in order for Matt Locke for being named October Employee of the Month. Mr. Locke is an assistant teacher in the Marine Technology program. Mr. Locke is a highly valued member of the TRCC staff who brings 32 years of experience as an art and video production teacher at Reeds Spring High School.  He enjoys learning about the marine industry from Mr. Jenkins and also appreciates how the students thrive in the program through hands-on instruction.  With his love of Table Rock Lake he feels right at home working in the Marine Technology program.

TRCC had a great opportunity to showcase all of the great things we have to offer to sophomores from Crane High School who were able to tour all of our 13 programs of study designed to help prepare students for college, career, and life on October 29th. We are looking forward to seeing many of these students taking advantage of the benefits of career and technical education next fall.

We are excited to feature 2018 Reeds Spring High School graduate Kyle Wittmuss for our alumni spotlight.  Kyle was a student in Gibson Technical Center’s Auto Technology program.  He even served as an A+ Tutor in the Auto Technology I Class his senior year of high school.  While in his program he made the decision not to pursue a career in the automotive industry, he decided to transition to something bigger after he graduated from High School.  He was able to take the skills he learned at GTC and enrolled in the ThinkBig Caterpillar Dealer Service Technician program at State Tech in Linn, Missouri.  Upon completion of his program at State Tech he went on to Pittsburg State University and enrolled in the ThinkBigger program where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (Diesel and Heavy Equipment emphasis).

After earning his degree from Pittsburg State he began working as a service technician at Fabick CAT in Springfield.  As a service technician he does everything from service calls, preventative maintenance and rebuilds on all Caterpillar makes and models.  The best part of his job is the satisfaction of knowing the customers appreciate what he does to keep their heavy equipment up and running on jobsites all over the Ozarks.  As he reflects on his time at GTC he is thankful for the support he received from Mr. Sears and Mr Caudill and without their help he might not be where he is today.  He strongly encourages students who are curious about any of the programs Table Rock Career Center offers to enroll in one because one will never know where this curiosity will lead.

The school year is off to a fast start in the Construction Program with 25 new students and 15 returning seniors.  Mr. Sonny Young, the program’s instructor,  had this to say about this year’s students, “This collection of kids might be the hardest working group of students I have had the pleasure to teach in all of my years in education.”  All the new students have completed their introduction to hand and power tools, mandatory safety units and earned his/her 10 Hour OSHA certification for the construction industry. The program is expected to complete the house they began working on in the fall of 2023 before the end of this semester.  This house has served as the program's classroom for the last two years and will soon become a home for a family in our great community. 

Upon completion of the house the program's next project will be something on the Reeds Spring School District Campus after the students return from Christmas break.  By the end of the school year students in the construction program will have an opportunity to earn a forklift certification and gain experience on a skid steer.  Mr. Young takes pride in teaching his students skills they will use for the rest of their lives.

Sonny Young, the program’s instructor, earned a degree in Forestry from the University of Missouri.  He has been leading the construction program at TRCC for the last 16 years and has an additional six years of experience teaching at King Career Center in Anchorage, Alaska.  Mr. Young knows what employers are expecting out of employees and he makes students in his program exceed these industry expectations.

Our SkillsUSA chapter recently delivered almost 16,000 diapers and baby wipes collected during the 2025 Pooper Troopers of the Ozarks Diaper Drive to Options Pregnancy Clinic in Branson and Pregnancy Lifeline in Branson West. Both organizations help mothers and fathers make the transition to parenthood by providing classes and the support parents need during the early years of a child’s life.  This diaper drive would have not been possible without the support of the following grocery stores in the communities Table Rock Career Centers Serves:  Country Mart locations in Branson, Hollister, and Forsyth, King Food Saver in Branson West, Sun Fest in Crane, and Harter House locations in Nixa, Kimberling City, Hollister and Shell Knob.  Thanks to everyone involved who made this diaper drive impactful for so many families in need in our area.

It was great having sophomores from Spokane High School curiously exploring all of the programs Table Rock Career Center has to offer on November 5th. They were able to experience first hand why TRCC is "The Rock Careers are Built Upon."

Table Rock Career Center would like to showcase two students from our Culinary Arts Program as our November Professionals of the Month.  Congratulations to the following students:

Branson High School senior Kaden Stewart is always alert to what tasks need to be completed in the kitchen.  Mrs. Noriega proudly states, “He is a quiet leader who leads without the need for recognition, but does so because of the intrinsic value that comes from leading by example.”   Kaden values the satisfaction he receives when he sees people enjoying his culinary creations.  He is always looking forward to all the constructive feedback he receives from his instructor.  He is looking forward to working in this high-demand industry that welcomes creative culinary experiences.

Whenever the Culinary Arts has a catering event off campus, Reeds Spring High School senior, Elizabeth Neumeier is always the first one who is willing to volunteer.  She always excels in the kitchen and has built a solid reputation of exceeding expectations in the classroom.  In the kitchen she leads with a conscientious heart because of her love of the hospitality industry.  She loves the opportunity her program of study provides for learning many different recipes and cooking techniques.  She is looking forward to continuing her culinary training at College of the Ozarks next fall.

Thanks to Tracy Carver-American Family Insurance Agency for her continued support of our TRCC Professionals of the Month!

We had the opportunity to meet an amazing group of sophomores from Bradleyville and Chadwick on November 12th. They were able to witness firsthand how TRCC is preparing today's students for tomorrow through quality career and technical education. We are looking forward to many of these students enrolling in one of our 13 programs of study next fall. a new paragraph block.

The Auto Technology program is off to a great start to the school year.  We have 76 students enrolled and they have been very busy in the classroom and in the shop learning skills they will use for the rest of their lives.   

Juniors in Mr. Shannon Lasiter’s class have been working hard getting acclimated to basics of this high-demand industry.  Students have been mastering the use of the tire machine, changing oil and other liquids, and are beginning to be introduced to vehicle braking and suspension systems.  Last year Mr. Lasiter’s students invoiced over 350 customer repairs and are excited to add to this number since the program is now moved into the new shop.  He has two goals for his students in his program.  One, making sure the students have mastered the prerequisites needed to be successful in Auto Technology II.  Secondly, he wants students to find their passion for any one of the career paths that are associated with the automotive industry.  Mr. Lasiter is in his fourth year at TRCC after serving as the fleet manager for the Stone County Sheriff's Department. He brings over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry to his classroom.

The bays in Mr. Sears' class seem to always be full of customer cars. His program invoices over 400 repairs a year and there is never a job too big or too small for his students to handle.  Mr. Sears is in the process of preparing SkillsUSA students who will be competing in the Automotive Technology district competitions.  Mr. Sears has over 28 years of experience in education and over ten years of industry experience working for various car dealerships.

Students who complete this two year program of study have an opportunity to earn a two year Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification in Engine Performance, Maintenance/Light Repair, Steering and Suspension, Electrical and Brakes. Additionally, students who complete the program can earn up to 16 hours of articulated credit from Ozarks Technical College (OTC).

Almost 100 Hollister High School sophomores had an opportunity to tour our 13 programs of study designed to be a foundation for career success on November 13th. We appreciate the partnership we have with the Hollister School District in providing opportunities for all students to be successful in college, career and life.

386 West State Highway 76, Reeds Spring, Missouri 65737

Phone: (417) 272-3271

Email: bmoler@wolves.k12.mo.us

Website: https://www.rs-wolves.com/o/trcc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TableRockCareerCenter

Twitter: @TableRockCC