“Don’t Blink,” such wise words from the great poet and philosopher Kenny Chesney, perfectly describe how quickly this year has passed. As the calendar turns to spring, our seniors will be finishing up their certifications and preparing to enter the world, while our juniors get ready to take on the role of leaders in our programs next year. I know I can speak for the entire TRCC staff when I say we’ve loved working with this group, and we’re incredibly proud of them. In May, we will have an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments at our awards ceremonies and graduations, but more importantly, we hope the instructors and staff have made a positive impact that students will carry with them throughout their lives. Best of luck to the Class of 2026!

Table Rock Career Center was excited to feature four students from our Construction and Project Lead the Way Engineering programs as our March Professionals of the Month. Congratulations to the following students:

Our first representative from the Construction program is Brady Cline, a junior from Crane High School. Brady is always willing to jump in and help without being asked. He is very coachable when it comes to receiving feedback from Mr. Young and applying it immediately on the job site or in the classroom. He also enjoys the social aspects of working outside with a crew and values the teamwork involved in being successful in the construction industry.

Austin Youngblood is a senior from Galena who is gaining industry-specific training in both our Welding and Construction programs. Austin’s work ethic makes him a leader by example among his peers. He appreciates how students at Table Rock Career Center are treated like employees and are expected not only to meet school expectations, but to exceed them in preparation for life after high school.

Kingsley Edwards, a senior from Branson High School, is excelling in the Project Lead the Way Engineering program. Kingsley is very detail-oriented in everything he does in the engineering lab and classroom. Because of this, he is well prepared to navigate unexpected obstacles in his learning. He values the opportunity to design a wide variety of projects intended to prepare him to continue his academic career at Missouri S&T in the fall.

Spokane High School junior Royce Rex is our second representative from the Project Lead the Way Engineering program. Royce has a very inquisitive mind and makes thoughtful educational decisions based on how they will help him reach his career goal of becoming an Aviation Operations Specialist in the United States Army. He values the credibility Mr. Patrick brings to the classroom through the industry experience he gained while serving in the United States Navy.

Thank you to Tracy Carver – American Family Insurance Agency for continued support of our TRCC Professionals of the Month!

Congratulations to our Culinary Arts instructor, Jennifer Noriega, for being named the March Teacher of the Month. Mrs. Noriega loves “sharing her passion for the hospitality industry with students who have an opportunity to be educationally successful in an alternative setting.” She does this by bringing in many guest speakers from the area who provide insight into the expectations of this high-demand industry, as well as through a wide variety of catering events.

She was recently selected as one of five inaugural fellows in the Kids Feeding Kids Fellowship Program. This national initiative supports high school teachers who help students develop culinary skills while addressing food insecurity in their communities. Through this program, the Culinary Arts program has provided over 1,000 meals to families in need.

Congratulations to our Automotive Technology assistant teacher, Brian Leisinger, for being named our March Employee of the Month. Mr. Leisinger has over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry. For eleven of those years, he worked with Shannon Lasiter (our Automotive Technology I instructor) as a fleet mechanic for the Stone County Sheriff’s Department. Because of their years collaborating together, they are able to build on each other’s strengths to provide a great academic atmosphere.

Mr. Leisinger brings to class a calm demeanor that helps students feel comfortable in both the classroom and, most importantly, in the shop, where they are given the opportunity to gain real-world experience in a structured environment designed to prepare them for life after graduation.

Eight students from Table Rock Career Center’s EMT program earned spots on the award podium at the Missouri HOSA – Future Health Professionals State Leadership Conference, held in Rolla on March 23–24. Competing against nearly 2,900 emerging healthcare leaders, these students secured their places at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Indianapolis this June.

Congratulations to the following students who advanced to international competition by showcasing their clinical skills and emergency response techniques, demonstrating their readiness for the high-stakes world of emergency medicine:

EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
Gold (1st Place): Tessa Hime (Reeds Spring) & Anna Gorham (Spokane)
Silver (2nd Place): Hailey Perryman (Hollister) & Bayli Mackey (Branson)
Bronze (3rd Place): Chloe Kugler (Reeds Spring) & Jacob Coones (Galena)

CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
Gold (1st Place): Tyler Prewitt (Spokane) & Logan Gipson (Galena)

HOSA is an international student organization fully dedicated to healthcare. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, HOSA’s mission is to enhance the delivery of quality healthcare by providing leadership development and motivation to students enrolled in health and biomedical science programs.

Hello from the Collision Repair Program! Students have been working diligently to learn and perfect the key skills needed to be successful in the collision repair industry. This year’s academic focus has been on the metal and plastic repair side rather than refinishing. Our live lab work has included a mix of customer-based projects and projects designed to hone the skills a metal technician needs to succeed.

Several seniors had a great opportunity to refinish a very rare 1966 Mercury Cyclone GT. This piece of muscle car history has been one of the greatest restorations our program has completed. The students utilized their refinishing skills, using industry-leading linear blocks to achieve a paint job that was laser straight with a reflection like a green mirror!

Another project students worked on was a complete refinish of an Infiniti G37X. While the black paint was a challenge to perfect, they buffed and polished the clear coat to achieve something that is very difficult to accomplish—an almost perfect black finish.

Collision students will wind down the 2025–26 school year by learning the basic fundamentals of MIG welding and completing smaller projects that have come into the shop after spring break. Mr. Stober would like to thank all of his Collision Repair students and his assistant teacher, Mr. Borgman, for all the hard work they have put into making this a productive year for the program.

Our Collision Repair instructor, Chris Stober, began his career in education in 2013. His 25 years of industry experience include work at Jim Clark Motors in Junction City, Kansas; Hammer’s Autoworks in Springfield, Missouri; and Tin Bender Body Shop in Reeds Spring.

We are excited to feature 2021 Reeds Spring High School graduate Ryan Thomas in our spring alumni spotlight. Ryan was always interested in learning how to weld and knew right away that this was a career path he would enthusiastically pursue. He greatly appreciates how Mr. Lewallen, the program’s instructor, taught him the fundamentals needed to be successful as a welder. Most importantly, he is thankful that Mr. Lewallen “pushed me to accomplish more than I thought was possible.”

Because of the industry-specific training he received at Gibson Technical Center, he was able to continue and complete his training at Missouri Welding Institute in just eight weeks. In 2022, he began his professional welding career with Fagen Inc., installing air conditioner units for a wide variety of major commercial construction projects. Since 2024, he has been working with the Dilling Group, welding on a wide range of data centers and military contracts in Texas. He loves the welding industry because there is always an abundance of work for those who enjoy working hard.

As he reflects on his time in the welding program, he had this to say: “I am so thankful for the role Mr. Lewallen played in preparing me for real-world scenarios and for life after high school.” He highly encourages students to consider all of the great opportunities Table Rock Career Center has to offer for those interested in exploring a variety of trades designed to prepare them for meaningful careers.

Congratulations to following Reeds Spring High School students for finishing in 3rd place at the 2026 SkillsUSA State Competition: Natylei Fish (Basic Healthcare Skills) and Colin Hejlek (Marine Service Technology). 

33 students competed at the district level and ten advanced to the state competition.

The Healthcare Careers program continues to be one of the most popular programs of study. This year, 30 students were provided the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with residents at Shepherd of the Hills Living Center in Branson. After mastering essential skills in the classroom and lab, the students spent 100 hours at the facility to meet the state requirements to sit for the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) state exam. This group of young professionals worked together as a highly collaborative team during the practicum portion of their training. Mrs. Tammy Parrish exclaims, “The residents at Shepherd of the Hills Living Center light up when the students enter the facility.” Students who meet the state requirements and pass the exam in May will leave the program with their CNA certification.

Juniors who complete this program have the opportunity to receive additional training during their senior year by taking Healthcare Careers II. Students who pursue this option can meet the requirements in one of two ways. First, they can be placed in an internship through RS Works and use their CNA certification while working in a local healthcare facility. Currently, three students are taking advantage of this option. The second option involves a TRCC partnership with Ozarks Tech, allowing students to take dual-credit classes facilitated at Reeds Spring High School. By the end of the school year, six TRCC students will have a head start on earning their Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certification. After graduating from high school, these students will need just one more year of training to receive this high-demand certification.

Mrs. Tammy Parrish has been leading the Healthcare Careers program since 2008. She brought 20 years of experience in Home Health and Hospice as a Registered Nurse before beginning her career in education. She takes tremendous pride in the number of former students who are currently working in the healthcare industry, serving people in need.

This month, we featured four students from our Auto Technology program as our April Professionals of the Month. Congratulations to the following students:

Branson High School junior Carson Nokes loves everything about cars, and because of this passion, he is excelling in Automotive Technology I. Mr. Lasiter, his instructor, appreciates that Carson comes to class every day ready to learn as much as he can. “He comes to class with a maturity that makes me feel like I am teaching a focused adult.” Carson is excited to use the skills he is learning at TRCC for the rest of his life.

Jeremy White, a Spokane High School junior, is also representing the Automotive Technology I class. Mr. Lasiter proudly shares, “He brings a level of professionalism rarely seen today. With his great work ethic, he will be a great addition to any team in the workforce.” Jeremy appreciates the opportunity he has at TRCC to apply the skills he is learning on his family’s farm repairing cars, trucks, and other various machinery.

Gavin Kram is a senior from Crane High School who values the confidence he has gained through his two years in the Automotive Technology program, which now allows him to perform basic repairs on his car. During his time at TRCC, he has built a solid reputation for always being professional and respectful to students and staff. His focus in the classroom and in the shop demonstrates his determination to be successful in career and in life.

Our second representative from Automotive Technology II is Reeds Spring High School senior David Head. David is always alert in the shop and ready to lend a hand to anyone who needs help. Reflecting on his two years at TRCC, he said, “I am happy with how Auto Tech I prepared me for Auto Tech II and how Auto Tech II is preparing me to continue my education at State Tech, where I will study Auto Technology–High Performance.”

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

We are excited to recognize Tammy Parrish as our April Teacher of the Month. With great pride, she explained why she loves being the Healthcare Careers Instructor at Table Rock Career Center, “I take pride in seeing young students grow and mature into meaningful roles in the healthcare industry.”

A person who nominated her had this to say about the impact she has on students, “Mrs. Parrish has been with our district for almost 20 years. She loves watching her students excel in the healthcare industry. Her passion and knowledge from her previous career as a health/hospice nurse have been passed down to her students.”

Mrs. Parrish is a vital part of the TRCC community and is never afraid to try new instructional strategies in the classroom to increase student engagement and better prepare students for life after high school.

Our April Employee of the Month is Tonya LaRiviere. Ms. LaRiviere recently joined the TRCC custodial team and has made a positive impact on the building through her hard work and dedication to ensuring our students have a great environment in which to learn.

Mike Burke, TRCC head custodian, shared, “The students have commented on how kind she is to everyone. She is very detail-oriented and is always looking for ways to make the building look great.”

Ms. LaRiviere loves the positive atmosphere at TRCC. Although she began working at TRCC at the end of February, she has already made an incredible impact—not only on the building, but on the students and staff as well.

20287 State Highway 413, 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