Newsletter - Mineral Area College

Volume 16, Issue 4 Student Support Services at Mineral Area College Apr. - May 2013
EXCEL ALUMNI — Going
the Distance to Achieve
Their Dreams
EXCEL alumni continue to be great role models and a
motivating force for other EXCEL students as the alumni
transfer to, and graduate from, four-year universities. Here
is an update on a few of our outstanding EXCEL alumni.
Eleven EXCEL alumni will be donning caps and gowns
as they graduate from Central Methodist University
with their bachelor’s degrees this May. Graduates
include Carolyn Helms, (Business Management),Tony
Beltran (Business), Jennifer Deckard (Psychology),
See “EXCEL Alumni” on page 7
Coming
Events
May 6 Spring Bash 11:00 am,
EXCEL Study Lab, AS C3
May 11 Graduation 10:30 am;
Field House
May 23 Summer textbook sales
begin in bookstore
May 24 Spring ‘13 Final Grades
available in MyMAC
May 27 Memorial Day Holiday -
offices closed
Jun. 3 Summer Semester Begins
Jun. 7 Graduation Applications due
Mercedes Williams Snags
Another Scholarship!!!
Mercedes Williams received notice that she has been
awarded a $500 MO-KAN-NE Scholarship for the upcoming
Fall 2013 semester. MO-KAN-
NE is the three-state association
that represents TRiO programs
throughout Missouri, Kansas, and
Nebraska. Each year, MO-KAN-NE
awards two $500 scholarships per
state to college students who are
See “Scholarship” on page 3
Mercedes Williams
Jul. 4 Independence Day -
no classes/campus closed
Jul.
Jul.
5 Last day to drop 6 wk class
and receive “W”
9 Mid-term grades available
on the Web
Jul. 15 Last day to drop 8 wk class
and receive “W”
Jul. 29 8-week term ends
Aug. 1 Summer semester grades
available on the web
Aug. 19 Fall Semester Begins
1

Ready for
Finals
By Rachel Neumeier
Birthdays
Final exams,
final papers, final
assignments — it’s
all happening at
once, here at the
end of the semester.
Deadlines that
seemed a long way
off have now arrived!
Are you ready for a
comprehensive final in your Algebra class
Have you got that big research paper
finished for English Comp II — the one on
which you must earn a decent grade in order
to pass the class Have you figured out all
that stoichiometry stuff in Intro to Chem
The end of the semester can be a huge
source of stress in your life. Here are some
things you can do to make sure you’re as
prepared as possible for finals, so that you
can get through the next couple of weeks
with as little wear and tear as possible:
First, don’t let up! By this time in the
semester, you may be feeling tired and
burned out. But it’s a terrible idea to work
hard early in the semester and then slack
off at the end. We see that happen every
year, and it always ends badly, with students
unnecessarily failing their classes. You
should continue to study and you should
continue to attend your classes. Though it
can be tempting to skip classes in order to
gain more study time, that tactic can backfire.
You will create unnecessary problems
for yourself if you miss information about
important topics or about the exam itself.
Second, when you study, prioritize. Make
a to-do list of the things you need to get
done today, tomorrow, this week, next
See “Finals” on page 4
Benjamin Ross, Diana Thomas,
Jeremy Tidwell, Julia Boyle,
Justin Oates, Patricia Courtois,
Jessica Fox
Melissa Flannery, Melinda Phipps,
Brandi Barnhouse, Jamie Abrams,
Dawn Counts, Adam Metelski,
Matthew Cozad, Jeanne Whaley,
Final Exam
Click on the Mineral Area College homepage link below
to go to the Final Exam schedule.
http://www.mineralarea.edu/
• Faculty and Staff
• Faculty/Staff Resources
• Below “Final Exam Schedule”
• Spring & Summer 2013
2

The
Tutor’s
Corner
By Bernie Ratliff
Congratulations to EXCEL graduates. We
wish the best for your life’s journey. In
addition, I want to say congratulations to
all of you who diligently continued with
tutoring throughout the semester. Also,
I want to say thank you to our tutors who
have been so faithful and so willing to help
EXCEL students. We need every student
who attended tutoring to complete an End
of Semester Tutor Evaluation. If you have
not done so, please stop by and complete
one as soon as possible. You are the
reason we are here and we hope that we
can continue to serve you. We want to hear
about your success or the obstacles you
may have encountered. Please let Elaine,
Matt, Rachel, or me know when you are not
doing well in a class even though you receive
tutoring.
For those of you who are attending the
summer semester, we will see you in June.
Rachel and Bernie will be here to provide
tutoring. Drop-in tutoring will be available
every day. However, it is wise to make an
appointment when you can. During the
summer session, there is not as much time
for your studies as in the fall and spring
sessions. Remember, whether you are taking
a 4,6,or 8-week semester class, you will be
responsible for learning the same information
that you would in a 16-week class. So, be
prepared for an intense summer semester.
Do not delay making an appointment as soon
as you see the need.
Don’t forget to schedule your end-of-thesemester
SAP review with Matt or Elaine in
the next week or two. This is an important
meeting in which you will review your
academic outcomes for the Spring semester
3
and review your progress toward your longterm
goals, including graduation from MAC.
Keep in mind that goals help you focus
attention on what has to be mastered, and
they provide motivation and direction as you
pursue your degree.
I want to challenge you to make reading a
priority this summer. If you want ideas about
what to read, just drop in and I will be happy
to share some of my favorites with you.
Enjoy your summer.
Scholarship
Continued from page 1
participants in Student Support Services
or McNair programs. Mercedes, who
was nominated by EXCEL Director Elaine
Belovich, will graduate from Mineral Area
College in December with her AA in Pre-
Social Work. She has been accepted and
enrolled in UMSL’s BS in Social Work
program on the MAC campus and will
begin classes this fall. Mercedes’ winning
application included a 3.9 cumulative grade
point average and an essay describing
her academic and career goals and
EXCEL’s impact on her education at MAC.
Mercedes has also been awarded a $3,500
Chancellor’s Transfer Scholarship to attend
UMSL. Earlier, in Fall 2012, Mercedes
received a $500 EXCEL Scholarship from
MAC and this March she received $848 in
SSS Supplemental Grant Aid from EXCEL.
As the recipient of a MO-KAN-NE
Scholarship, Mercedes is the tenth EXCEL
student, since 2001, to receive a scholarship
through the annual MAEOPP/MO-KAN-
NE competition. Two of the ten scholarship
recipients were awarded $1,000 scholarships
from MO-KAN-NE’s regional association,
MAEOPP.
Congratulations to Mercedes who
consistently demonstrates her commitment
to academic excellence in higher education.

Finals
Continued from page 2
week. Anything that is both due soon and
worth a lot of points is something that needs
attention. Studying for final exams definitely
needs attention. Don’t let yourself spend
a lot of time on assignments that are worth
only a few points, even if they are due
tomorrow. Figure out where your effort will
have the “biggest bang for your buck.” If
studying five hours for your Comparative
Religion exam might raise your grade from
a B to a B+, but studying five hours of
Algebra will probably keep you from flunking,
then obviously you should put the time into
Algebra.
Also, plan in breaks when
you study. It’s about right
to plan an hour or two
of studying followed by
a fifteen minute break
to walk the dog or wash
the dishes. It’s best if you get up and do
something physical during a break, rather
than just checking email.
Third, don’t spend all your time getting
ready to study rather than studying. A neat
desk, organized stacks of books, and pens
in every color in the rainbow aren’t going to
help unless you actually study. “Study” does
not mean “read the book.” You should have
read the book and basically figured out the
material already — now is the time to put
in the repetition and practice necessary for
good performance on the upcoming final
exams. Time spent cleaning and organizing
everything can be a form of procrastination.
If that’s what it is in your case, start putting
your time into actual studying.
Fourth, don’t let your family or friends make
unreasonable demands on you for the next
few weeks. If you’re the single mother of a
two-year-old, then of course your job as a
mother can’t be put off or ignored. But this
is the time for your boyfriend to get his own
dinner, for your friends to go out to a movie
without you, for your older kids to settle their
own arguments. Do you normally spend
every Sunday morning catching up on the
housework Well, this is a great time for
the kids to do those chores — or else the
housework can just wait.
This is also a good time to turn off your
phone. We used to survive without cell
phones constantly in our hands; you will
survive the next two weeks without yours.
Social media is almost as bad as a phone.
Set a time once a day to check email, and
that’s it. Let Facebook go; it will still be there
after finals are over.
Fifth, take care of yourself. Eat right. Coffee
and candy bars are not an adequate diet; to
work at your best, you need protein rather
than sugar and caffeine. Try to get enough
sleep; you can’t learn properly if you’re rundown
and exhausted.
And sixth: if you need help, then get
help! That is what the EXCEL Office is
for, whether you are working on Algebra or
your big English Comp research paper or
stoichiometry or something else. It’s just
common sense to come in and let our tutors
help you if you need a boost in your classes.
And remind yourself every day that
sometimes things just are stressful, but
you’ve only got a couple weeks to go, and
if you don’t let up, you can power right on
through Finals Week.
EXCEL/SSS MISSION
To provide the support necessary
for each EXCEL/SSS student to
reach his/her own level of
academic excellence and
succeed in achieving a
postsecondary education.
4

Why sTOP WITH
AN ASSOCIATE’S
DEGREE
Depending on your major area of study
and your career ambitions, stopping your
education with an associate’s degree may not
be the optimal choice. With unemployment
still high and job-security almost non-existent,
you want to make sure that you have the
best “hand” possible when you enter the
marketplace. A four-year degree is not
always necessary, and no degree can assure
you of employment in the “job of a lifetime”;
however, a four-year degree is required for
some fields and may improve your odds of
finding professional employment in some
careers. An associate’s degree in psychology,
sociology, or related area may help you find
an entry level position in the human services
See “Degree” on page 7
EXCEL/SSS
Web Pages
EXCEL/SSS web pages can be accessed
from the Mineral Area College home page.
Point to Students, then Student Resources,
then click on EXCEL. Access the following
EXCEL links at the bottom of the first page:
• Advisory Services
• Tutoring Services
• Newsletter • Staff and Tutors
• Student Memo and Activity Schedule
• Scholarship Memo & Application
Phi Theta Kappa
News!
MAC freshman and EXCEL student, Maegan
Melton, was recently elected as a Regional
Officer for Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), a national
honor society for community college
students. Maegan is serving as the Vice
President of Communications in the Missouri
Region. Congratulations to Maegan for this
honor.
Food For Thought
“If you’re going through hell, keep
going.”
- Winston Churchill
“Our greatest weakness lies in
giving up. The most certain way to
succeed is always to try just one
more time.”
- Thomas A. Edison
“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself.
Whatever has to be done, it’s always
your choice.”
- Wayne Dyer
“Always do your best. What you
plant now, you will harvest later.”
- Og Mandino
Source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes
5

SEMO Open
House
By Matt Sopko
EXCEL students Dawn Leigh, Jim Sadler,
Mike Kuehle, and Brittney Hare traveled
to Southeast Missouri State University on
Saturday, March 20th for SEMO’s annual
spring “Show-Me Day”. The first stop of
the day was registration followed by a
visit to a Student Life Fair where students
viewed exhibit booths highlighting campus
organizations and also had the opportunity
to meet with students and staff. At 10:30,
everyone convened in the Show Me Center
arena for a brief presentation by the Director
of Enrollment Management and Admissions,
and a short film on life at SEMO. Following
this, students moved to the Student
Recreation Center for an Academic Fair
where each school and/or department had a
booth set up and a faculty member available
to talk with students about their prospective
majors. Students also had the opportunity
to attend small break-out sessions which
discussed financial aid, residence life, and
the transfer process. The day concluded with
a walking tour of the campus and lunch in the
Towers Café, courtesy of SEMO.
Summer
Birthdays
Darryl Harmon, Monique Kladis,
Dawn Leigh, Anthony King,
Lorie Dalton, Becky Ray,
Jessica Vaught, Cassie Patterson,
Manina Harr, Mary Kertz,
Angela Hart, Raven Abt,
Erin Sutton, Elizabeth Couch,
James Sadler
April Drake, Kylie Nute,
Maria Barrett, Joshua Bailey,
Tonnie Tucker, Canda Allen,
Stacy Henson, Debra Bradley,
Lillie Stevens, Rebecca Whennen,
Claudia Jones, Nicole Doss
6
Kimberly Knighton, Jon Hampton,
Coleen Gaugel, Christina Dunn,
Denise Goggin, Laura Gunnett,
Andrea Baker, Kim Sales,
James Wilson, Zenilde Pyatt,
Allison Dennis

DEGREE
Continued from page 5
field, but if your goal is a professional
level position and the opportunity for quick
advancement, a bachelor’s is probably a
better choice. Teaching at the elementary or
secondary level requires a bachelor’s degree
and most community college instructors have
at least a master’s degree. If you envision
yourself as a professor at a major university,
be prepared to pursue your doctoral degree!
One career that is in high demand and that
you can still enter with either a certificate or
an associate’s degree is nursing, provided
of course that you have passed the state
boards.
Quite a few EXCEL students have already
been accepted at four-year universities
because they feel a bachelor’s degree is a
must to enter the job market at the salary
and position level they want. Two EXCEL
students who will graduate in May from MAC
started work on their bachelor’s degree
at Southeast Missouri University this past
January. Cynthia Henderson is pursuing
a BS in Elementary Education/Exceptional
Child Certification, and Adam Metelski is
working toward his BS in Recreation. Cynthia
and Adam will be joined by EXCEL student
James Sadler who will start SEMO this
coming fall. James will be working toward his
BS in Business.
UM-SL’s new social work cohort, which
starts in August 2013 on MAC’s campus,
includes nine EXCEL students and soonto-be
MAC graduates. They are Patricia
Courtois, Janice Sheets-Coleman, Donald
Cissell, Mercedes Williams, Sherry
Leeling, Maria Barrett, Cheri Culver, Debra
Bradley, and Angela Hart. Of this group,
Donald Cissell and Mercedes Williams have
already been offered merit-based transfer
scholarships. Donald has been offered a
7
$1,500 Community College Scholarship
which requires a minimum 3.25 cumulative
grade point average and Mercedes has
been offered a $3,500 Chancellor’s
Transfer Scholarship, based on a minimum
3.5 cumulative grade point average.
Both scholarships are renewable for a
second year, provided specified academic
requirements are met.
Justin Oates is considering transferring to
St. Louis University. He has already been
offered $24,000 per year for three years.
SLU’s offer includes a $12,000 transfer
scholarship, a $2,000 PTK scholarship, and
a $10,000 grant.
Not sure about your next step after MAC
Why not talk to an EXCEL student who is
transferring to a four-year university about
what factors they considered in making their
decision This can be a big help in making
your choice.
EXCEL ALUMNI
Continued from page 1
Stephanie Golden (Psychology), Kerry
Johnson (Middle School Language
Arts), Tara Lewis, (Psychology), Luveda
Nicholson (Accounting), Patricia Peterson
(Nursing), Angelique Price (Psychology),
and Amber Thurman (Elementary
Education). William Dunleavy (Criminal
Justice) will join these EXCEL alumni in July
as a CMU graduate.
Four EXCEL alumni will be among the
students graduating from the University of
Missouri – St. Louis (UM-SL) this May. They
include Randi Jo Brewer, Angela Cardwell,
Penny Sue Merseal, and Sheri Will, all of
whom will receive their BS in Social Work.
Everina “Evie” Pulliam will follow in their
footsteps in Fall 2013.

EXCEL/SSS
Mineral Area College
PO Box 1000
Park Hills, MO 63601
Published By:
EXCEL/SSS
Mineral Area College
PO Box 1000
Park Hills, MO 63601
Editor:
Matt Sopko
Managing Editor:
Elaine Belovich
Layout and Design:
Robbin Stegall
Contributors:
Elaine Belovich
Matt Sopko
Bernie Ratliff
Rachel Neumeier
EXCEL/Student Support Services at Mineral Area College is a federally
funded TRiO program. It is funded at $1,452,580 for five years.
Mineral Area College’s total contribution is approximately 2.55% of
the total budget. EXCEL/SSS serves 200 students.
Mineral Area College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, gender, disability, age, religion, creed or marital or
parental status. For more information, call the Title VI, Title IX, Section
504 and ADA Coordinator at (573) 431-4593 or U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Civil Rights.
If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities
Act and need this publication in an alternative format, notify
us at the address or telephone number below. Reasonable efforts
will be made to accommodate your special needs.
EXCEL/SSS
Mineral Area College
PO Box 1000
Park Hills, MO 63601