News Roundup: High School Scrub Camps, Student Recognition & Community Service Day

July was a busy month for recognizing students and giving back to the community! Check out what the college and its campuses were up to in the past month—and don’t forget to follow the Rasmussen College Facebook page to get live updates as they happen.

Medical lab tech & surgical tech programs participate in high school scrubs camps

Rasmussen College staff from both the medical lab technician (MLT) and surgical technologist (ST) programs partnered up with HealthForce Minnesota to participate in Scrubs camps July 6-10. The purpose of the camps was to introduce high school students to different healthcare careers and offer hands-on experience to help them determine which careers interest them.

The state of Minnesota has been running the week-long Scrub camps since 2008 and this was the first year Rasmussen College has been involved. The camps are run throughout the summer at nine various locations across Minnesota—from Winona to Bemidji and in-between.

Tammy Renner, national MLT program director for Rasmussen College, was in charge of running the medical lab tech sessions. She interacted with around 75 students throughout the day, helping them perform clinical lab investigations.

“We wanted to do as much hands-on testing as possible so the students could get excited about the profession,” Renner said.

Sara Vodnick, surgical technologist instructor for Rasmussen College, accompanied by faculty and some students from her program, led the surgical tech sessions for about 50 students. The participants were able to get a feel for what being a surg tech is really like through hands-on learning activities and a Q & A session. The students learned about surgical instruments and how to use a laparoscopic surgical camera.

Accounting student receives scholarship

April Haring, a Rasmussen College accounting student set to graduate in Dec. 2015 with a bachelor's degree, received a $7,000 Frank L. Greathouse Government Accounting Scholarship. Haring earned the scholarship based on her performance in accounting studies and is encouraged to choose a career in state and local government. The scholarship is funded by the Government Finance Officers Association. The scholarship competition is for undergrad and grad students enrolled full-time in a university or college preparing for a career in state or local government finance in the U.S. or Canada.

Criminal justice grad receives multiple awards from junior women’s club

Elizabeth Perez, a recent graduate of the Rasmussen College criminal justice program, received a $1,000 Jennie June Croly Education Scholarship at the General Federation of Women’s Club (GFWC) Florida Convention in Orlando in June. The scholarship was named after GFWC founder Jane Cunningham Croly, whose main mission was to support improved working conditions for women and promote education among females throughout the nation.

Perez graduated on Aug. 1 with her Associate of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. She is currently a full-time secretary for Pasco County and plans to continue her studies at Rasmussen College to earn her bachelor’s degree and pursue a career in forensic science.

Rasmussen College celebrates annual Community Service Day

Rasmussen College held its 7th annual Community Service Day. Approximately 12,000 employees and students from its 23 campuses and three central offices volunteered more than 4,000 hours in just one 24-hour period!

"It's a chance for the entire College to come together & give back to the communities we live & work in."

“Rasmussen College employees and students look forward to our annual Community Service Day every year,” said Dr. Trenda Boyum-Breen, president at Rasmussen College. “It’s a chance for the entire College to come together and give back to the communities we live and work in.”

During this year’s Community Service Day, employees and students performed a variety of tasks, from painting and cleaning schools in preparation for the school year, to stocking shelves and packing meals at food pantries, to leading activities at youth and adult centers. Some of the locations they volunteered for included: Feed My Starving Children, Emmanuel House, Marion County Public Schools, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley and Great Plains Food Bank. Curious about the rest? Learn more about what we were up to on Community Service Day.

July graduations at Rasmussen College

The college held 12 graduations throughout the month of July from all six states that have campuses. Some of the graduation locations included the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul and the Meyer Theatre in Green Bay. There will be a record-breaking number of 5,417 graduates in 2015. Congrats to all summer graduates!