Ivy Tech Community College of Valparaiso serves not only to the success of their students but equally to their faculty as well. The victories their students uphold is supported chiefly by the pillar of their prepared and inspired faculty team. At the 2018 Ivy Tech Convocation and breakfast, faculty members gathered to reconnect, celebrate present faculty, and welcome the new.
The event provided a warm welcome by offering insight on the education and promotion of Ivy Tech’s success rates, financial goals regarding their foundation and student sponsorships, recruitment info, and new year goals. For some background, a DJ spun tracks during the breakfast gathering. Leaders also raffled off fun items, such as Ivy Tech gear and merch.
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Aco Sikoski, the Chancellor at Ivy Tech, spoke about the details of the event.
“Today is the convocation—the first official meeting before we start the Fall semester,” Sikoski said. “Today, we focus on what we have accomplished so far, and where the direction is going for this upcoming year.”
After being asked why he loves Ivy Tech, Sikoski laughed.
“I love that question!” Sikoski said. “We provide opportunity to fellow citizens to earn the credentials most needed to support our local industry and organizations. We provide the tools that uphold the demands of local workforce needs.”
Ivy Tech gears their staff toward innovative solutions within teaching by maintaining state-of-the-art training, and continuously challenging them to reach further into the community.
Traci Bryan Frey is an example of opportunity and growth at Ivy Tech. Frey serves as an associate professor of English, is the Foundations program chair, a tutoring resource center coordinator, and leader of the University Transfer Division IVYT courses at the Valparaiso campus. Though her plate is full, her passion for the college and her growth throughout her time there shines bright.
“We are here to get refreshed and motivated that we can all be on the same page together,” Frey said. “We need that community experience as a group. If we are not collaborating and discussing—working as separate silos—we cannot succeed. We do this to provide the best for our students.”
Frey continued, “Here we have people that are like-minded, with the same goal in mind: to enrich someone else's life and make a difference.”
Joel Lacorte, a 2015 Alum, spoke on behalf of his mom and his touching experience. Both graduated from Ivy Tech, and subsequently won the same scholarship award, but from two different Ivy Tech locations. They didn’t realize they both had won until the day they received the award.
“My mom was a struggling single mom with twelve children, doing her best to keep a roof over our head,” Lacorte said. “Winning the scholarship award was an affirmation that other people noticed I was working hard. My mom went from struggling, check to check, to being able to provide for herself with her degree.”
Ivy Tech’s success is up to the faculty that stick together, whilst collectively collaborating with community leaders to improve the approach Ivy Tech provides the region and, ideally, Indiana.
If you are interested in Ivy Tech’s outreach into the community, or simply want to know more go to https://www.ivytech.edu/valparaiso/.
