Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) celebrated top students during an Outstanding Graduates Banquet in the college's Event Center on Friday, May 9. The banquet, an annual hallmark event, honored 22 exceptional students with the Outstanding Graduate Award for their respective programs.
Chosen by instructors for their outstanding academic achievements and exemplary organizational, communication, and leadership skills, these students represent the pinnacle of excellence at WDTC.
Programs, the outstanding graduates and their hometowns are as follows:
- Accounting - Sheron Schramm, Rapid City
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician - Kara Howerter, Rapid City
- Architectural & Engineering Technology - Tia Guptill, Quinn
- Automotive Technology - Natalia Biehl, Belle Fourche
- Business and Technology - Kathryn Volk, Mc Laughlin
- Computer Science-Information Technology Specialist - Haley Elizabeth Erickson, Rapid City
- Dental Assisting - Kallie Flint, New Underwood
- Diesel Technology - Adam Norman Amiotte, Interior
- Electrical Trades - Erick Jeffery Shaw, Rapid City
- Environmental Engineering Technician - Taylor Bertsch, Rapid City
- Health Information Management - Amanda Lynne Kruse, Rapid City
- HVAC/R Technology - Trigg LaPlante, Rapid City
- Medical Laboratory Technician - Dawson LaVerne Johnson, Sturgis
- Paramedic - Hayden Grote, Box Elder
- Phlebotomy - Tawnee Harrison, Sturgis
- Practical Nursing - Mary Catherine Taylor, Rapid City
- Practical Nursing - Brenna Paige Yarbrough, Fort Worth, Texas
- Registered Nursing - Bailey Elizabeth Pearl Bierle, Hermosa
- Registered Nursing - Carol Alyce Matt, Rapid City
- Surgical Technology - Emily Thomas, Lead
- Welding and Fabrication - Ayseluna JoEllen Hockenbary, Belle Fourche
- Welding and Fabrication - Jaycee Lee Rhoden, Newell
Tiffany Howe, WDTC's Vice President of Teaching and Learning, served as the banquet Emcee. Justin Jutting, WDTC's Autonomous Equipment Technician Program Director and an Assessment Coordinator, as well as a WDTC graduate, delivered the keynote address.
WDTC's 57th Commencement Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the Monument Ice Arena, on Sat., May 17.
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PHOTOGRAPHS: Event photos available on the WDTC Facebook page.
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ABOUT WESTERN DAKOTA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) was established in 1968 and is the only technical college serving the western South Dakota region.
WDTC offers more than 40 programs in various fields, including Business and Computers, Construction and Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Technologies, Health Sciences, Legal and Public Services, and Transportation Technologies.
Ninety-nine percent of Western Dakota Technical College's most recent graduates are working, continuing their education, or are enlisted in the military per the WDTC 2023 Placement Report. There were 353 respondents out of 399 graduates surveyed. [*Placement information is derived from graduate surveys, faculty-collected data, placement surveys started six months after graduation, and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Overall placement rate is figured by: (responding graduates employed, continuing education, or in military service)/(responding graduates who are seeking employment). The number of program graduates are unduplicated by CIP code.]
Western Dakota Technical College faculty, staff, and administration focus their efforts on helping students gain the skills and experiences they need to succeed. Through hands-on learning, internships, and industry partnerships, WDTC students graduate ready to make a real and immediate contribution to their employers and to their communities.
For information about WDTC, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to Admissions@wdt.edu. Visit us on the web at wdt.edu.
