College News

News

The Barton Community College Foundation Board has chosen to recognize the entire Vink family with the “Old Bill Honorarium” at its annual Big Benefit Auction, which is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Great Bend Columbus Club and is themed “Life’s a Beach.” The honorarium allows auction attendees to donate to a scholarship in the honoree’s name, to be awarded for the 22-23 academic year.

After spending eight years teaching internationally, Brad Williams was ready for a change of scenery, and to make more money. 

“I spent more than eight years teaching in Asia and I hit a point in my career where I couldn't make more money,” he said. “I probably did over a year of research looking into other fields and that led me to Barton’s program. It's like winning the lottery finding the program. If people knew the benefits and opportunities, everybody would be doing this.”

Barton Community College’s Center for Adult Education will soon begin another nine-week GED Preparation Class. However, orientation sessions are required before starting the class. Students must attend all orientation sessions in-person, which will be held on August 17, 19 and 24. Students have the option of a 1-4 p.m. or 6-9 p.m. time slot. 

Barton Natural Gas Instructor Shawgi Ahmed worked for the Ministry of Oil in Sudan for 16 years as a Senior Project Engineer until his passion for education brought him all the way to the center of the United States to share his knowledge in 2019. He holds a wealth of experience in the field and a doctorate in petroleum engineering. He is a skilled researcher and several of his articles have been published, but teaching is what truly inspires him.

Throughout the summer, the Barton Community College STEM Club has also provided fun-filled activities for children who attend the Child Development Center to help foster an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which Biology Instructor Charlotte Cates said is of the utmost importance