ACT Announces Lake Area Technical College as a National Semifinalist in College and Career Readiness Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2016
Media Contact: Elizabeth Farrell
917.627.4295
Twitter: #ACTReadiness
Exemplars from the ACT National College and Career Readiness Campaign include Students, High Schools, Community Colleges and Employers
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Lake Area Technical College of Watertown, SD has been selected as a semifinalist for the national ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign.
“As our campaign continues to grow in its fourth consecutive year, we are honored to share these stories and celebrate in the remarkable success of students, schools and employers,” said Scott Montgomery, ACT vice president of policy, advocacy and government relations. “In their states and across the country, these semifinalists are beacons of possibility for future improvements in college and career readiness.”
As an Exemplar Semifinalist, Lake Area Technical College (LATI) stands out because of staff and faculty who are notable for the personalized attention and guidance they provide to each one of their 2,000 students. As 41 percent of first-year students enter LATI unprepared for college, LATI focuses closely on identifying and helping at-risk students get up to speed academically.
The college has been recognized by the Aspen College and President Obama for its exceptional results and commitment to success for underserved students. The president served as the keynote speaker at LATI’s 2015 commencement ceremony.
To identify students for a growing number of its scholarship and job opportunities, LATI uses ACT WorkKeys assessments to allow students to earn ACT National Career Readiness Certificates. The college continues to expand its partnerships with local, regional and national employers and LATI has one of the highest job placement rates in the nation, with 99 percent of graduates either employed or furthering their education six months following graduation.
Other semifinalist community colleges include Central Louisiana Technical Community College (Louisiana), Elgin Community College (Illinois), and North Dakota State College of Science (North Dakota). Student semifinalist are Matthew Tyler Barrett (Georgia), Ella Breider (Nevada), Shaelyn Kessler (Missouri), and Jerrell Rolack (South Carolina). High School semifinalists include Advanced Technologies Academy (Nevada), Gulfport High School (Mississippi), Hawthorne Math and Science Academy (California), and KIPP Denver Collegiate High School (Colorado). Employer semifinalists are Bullwinkle’s Pizza (Alaska), Capsugel (South Carolina), Crossland Construction Company (Kansas), and Ingalls Shipbuilding (Mississippi).
The National Exemplars in the four categories of Students, High Schools, Community Colleges and Employers will be announced and celebrated at the 2016 ACT National Gala on College and Career Readiness in Washington, D.C., in late June, where all semifinalists and state exemplars will be recognized. Each of the 41 student state exemplars will be awarded an academic scholarship from ACT, regardless of semifinalist status.
This year’s National Selection Committee included Jeremy Anderson, chair of the campaign’s national selection committee and president of Education Commission of the States, Kris Amundson, National Association of State Boards of Education; Kwame Boadi, Democratic Governors Association; Adam Lowe, National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships; Chris Minnich, Council of Chief State School Officers; Angel Royal, American Association of Community Colleges; and Ranjit Sidhu, National Council for Community and Education Partnerships.
Learn more about the ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign at www.act.org/readinesscampaign.
