Tri-Rivers Outstanding Alumni recipients were honored at the 2017 Board Dinner, Wednesday, April 19 in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Career Center. The Tri-Rivers Outstanding Alumni awards recognize Career Center and Adult Center graduates who have contributed to their communities, are outstanding in their career fields and/or have furthered their educations. These individuals are Tri-Rivers Success Stories.
Four individuals were honored at Tri-Rivers Outstanding Alumni:
• Tyler Lowe
“I have the pleasure of telling you about a young man I have watched grow up into a productive citizen,” said Terri Mantey, Tri-Rivers VOSE Coordinator. “He went to school with my kids. I have watched him play sports. I watched him walk across the stage at graduation. Then, I did not see him for a while, unless he attended his brother’s games and events at the school.”
Mantey said she was pleased to see him sitting in the adult education classroom one afternoon as she was leaving school. “He was now, officially, a Tri-Rivers adult education student studying paramedics.”
Mantey continued, “Last September, my husband, Joe, had a bad accident loading heifers in the trailer at the barns on Patten Pike. My son, Jacob, called as school was letting out to tell me to come right over, dad was bad. Keep in mind, through all the years I have never received such a phone call.”
“I went over to find my husband sitting on the ground in pain, telling us to give him a minute to catch his breath. No one had called for help, because he did not want help. Well, I have never been good ignoring accidents. I called 9-1-1,” Mantey said.
A short time later, Mantey heard the ambulance and emergency vehicles heading down the road, getting closer. The person who took care of her husband and talked him into going to the hospital was Tyler Lowe.
She said he was very patient but matter-of-fact with Joe. “Tyler talked to Jacob and me about what was going on. Soon, they were on their way to the hospital, sirens blaring. I headed out to the hospital also,” said Mantey.
“While I sat in the waiting room, worrying, waiting to go back to sit with Joe, Tyler came out to tell me what was going on. Again he was very informative and kind.” Mantey continued.
Long story, short, Joe’s accident was very dangerous. He had 6 broken ribs, 2 in several places. His spleen burst, nearly killing him, and had to be removed. Then he had blood clots that went through his heart and nearly killed him. We spent 14 days in Trauma ICU and 3 more in Trauma unit. He healed and returned to work.
Mantey said Tyler did not just take Joe to the hospital and leave. He stayed in contact with my children to see how he was doing. That dedication to a trauma patient who was also a family acquaintance are part of what makes him good at what he does.
Tyler attended Hocking College and then Tri-Rivers Adult Education. He started his career as a volunteer at Fort Morrow Fire in Waldo in 2003 and he continues to volunteer there. He worked at Marion Township Fire from 2004-2007 and throughout paramedic school. First Consolidated Fire District hired him in 2007 as a full-time firefighter/paramedic and he continues that employment. He is on the Marion County Sheriff Tactical SWAT Team Medic from 2012 to present. He received the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Lifesaving Award from Sheriff Tim Bailey in 2017.
Tyler is pictured above with his wife, Brittany, his mother and father, Pam and Terry, his mother-in-law and his father-in-law Patricia and Mish Muir, Joe and Terri Mantey, and Richard George.
• Logan Mitchell
“My first encounter with Logan was in 2010 when I was a substitute in the Diversified Health Occupations program,” said Billie Fields-Baer, Patient Care Technician Program Coordinator.
“When I first met Logan, he lacked confidence and doubted his own abilities. However, I knew after a few interactions with him, that he would excel in the health care field,” said Fields-Baer.
Logan is a 2010 graduate of Elgin High School, he also attended Tri-Rivers Career Center, Diversified Health Occupations program. Upon graduation, Logan chose to continue his education in our Adult Education, Patient Care Technician Program, where he earned his credentials as a State Tested Nurse Aide, Certified Home Health Care Provider, Patient Care Technician, Medical Administrative Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant and as a Phlebotomist. After graduation, he began his career at Memorial Hospital of Union County in Marysville, where he utilized his Medical Assisting, Medical Administrative Assisting, Patient Care Technician and Phlebotomy certifications. It was during this time that Logan realized that phlebotomy was his passion, and then he pursued career as a Phlebotomist at The Ohio Reformatory for Women. During his time at ORW, Logan was promoted to Lead Phlebotomist, and director of the phlebotomy lab.
Currently, Logan is employed by Quest Diagnostic where he is a phlebotomist in a private physician’s office. Logan also provides training and coverage to other local Quest Diagnostic office labs. Logan continually gives back to his community, he still provides training to all new hires at ORW, and provides approved continuing education to the correctional nurses. Logan is an active member of our High School and Adult Education Advisory Boards, where he offers input to insure that our curriculum includes current policies and procedures within the Phlebotomy and Lab occupations.
Logan continues to give back by allowing our current Patient Care Technician Students a clinical site setting at his facility. Logan is living out our mission of contributing, advancing, and succeeding; of being a community member who stays involved in his profession, contributing back to Tri-Rivers and our community by sharing his skills and knowledge.
Logan is pictured with his parents Craig and Melody, grandparents; Bea Sigrist and Joyce Mitchel, Aunt & Uncle; Linda and Tim Disbennett, and Aunts; Teresa Fleming and Becky Bonds, Richard George and Billie Fields-Baer.
• Candice DeWitt
Candice DeWitt is a graduate of the Career Center’s Business Program. When Candice was a student at Tri-Rivers, the business program was a combination of business/computer programming/hardware modules.
“What I remember most about Candice during her years as a student was that she was smart. Really smart,” said Ellen Messenger, Director of Communications. “In fact, I met her when her instructor came to me and told me about a student who was finishing her work too quickly and seemed to know the lessons or lab assignments before they were even taught. In other words, she was keeping her instructors busy trying to keep her busy and engaged.”
“But, nothing was working. So they asked if I would like this young lady to intern with me, said Messenger. “Needless to say she was an awesome intern. She jumped right in and helped with our website and really anything I asked her to do. She was mature and a huge asset.”
Since leaving Tri-Rivers, Candice has continued to excel and grow. She became the Lead Website Designer for NuWave Media/Marion Online, then started Neighborhood Image and purchased Marion Online in 2010.
She also worked as the fiscal specialist for the Delaware County Auditor’s Office from 2009-2016.
In 2016 she became the Budget Director for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office where she replaced a long-time employee and accepted the challenge and responsibility of managing the day-to-day financials of the multiple departments at the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Bailey says she does an outstanding job in analyzing budget issues and solving problems.
In fact her work was so exemplary that in December she was named “Civilian of the Yea” by the Sheriff’s Department. Quite an honor and indicative of what she accomplished that first year.
She and her husband, Sean, continue to operate Marion On Line, while working full-time jobs. They are both dedicated to the Marion community.
In fact, most recently they donated their time and expertise to create a website for the MarionMade initiative. You can check it out at marionmade.org. She continually gives back to the community by offering low cost or free websites and internet marketing services and training for local non-profits.
Candice is truly MarionMade…and a blessing to the community. She is a Tri-Rivers success story. Above, Candice is pictured with her husband, Sean.
• Dylon Caudill
Our next recipient, Dylon Caudill is a graduate of our Engineering Technologies program. He has been an exceptional asset to his community, state and country in the area of robotics.
Dylon first attended the Vex Robotics World Championships in Anaheim, California as a high school Senior, and then as a college student at Marion Technical College. While in college Dylon also worked for Ridgedale schools as their Information Technology expert. He also helped their Vex Robotics team and worked many of our area events.
Two years ago the Ohio Vex leadership team recommended him to the Robotics Engineering Competition Foundation to be the Ohio representative. There were 6,000 Vex Robotics teams worldwide and 180 teams in Ohio at that point. Dylon quickly became invaluable to the world organization because of his work ethic, professionalism, personality, enthusiasm and knowledge of robotics and the competitions. They made him the Midwest Director for the Robotics Engineering Competition Foundation in 2015.
He now travels around the world helping with professional development, camps and competitions. This year, with Dylon’s leadership, Ohio now has more than 400 Vex Robotic teams and there are 18,000 teams world-wide.
Dylon helps run the largest robotics competition in the world in Louisville each Spring. It is hard to believe how much this young man has accomplished in his 22 years.
Mr. Ramey, his former Engineering Instructor at TRCC, says “Dylon assisted in writing the Straight A grant, as well as writing a grant to partner with Columbus for professional development, training camps and competitions over the next 10 years. He also was a part of the team that developed the national robotics curriculum and certification for career tech in robotics education.”
Mr. Ramey said that Dylon truly represents what career technical education is all about.”
Dylon was unable to attend the event as he is at the Worlds Vex Robotics Competition in Louisville, Kentucky.
Alivia Christian
MARION CAN DO!
