Hutchinson Community College is excited to announce the launch of a new Industrial Mechanical Maintenance – Certificate A (Cert A) program at its McPherson Outreach Center, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. This innovative program is designed to equip students with essential foundational skills in manufacturing engineering technology, including electrical/electronic systems, automation, fluid power, and mechanical maintenance.

Ideal for students looking to launch a career in modern manufacturing, the program provides a direct pathway into the Automation Engineer Technology – AAS degree. Graduates will be prepared to support engineers and other professionals in calibrating, modifying, and maintaining automated systems, including those used in robotics and advanced manufacturing.

Tuition is set at $131 per credit hour, with FREE tuition available to high school students through the Excel in CTE waiver, making it a valuable and accessible opportunity for young learners seeking technical education and career advancement.

Enrollment is now open. Students are encouraged to apply online at www.hutchcc.edu/apply-enroll.

At its May meeting, the Hutchinson Community College Board of Trustees approved the College bills and handled several items of routine business.

The Board received an update on its Strategic Planning Initiatives and a report from the Curriculum Committee.

In addition, the Board approved an updated academic calendar for the 2025-26 academic year along with calendars for the following two academic years.

The next meeting of the board will be on Thursday, June 12 at 6:00 pm.

Hutchinson Community College has announced that Sydney Fountain, Instructor of Psychology, has been selected as the 2024-25 Dragon Educator of the Year.

Fountain was selected from nominees from all academic areas by the HutchCC Student Government Association (SGA) for the honor. The instructors are nominated by Hutchinson Community College students and then complete a selection and personal interview process conducted by SGA.  Fountain received her honor at the College’s commencement on May 9.

Said one of her student nominators: “She really cares about our wellbeing as well as our education.”  Added another: “Mrs. Fountain is an amazing professor. She creates a great environment to learn in by making sure students are engaged and are understanding the concepts of each lesson.”

Fountain has taught at HutchCC since 2021. She teaches General Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Southwestern College and earned her Masters in Psychology from Stephen F. Austin University.

For more information on Hutchinson Community College, visit the college website at www.hutchcc.edu.

Students at Hutchinson Community College took home several top honors at the SkillsUSA Kansas State Championships held in April in Hutchinson.

In all, HutchCC had four first-place finishers.  The first-place finishers in each event will advance to the National SkillsUSA Championships, to be held in June 23-27 in Atlanta, Georgia.

In Mechatronics, the team of Edgar Morales (Hutchinson) and Josh Burdett (Hutchinson) won the competition, while the team of Kevin Rodriguez (Hutchinson) and Kohen Starnes (Hutchinson) placed second. For the national competition, Starnes will be competing in place of Burdett, who is unable to attend.

Zion Hayes (Hutchinson) qualified by earning a gold in Welding Sculpture, while Ella Mackey (Florence) earned a silver medal. 

Ellie Hardgrave (McPherson) also qualified for nationals in Cosmetology while Alex Romero (McPherson) and Dani Hacking (Haysville) earned a silver and bronze, respectively, in Cosmetology.

Also placing at the state contest were Ryan Goss (Hutchinson) with a silver medal in Technical Drafting, Nick Hoffman (Hutchinson) with a silver medal in Industrial Motor Controls, Dalton Johnson (Hutchinson) with a silver medal in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration and Lucas Garcia (Abbyville) with a bronze medal in Industrial Motor Controls.

For a full list of Skills USA results, please visit www.skillsusakansas.org.  For more information on Hutchinson Community College, visit the college website at www.hutchcc.edu.