Western Nebraska Community College welcomes Mary Kay Versen as the new Educational Outreach Programs Director, overseeing the Adult Education Program for 11 counties throughout the Nebraska Panhandle. These include Scotts Bluff, Dawes, Sheridan, Cheyenne, Morrill, Garden, Sioux, Banner, Grant, Kimball, and Duel. The program has satellites in Scottsbluff through WNCC, Guadalupe Center, One Stop Career Center, Rushville, Gordon, Chadron, Sidney, Kimball, and Bridgeport. Mary Kay comes to WNCC with a wealth of experience in adult education and training, and she will serve as a strong leader for our WNCC Adult Ed Program and its students.
Mary Kay has a Master of Arts Degree in Curriculum and Pedagogy from the University of Denver. She was the former director of the Adult Learning Center in Dickinson, North Dakota, where she headed up the GED and ESL programs. She has also been a corporate trainer for Frontier Airlines and DIRECTV. One of the many positions she had with Douglas County Schools was a technology instructor in the Douglas County School System in Colorado where she also taught PE, Art, and worked in Special Education.
She was a life coach with "In Power Sisterhood," in which she helped present a workshop on "Living Your Inner Sparkle." She managed the social media and Internet marketing operations for this organization as well as a weekly blog. She also recently worked at InVINtions Creative Winery in Greenwood Village, Colorado, helping them with their internal protocols and communications. She trained as a Green Belt in Six Sigma and is naturally inclined to do volunteer work as a way to get to know a community and its residents.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Mary Kay says, speaking of the GED program in Adult Education. “I hold the students in high regard because they are taking an opportunity to make a change in their lives. What they accomplish through the program is a huge feat.”
Mary Kay speaks with just as much praise for those in the English as a Second Language (ESL) component of the program. “The students are often working two jobs,” she says. “Learning English is difficult, but they want so badly to make a difference for themselves and their families.” The program also provides classes to help students prepare for passing their citizenship test.
Adult Education / GED / ESL currently sponsors a Christmas Shopping Party. The Adult Education Staff collected donations of clothes, toys, and other goodies for students of the program, who may shop from the items. Holiday spirit certainly fills the air at WNCC Adult Education. Mary Kay speaks of her passion for helping people discover their inner strength and unlimited potential, and to motivate and encourage adult students to make their dreams and desires a reality.
On a personal side, family is very important to Mary Kay, and she enjoys traveling to spend time with her children and grandchildren. Her hobbies include camping, fishing, golf, gardening, home improvement projects, and cheering for the Denver Broncos.
For more information, contact Mary Kay Versen at versenm@wncc.edu or call 308.635.6769.