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MCC grad brings award -winning tech skills 'home'
McCOOK, Neb. -- Sometimes, "Plan B" turns out much better than "Plan A" ever would have.
When she graduated from Republican Valley High School, Veronica Waddell wanted to become a lawyer. She just wanted to leave home and see what else was out there.
She attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas -- a small liberal arts school to study political science and sociology. Even after four years, "Plan A" was still moving along nicely. She received her four-year degree and was looking into the possibilities of law school and graduate school.
Then, before she had the chance to apply, she got sick. Severe allergies shredded "Plan A" and brought back her home to Indianola. An aggressive immunotherapy treatment made her even sicker.
"That put law school on hold, grad school was out of the question" she said, as her health diminished. "Then school was completely out of the picture for several years."
It took some time -- a long time -- but the immunotherapy finally made it possible for her to think about her career path.
"Once we got all that under control, I started looking at schools again in my areas of interest, political science and sociology," she said, wondering if her health would allow her to proceed with the energy required of a full-time student chomping at the bit to make up for lost time.
"I decided maybe the wise thing to do was to maybe take a class or two at McCook Community College," she said. While she was in Texas, her grandmother died of cancer and that was still weighing on her mind when she signed up for classes in the fall of 2011.
"I hadn't taken any art classes since I was in junior high school but I always wanted to learn to paint because of my grandma, so that first semester back, I signed up for an art structure class and a semester of calculus." She said while the class workload did test her health it also helped pushed her back into thinking about the career path as she signed up for another semester of classes at MCC.
"Here I was with a four-year degree and I didn't want to become one of those 'starving artists' you hear about," she said. "I had heard about MCC's Graphic Design program so I decided to try Typography and Illustration."
That's when the genesis of "Plan B" kicked in.
"Everything just kind of clicked. I've always liked computers, not so much the programming aspect, but much of these graphic design classes complimented what I learned in Rick Johnson's art classes. It just all came together. The technical knowledge along with developing an eye for color, balance and aesthetics, it was just fun."
In her digital imaging class, students were tasked with creating a design for an MCC-themed commemorative afghan to be used as a fund-raiser for a campus organization, Phi Beta Lambda. Waddell researched the origin of each of the buildings on campus and came up with a design. Her creation was selected as the winning submission.
At that time, one of PBL's co-sponsors, Lorrie Mowry, encouraged her to join the MCC chapter of PBL, but that wasn't part of Veronica's revised plan.
"I was already working a couple jobs, spending my spare time with my horses, I mean I was a non-traditional student with four years of undergraduate studies and I'd already done the 'get involved thing' with student government, a sorority, always volunteering for things in campus life in Texas," she said. "Quite honestly, I had no intention of joining."
A few months later, a fellow student and PBL member asked her to partner up for the desktop publishing competition through PBL. Finally Veronica joined PBL just so she could participate in the contest and signed up with Wauneta-Palisade graduate Desiree Washum. The desktop publishing competition included a comprehensive examination along with a design competition where students designed a logo, business card, invitation, and flyer for a mock business, all under the pressure of a two-hour time frame.
Veronica also participated in the management concepts category, but couldn't attend the state convention where the awards were announced. She placed second in Management Concepts, she and Desiree placed first in the Desktop Publishing category. That qualified them for the national competition.
"When heard I qualified for nationals in both events that's when I got excited about PBL because the nationals were going to be in San Antonio, and it was so cool going back down there because it was the first time I returned since graduating from Trinity."
In San Antonio, Veronica and Desiree placed third in the nation among all two-year and four-year schools. Individually, Veronica placed fourth. Those two achievements earned Veronica her first trip to the State Capitol Building and the Governor's Mansion in Lincoln.
When the 2013 state competition arrived, Veronica needed to find a new partner because PBL rules don't allow the same partners to participate in the same category a second year. In Desktop Publishing she teamed with McCook High School Graduate Ashley Noltesmeier to claim a first-place award. She teamed with MHS grad Kasha Messersmith to place first in Digital Video Production. Individually she took first place in Retail Management.
At nationals in Anaheim, Calif., both the Desktop Publishing team and the Digital Video team she participated in placed second in the nation, earning Veronica a second trip to the Nebraska State Capitol for the November recognition ceremony.
Veronica received her Associate of Applied Science Degree in December of 2013, but was eligible to compete in the state PBL competition where she placed first in Desktop Publishing, and she teamed with Noltensmeier to claim the state's top spot in Web Design. At the national competition in Nashville, Waddell placed second in Desktop Publishing and she teamed with Ashley to finish second in Web Design. That national showing earned Veronica a third trip to Lincoln last week to be recognized by the governor -- all because she was in recovery mode just trying to get back into the school routine. This is the fourth year running that Graphic Design students at the college have placed in first, second, or third place at nationals in one or more events.
"It wasn't really my intention to get a full Associate of Applied Science degree," she said. "Originally I thought maybe I could earn one of the graphic design certificates in a semester or two, but I'm glad I took all of the business and marketing classes, they have served me so well, because I hadn't taken any business classes in Texas."
With her revised plan -- "Plan B" nearing completion last year, she thought maybe she'd take her design and technology skills to someplace new, like the Front Range of Colorado, where there seemed to be a demand for her skills.
Then Skip Cunningham, a fellow non-traditional student of Veronica's, called Becky Meyers, the Graphic Design instructor, and asked if she had a student who might be interested in updating the website for Schaffert Manufacturing on a part-time basis. She mentioned Veronica and Skip contacted her.
Veronica showed up thankful for the chance to get an interview with Paul Schaffert, but with the recommendation of Cunningham and her instructor Becky Meyers, started web-site maintenance immediately and soon she was creating print advertisements for trade magazines and utilizing her skills in video editing to add new content to the web site.
"When Paul saw some of the capabilities for video, he got real excited, and wanted me to start full-time right then and there, but I was still taking a full load of classes at the time, so I had to wait until I graduated last December," she said.
She's expanded the company's web presence which she said is a two-tiered business with the manufacturing side and the implement side. Her task was to show how these products work. Products like the spiked closing wheels, in-furrow or 2x2 fertilizer discs, Rebounder seed placement, customized pump systems, and gauge and press wheel scrapers.
In addition to videos she has produced animations and illustrations as well. Using her graphic design skills she's responsible for developing instruction manuals for the products -- which are heavy with her illustrations. She's also responsible for producing the content and designs, including all the photographs for the company's extensive product catalogues.
"I put together an animation of the Rebounder and fertilizer fittings, and my co-workers who go to farm shows said it was a real hit because people stopped and watched because it was not like every other video, it was unique and seemed to get people's attention."
The important thing for her is that she loves what she is doing and she's doing it all from her home town -- she's back home.
"I'm doing something that I thoroughly enjoy. There's a lot keeping me here and this is an excellent opportunity to improve my skills. I'm still learning a lot working and networking, and feel like there is definitely a spot for me here."
She likes the changing nature of her chosen field, and enjoys the challenges regarding updates in technology and software. She believes that staying on top of change is the key to survival in today's business climate.
She said she likes to use these challenges as a springboard to something bigger and better, and points out that the higher you jump the bigger splash you'll make.
"Sometimes people complain things didn't work out because of this obstacle or that obstacle, but maybe the challenge is recognizing that sometimes "Plan B" is better than "Plan A," she said.