By Tom Lange, Truth Staff
tlange@etruth.com
The sun briefly broke through an overcast sky as 10 Ivy Tech officials and supporters turned over mounds of dirt Thursday morning, ceremoniously breaking ground on the new Ivy Tech Elkhart campus. The new facility could be ready to serve the educational needs of Elkhart and Goshen within two years.
Tracie Davis, executive director for marketing and communications for Ivy Tech, said the new campus will feature "smart classrooms" equipped with ceiling projectors to show classes clips, slides and power points. The campus will also have modest-sized wellness facility with fitness equipment.
The new campus will cost $15 million and efforts are underway to hold a fundraiser to raise another $2 million to $5 million, Davis said. Construction will likely be complete in 2010 and ideally the campus will open for classes in early 2011.
Thomas Snyder, president of Ivy Tech in Indiana, said he couldn't think of a better time to break ground on the campus. People are looking to change their career paths, he said, and Ivy Tech plans to be a part of that. Snyder also hopes the new facility will reach students in Elkhart and Goshen that haven't yet been given the chance to achieve a higher education.
More than 100 people turned out for the ground breaking including Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore, Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman and Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson. State Reps. Craig Fry, Jackie Walorski, Wes Culver and State Senator Carlin Yoder were also on hand.
Several speakers at the event shared their hope for what the new campus would bring to the area, including Sabine Bennett.
Bennett, 27, of Goshen, has been a student at Ivy Tech for the last four years and began working for the college part time last fall. Bennett was a teen mother that dropped out of high school and initially found jobs in fast food and RV factories.
Bennett earned her GED through the college and by next fall hopes to earn her associate's degree in medical assisting. She plans to eventually earn a bachelor's degree in business and said the college has played a big part in her success. "It has made me very independent and confident," she said. "It makes me feel like I'm supposed to be here."
Bennett's husband, Dwayne, 33, is also studying at Ivy Tech and will likely attend the new campus after it opens.
Dwayne worked as operations manager at Senco Products until it closed in March. He began taking classes at Ivy Tech five weeks ago and also plans to get an associate's degree in medical assisting.
With at least two years of school ahead of him, Dwayne is looking forward to frequenting the new campus. He thinks the biggest asset for students will be smaller class sizes. Dwayne said that Ivy Tech's proximity and low cost made furthering his education possible.
"If I couldn't afford it, it wasn't an option," he said.