Alumni Spotlight - Cindy Branstad, Class of 2001
An Opportunity to Learn Leads to a Degree

Cindy Branstad "fell into" going back to school. Her employer, Viracon in Owatonna, Minnesota, supported a partnership with Riverland Community College called "Viracon University." Through "Viracon U," employees can take advantage of Riverland courses offered right at Viracon. Cindy took advantage of the opportunity and enrolled in a supervisory management class - unaware the class she was taking could ladder into a degree.

Cindy discovered a great benefit in attending classes at Viracon U. She was sitting side-by-side with classmates who had 20 + years of supervisory experience.

"It was invaluable to learn from those individuals. We shared so many things and experiences with each other and really learned. We also learned to put a name with the supervisor techniques and methods that we had used for years, and they were the right methods."

Once she began developing her confidence in going back to school, Cindy ventured off site and took a class on the Riverland campus.

"It was scary. It was one thing to take classes on site at Viracon. When I had to take general education classes on the college campus, it was pretty scary to tackle. Paul Goodnature did a great job. He is so enthusiastic about what he teaches. Taking his class sparked my interest in education and gave me the confidence to continue."

And, continue she did! Cindy completed her AAS degree in Supervisory Management in 2001 and completed her Bachelors Degree in Organizational Management & Communication from Concordia University in 2003.

"I found my interactions with traditional-aged students to be very interesting," stated Cindy. "I didn't realize how much experience I brought to the classroom as a non-traditional student until I was in the situation. We all really learned from one another."

Cindy's advice to non-traditional-aged students is to persevere. Don't be afraid to take that first step. Education is worthwhile no matter what age you are.

Cindy also encouraged traditional aged students to take advantage of instructors and their knowledge. "Don't go through the motions to get a degree. There is so much knowledge to be savored!"

Cindy continues to work at Vircon where she serves as a Six Sigma Blackbelt. In her role as a Six Sigma Blackbelt, Cindy facilitates teams to evaluate processes within the company in order to improve those processes.

"I am very fortunate to work for a company that places such high value on education; Viracon, a strong supporter of education, offers a tuition reimbursement program to their employees. Taking classes right on site took away the excuses I kept finding to keep me from going back to school. It was an incredibly positive thing for me to complete my degree!"

In the summer of 1999, the management at Viracon, a high-performance architectural glass products manufacturer located in Owatonna, Minnesota, approached the Riverland Community College training and development division about an innovative new program for their employees - Viracon University or Viracon U.

Even though Viracon had a long-standing tuition reimbursement policy, the program was under utilized. The administration wanted to further address obstacles their employees faced when trying to earn a college education, namely lack of time and money.

The Viracon U model was developed to conveniently bring classes to employees at the Viracon facility.

"Viracon U has given our employees an opportunity to further their education while working full time," said James Wendorff, Viracon director of human resources. "Most of our employees work and have families with limited time to dedicate to school. Bringing educational opportunities on-site and paying tuition at 100 percent has taken away the barriers of pursuing higher education."