Some great things we did in May with the support of our taxpayers
As promised, because we have so much good news to report, this is Part 2 of my monthly newsletter. In Part 1 of my newsletter, I reported on a long list of things you all provided to the monthly board report that were partly or fully paid for through grants and/or federal funds.
In this edition, I will report on things reported in the May Board Report that aren’t directly grant-related but are more generally supported by the State and local property tax funds. As you might recall, Senate File 69 cut residential property taxes by 25%. That’s a 25% cut to the Fremont County mill levy.
To help shore up our financial base, the college has done a great job with enrollments, as reported in Part 1 of my newsletter. Most notably we ended the spring 2025 semester up 6% in credits enrolled. Your hard work also resulted in CWC being ranked #1 in Wyoming and in the top 7% nationally, which certainly reflects the attractive college you’ve created for students.
As I reported in my President’s Update, and as written in our strategic plan, we are working to “Find large partners for which CWC can be their go-to provider of training and education.” We have been nervously waiting to see if the CAEL and the EPCE would approve CWC to be their newest education provider for the energy sector across the United States. They have! Our next step is to draft and sign a contract. CWC will be joining Bismarck State College, Clemson University, WPI, and Excelsior University. CWC will be starting with the AAS in Technical Studies and BAS in Org. Man. & Leadership. Once we sign the contract and set up online classes, we will be marketed by CAEL and EPCE nationally for these two programs. We hope to expand our offerings once we can show success with these first two programs. (CAEL = Council for Adult and Experiential and Learning. EPCE = Energy Providers Council for Education).
As President of the Presidents (PoP) for the state’s community colleges, I helped present a $62 million dollar increase to the biennial base budgets of the eight community colleges to the Wyoming Community College Commission. Since CWC is about 10% of the colleges’ collective budget, that would mean about $6.2 million to us over a two-year budget, or $3.1 million per year. The Commission approved this request so now it goes to Governor Gordon and the Joint Interim Appropriations Committee (JAIC). Then, hopefully, the (possibly amended) proposal would go to the State Senate and House for consideration.
The college does many, many things with the funds the state and local taxpayers provide. Below are just a few things reported in this month’s board packet. Thank you for submitting these reports! Click the links to get the full story.
The Mathematics Department. The CWC Mathematics department (Mike Bostick, Kate Patterson, Melena Osborne, and Brian Shultz) was excited to host 156 local middle/high school students from Riverton, Lander, Shoshoni, Pavilion, and homeschool teams to CWC on April 8th for the 69th annual Wyoming State Mathematics Competition!
Claudia Troxel, Biological and Physical Science Instructor: In the words of Claudia, “This has been a busy semester! It started with being awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching in January. I am beyond honored to be a recipient of this award. This semester, I revamped my BIOL2020 class. After updating the course outcomes, the class will now be equivalent to the University of Wyoming’s BIOL 2022 class: Animal Biology. Some new learning activities included a tour of Boulder Choke Cave in Sinks Canyon to learn a little about cave ecology. The pictures say it all:
This was my first year introducing March Mammal Madness (MMM) to my BIOL2020 class, an activity that mimics March Madness, but as it relates to Animals. This year, over 900,000 students participated in MMM across the United States! Next year, I hope to expand it to staff at CWC as well, to encourage learning about Biology beyond the classroom (and Polar Bear was the winner this year :)”
The CWC Dubois Outreach Center completed eight programs with 128 participants this April for Taekwondo, Running Club, Toddler Gym, SHiNE Dance Fitness, Wild West Pickleball, and so much more!
CWC Livestock Judging Team- Amanda Winchester. The Livestock Judging team has been busy putting on events and recruiting. They hosted an event in March and April and attended various others. They also traveled to the State FFA convention. On Feb. 28th, Amanda Winchester went to a 4-H and FFA livestock judging contest to be an official and recruit at the Colorado Black Out Livestock Judging contest. On April 4, Aften Fegler and the livestock judging team also hosted an FFA Marketing plan contest. We had five different schools compete with their marketing plans.
CWC Art. Matt Flint, Professor of Art, completed his second master's degree this spring. Professor Flint’s degree is a Master's in Literary Science in Art History from Fort Hays State University. For a culminating experience project, Professor Flint developed an extensive curriculum about Indigenous art, especially Northern Plains Ledger art, for K-12 teachers.
CWC Mathematics Department. April 11th and 12th, Mike Bostick, Melena Osborne, Kate Patterson, and Brian Shultz attended the Wyoming Math/Statistics Articulation and Wyoming Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges meeting at the University of Wyoming.
CWC Equine Program. This year, we produced the CWC Jackpot series, which ended up being a huge success! We hosted eight events in the series with barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, and breakaway events for divisions Peewee (ages 8 & under), Youth (9-14), and Open (all ages). We had a great turnout of community members, and Wyoming equine enthusiasts came to join in on the fun.
CWC Nursing Department. Amy Hernandez represented CWC and Wyoming Nurses Association (WNA) with a City of Riverton Mayoral Proclamation on Tuesday, May 6. In the picture, to support Nurses Week are Amy, former employee Paula Kihn, and 1st year nursing students Aiyiana Moss and Gabby Ward.
CWC Library’s Online Tutorials - This year we created online Tutorials and Videos that can be used by students or faculty within their courses. The tutorials are a way for students to learn how to use the many facets of the online library platform. The CWC Library keeps lots of stats to ensure quality of service. Current Numbers (as of 5/12/25).
Daniel Carrillo is the new Bridge Coordinator in Jackson and, so far, he has ten applications for their program that bridges students from high school to college during the summer. The Bridge Program is scheduled for July 15 to August 8, 2025, with a four-day week (Tuesday to Friday).
Mary Axthelm’s R-Rec Updates:
R Recreation is proud to be a meaningful collaboration between Central Wyoming College and the City of Riverton. Together, we are committed to enriching the lives of our community members by offering a wide range of recreational, physical, and cultural opportunities for all ages.
This spring semester, we offered more than 50 programs. While each brought its own value, a few stood out as particularly impactful:
Real Life Heroes introduced our youngest participants (ages 3–5) to the everyday heroes who serve our community—local police officers, firefighters, and EMTs. The children had the chance to interact with these professionals, explore a police car, fire truck, and ambulance, and gain an early appreciation for public service. Many left inspired to become heroes themselves one day.
Youth Horse Riding Camp gave local youth a chance to ride in the new CWC Agriculture & Equine Complex while learning the basics of Gymkhana and roping. The experience combined skill-building with the excitement of working with animals in a hands-on environment.
Youth and Adult Climbing Classes returned by popular demand. Participants of all ages learned the fundamentals of safe indoor climbing while enjoying the challenge and rewards of physical and mental perseverance on the CWC Rock Wall, a well-designed facility that continues to serve as a valuable resource for the community.
Publishing Your Passion brought together a current CWC student and a faculty mentor to lead a ten-week course on writing and self-publishing memoirs. This unique collaboration empowered community members to share their personal stories and gain confidence in their voices as authors.
May Day, Spa Day gave CWC Cosmetology students the opportunity to showcase their skills by providing manicures, pedicures, and facials to community members. In addition to these services, participants also enjoyed a bouquet-building activity—adding a hands-on, creative element to the day that made the event even more memorable. This program helped students gain practical experience while highlighting the professionalism and talent fostered within the Cosmetology program.
We are grateful for the continued partnership with Central Wyoming College. Through our shared efforts, we are creating inclusive, meaningful opportunities that bring people together and support both personal growth and community development.
