In honor of North Central Missouri College’s centennial, NCMC will spotlight 100 inspiring stories throughout the academic year. These narratives will showcase the voices and journeys of our alumni, students, faculty, staff, donors, and the communities that have shaped TJC/NCMC’s legacy. Each story is a tribute to the people throughout history who make NCMC extraordinary.
Cathy Clark McKay
Associate in Arts and Certificate in Clerical Science
Graduation Year: 1978
As a student of TJC in 1977 and 1978, I was able to take 69 credit hours to earn transfer credit, which I transferred to Northeast Missouri State University. A couple of things I remember about my two years at TJC, outside of academics:
In the fall of 1976, I enrolled in the Secretarial Science program. Plans were to go to school and when finished, enter the workforce. Nelva Claycomb and Carolyn Smith were the instructors in the program. I’m sure I honed my typing and shorthand skills, but what I remember most was a life experience story told to us by Mrs. Claycomb. She relayed that when she was young and had her first real job, with each paycheck she would buy a “professional” outfit, complete with dress, slip, hose, and shoes. This is how she built her wardrobe! Of course, I was impressed—I was poor and had no money and was very anxious about being able to do this with my paychecks. I loved this class and do miss the workplace professionalism that was taught and has long been forgotten!
Well, after one year and successfully completing the Secretarial Science program, I wasn’t quite ready to enter the workforce. So, I decided I would select another major and stay at TJC for another year.
My intentions now focused on becoming a nurse. I guess I didn’t realize that would involve science classes, of which I was not a fan. The first class was Zoology. After the assignment to dissect the fetal pig, I quickly decided this wasn’t in my career path. Mr. Arthaud was a great instructor, just not what I wanted to learn about!
So, I signed up for physical science. I had always heard that Mr. Dalrymple was a bit frightening, especially in that lab coat! I’m sure I wasn’t the star student in that class either, but I was able to soak up some science knowledge. Unrelated to physical science, my best memory of his class was how he graded tests. The rooms were equipped with wooden side arm desks. As we finished our tests (back then it was paper/pencil, coloring in the circle of the correct answer), we would hand our test to Mr. Dalrymple and he placed it on the wooden desk with the answer key over our test. He would then drive a spike nail through the correct answer. He was able to hold up the test and see how many of our answers coincided with the nail hole! Genius! After taking our final that year, we were all treated to a piece of his famous fudge! My take-away to the course: Mr. Dalrymple was a great instructor, and his bark was far worse than his bite!
The centennial celebration will continue throughout the academic year, and NCMC invites alumni, students, faculty, staff, and our communities to be part of the story. We would love to hear your story about Trenton Junior College/North Central Missouri College. Visit the Centennial Website to submit your own story, memory, or reflection. Whether you walked the halls decades ago or are just beginning your journey, your story is a vital thread in the college’s tapestry, and we want to hear it.
Visit the Centennial Website to explore Trenton Junior College/North Central Missouri College stories, rich history, and discover upcoming events.
Photo: Cathy McKay