Scott Breckenkamp paid his way through college by working part-time jobs during summer months and throughout the year while attending classes.

Through his hard work, dedication and continuing his education, Breckenkamp today is the First State Community Bank (FSCB) president of the Washington and Pacific markets.

Breckenkamp, of Washington, was chosen as the 2020 East Central College Outstanding Alumni for his professional accomplishments and service to the community.

“East Central College has always been a special place to me as it was an affordable option as I began my education beyond high school,” he said. “I had to pay for my own college so this allowed me to stay local, live at home, continue to work and take the courses I needed.

“ECC is a local treasure and we should all be proud to have this wonderful resource in our backyard,” Breckenkamp added.

According to Bridgette Kelch, ECC Foundation executive director, the award is presented annually by the ECC Alumni Association to honor an ECC graduate who has used his or her education and been of service to the community.

“Scott is a wonderful example of an ECC graduate who has gone on to become a successful community member and volunteer,” Kelch said. “We are thrilled to recognize Scott for his accomplishments and thank him for his work with East Central College.”

Breckenkamp graduated from St. Francis Borgia Regional High School. He attended ECC in 1988-89 and earned an Associate of Arts Degree before transferring to Missouri State University, Springfield, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in finance.

ECC played a vital role in his education because he still could work to pay tuition while taking classes. It was easy to then transfer to MSU to attain a four-year degree.

According to Breckenkamp, his former economics teacher and advisor at ECC, Bryan Hickey, helped guide him toward a finance degree and set him down a career path in finance/banking.

“I am forever appreciative of his guidance,” Breckenkamp added.

After graduating from MSU, Breckenkamp worked at US Bank in Washington. He also had been employed at the Bank of Washington, US Bank in St. Louis and Merrill Lynch.

Breckenkamp returned to Washington and became vice present and later president of US Bank. In 2005, he became the first president of the new Washington branch of FSCB.

He has been very active in the community and in the county by serving on the ECC Foundation Board, Mercy Hospital Board of Directors in Washington, Washington Rotary Club, Franklin County Area United Way Board and Washington 353 Corporation.

Breckenkamp also has coached Little League football for one of his three sons and coached basketball at Our Lady of Lourdes. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and Borgia Athletic Association and has been chairman of the Borgia Dinner Auction. He is a Washington Town and Country Fair volunteer, among many more volunteer jobs.

Breckenkamp is married to Julie Pogue Breckenkamp and they have three sons: Tyler, Connor and Spencer.

The ECC Alumni Association established the award in 2002 to recognize outstanding alumni who have set an example for ECC graduates by using their college education and serving their community.

Past recipients include: Tanya Voss, John Griesheimer, Tom Robertson, Chris Manhart, Deborah Koelling, Tammy Watz, Dr. Frank Miller, Ken Schmidt, Chris Stuckenschneider, Ann Schroeder, Ted Coburn, Linda Mahon, Joe Purschke, Amy Wildhaber, Tony Kreutz, Dave Arand, Audrey Freitag, Ron Unnerstall and Dorothy (Dot) Schowe.

Each semester, East Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement.

Upon completion of at least 12 semester credit hours with a semester grade point between 3.50 and 3.84, students are acknowledged by placement on the Vice President’s List. For the Spring 2020 semester, there were more than 165 students on the list!

Five East Central College nursing graduates were presented with awards from the Nursing Program and instructors.

ECC Outstanding Student Nurse Award

Crystal Murphy was presented the Rolla ECC Outstanding Nursing Student Award. Instructors Laura McDonald and Heather Sluis presented the award.

Margaret Ruether was presented with the Union ECC Outstanding Nursing Student Award by instructors Judy Bieker and Dr. Connie Wissbaum.

To be considered for the ECC Outstanding Nursing Student award, ECC has had to make a difference in the life of the student.

For most of them, had ECC not been in their community, they most likely would not have realized the dream of becoming a nurse.

The award winners must also display success in the classroom and the clinical setting.

Spirit of Clinical Excellence Awards

Three ECC nursing student graduates were presented with Spirit of Clinical Excellence Awards.

Union Nursing graduate Ciara McDonald was presented the Missouri Baptist Spirit of Clinical Excellence Award by faculty members Judy Bieker and Heather Sluis.

Benton Frala, also a Union Nursing graduate, received the Mercy Spirit of Clinical Excellence Award from instructors Judy Bieker and Kelly Adkins.

ECC Nursing graduate Jesseca Medlock was presented the Phelps Health Spirit of Clinical Excellence Award. Nursing Instructor Laura McDonald gave her the award.

To be consider for the Spirit of Clinical Excellence Awards, the graduate nurse must:

• Demonstrate characteristics of caring & compassion
• Demonstrate the spirit of inquiry
• Demonstrate exceptional critical thinking and decision making
• Demonstrate superior organizational skills & the ability to effectively prioritize.

To learn more about the ECC Nursing and Allied Health program, visit https://www.eastcentral.edu/nursing/, or contact Mitchell at Nancy.Mitchell@eastcentral.edu.

Emergency funds for unemployed students are available through the Missouri Office of Workforce Development.

The funds are available through July 1 to assist unemployed students experiencing a funding gap.

Students who qualify can apply these funds to their tuition costs.  Students with an approved unemployment claim are encouraged to apply.

The deadline to apply July 1.

In the Franklin County area, students may contact Kim Kopp at the Washington Job Center via email at kkopp@mersgoodwill.org or by phone at 636.583.9649.

In Phelps County, students can email Trish Rogers with the Rolla Job Center at progers@copicinc.org, or call 573.364.7030.

Each semester, East Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated exemplary academic achievement.

Upon completion of at least 12 Spring Semester credit hours with a semester grade point average of 3.85 or greater, students are acknowledged on the President’s List.  There were 145 students who made the list for the Spring 2020 semester.

By Jon Bauer, Ph.D., President, East Central College

The recent events that have transpired following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and most recently George Floyd have made clear our country remains deeply divided and has a long way to go in its pursuit of social justice.

We in the St. Louis region know far too well the depth and intransigence of this racial divide, and as we see violence thwart dialogue and progress, we are left wondering whether any progress has been made. Our campus has been the site of a peaceful vigil, and our community has been the location for protests against bigotry and hate. To date, these demonstrations have remained peaceful.

East Central College remains strongly committed to social justice. Diversity is an institutional value we hold with passion and intentionality. We recognize that we cannot be silent when this value is threatened, whether that happens on our campus, in our community, or in our country.

We take seriously our mission of enriching our community through education. Community colleges such as East Central College serve a wide range of students with open access to the benefits of higher education. Accordingly, we embrace the privilege of serving underrepresented students from all walks of life. We recognize the vitality of a diverse campus and the enriching experience that provides for all students. And we recognize the unique and deeply rooted barriers caused by racial injustice and intolerance.

As a leader in our region, we understand the responsibility to show by example and speak with a strong voice when it comes to our commitment to equality and inclusion.

Moreover, as our vision calls for East Central College to be a leader in higher education, we support without reservation the opportunity to be heard and the imperative to work for change.

Loss of life is wrong. Abuse of power is wrong. Injustice is wrong. Violence is wrong.

The deep fissures in our culture can be filled in part with a commitment to understanding each other, hearing each other, supporting each other, and standing for each other. That is the work of a rich and vibrant college.

East Central College is committed to leading in this effort and to living out the values we hold dear. We are committed to education in place of bigotry, intentional action in place of violence, and opportunity in place of injustice.

The Learning Center at East Central College has free courses available to help students bridge the gap between high school and college, or those returning to college after an extended period of time.

The Summer Bridge courses are non-credit courses designed to close the skills gap between the end of traditional high school curriculum and the beginning of college; and for students entering or returning to college after being in the workforce.

Recommendation for the program is based on student scores on the Accuplacer test, which evaluates the mathematics, reading and writing skills of test-takers.

The courses are free and offered in online, in-person, and hybrid formats.

The Summer Bridge courses combine diagnostic assessment, directed departmental curriculum and retesting, in hopes to help students adjust to college courses and potentially improve placement.

Ideally, students who complete these courses will move more quickly into college-level classes and use less financial aid and/or out of pocket money in the process.

There are Summer Bridge classes available for reading and mathematics.

Reading Bridge

There are two tiers to the Reading Bridge based on placement scores — Reading Bridge I and Reading Bridge II.

Reading Bridge I is for students who score 239 or below in reading on the Accuplacer.

Reading Bridge II is geared toward students who have placed from 240-244 in reading on the Accuplacer.

Both Reading Bridge courses are offered in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. It is specially designed to help improve reading ability and prepare for the next step in students’ educational pathway.

After completing the courses, students may retake the Accuplacer free of charge. The courses include Accuplacer practice questions.

Reading Bridge II is specially designed to help improve your writing ability. When you have completed Reading Bridge II, which includes Accuplacer practice questions, you will be able to retake the Accuplacer free of charge.

To learn more about the Reading Bridge courses, contact Lisa Haag at 636-584-6688, or email lisa.haag@eastcentral.edu. Students also can email general_tutoring@eastcentral.edu.

Math Bridge

There are two Math Bridge courses offered for free this summer at TLC.

The Pre-Algebra Bridge course is for students who placed 259 and below on arithmetic on the Accuplacer.

The multi-session Pre-Algebra Bridge program reviews key concepts and college study skills to help students prepare to be successful in college math courses.

The Intro to Algebra/Fundamental Concepts Bridge course is for students who score 260-300 on the Accuplacer in arithmetic and 237-249 in quantitative reasoning.

This program reviews key concepts and college study skills to help prepare students to be successful in college.

At the end of the Math Bridge courses, students will retake the Accuplacer

To learn more about the Math B ridge courses, contact Alison Tucker at 636-584-6660, or email Alison.tucker@eastcentral.edu. Alternatively, students can email general_tutoring@eastcentral.edu.

To learn more about TLC or to view additional resources, visit www.eastcentral.edu/learning-center/.