It was wall-to-wall techies on Montcalm Community College’s Sidney campus on February 9, 2024, for the college’s first Tech Fest.

“If you’re thinking about dipping your toe in technology, this event gives you that experience,” said 18-year-old Ben Gutman, of Hubbardston.

Gutman, who attends Carson City-Crystal High School, was a presenter at the event, which showcased self-paced, hands-on stations led by students and industry professionals covering various technological aspects. He was showing off gaming systems that he built and was allowing students to game at his station.

“The things that appear to be hard up front are not,” he said. “It’s important to share that anyone can do this.”

Other stations included virtual reality, cryptography, Flipper Zero, computer crimes investigation, computer disassembly, motion sensors, robotics, CAD, digital arts, and solar power.

Amy Zdanowski, a career advisor at MCC and co-coordinator of Tech Fest, said the event was really for a specific audience – students who were interested in technology.

“The best part was the hands-on piece that students got to actually do something, not just hear about it,” she said. “It gives students a chance to see things they don’t see on a college tour.”

One of the goals of Tech Fest was to show students that they can study technology at MCC.

“It was a lot of fun,” Zdanowski said. “I’m just dumbfounded by some of the knowledge the students come with.”

Steve Schofield, a part-time computer instructor at MCC and co-coordinator of the event, said he was excited for the level of support from the K-12 school districts, business partners and the community. He said five out of seven schools in Montcalm County attended, as well as Belding and students from the Montcalm Area Career Center.

“We hope it creates a vibe and a spark in Montcalm County that there’s opportunity for technology,” he said. “It shows that MCC is expanding and modernizing its technology offerings.”

Greenville High School student Nora Lutz, 16, said she attended to explore opportunities in technology.

“I’ve always been interested in technology and I’m trying to figure out what I want to do for my career,” she said.

Lutz really enjoyed learning how to solder a circuit board and working with the CAD system that was at another station.

Sophia Dykstra, 18, also of Greenville High School, liked learning about tech stuff in general.

“It wasn’t something I get to do every day,” she said. “The cryptography section was a good challenge. It’s given me more of an outlook on what I want to do for a career.”

Carson City-Crystal High School student Payton Crawfis, 14, enjoyed Gutman’s gaming station as well as all the things you can do with CAD.

“It’s pretty fun and it’s cool to see what people have made,” he said.

Alex Karatkiewicz, of Comprenew, a non-profit electronics recycler based in Grand Rapids, was there overseeing the disassembly of computers. This was another favorite station of the students that attended.

“It’s great to see young people investing in technology,” he said. “The future generation is in front of you. It’s a chance to meet people who are passionate about technology.”

Kevin Arnold, of Greenville Tool & Die, manned the soldering station and helped students create circuit boards. He said many students have not soldered before, so this gave them some experience.

“Students need to have first-hand experience with technology, and this gives them that chance,” Arnold said.

Greyson Gurd, 14, of Greenville High School, enjoyed the virtual reality area and disassembling a computer.

“It’s a good place to learn and have fun,” he said.

Zdanowski and Schofield plan to make Tech Fest an annual event.

“It’s all about outreach,” Schofield said. “It allows us to make more connections.”

Media contact:
Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833