Niles’ Thomas Cole’s Southwestern Michigan College speech training has paid off, as he won an award for the University of Notre Dame at a Texas conference 3,000 people attended from 51 countries.
Cole won “Best in Conference for Solve and Support,” one of five tracks at the Emerson Global Exchange users conference Oct. 24 through 28 at theAustin Convention Center.
Cole, 52, joined Notre Dame in 1994 after serving 10 years in the Navy, tapping training as a nuclear submarine electrician.
“I knew Notre Dame had a power plant,” said Cole, who considered pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.
“We are like our own little city,” Cole, the power plant’s instrumentation and controls supervisor, said.
In April 2012, Cole participated in SMC’s speech contest with “Why Parental Consent for Minors Should be Required to Have an Abortion.”
“Speech was one of the classes I had to take to get my degree,” Cole, who still utilizes tips taught by SMC First Lady and Sarah Mathews, Cass County assistant prosecutor, said.
Cole organized his presentation around a Fighting Irish football theme, using quotes from Head Coach Frank Leahy (1941-43, interrupted by World War II naval service, then 1946-53).
Leahy, a tackle on Knute Rockne’s last three teams, graduated in 1931 and coached six undefeated seasons, five national championships and a 39-game unbeaten string.
Mathews also counseled her students to familiarize themselves with venue logistics — advice Cole heeded too late.
Expecting a podium to prop notes at a readable angle instead of a flat table contributed to him losing the SMC contest to 2009 Cassopolis graduate Cory Harding.
Cole, who grew up in Osceola, Indiana, has lived in Niles since 1995, when he married Mary, a special education teacher at Northside Child Development Center.
The Coles have three children: a daughter, 28, who graduated from Purdue University; a daughter, 19, who was one of three valedictorians of her 2015 class and will be finishing her bachelor’s degree at Calvin College in Grand Rapids this summer; and a son, a Brandywine High School junior.
“I wish Caleb could have Professor Mathews,” Cole said. “She is really good. I wanted to win the award for my son because I tell him all the time, ‘Do your best.’ I wanted to put my money where my mouth is that hard work pays off.”
Cole, who completed his 2013 associate’s degree through Excelsior College, said the conference attracted more than 800 abstracts, of which 350 were selected for presentation.
“It got my competitive juices flowing,” he said. “In this job we have to learn all the time. I go to schools to help with the job. Last year I was put on the spot when we developed a new vision statement for the department. I was asked to talk about it the day before the annual meeting.”
“You are a good speaker,” co-workers concluded.
Southwestern Michigan College is a public, residential and commuter, community college, founded in 1964. The college averages in the top 10 percent nationally for student academic success based upon the National Community College Benchmark Project. Southwestern Michigan College strives to be the college of first choice, to provide the programs and services to meet the needs of students, and to serve our community. The college is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.