2026 Impact Report

Connecting for the Common Good

Overview

COTC President John berry stands with COTC's mascot TC the Cat on the sidewalk of the campus.Everyone has a lane. But COTC is a highway.

Our lanes converge and connect in so many ways, and our illustrious cost-shared partnership is proof. For 55 years now, Central Ohio Technical College has collaborated with The Ohio State University at Newark to combine resources, expenses and personnel, saving the campus roughly $2 million every year.

That style of cooperation is our greatest strength, and we leverage it to fulfill COTC’s own distinct mission. This year, we implemented new and improved Promise programs, by which students in our three-county network whose household income amounts to less than $100,000 can receive free tuition. Once they’re here, we supply them with robust experiences, support systems and professional opportunities. We take already-exceptional individuals and make them more well-rounded versions of themselves.

Partnership is what we know and what we do. And no one does it better.

This edition of the Impact Report depicts the paths of some of those individuals, plus various benefactors who enable their journeys. You’ll meet a trailblazing trio embodying COTC’s newest healthcare program — and one of its strongest community partnerships. You’ll read about alumni who have changed careers or started a business based on passions they explored here. You’ll learn how our law enforcement programs have evolved, and how our community is investing in them. You’ll encounter a resilient student with visions of overcoming a difficult past.

Just like COTC, all these individuals take their capacity to share very seriously. They give their time, energy, talents, compassion, perspectives and donations. Sharing their stories is, in essence, sharing the story of our institution.

Sincerely,

John M. Berry, PhD
President, Central Ohio Technical College

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Portrait of Amirah Cooperrider in the John and Mary Alford Center for Science and Technology at COTC's Newark campus.

A Powerful Promise

Amirah Cooperrider always knew she wanted to work in some scientific field, but she never knew how to pay for the education that could get her there. The Newark native needed a lifeline. COTC threw her one through its new Licking County Promise program, offering free tuition and the chance to chase a childhood dream.

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Blaine Allen stands in a simulated patient room of a respiratory therapy lab at COTC next to a hospital bed holding a respiratory mask.

A Gratifying First Breath

As a full-time employee at Licking Memorial Hospital and member of COTC’s inaugural respiratory therapy technology class, Blaine Allen experienced firsthand the impact of a powerful community partnership. Today, he is launching his career as a respiratory therapist while inspiring future students to follow in his footsteps.

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Lee and Sally Heckman stand on the sidewalk of the Newark campus in front of the Marth Grace Reese Amphitheater that is named for Sally's great-grandmother and has flag on its roof for COTC and for Ohio State Newark representing the co-located and cost-shared campus.

Linked to a Legacy

As dedicated leaders and advocates for the Newark campus, Sally and Lee Heckman are carrying forward a Reese family legacy that spans more than 90 years. Their commitment helps preserve the collaborative spirit that has served students and the community for decades continues to thrive well into the future.

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Representatives from COTC's executive leadership, board of trustees, and criminal justice programs; state government; the Evans Foundation, and local law enforcement cut a ribbon in front of the newly remodeled Thomas J. Evans Hall.

Building on Success

A gift from the Thomas J. Evans Foundation helped turn a vision into reality with the opening of Thomas J. Evans Hall. The new facility provides realistic, hands-on training opportunities that will help COTC continue producing highly qualified law enforcement professionals.

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Portrait of Michele Dobos and her four children sitting on an external stone wall on the COTC Newark campus.

Weaving Her Tale

After navigating years of personal challenges, Michele Dobos returned to COTC to build a brighter future for her children. With the flexibility of online learning and a renewed sense of purpose, she is pursuing a social work degree and preparing for a career helping others find healing and lasting recovery.