Taking over the helm as the Director of the Sidney Campus for Western Nebraska Community College, is Paula Abbott.

Abbott came to WNCC from Wray, Colo. where she was with Morgan Community College. At Morgan Community College she was the Director of Guidance and Placement/ ADA coordinator for seven years and the Wray Center Director for three years.

When she learned of the opening at WNCC she was immediately interested because of her past experiences with the college.

“I took a class from WNCC while pursuing my undergraduate degree and was impressed with the quality of instruction, caring staff and faculty and felt my career goals were in line with the WNCC’s vision and mission of serving the communities in which we reside,” Abbott said.

She approached her then current boss about her thoughts and he encouraged the move. In fact, he may have been a little biased as he was once a faculty member of WNCC.

So she made the move. But, as it tends to do, fate decided to deal her a nasty little card.

Within the few weeks of coming to the Sidney Campus her 20-year-old son fell from a tree he was trimming and broke his neck. This forced her to split her time between work and caring for her son.

This splitting of time would have been difficult had the staff and administration at the college not been compassionate and understanding.

“They told me ‘family comes first’,” she said.

Now with her son on the mend, although it will be a long haul, Abbott is able to focus her energies on Sidney.

Coming to WNCC with a background in guidance, the new director is very much in touch with her students. It is not uncommon for her to talk to students in the halls at the campus and in the Sidney community.

A life-long learner herself, she also understands  the trials of a college student, one of any age. Abbott said she knows that not every student can attend school full time, however; it is important that students know their options.

With the economy not bouncing back as much as it was hoped, people are turning to community colleges as a means to an end.  The thought seems to be, “I might as well go back to school to train for something else.”

The goal, Abbott said, is retention. But how do you keep someone when a job offer comes along?

This is done by instilling in the students the importance of education.

Students need to look at going to school as more than just a job, she said.

It’s not just a job, it is a means to a career, she said.

For the family who insists they need the money, financial aid is always an option.

“There are viable options for students to work part time and go to school with financial aid,” she said.

In order for students, current and prospective, to know about these options, Abbott said they (WNCC) need to inform them.

“People need to know that we (WNCC) are an excellent choice for them,” she said, “I want WNCC to be the first place people look for classes that will enhance their current jobs, vocational training, and transfer courses and degrees.”

This attitude fits right in line with her goals as the new director.

“I want people to think of WNCC first,” she said.

We want to let our communities know ‘who’ we are and partner with business and industry to provide quality education to our students. We have cutting edge technology and provide outstanding instruction from highly qualified faculty. Our staff is here to answer questions and make higher education less scary, she said.

“Education can be fun,” she said.

Abbott said she would also like to increase the dual enrollment options for high school students.  “Statistics show that students will need to have some sort of higher education training or degrees to be competitive in the market place, we at WNCC would like to assist local graduates in any way possible,” she said.

Abbott’s educational background is substantial. She is currently working towards her PhD in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University; she has a Master of Science in Management and Bachelor’s of Science in Bus Admin. Degree from Regis University; and an Associate of Arts Degree from Northeastern Junior College.

It should be noted; Abbott attained each of these after starting a family.