This year, several new instructors and teaching staff are joining the NCCC team or taking on new roles. These team members bring valuable industry experience, fresh ideas, and a commitment to helping students prepare for their futures. Their professional backgrounds enable students to learn not only the technical skills needed for their chosen careers but also what it takes to succeed in the workforce.
Brady Howell, Welding Instructor
For Brady Howell, joining the NCCC team marks a return to familiar ground, from the other side of the classroom. Howell is a graduate of the NCCC Welding Technology program. After completing the program, he entered the welding industry and is returning to NCCC as a welding Instructor.
His experience is a powerful example of how career-centered education can create a pathway from the classroom into the workforce and, eventually, back into the classroom in a new role.
"It feels empowering," Howell said. "Welding is my biggest passion, and the only thing better is teaching other people the knowledge and skills I've learned along the way."
As a welding teacher, Howell brings industry experience and firsthand knowledge of the NCCC welding program to today's students. For students currently learning the trade, having an NCCC graduate working alongside them offers a unique perspective on what comes next.
Melissa Spurgin, Health Science Education II Instructor
Melissa Spurgin brings more than a decade of healthcare experience to NCCC's Health Science Education II program. Before becoming an educator, she worked in women's health as both a Certified Medical Assistant and a Registered Nurse. She is eager to share that real-world experience with students as they explore careers in healthcare.
"I'm excited to get to know my students and help them grow throughout the year," Spurgin said. "I love seeing students gain confidence, learn new skills, and realize they're capable of more than they thought."
Spurgin also looks forward to making classroom learning engaging through hands-on activities and real-world experiences. Her professional background will allow students to hear firsthand what working in healthcare is really like. Her primary goal for the school year is to create an environment where students feel supported, confident, and challenged to grow.
Spurgin describes herself as a lifelong student who enjoys learning and growing in healthcare, education, and everyday life. She is also a mom to three girls, so life outside of school keeps her busy, too.
"I'm really excited for another great year at NCCC and can't wait to see everything our students accomplish," she said. "Healthcare is an amazing field, and I'm grateful to be a small part of helping students get started on that journey."
Brad Dailey, Graphic Design Instructor
Brad Dailey is beginning his first full school year as NCCC's Graphic Design Instructor after joining the program midway through the previous school year. That timing makes one of his biggest goals for this year especially meaningful: starting fresh with his students. He's also excited to begin the year knowing where each student is in their learning journey.
"I'm most excited to see all of my returning second years," Dailey said. "We have a really special program of unique individuals, and the hardest part of summer was not seeing them."
Dailey's professional background includes documentary storytelling, freelance graphic design, and photography. His varied experiences expose students to the many directions a creative career can take. This year, he hopes to help students build a strong foundation in the programs and content covered in the Graphic Design program while supporting their individual interests.
"My goals are to make sure that all students reach a high threshold of knowledge and expertise in the programs we use and the content we cover, while also doing my best to support them individually as they grow in the more specific (and occasionally niche) areas they're most interested in," he said.
His own path has included plenty of adventure, too. While in graduate school, Dailey took a seven-week road trip with a member of his cohort, visiting independent theaters and sustainable communities in 18 states as part of their graduate studies. Along the way, they camped at state and national parks, including Yellowstone and Olympic.
A fun fact is that Dailey teaches people how to drive manual transmission vehicles and has owned seven manual-transmission cars. His only automatic vehicle had transmission problems, which, according to Dailey, felt like a sign to stick with manuals.
Jeremiah Wills, Building Trades Assistant
Jeremiah Wills knows the value of real-world experience and looks forward to sharing what he’s learned with the Building Trades students this year. His primary goal is to establish and maintain an ethos of safety and mutual respect with the students.
“I am excited to see students in our classes transform into collaborative crews that take genuine pride in building things with their own hands,” Wills expressed.
Outside of his role at the New Castle Career Center, Wills grows a variety of peppers and makes his own hot sauce.
Don Denney, Welding Assistant
For Don Denney, one of the most exciting parts of the new school year is welcoming students back to the welding program and meeting those just beginning their NCCC journey.
"I'm most excited about seeing returning students in their second year of welding and new students in their first year," Denney said.
Denney also looks forward to sharing his personal knowledge of preparing for the workforce after high school. He has hiring and managerial experience that will help students with career planning. His goal is straightforward: helping students move toward their goals.
Outside the classroom, Denney has a hobby that has been decades in the making. He has been collecting coins for more than 50 years. He's also a dedicated Cincinnati Reds fan, through the good seasons and the not-so-good ones.