It was as if life had come full circle for a community college dean from Iowa who was recently inducted into the Northeast Community College Alumni Hall of Success.
Shane Peterson earned an associate degree in architectural drafting at Northeast in 2009. He is now the dean of applied technology at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, Iowa.
Peterson said he didn’t plan to attend Northeast when he graduated from Norfolk Senior High.
“One of my guidance counselors said, ‘Why don’t you try out drafting?’ I took the class my senior year and fell in love with it and decided to attend Northeast for the architectural drafting program.”
Peterson did not initially use his degree as originally intended. He worked for a local construction company doing residential home building and remodeling while attending Northeast, after graduation, and while he worked on a bachelor’s degree at Wayne State College.
“The skills I learned in the drafting program, including carpentry, drafting, and construction math, directly supported my work in the field and as a teacher,” Peterson said. “Whether teaching drafting, designing class projects, or guiding students through woodworking, machining, and metal fabrication projects, my time at Northeast laid the foundation for my professional path and my ability to help others learn and grow in the trades.”
Besides the skills he learned, Peterson said his time at Northeast helped him build strong relationships.
“I made many great relationships with my fellow students,” he said, “and also with instructors.”
Those relationships made him the teach that he was, Peterson explained. In 2023, he was named the Iowa STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Teacher.
Peterson also uses the relationship skills he learned at Northeast as he supervises the applied technology faculty at Northwest Iowa Community College.
“When an instructor has a problem or even when they want to celebrate something happy, I rely on some of the things I learned here more than 15 years ago.”
In addition to his administrative duties, Peterson serves on the Iowa Skills USA state board.
Peterson and his wife, Kelsey, live in Inwood, Iowa, with their two children, Teagan and Taryn. He is a member of the Men of Mud Creek Rock River, a community service group. Peterson is also involved in stock car racing and enjoys competitive barbecuing.
Peterson and the other Hall of Success inductees were honored during the annual Northeast Achievement Awards celebration held September 25 in the Lifelong Learning Center on the Norfolk campus.
The Alumni Hall of Success honor is awarded to past graduates and students who have achieved significant success in their professions, exhibited exemplary citizenship qualities, and/or made significant contributions to their communities and/or community affairs. Nominees should have completed a recognized diploma or degree from Northeast (or its predecessor colleges) or completed at least 24 credit hours at Northeast to be applied toward a degree at another college or university. Nominations are due May 31 of each year, and a nomination form can be found at: northeast.edu/giving/achievement-awards.
ID: Shane Peterson
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