Public Relations
SAAB members aptly represent NWACC
 Schmidt, Payne everywhere
Two students sure to be front and center when SAAB holds its annual fall “Pizza with the President” are Curtis Schmidt and Tim Payne.
The two SAAB officers stay as busy on campus as ever: you see them at practically every official function.
Schmidt is president of SAAB, the Student Ambassador and Activities Board. He also is vice president of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society of two year colleges..
Payne is vice president of SAAB and president of PTK.
Pizza with the President is noon Wednesday, Oct. 3.
They are pictured here (Payne, left) with SAAB members Amanda Graham and Secretary Kayla Holcomb along with Curtus Schmidt.
Curtis Schmidt
Schmidt also serves as the Student Trustee to the Board of Trustees.
He is from Ida Grove, Iowa.
“I decided to go to NWACC after being out of high school for 20 years,” he said. “I am majoring in Computer Networking and working on an AA to transfer to a university. I hope to own my own computer networking business that goes out and sets up networks for homes and small businesses.”
He’s used to running his own business. Schmidt owned a salvage yard at Ida Grove. At the time he sold it, it contained about 750 vehicles.
“I had just finished crushing 200 of them,” he adds.
He even had a junk yard dog, a black & tan German Sheppard named Shelby.
This is Schmidt’s first year with SAAB. He learned about SAAB through PTK.
He applied last spring for SAAB membership and was accepted. Following a 2-day training period, he was nominated and voted president.
“I wanted to become part of the student leadership to hone my public speaking abilities and network with successful people,” he said.
So far this term, he has had the opportunity to tour U.S. Senator Mark Pryor and his staff through the Student Center and attended an NWACC Foundation Capital Campaign committee meeting.
“I sat next to Jack Shewmaker and had a nice conversation with him,” he said. “That was exciting, that’s what I mean.”
Schmidt, who lives in Garfield near Lost Bridge, has completed the requirements for the AAS degree in Computer Networking. He could graduate this fall. Instead, he is completing an AA degree and will graduate in May.
He started his post-secondary education at NTI in Springdale, earning a computer networking certificate.
“That led me to want a little more education,” he said.
During a typical week, he will spend more than 20 hours on SAAB and PTK activities.
Tim Payne
Payne, too, devotes 20 or more hours a week to SAAB and PTK. He was lured into SAAB by its members last spring.
“I was like SAAB’s mascot last year,” Payne said. “I had a lot of OTJ. SAAB and PTK go hand in hand.”
The two groups have developed a bond over the years. “We’ve become close,” he said.”
“Anyway, last year’s SAAB folks got me involved,” he said. “I stepped up from being a participant to being a leader.”
That’s a natural role for Payne, who was born in northwest Arkansas and graduated from Springdale High School.
He served eight years in the Air Force and worked 15 years in civilian law enforcement.
He is majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and plans on attending John Brown University to become an electrical consultant upon graduation.
“I’ve always enjoyed being a leadership role, it’s seems natural,” he said. He was a drum major in high school.
He joined the military after high school and was an NCO sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, where he supervised people. That career transitioned into one in law enforcement.
He served in the departments at Springdale, Washington County and Elm Springs.
“Springdale has a fantastic training program,” he said. “That’s what led me to NWACC. I was taking classes here through the Springdale Criminal Justice Institute and learned about NWACC in 1992.
After 20 years carrying a gun, he said, he was burned out.
He enrolled at NWACC classes along with Schmidt in spring of 2006.
Like Schmidt, he has enough hours to graduate this fall with an AS in computers but will earn an AA and graduate this May.
A typical week includes a ton of hours.
“It’s a struggle,” he says. “But faculty are fantastic, they really work with us. They understand when we have to exit a class early. The communication between teachers and what we do is tremendous.”
He said SAAB/PTK has helped him with his public speaking skills and networking skills.
“Hey, I was in Celebrate Magazine with Jack Shewmaker,” he said.
In SAAB, there are many more opportunities to network with successful people, not just visitors to campus but with those in SAAB and PTK,” he said.
“You’re going to be successful,” he said of students in SAAB. “We’re fortunate to have a group that thinks in those terms.”
About SAAB
SAAB members are responsible for acting as liaisons between the student body and the administration, faculty and staff by voicing issues that impact the student body.
- SAAB members represent NWACC at college and community functions.
- Members deliver speeches and other presentations to community organizations.
- They serve as an ambassador of NWACC in varied structured and informational formats.
- They plan and participate in a community service project each semester.
- They serve on college committees.
- They lead campus tours for groups and distinguished guests.
- They maintain a SAAB website and other communication venues.
- Their fall activities include welcome week, student week with clubs and organizations, pizza with the president, celebration of children festival, a fall festival and VIP campus tours.
SAAB operates under the direction of Mary Odima, Student Activities and Organization. She can be reached at 619-2224.
Schmidt can be reached at 633-1942 or by email at cschmidt@nwacc.edu
The SAAB website is located at www.nwacc.edu/LDC/campusactivities/SAAB.php
For questions/comments on this content, please contact jhall@nwacc.edu
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