Hennepin Technical College Staff Tapped for 40 Under 40 Award by American Association for Women in Community Colleges

Brooklyn Park, MN, April 4, 2019 – Two Hennepin Technical College (HTC) staff members, Ashley Beeman, Associate Director, TRIO Student Support Services and Cara Garrett, Enrollment Advisor were selected to receive this year’s 40 Under 40 Award by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC). They will be honored during a ceremony at AAWCC’s Annual Awards Breakfast on April 14, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. 

Launched at the 2016 AAWCC Annual Awards Breakfast, the 40 Under 40 award recognizes outstanding female leaders under the age of 40 working at community and technical colleges.  These young women are “movers and shakers” at their respective institutions and embrace the tenets of AAWCC:  advancement of women through education, service and leadership development. AAWCC advocates for the needs and interests of women who are attending and working within community and technical colleges to ensure they receive equitable and just treatment.   Through scholarships, mentoring, programming, professional development, advocacy, compliance, and awareness, AAWCC is able to propel the success of women.

“I am so proud to have two members of Hennepin Technical College recognized for their achievements by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges. Ashley Beeman and Cara Garrett have helped guide our students to success and changed our students’ lives for the better,” says Dr. Merrill Irving, Jr., HTC President.

For the past six years, Ashley Beeman has helped to provide leadership and management support to the TRIO student services department at HTC. TRIO is a student federal program that identifies and provides service to low-income, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline and achieve a college degree. Beeman has carefully guided and counseled students in the areas of admissions, financial aid, academic coursework and career development to keep them on track to achieving their goals. She has focused on helping immigrant women to advance their education and leadership skills.

Cara Garrett has also been a champion for student success. For the past two years, Garrett has provided resources for prospective, new and current students on career and program major choices, job placement, admissions and enrollment procedures at HTC. Heading up the MetroConnect partnership with Metropolitan State University and serving as the designated school official for international students, Garrett has navigated the unfamiliar terrain for students and kept them aligned with their priorities. In addition, she has sought out leadership and development opportunities for female students in non-traditional fields.

About Hennepin Technical College

Founded in 1972, Hennepin Technical College is the largest stand-alone technical college in Minnesota.  With campuses in Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie, Hennepin Technical College has a diverse student population of more than 18,000 and offers degree and non-degree coursework in over 45 programs. Achieving a 99% job placement rate within its network of industry partners, Hennepin Technical College prepares students for in-demand and high-paying employment opportunities. For more information, visit HennepinTech.edu.

Hennepin Technical College is a member of Minnesota State, which includes 30 colleges and seven state universities serving over 375,000 students. It is the fourth-largest system of two-year colleges and four-year universities in the United States.

Media Contact
Nairobi Abrams
Email:  Nairobi.abrams@hennepintech.edu |Phone: (763) 488-2426