Recap of events for the 50th Anniversary
Brooklyn Park, Oct. 11, 2022 – Founded in 1972, Hennepin Tech is celebrating its 50th anniversary with activities and events taking place throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. Keep checking our website and social media channels for information about upcoming events.
In this article, we provide a review of activities that have taken place.
August 25: Welcome Dinner with Mayor of Eden Prairie
Mayor of Eden Prairie Ron Case visited students during the fall semester’s Welcome Dinner on the Eden Prairie campus. Students, faculty and staff enjoyed a delicious buffet to celebrate the start of the term. To honor the 50th anniversary, the Mayor met with students, faculty and staff during the event and described why the college is a valuable asset to the city of Eden Prairie.
September 1: Official Hennepin Tech Day
The State of Minnesota, the city of Brooklyn Park and the city of Eden Prairie officially proclaimed September 1 as “Hennepin Technical College Day.” To celebrate this special day on September 1, we showed our pride by wearing Hennepin Tech logo t-shirts on campus. In addition, we gave away 50 free prizes on both campuses and the Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Center. Students were randomly selected to receive either a logo t-shirt or logo hat. Interim President Joy Bodin was among those who handed out the swag during visits to several classrooms.
September 20: Legacy Lunch
No one knows our history better than the people who worked hard for so many years to launch careers and changes lives. More than 100 retired and former employees gathered on the Brooklyn Park campus for a celebration lunch. Our Culinary students prepared a delicious bar-be-que buffet for the guests. Speakers shared their memories of working at the college over the years. One former employee said that in 1972, it cost only 80-cents to buy lunch and it even came with dessert! The event was organized by the Hennepin Technical College Foundation. Everyone who attended donated money to the Crisis Grant Fund, which provides funding to students when they experience an unexpected emergency. The Foundation presented an award to Carole Carlson in recognition for her work to launch the Foundation.
September 20: Tree Planting with Mayor of Brooklyn Park
After the Legacy Lunch, a commemorative Tree Planting took place outside the cafeteria. The Mayor of Brooklyn Park Lisa Jacobson thanked the college for improving the lives of individuals and the economic vitality of the community. Along with the mayor, Interim President Joy Bodin, Brooklyn Park Student Senate President Francis Killen, Foundation Board member Ernie Parker, and two former Hennepin Tech presidents all used shovels to help plant a maple tree outside the cafeteria on campus. The event was organized by the college’s Landscape, Horticulture, Greenhouse and Urban Forestry program. Students in the program brought equipment to the planting site and prepared the location for the tree. Hennepin Tech has earned the designation as a Tree Campus USA and the event helps the college maintain its title.
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, the college offers degree and non-degree courses in more than 40 programs. Achieving a high job placement rate, Hennepin Tech prepares students for in-demand and high-paying employment opportunities.