When Johnali Johns was a high school senior, she had never heard of Montana Technological University.
“I grew up in Montana, so it is kind of weird that I had never heard of Montana Tech,” Johns remembers. “In high school, everyone is getting you ready for college, and my best friend said, ‘Let’s go to Tech Day!’”
Tech Day is a one-of-a-kind, hands-on college visit experience for prospective students. Students are invited to the main university campus in historic Uptown Butte, Montana, for a day of interactive laboratory breakout sessions, campus tours, and a chance to explore academic areas of interest. This year students will have their choice to attend one of two dates. Tech Day will take place on Friday, November 15, 2024 and Friday, November 22, 2024. Registration is now open.
Johns was interested in a healthcare career, so she signed up for the nursing simulation lab, an occupational safety and health panel, and business jeopardy sessions. The always-in-demand cadaver lab session had closed by the time she signed up, so her advice to prospective students is to register early for the event. Johns enjoyed the sessions, and made her college decision based on a conversation with a staff member in the courtyard. The staff member asked what her plans for life were. They discussed different majors and pathways that could lead to a career in the health professions.
“She didn’t have to do this. She just sat down and wanted to hear about me,” Johns said. “I knew then that I didn’t want to be a student ID number. I didn’t want to have to work with a Teaching Assistant. I wanted my professors to know who I was and what I was doing with my life.”
Four years later, Johnali graduated with a B.S. in Exercise and Health Science with a minor in biology. She plans to go onto graduate school to become a chiropractor. She says she got exactly what she wanted from Montana Tech.
“I know all of my professors on a first name basis,” Johns said. “Our program is close, more like a big friend group.”
Johns also says Montana Tech delivered a hands-on experience that was true to what she expected based on her Tech Day preview.
“I had a lab for Principles of Biodiversity on my first day of college,” Johns said. “We drove to Lost Creek State Park outside of Anaconda. We hung out by the waterfall, and they told us to find an area that was ours, take in nature, and journal it. It was a cool transition into college. In that same class, we went on another hike to study beaver dams.”
Johns met her closest friend at Montana Tech on the trip to the waterfall that day. Just like Tech Day, next four years were full of learning by doing, rather than learning from a textbook.
Johns became a teaching assistant in the anatomy and physiology lab.
“We have two cadavers – one male and one female,” Johns said. “Learning from a body rather than models is much better. Models are great, but they are not the same thing.”
In exercise and prescription class, students had to practice moving joints around to get the fluid moving.
“It’s a more advanced technique and takes skill,” Johns said. “Our professors understand that what we are doing takes a lot of skill, so you need to practice it.”
Johns was also required to practice the exercises prescribed for patients.
“If it’s a hard exercise for a 21-year-old college student, then maybe we do not want to prescribe that for an 82-year-old patient with health problems,” Johns said.
Johns came full circle with her Tech Day experience, and eventually presented to young high school students who signed up for the cadaver lab. She has some advice for incoming students.
“Try everything out,” Johns said. “Don’t limit yourself to one single plan. What you think might work for you might not, and that’s okay.”
She also suggests joining many clubs. Johns was a member of the Chemistry/Biology/Pre-Professional Health, Swing Dance, Climbing, and Chi Alpha clubs.
“Freshman year, I wasn’t that involved, and I wasn’t sure I liked college,” Johns said. “I joined a few clubs, and that changed. I recommend getting involved early.”
Students who attend Tech Day can choose to participate in a variety of breakout sessions to get a full day of hands-on activities. Sessions available November 15 include:
- Business & Information Technology (BIT): Learn how to use Tableau, one of the world’s leading data analytics and visualization platforms, and win prizes by playing business themed Jeopardy.
- Cadaver Dissection Lab: Witness and interact with human cadavers and participate in a hands-on dissection of various animal organs in or Cadaver Lab session. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about our Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Exercise & Health Science programs. Limited to 20 students.
- Campus Tour: Explore our high-tech laboratories and learn about all the best spots to study, eat and relax. Wear your walking shoes and layer up for our variable Butte weather!
- Computer Science/Software Engineering: Students will see how a classic game leads to discussion for more advanced games, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that can come from the AI applications.
- Civil Engineering: Immerse yourself in the future of infrastructure with a virtual reality experience, hands-on challenges, transportation breakthroughs, and forward-thinking construction management insights that will shape tomorrow’s world.
- Electrical Engineering: Put your skills to the test as you learn binary code and program a robot to follow a line on the floor. Students interested in electrical engineering, robotics, and computer science are encouraged to join!
- Environmental Engineering: Explore drone-based remote sensing data collection in water resources, engineering and mine waste remediation projects.
- Mathematical Sciences: Participants will have fun making mathematically inspired pop-up spinners and will learn how these ideas help in understanding protein folding.
- Metallurgical & Materials Engineering: Learn about how materials can be manipulated through multiple hands-on events including blacksmithing, ceramic processing, and more! Limited to 30 students.
- Mining Engineering: Get to see what happens when chemical energy is released, and learn about the importance of safety in mining through a virtual reality (VR) experience.
- Nursing Simulation: The nursing department will demonstrate use of computerized mannequins that perform human functions to create a realistic clinical environment and give students an opportunity to explore a variety of healthcare scenarios. Limited to 30 students.
- Occupational Safety & Health (OSH): Explore the diverse world of Occupational Safety and Industrial Hygiene. OSH is a highly employable health science field with jobs in numerous industries worldwide. Limited to 20 students.
- Petroleum Engineering: Join the Petroleum department as they take a spin through our state-of-the-art laboratories with demonstrations.
- Residence Hall Tours: Walk through our three Residence Halls and get a better feel for what’s it’s like to live like an Oredigger!
- Highlands College Campus Tour: Interested in one of our associates or certificate programs? This tour will give you a peek into the incredible hands-on lab spaces at Highlands College. Attendees must have their own transportation to 25 Basin Creek Rd.
Sessions available November 22 include:
- Business & Information Technology (BIT): Learn how to use Tableau, one of the world’s leading data analytics and visualization platforms, and win prizes playing business themed Jeopardy.
- Cadaver Dissection Lab: Witness and interact with human cadavers and participate in a hands-on dissection of various animal organs in or Cadaver Lab session. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about our Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Exercise & Health Science programs. Limited to 20 students.
- Campus Tour: Explore our high-tech laboratories and learn about all the best spots to study, eat and relax. Wear your walking shoes and layer up for our variable Butte weather!
- Computer Science/Software Engineering: Students will see how a classic game leads to discussion for more advanced games, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that can come from the AI applications.
- Civil Engineering: Immerse yourself in the future of infrastructure with a virtual reality experience, hands-on challenges, transportation breakthroughs, and forward-thinking construction management insights that will shape tomorrow’s world.
- Electrical Engineering: Put your skills to the test as you learn binary code and program a robot to follow a line on the floor. Students interested in electrical engineering, robotics, and computer science are encouraged to join!
- Environmental Engineering: Explore drone-based remote sensing data collection in water resources, engineering and mine waste remediation projects.
- Metallurgical & Materials Engineering: Learn about how materials can be manipulated through multiple hands-on events including blacksmithing, ceramic processing, and more! Limited to 30 students.
- Mining Engineering: Get to see what happens when chemical energy is released, and learn about the importance of safety in mining through a virtual reality (VR) experience.
- Nursing Simulation: The nursing department will demonstrate use of computerized mannequins that perform human functions to create a realistic clinical environment and give students an opportunity to explore a variety of healthcare scenarios. Limited to 30 students.
- Occupational Safety & Health (OSH): Explore the diverse world of Occupational Safety and Industrial Hygiene. OSH is a highly employable health science field with jobs in numerous industries worldwide. Limited to 20 students.
- Outdoor Recreation Program:
- Petroleum Engineering: Join the Petroleum department as they take a spin through our state-of-the-art laboratories with demonstrations.
- Residence Hall Tours: Walk through our three Residence Halls and get a better feel for what’s it’s like to live like an Oredigger!
- Highlands College Campus Tour: Interested in one of our associates or certificate programs? This tour will give you a peek into the incredible hands-on lab spaces at Highlands College. Attendees must have their own transportation to 25 Basin Creek Rd.
Prospective students can sign up for this year’s November 15 Tech Day event at https://iam.mtech.edu/1122techday/inquiryform. Sign up for the November 22 Tech Day event at https://iam.mtech.edu/1122techday/inquiryform.
If you have questions, please reach out to the Admissions Office at Montana Tech at mailto:admissions@mtech.edu or (406) 496-4754.
