I asked Dr. Brad Thurmond, the vice chancellor of academic affairs, what was it that caused him to become an educator. Surprisingly, he said, “It was the tutoring center,” at the Kokomo region of Ivy Tech, 23 years ago. “That’s where I got hooked.”
I interviewed Thurmond on behalf of the Student Government Association. I wanted to know how he ended up here in Bloomington, and the road he traveled to become the educator we all know today. He stated that, “I started at the Kokomo region. There was an ad in the local newspaper for a tutoring position so I applied. My friend's mom worked at Ivy Tech.”
After spending eight months in the tutoring department, he “accepted a faculty position teaching developmental mathematics, reading, and writing, but I continued to tutor students. Eventually I became the Program Chair for Mathematics and Science.”
I also wanted to know who helped shape and encourage Thurmond. He tells me there was “Recently retired Chancellor Steve Daily and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Pam Lewis from the Kokomo region of Ivy Tech. They both encouraged me to be open to new things and experiences, re-assuring me when I took the step up into the position of running the Wabash campus, a satellite of the Kokomo Region, where I spent four years."
When did Thurmond make it to Bloomington? "After 19 years I accepted the position of vice chancellor of academic affairs here, at the Bloomington region.” Ironically, John Whikehart, the former Bloomington Ivy Tech regional chancellor was here when Thurmond became the vice chancellor; Whikehart was also the human resources director at the Kokomo region when Thurmond was initially hired as an Ivy Tech employee.
Thurmond has had numerous roles within Ivy Tech, including being a tutor and a program chair, which means that any employee you see at Ivy Tech could possibly become an administrator in education, helping students succeed in life. So, go to the tutoring center sometime, and witness someone getting “hooked” on education.