BOZEMAN — Gallatin College has been instructing students out of two buildings on East Frontage Road, away from Montana State University's campus. But after a donation from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the reality of being on campus is now one step closer.
Manny Cerkvinik was a student at Montana State for two years before deciding that the traditional path wasn’t a right fit, so he took a break.
“I think that would be great. Especially for people that are like, coming in as freshmen. They live in the dorms, they don't have to, like, travel as far.” says Cerkvenik.
After his break from school, he still wanted to pursue an education.
“That just didn't fit my, like, track of schooling that I wanted to go down. Just like the lecturing and the test taking, it's not so my speed of school. So I stepped back for two years,” says Cerkvenik.
Now in his second week back at school, this time at Gallatin College, he is studying carpentry.
“My inspiration for wanting to go to college is I had previously been at Montana State University, and I was studying Fisheries and Wildlife,” says Cerkvenik.
But right now, Manny is one of around 900 students who have to take their classes away from Montana State's main campus.
“It acknowledges that the occupation they're choosing is valuable,” says Gallatin College Dean Stephanie Gray.
Gray says the $11.25 million donation from the Arthur M. Blank Foundation gets them halfway to their private fundraising goal to pay for a $46 million facility after a more than $23 million investment by the state passed during the 2023 legislative session.
“Halfway to our fundraising goal. And what it means to the college is, we will get to build a dedicated career technical and trade facility on MSU's main campus,” says Gray.
Gray says once they reach that goal, they are hopeful to get a facility built and operational four years after that.
“Also, our goal when we are in our new building is to triple our enrollment,” says Gray.
Which Gray says will attract more students like Manny who want to work in the area boosting the economy.
“They want to stay here and live here. And so we connect them with industry and then industry hires them, and then they stay here and become a part of our economy,” says Gray.
Which Manny says is what he plans to do after his one-year program.
“Probably stay around there and pursue some type of apprenticeship,” says Cerkvenik.
