· Despite living more than 3,900 miles from campus, a Hawaii student wins a contest to design a T-shirt about the DMACC Boone Campus and COVID-19.
· The Contest also Raises Money for Boone County Emergency Services.
· The T-shirt Resembles a Bear Paw from the DMACC Bear Mascot.
BOONE, Iowa—A DMACC student living in Honolulu and taking virtual classes from DMACC has won the DMACC Boone Campus T-shirt design contest.
Heidi Hoffbauer, a second year DMACC student who is completing her Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Associates program, entered the DMACC Boone Campus Student Activities Council (SAC)-sponsored Quaran-Tee Contest.
DMACC Boone Campus Student Activities Coordinator Steve Krafcisin said the purpose behind the competition was to come up with a T-shirt design about the DMACC Boone Campus and the pandemic-induced quarantine time we are living through.
Hoffbauer, who admits she has never been to Iowa or to the DMACC Boone Campus, said she saw the flyer on the T-shirt design competition and decided to enter.
“I had to update my resume recently and I used a word cloud to help me choose the words that I needed to stand out,” Hoffbauer said. “That is when I got the idea to use a word cloud to incorporate DMACC and COVID-19 together. While I was creating the cloud in the program, it looked like a bear paw, and that is how the t-shirt came to be.”
Hoffbauer’s design replicates a bear paw from the DMACC Bear mascot.
At the bottom of the design, are the words “Bear With Us!” In between is the cloud of words associated with the DMACC Boone Campus such as “intramurals,” “sports,” “student housing,” and “in my boots,” with “#quarantine” prominently displayed in the center.
DMACC Boone Campus Student Services/Assistant Housing Coordinator Amara Mayers said Hoffbauer received a T-shirt and a $25 gift card for winning the competition. William Thatcher finished in second place and Micki Anderson took third place. Both the second and third place winners received a $10 gift card.
In addition, all proceeds from the sale of the Quaran-tee shirts are going to Boone County Emergency Services.
“We chose emergency services because, at the time, there were fears about a lack of resources, PPE (personal protective equipment) shortages specifically,” DMACC Boone Campus Provost Dr. Drew Nelson said.
A total of $375 has been raised by the sale of the shirts. T-shirts can still be ordered up until December 1, by clicking here.
Hoffbauer said, that like Iowa, Hawaii, has seen a recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
“Our state is doing everything it can to stabilize so we can open back up safely,” Hoffbauer said. “Our numbers have stayed consistent since October and our governor is allowing visitors to enter with the proper testing. All the islands have been impacted. As you know Hawaii’s economy is based on tourism. Many businesses have been put on hold or have had to close. The city hopes that once a vaccine is available, life should return to normal.”
Hoffbauer said she is completing a Transportation and Border Security class, the third of three TSA classes this semester, and plans to have the online class completed by December. DMACC offers online classes to TSA employees in all 50 states.
She speaks highly of TSA.
“For those of you who may be looking for a career but not sure where to start, please consider joining TSA,” Hoffbauer said. “You can apply on Usajobs.gov. I have worked for TSA for three plus years and have grown so much from my time here. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Once you get started with TSA, it can open the door for you to gain a career with other federal agencies.”
Hoffbauer said her future plans may include joining the police department or working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“I really enjoy Emergency Management and I feel like helping people is what I am called to do,” Hoffbauer said.
Heidi Hoffbauer, winner of DMACC Boone Campus T-Shirt Design Contest
(contributed article and photo, DMACC)
