Academic Support Program

The Northwest College Rodeo Team works closely with coaches and college faculty in its Academic Support Program. All Northwest students are assigned an Academic Advisor, generally in a student’s major field of study.

In addition, Rodeo Team members also work with Rob Stothart and Renee Dechert, both faculty in the English Department, who attend practices and coordinate progress reports students submit to faculty throughout the semester. These reports provide updates on student grades and attendance, and Coach Del Nose uses that material to guide rodeo athletes academically.

Students can also access NWC’s Student Success Center, which provides a range of support services, and the college’s Math Tutoring Center.

Academic opportunities and one-on-one student support provide Northwest students with the foundation for a successful education to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year

Renee Dechert

Renee Dechert is an Associate Professor of English at Northwest College where she teaches writing, literature, and popular studies courses. Although she attended college in Texas, completing her PhD at Texas A&M, Renee is a Wyoming native who grew up on a farm north of Riverton and graduated from Shoshoni High school. She has published articles on a range of subjects, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, country music, and the American West in contemporary television, film, music, and literature.

A long-time rodeo fan, Renee was excited when given an opportunity to work with Northwest’s Rodeo Team. “We’ve got a fine team at NWC, and working with our rodeo athletes has been a great experience.” She adds, “Besides, after a long day, there's nothing like going out to rodeo practice to watch rodeo practice to put everything in perspective.”

Rob Stothart

Rob Stothart is an Instructor in English and ESL at Northwest College. He teaches English as a Second Language, English composition and literature courses. His Master of Fine Arts degree was earned at the University of Washington in Seattle. Rob’s specialty is poetry. He also has a background in Native American studies. Before coming to NWC, he taught for Northwest Indian College at the Nooksack Tribal Center in Washington State.

Rob became interested in rodeo through his son who began competing in high school and went on to ride bulls and broncs competively. “It was completely foreign to me,” Rob said, “until my son became so passionate about the sport. Now I find myself attending rodeos all the time. But I find that I love attending practice more than anything else. Watching these students work always impresses me.”