With her goal for Motlow College students to live healthy and satisfied lives, Dr. MaryLou Apple will leave behind that legacy when she retires from the helm of the university where she has served as president since 2006.“I think we have made a great transition since 2006,” Dr. Apple told members of McMinnville’s Noon Rotary Club on Thursday, noting giant steps forward for the college in Mechatronics and nursing.Dr. Apple arrived at Motlow through nontraditional means, moving from a career as a military flight nurse to high-level education administrator. She leaves the college rated in the top 50 community colleges in the nation as ranked by Community College Week. Motlow State Community College also boasts a 92 percent placement rate and has 4,800 students on its four campuses.While looking back on the achievements at Motlow under her leadership, Dr. Apple was quick to recognize many in McMinnville, and Noon Rotary in particular, who got behind the college despite the lean years of the recession.“You stepped out of your comfort zone and pushed,” Dr. Apple said of several businesspeople who invested and helped raise money for improvements in areas like Mechatronics.