Bert's Alerts—Jan. 11, 2019
In the Spotlight
It's the week before spring semester and all through our campus there's plenty of stirring. Syllabi are posted in Blackboard with care, in preparation for students who soon will be here. History faculty spent in-service week with their #mightyCWI fashion on point, while Communication faculty stayed connected during all of their exciting meetings. Classes start Monday! Are you ready?
News Highlights
Career Pioneer: Emily Kominek
Student Spotlight: Emily Kominek, Welding
A stream of sparks flies past Emily Kominek’s welding helmet and braided ponytail before crashing into the walls of the booth she works in during her welding class at College of Western Idaho (CWI).
“I’ve always been curious how welding works,” commented Kominek. “I like the science behind it – it’s not just burning metal.”
In a class of 15 students, Kominek is one of two females learning to weld, but that did not deter her from pursuing her passion. “I like the feeling, I can’t draw to save my life, so I like to build things - it’s hands-on and dirty,” she said.
As a career pioneer, she is excited to help pave the way for future students interested in pursuing non-traditional paths for women.
The CWI Pioneer Mentor Program provides a support network within the Career and Technical Education community for underrepresented students. The program encourages empowerment, self-advocacy, and the creation of social networks.
“Emily is very enthusiastic, passionate, and willing to share her enthusiasm and teach other people what she’s learned, not just about welding, but about being a career pioneer and going after her dreams,” CWI Center for New Directions Coordinator, Annette Grove said.
Kominek’s drive and focus was recognized during her senior year at Emmett High School as she was awarded a number of scholarships.
“My college is paid for — I received over nine grand in scholarships,” she said. I received a Governor’s Cup Scholarship for $3,000 and met the governor and first lady. I also have a local technical scholarship, I was the first female to receive the scholarship in Emmett, which is pretty cool.”
Her contributions in the classroom have also been recognized.
"Emily has an amazing attitude — always cheerful and positive, and this positivity is an inspiration to others in the class,” Welding Department Chair, Mike Wheeler, said. “This attitude allows Emily to face obstacles and challenges with a smile and she helps other students work through problems in a similar fashion."
When she graduates from CWI’s Welding program in 2020, she plans on working in a local fabrication shop customizing trucks and motorcycles.
To learn more, please visit CWI's Career Pioneer Mentor Program webpage.
Winter Week of Welcome
Celebrate the start of a new semester by joining Student Affairs for coffee, cocoa, cider, and crafts during their Winter Week of Welcome!
Coffee, Cocoa, and Cider
9 a.m. to noon
- Monday, Jan. 14—Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)
- Tuesday, Jan. 15—Ada County Campus Pintail Center (APIN)
- Thursday, Jan. 17—Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC)
Winter Crafts
10 a.m. to noon
- Wednesday, Jan. 16—Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)
Contact Amber Eubanks at ambereubanks@cwi.edu or 208.562.2416 with questions.
PTK Food Drive Benefits Fellow Students
In December, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society chapter, Beta Sigma Pi, participated in a regional food drive as part of the chapter’s five-star action plan. Beta Sigma Pi President, Elizabeth Carter, and officers, Elyssa Goins, Agnieszka Gibson, and John Nahlen, collected 52 food items to donate to the College's Food for Thought pantry – a free resource for students. The drive was a regional competition among all Phi Theta Kappa chapters, each chapter choosing the recipient of its donations. Across the region, chapters collected 4,673 canned goods and raised over $1,161.
“At this time of year many food drives are held to aid well-known food agencies, but we wanted to benefit CWI students who may be facing hunger," said Carter. "This project was a win-win for our chapter and our fellow students."
Contact Beta Sigma Pi Faculty Advisor, Yolonda Barnes, at 208.562.2479 or yolondabarnes@cwi.edu to learn more.
Faculty of Distinction—November 2018
Teresa Isom has been named College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for November 2018. Isom has been with the College since January 2011 teaching Math 123 through 175 most recently teaching in the Math Solutions Center. She has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Arts in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from Boise State University.
Isom spent time following her husband from Idaho to Washington to England to California and back to Idaho as he served 22 years in the Air Force. She taught reading skills to elementary students when her children were young and decided to get a teaching certificate so she could teach her favorite subject, mathematics. She has taught all levels of mathematics to high school students and has been teaching to college students for the past eight years.
Outside of teaching, Isom loves role-playing video games, playing card games like Pinochle, going for walks, watching plays, and reading. She and her husband of 30 years have three children who give them joy daily, and she always enjoys working on a math problem!
Please join us in congratulating Teresa!
Safe Zone Training
The Inclusive Excellence Committee invites faculty and staff to attend Safe Zone Training, a 75-minute workshop providing education concerning LGBTQ+ issues in an effort to create awareness, promote diversity, and celebrate a spirit of inclusivity. The goal of these trainings is to improve the environment and build a support network for College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) LGBTQ+ community.
The College is proud to welcome Adriane Bang, Director of the Gender Equity Center at Boise State University, to facilitate the training.
For those wishing to participate, please RSVP for the training opportunity that best fits your schedule:
Friday, Feb. 1
3:00 – 4:15 p.m.*
Ada County Campus Pintail Center (APIN), Room 1210*
*Time and location have changed.
RSVP
Friday, March 1
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Canyon County Center, Room 112 A/B
RSVP
Contact the Inclusive Excellence Committee at diversitycommittee@cwi.edu with questions or to learn more. Thank you for making a difference at CWI.
Open House: I-84 Construction
The Idaho Department of Transportation is planning two open houses in January for the Interstate 84 construction project in Canyon County.
The $343 million multi-year project will add a third lane in both directions, rebuild the Karcher Road Overpass, and make improvements to the Northside as well as Franklin Boulevard Interchanges.
Members of the community are invited to attend an open house, on Jan. 22 or 23, to give input on current plans.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
4 – 7 p.m.
Holiday Inn in Nampa
Wednesday, Jan. 23
4 – 7 p.m.
Best Western Plus in Caldwell
Cybersecurity Awareness: Social Networking Safety
Social networking sites are a great way to stay connected and communicate, but according to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), individuals are not exercising enough caution when sharing personal information.
US-CERT suggests the following in order to protect yourself on social networking sites:
- Limit the amount of personal information you post.
- Remember the Internet is a public resource.
- Be wary of strangers.
- Be skeptical.
- Evaluate your settings.
- Be wary of third-party applications.
- Use strong passwords.
- Check privacy policies.
- Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date.
- Use and maintain anti-virus software.
Learn More about Social Networking Safety
Contact Mike Wilson at mikewilson@cwi.edu or 208.562.3193 with questions or for more information, and stay tuned for more tips and information on cybersecurity awareness in future issues of Bert’s Alerts.
