Bert's Alerts—Oct. 26, 2018
News Highlights
Scholarship Spotlight – Ricardo B.
Hometown: Refuge, Trelawny, Jamaica
Major: Biology-Human Biology
Graduation: 2019
Thank you: “I want to let you know how thankful I am toward your kindness. Receiving this scholarship means the world to me. This award has given me more confidence in myself to realize, yes, I can make my dreams come true. I will do great things with your investment.”
Ricardo, currently majoring in Human Biology at College of Western Idaho (CWI), would ultimately like to become a forensic scientist. Ricardo came to the United States from Jamaica with his mother in 2016. Despite being the first in his family to attend college, he said he was taught from a young age education is the key to success.
“Leaving Jamaica was hard. I was happy, scared, and nervous all at once,” he said. “I wanted to come here because of the opportunities – more opportunities than I would have had back home.”
As the recipient of various scholarships during his time at CWI, Ricardo says not only have the scholarships relieved the burden of paying for college expenses, but have increased his confidence and pushed him to work harder.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of the medical field. At first, I wanted to become a medical doctor, but as I was introduced to forensics, it blew my mind,” he said. “I want to make a difference, and the very thought of knowing I can make a difference while solving crimes and other situations is a blessing to me.”
Planning to continue his education at a four-year university, Ricardo says he has overcome many challenges during his academic journey and credits his success at CWI to the people he has met and his amazing instructors.
“Because of CWI, things seem possible. I am thankful to CWI for the opportunity I have been given.”
2C Spotlight Awards Recognizes CWI Faculty
College of Western Idaho was proud to be a sponsor of the 2017-18 Idaho Press 2C Spotlight Awards. The awards banquet, held at the Nampa Civic Center Thursday, Oct. 25, recognized 52 extraordinary members of the community for their leadership, volunteerism, or heroism.
Our very own LeRoy Forsman, faculty and former Program Chair of the College’s Law Enforcement program, was presented with this year’s 2C Spotlight Award for College Educator of the Year.
“I was very surprised and honored,” Forsman said. “I feel fortunate to have been given so many opportunities in my career. I would never have accomplished anything without the support of my family, friends, and coworkers. I am blessed.”
Forsman, who came to CWI with more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, has been part of the College’s Law Enforcement program from the very beginning and instrumental in both its creation and success.
“Our program is what it is today because of LeRoy,” said CWI President, Bert Glandon. “LeRoy was able to bring his years of stellar service in law enforcement and time spent as Police Chief of Nampa into the classroom. He is viewed as one of the foremost authorities and one of the best officers that has ever existed.”
2C Spotlight Award Winners
Kim Deugan – All Star, Nonprofit of the Year
LeRoy Forsman – College Educator of the Year
Carrie Corson – Gift of Health Citizen of the Year
Shawn Tegethoff – K-12 Educator of the Year
Monique Michel-Duarte – Arts/Entertainment
Danny Pugmire – Volunteer of the Year
Mike McGowan – Business Person of the Year
Claire Connley – Government Worker of the Year
Antonio Ballesteros – Youth Citizen of the Year
Daniel Mangeac – Citizen of the Year
Liliana Vega – Agriculture Educator of the Year
Chad Hessman – First Responder/Civic Service of the Year
Congratulations to all those recognized. Thank you for your contributions to our community!
CWIdifference.com: A Great Resource for the Health Science Building
As the College of Western Idaho (CWI) enters the final stretch leading up to the plant facilities levy, for the proposed Health Science Building, you can visit CWIdifference.com to learn more about the facility.
With health and science professions in high demand, a state-of-the-art health science facility will provide student-centric training for nursing, natural and life sciences, medical and emergency responder professions, and additional healthcare careers. The Health Science Building will provide a critical increase in capacity to address the skills gap — an additional 2,500 students annually will have access to credit and short-term training in health and science programs.
CWI enjoys a strong partnership with Saint Alphonsus, St. Luke’s, Norco, as well as other medical organizations in the region. According to the Idaho Department of Labor, the state needs 10,000 more healthcare workers by 2024, and CWI’s new building will act as a conduit between skilled workers and the Treasure Valley’s healthcare industry shortage. A new Health Science Building also aligns with the College’s vision to transition away from leased buildings and increase owned facilities.
Veterans Day 2018
College of Western Idaho Field of Honor
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will have a number of events leading up to the observance of Veterans Day. On Friday, Nov. 2, Veteran Services will begin placing flags on the west lawn of the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)for the College's annual Field of Honor display. The flags will be on display through Nov. 15.
Join us Monday, Nov. 12, for the following events celebrating and honoring our veterans:
Run to Remember
7 a.m.—NCAB, outside west entrance
Remembrance circle followed by a one-mile run/walk
Veterans Day Ceremony
1 p.m.—NCAB, west lawn
Ceremony will feature guest speakers, a student speaker, and refreshments.
Veterans Panel Discussion
6 p.m.—NCAB, room 102E
Panel will feature veterans discussing their service and the transitions they made starting school following their service.
“It’s important to CWI to support veterans, said Matt Collard, Work Study for Veteran Services on campus. "This college is a good start for their education, and we help vets go forward academically by showing support and making them feel welcome.”
Thank you to those who have served and to those who show their support!
Cybersecurity Awareness: Ransomware
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). To help raise awareness and educate members of the college community on the importance of cybersecurity, IT will be offering tips and information. This week’s topic is ransomware.
Q: What is ransomware?
A: It’s easy to forget sometimes how valuable the information we store on our computers and devices really is to us. Family photos, financial information, address books, homework assignments – so much of our lives is stored digitally! Ransomware is a type of malware in which the attacker encrypts the victim’s data to make it as inaccessible as possible. Then, the hacker demands a ransom to release or unencrypt that information.
Q: Why should you care?
A: The fees extorted by cybercriminals through ransomware can be extreme or prohibitive – not to mention there’s no guarantee that your data will actually be returned to you after you pay! Luckily, there’s a simple way to make yourself and your data resistant to ransomware attacks. In addition to keeping your software and antivirus programs up-to-date, regularly back up your system on the cloud or on an external hard drive. That way, you always have a spare copy of the information most important to you.
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2018 Toolkit
Contact Mike Wilson at mikewilson@cwi.edu or 208.562.3193 with questions or for more information, and stay tuned for more tips in future issues of Bert’s Alerts.
