Bert's Alerts - December 31, 2015
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) offices, services, and campus locations will be closed Friday-Saturday, Jan. 1-2, for the New Year’s holiday. CWI will resume regular hours of operation on Monday (Jan. 4). Visit cwi.edu/info/hours-operation for more information. We wish everyone a happy New Year.
News Highlights
Helping Single Parents Achieve Their Academic Dreams
For some people, a scholarship can mean the difference between going to college or not. Nikki Houston has witnessed the struggle firsthand in her job as an enrollment advisor at College of Western Idaho (CWI). Believing everyone should have the ability to go to school, Nikki has created a scholarship through the CWI Foundation that will help single parents achieve their academic dreams.
“I am in no way rich, but I felt strongly enough about this cause that I had to do something,” she said.
Nikki has worked at CWI since 2011. She started as the Foundation’s administrative assistant then transferred to Facilities for a few years before landing in Student Services. Her job involves visiting local high schools and talking to potential students about the benefits of going to college. Many of the people she talks to are at-risk students. She says a conversation with a single, pregnant teenage girl pushed her over the edge. The girl knew she wanted to go to college but thought she couldn’t afford it.
“It absolutely broke my heart,” she said. “Growing up, I never saw that side before. But when I heard her story, and several others like it, I could relate.”
Although Nikki is a high school and college graduate, she knows what it’s like to struggle. She escaped a relationship that left her physically abused, broke, and without a place to live.
“I had a job and a degree, but I still had nothing,” she said. “I lost absolutely everything. And I was homeless... with a baby.”
With her infant son Logan, Nikki turned to her parents for help. They took her in and she started to rebuild her life. It has taken a few years. Through it all, she has never lost sight of what it means to be a single parent—something else that drove her desire to create a scholarship.
“Shortly after I started my new job, I talked to my family about what I was seeing,” she said. “I asked them to match my $250 donation to establish the scholarship, and they did it.”
The “LTH Don’t Give Up” Scholarship is named after her son; Logan Thomas Houston—a bright-eyed, wide-smiled, two year-old.
“I named the scholarship after him because he makes me want to do better,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
Nikki left the scholarship open hoping others will add to the donation. Her hopes are becoming a reality as fellow CWI employees have contributed to the fund. Her ultimate wish is to grow the scholarship to become self-sustaining as an endowment.
CWI Publishes New Career Focus Magazine
The spring 2016 edition of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Career Focus Magazine is available online after more than 50,000 copies hit Treasure Valley mailboxes in December. The magazine can be viewed online at cwidaho.mycareerfocus.org. Please email communications@cwi.edu for hardcopies.
Sharing in Bert's Alerts
Each semester at College of Western Idaho (CWI) means the return of a number of wonderful activities occurring throughout the College. The Marketing and Advancement Department encourages employees to share these happenings through Bert’s Alerts. Activities may include events, recognition of employees and students, changes in processes or policies that affect employees, or simply letting peers know what is going on in departments or campus locations.
Bert’s Alerts requests can be submitted through Help Desk, by selecting “Marketing” under the Request Type drop down menu. Bert’s Alerts is distributed every Friday and the deadline for submitting content is end of day Thursday. Please direct all questions regarding Bert’s Alerts to communications@cwi.edu.
