Bert's Alerts - June 17, 2016
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will host an event on June 29 to help prospective students learn about the opportunities the College offers as well as complete the admission process. The Explore CWI event will run from 2-7 p.m. at CWI’s Micron Center for Professional Technical Education. Anyone applying to CWI at the event will have the $25 application fee waived.
News Highlights
CWI Adds Classes to Meet Workforce Demand
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is continuing to help meet the needs of local employers by expanding its offerings for five professional-technical programs. Based on high requests, both from students and employers, CWI will be adding sessions over the next year for Automotive Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Perioperative Nursing, Software Development, and Welding and Metals Fabrication. The expanded training opportunities will accommodate an additional 90 students.
All five programs train for careers that are projected to grow by 15-26 percent in Idaho from 2012 to 2022, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. Four of the programs will now offer classes that run in the afternoon and evening, providing more flexibility for students. CWI’s new Perioperative Nursing program, meanwhile, is the only training of its kind in Idaho.
New Course Offerings and Start Dates
- Fall 2016 - Machine Tool Technology and Automotive Technology afternoon/evening sessions.
- Fall 2016 - First public Perioperative Nursing program day session.
- Spring 2017 - Welding and Software Development afternoon/evening sessions.
“CWI is excited to be able to make a difference for student access and workforce demand,” says Will Fanning, CWI’s Dean of Professional Technical Education. “The new options are a great opportunity for those already employed to have the ability to advance their career training and skillset while continuing to work.”
Registration is currently open for CWI’s fall semester. Visit cwi.edu/go for more information on programs and applying to CWI.
Debt-Free and Determined: CWI Guides Life Goal
When Libna Luevanos graduated from Boise High School in 2014 she wasn’t sure what would happen next. Her parents wanted her to work. She wanted to learn. Always fascinated with science and the human body, she was exposed to forensics in high school and thought criminal justice may be a natural fit. As it turns out, her decision to attend College of Western Idaho (CWI) ultimately determined what she would do.
“I know I will be a doctor someday,” she said. “I don’t know when and I don’t know where—but I know I will be.”
CWI has fueled Libna’s interest in human biology—more specifically the study of medicine. Two specific courses helped define her goal; Biology 100 with Dusty Perkins and an opportunity to visit the state’s cadaver lab with her anatomy and physiology class.
“Dusty’s class filled me with curiosity,” she said. “I wanted to know why things happen the way they do. The cadaver lab visit was a very humbling experience. Knowing that someone would allow their body to be researched for the greater good served as reinforcement that I knew I was on the right path.”
Libna’s path led to CWI for financial reasons. A Mexico native, she doesn’t qualify for federal financial aid. Although she has lived in the United States nearly her entire life, she is not a citizen. She has approached college with a pay-as-you-go strategy. To her advantage, she has completed her education debt-free.
“I have friends who are freaking out about how much they owe,” she said. “I have no debt and I am very relieved.”
Libna works two jobs in addition to her full-time academic schedule. For her, every penny counts. She was recently awarded the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) Scholarship through the CWI Foundation.
“This scholarship has been such a blessing,” she said. “Being the first person in my family to graduate from high school and also attend college has proven quite hard. It has been a learning curve to even attend college. CWI was the right choice for me. It was better to start here, learn how to talk to instructors and do things the right way, and then go off to another college knowing how to navigate the system.”
Libna has one more year at CWI. She plans to transfer to Idaho State University’s pre-med program after she graduates. Her ultimate life goal is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon; a medical doctor who specializes in surgical procedures of the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest.
ITD Announces Road Work Impacting CWI Community
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has announced plans for road work this summer that may impact College of Western Idaho (CWI) employees and students. On Monday, June 20, the ITD will begin a project to improve seven bridges across the Treasure Valley. Three of the bridges are located near CWI’s Nampa Campus, on Interstate-84 at Garrity Boulevard, Robinson Road, and Black Cat Road. Work is expected to take place at night, but drivers will experience reduced speed limits and lane closures, among other changes.
For more information on the project please view the ITD Bridge Maintenance Project Map.
Rich Receives June Faculty Award
Teresa Rich has been selected as College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for June.
Rich earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Microbiology from Brigham Young University. She has worked in a wide range of microbiology labs following graduation. In 2010, Rich joined the CWI Biology Department where she shares her love of microbiology with students. She is known for being patient and even tempered. She is always available to her students – never considering them an interruption. Nothing ever ruffles her feathers and she has a remarkable way of relating and helping people feel comfortable expressing themselves.
Her nomination said, “How is it possible to make germs and Ebola interesting? Well, Teresa does it! One of the ways she engages her students is with short introductory videos. She has this wonderfully silly collection of stuffed toys representing various germs and she uses them to create minute long videos for her students that are informative and fun and get you thinking. You can tell she enjoys it and her enthusiasm is (pun intended) ‘infectious’.”
In her spare time, Rich enjoys hiking, writing, and photography; especially if she can get a nice, in focus photo of wildlife.
Please join in congratulating Teresa for this well-deserved recognition.
