Bert's Alerts - November 13, 2015
In the Spotlight
Students with College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Nursing program have been busy this month volunteering in multiple service projects around the community. Led by the CWI Student Nurses Association, students collected approximately $1,000 in donated items and gift cards for the Women’s and Children’s Alliance in Boise. In addition, a group of students joined the third annual “Walk a mile in my shoes” event hosted by the Boise/Ada County Homeless Coalition. To learn more, read the full articles:
Volunteer Event Provides Perspective for CWI Nursing Students
News Highlights
CWI’s 2015 Veterans Day Ceremony
CWI's 2015 Veterans Day Ceremony
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, College of Western Idaho (CWI) hosted a Veterans Day ceremony at CWI’s Nampa Campus Academic Building. The event featured a color guard, the CWI Choir, student speaker Shawn Gayer, and guest speaker Jeff Bacon. Watch the video to experience some sights and sounds from the ceremony.
CWI Free Application Week is Nov. 9-16
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is continuing its efforts to help make higher education more accessible by waiving the College’s $25 application fee, Nov. 9-16. CWI has hosted its Free Application Week initiative since 2012 in an effort to encourage future students to take the first step in starting college.
In addition to waiving the application fee, CWI will also be hosting a FAFSA Completion Night event on Thursday, Nov. 12, to help future students complete their federal financial aid application. The event will be held at CWI’s Nampa Campus Micron Center for Professional Technical Education from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Directions
Anyone interested in applying to CWI can fill out the online application at cwi.edu/apply. For more information on becoming a student at CWI, visit cwi.edu/go.
Life-changing Experience Into a Lifesaving Career
Growing up, Heather Griffin never imagined she would be working from a mobile office while saving lives. And yet that is exactly what she does. A paramedic with Life Flight Network, she travels from Oregon to Utah and all points in between. Dispatched to respond to up to 12 calls per shift, her job is to make sure people get the lifesaving care they need. It’s a far cry from being the stay-at-home mom she once was. She says one significant life experience and the College of Western Idaho (CWI) changed her life.
“I needed an outlet to get through and this is my way of doing that,” she said.
In 2009, Heather experienced a parent’s worst fear. Her youngest son, Lucca, was born without a thymus. Without the vital gland, it meant Lucca would never be able to fight off infection. His best chance for survival was to get medical help at Duke University Medical Center—the only hospital in the country that could save his life. Heather and Lucca were transported to North Carolina on their first of two medical flights.
“I can honestly relate to what people go through,” Heather said. “We do a lot of NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) transports through Life Flight. I know I can help them through it because I have been there.”
Heather says her experience was bittersweet. Lucca survived for 10 months. Determined to make something positive of the experience—and to pay tribute to her son—she decided to go to school. Research led her to choose the Emergency Medical Technician program through Workforce Development.
“I knew my choices were limited and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t wasting money,” she said. “I ended up with more than a great education. I found Steve Cole—a fantastic mentor who I will always be indebted to.”
Heather finished her studies in 2011 with advanced EMT training. She completed national registry testing in 2012. Six months later she was working at Life Flight.
“When a call comes in, we are never given specific details on what kind of call it is,” she said. “When I first started, I was afraid I would get a pediatric call and not be able to keep it together. As it turns out, my first call was for NICU. My mentor worked overtime to help me work through it.”
Heather will never forget what led her to make a career out of saving lives. She wears a blue lanyard around her neck every day as a reminder. Printed with the word “DUKE” around it in bold, white letters, she says it’s for Lucca. Although she has faced hardship, she still feels blessed.
“I love to get up every day and go to work,” she said. “I work for a great company that really works with me. They are flexible and family oriented—which is great for me and my three children. I can’t imagine anything else and I wouldn’t be here without CWI.”
Heather recently remarried. Her husband is a Boise police officer. The date they chose to get married was September 11—which is significant to them both as 9-1-1 responders.
SAPB Speaker Series Continues
The College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Student Activities Programming Board will welcome international speaker and philanthropist Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku to campus in November for the second installment of its new guest speaker series. Dr. Kituku will visit the Nampa Campus Academic Building on Nov. 20 to present on "The Intangible Power of Your Education." The free event will run from 1-2 p.m. and is open to the public.
Dr. Kituku is focused on helping people increase their productivity while staying motivated. His start in life was challenging, with the death of five siblings due to chronic malaria and stomach illness, causing him to have to spend six years in three grades. Despite a rough beginning, his positive attitude and drive helped him reach truly admirable heights throughout his life.
LCSC Theatre Production Coming to CWI
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will host a free public theatre production in November as part of its Visiting Artist Series. The Lewis-Clark State College Silverthorne Theatre Program will host a pair of local performances of An Elaborate System of Ropes and Pulleys; a mind bending comic drama.
The curtain will raise on the show at CWI’s Nampa Campus Academic Building on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The group will host a second performance on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. on the campus of The College of Idaho. Both performances are free and open to the public. The production does contain adult material and is not suitable for young children.
An Elaborate System of Ropes and Pulleys is a new play by Jef Petersen. This original production is a collaborative effort between LCSC and the University of Idaho and features original live music and puppetry to create the world of the play. The story follows a jaded and emotionally aloof, string theory physicist, Tess, who finds herself mysteriously shifting through time and space as she grapples with the loss of a loved one. Tess discovers that her scientific world is not orderly, but is in fact controlled by a vague and elaborate system of ropes and pulleys, with which she must reconcile her beliefs and understanding of self.
For more information on the performance at CWI, please contact Brenda Fisher at brendafisher@cwi.edu.
Volunteers Make STEM Out! A Success
College of Western Idaho (CWI) hosted its annual STEM Out! event on Saturday (Nov. 7) bringing 134 girls ages 10-15 to CWI’s Micron Center for Professional Technical Education in Nampa. The event, which is sponsored by CWI’s Center for New Directions and Professional Technical Education, showcased occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The event featured 24 unique hands-on workshops that were both fun and educational. Each participant attended six workshops throughout the day.
In all, approximately 150 CWI students, staff, and faculty helped make the event a success. Workshops were presented by faculty and students in both Professional Technical Education and Academic Transfer programs. In addition, approximately 45 CWI faculty, staff, and students volunteered at the event in a variety of roles from group leader to registration.
Thank you to all the individuals, programs, and departments that volunteered to help make this a great event once again.
Football Party Coming to Micron Center
The College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Culture and Employee Engagement Committee would like to invite CWI employees and their families to attend a tailgating and watch party for the Boise State football game versus Air Force on Friday, Nov. 20. The event will be held at CWI’s Micron Center for Professional Technical Education. Tailgating starts at 6:30 p.m. with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on both projector screens in room 1701 A/B. Food and games will be set up in one of the Micron Center industry labs.
This is a family friendly event with games set up for both adults and kids. Please bring your favorite tailgating food. Drinks will be provided. Email ceec@cwi.edu with questions.
