CWI Compass Connect - April 8, 2021
News Highlights
Let’s Make it Eight!
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Speech and Debate team is enjoying a long-deserved rest after earning their 8th national title during Pi Kappa Delta’s 2021 National Comprehensive Tournament, March 18-21. The tournament featured 79 colleges and universities – CWI’s team finishing first among community colleges and 7th place overall.
“What marks this year as uniquely successful is the fact that every school had to compete remotely,” said CWI's Director of Forensics, Luke Yeates. “The CWI team not only adapted to the weird nature of competition this year, they did it so successfully they won.”
Sixteen students represented the College at the tournament, with the majority competing at the national level for the first time. In addition to the team awards, competitors brought home a total of 21 individual awards.
Dayanna Mora took 3rd in the nation for their Spanish Language speech and earned a Quarterfinalist finish in Poetry. Will Young earned a 6th place finish in Impromptu speaking, as well as Quarterfinalist finishes in Extemporaneous speaking and Persuasive speaking. Joann King earned a Quarterfinalist finish in Dramatic Interpretation, Mustafa Hashim finished as a Semifinalist in Extemporaneous Commentary, and Sophie Burgess finished in 6th place in Interviewing. Both Kaylee Peterson and Albina Khouzina earned rankings of Excellent in Interviewing, and Ashley Ryan, Kaylee Peterson, and Tristin Andrae all earned Excellent rankings in Impromptu.
In debate, both Flora Koenig and Mustafa Hashim took first place in novice Public Forum. Sophie Burgess and Kaylee Peterson earned Quarterfinalist finishes in Public Forum as well. Kaylee also took home 3rd in debate speaking points, while Sophie took 6th and Mustafa took home 7th place. In novice IPDA debate, Ashley Ryan won a Semifinalist finish as well as taking 6th place in speaker awards. Albina Khouzina earned 10th place in speaker awards in Junior IPDA.
“Last year, the tournament was canceled along with everything else, meaning for many on the team, this title has been two years in the making,” said Yeates. “It can be easy to see a team with repetitive success and start to assume another win is a given, but every national tournament is a fight. This team clawed their way to a win, and their Herculean effort should be acknowledged as such.”
CWI Speech and Debate Coaches Discuss Winning Their 8th National Title
CWI's Partnership with Idaho Job Corps Helps Students Thrive
College of Western Idaho (CWI) began an exciting partnership with the Idaho Department of Labor in November 2019 to deliver educational services to Idaho Job Corps students.
Idaho Job Corps serves students, 16-24 years old, by connecting them to skills training and employment. Students can earn a high school diploma or GED while training in CWI classes that prepare students to work in various industries, including welding, construction, and the medical field.
On March 18, CWI and Idaho Job Corps staff were pleased to present a certificate of completion to the first group of students finishing their welding training.
"I'm very pleased and happy about the accomplishments of these students," said John Russ, Assistant Director of Idaho Job Corps. "It was a joy to be in attendance and see the smiles on each of the students' faces. Many of them face hardships or difficulties navigating adult life. With the help of their Case Managers, these students took the first of many steps towards a successful future."
Ben Still is one of the students who has discovered success with Idaho Job Corps and recently earned his welding certificate.
"I've really enjoyed the program, and I feel like it has helped me to further my life," Still commented. "I've always been a mechanical person who likes to take things apart and rebuild them, so welding is perfect for me."
CWI Case Managers help guide students as they navigate and explore different career options available to them through Idaho Job Corps and CWI. Jennifer Wind is a case manager for the program and she has watched him grow as a student.
"His confidence level has skyrocketed after getting his GED through Idaho Job Corps, and it's really fun to watch him smile and look confident after the success he has found with welding," said Wind.
Students can enroll in Idaho Job Corps for up to 24 months to explore career pathways and complete work-based learning.
"Idaho's Job Corps program was built to be responsive to the needs of the community, employers, and the students we serve and CWI is uniquely equipped with the expertise and resources for this kind of work," said Tina Polishchuk, program operations manager for Idaho Job Corps. "We have many students who never imagined college could be an option for them whether receiving certifications in welding or phlebotomy or taking classes toward an associate's degree. We've genuinely appreciated our partnership with CWI and look forward to the growth we will see as we move beyond the pandemic."
CWI's partnerships with businesses and organizations in the community are part of the College's mission. Idaho Job Corps is a shining example of student empowerment as they develop skills to help them thrive in the workplace and in life.
Visit the Idaho Job Corps website to learn more about the program.
CWI Trustee Opening
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Board of Trustees announced during their monthly meeting on Thursday, March 11, the opening of the application process to fill a recently-vacated trustee position.
If you live in CWI’s Zone 3 district and would like to apply for the Board opening – visit the Board of Trustee Vacancy and Appointment Process webpage highlighting the eligibility criteria, application materials, and the submission process. Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2021. Applications are subject to Idaho’s Public Records Law.
“The Board is excited to receive applications from those interested in serving as a trustee,” said Board Chair Molly Lenty. “We know there are many dedicated leaders within Zone 3 who strive to serve students and our community, and we welcome additional skills and expertise to the College through their service on the Board.”
Please contact 208.562.2222 or trustees@cwi.edu with any questions.
Fall 2021 Registration
Go BOLD, and register for classes this fall at College of Western Idaho (CWI)! With a variety of resources, flexible course options, and caring instructors, CWI is here to help you on your pathway to success every step of the way.
Continuing Students
Priority registration at CWI for the Fall 2021 semester begins Monday, April 12. Priority registration allows continuing students a chance to enroll in classes ahead of open registration, helping students stay on track for graduation.
Following are a few tips for current students:
- Be sure to meet with your Student Success Advisor prior to registering. Once advising is completed, students can register online any time on or after their assigned registration time.
- Registration times are assigned based on cumulative credits earned. Students can check myCWI and their CWI email for their assigned time.
- Continuing students are considered those who enrolled and attended classes any semester since fall 2019.
- Dual Credit students will register during open registration.
New and Returning Students
Open Registration for all students, including new and returning, begins Monday, April 19.
- All new, degree-seeking students must participate in New Student Orientation prior to registering for classes.
Contact One Stop Student Services or visit us online to learn more about applying to CWI, orientation, and registering for classes.
Congratulations, 2021 Graduates!
In acknowledgement of our 2021 graduates, College of Western Idaho will live stream its 12th commencement ceremony Friday, May 14, beginning at 6 p.m. on CWI's Live Events page, Facebook page and YouTube channel! Plan to celebrate with us in recognition of this year’s degree and certificate and Workforce Development apprenticeship graduates.
Graduates are invited to participate in the live-streamed ceremony by submitting a photo and quote for their personalized slide. Each graduate will receive an email from noreply@marchingorder.com on behalf of the CWI’s Registrar’s Office with directions for submissions which are due April 27. Phonetic pronunciation submissions are due April 20. Regalia is available to purchase online through the Bookstore.
In addition to the ceremony, CWI is hosting a Grad Fest. This curbside, pick-up event for graduates will be held Thursday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Nampa Campus Academic Building.
Graduates are encouraged to check their student email account, the CWI newsroom, the College’s social media channels, and the Graduation webpage regularly for announcements and up-to-date information. Please email registrar@cwi.edu with any questions.
Congratulations to all our 2021 graduates! You made it!
Student Achievement Award Recipient – March 2021
Sahib Saleh’s mother, Aber, was looking out of the family’s apartment window in Damascus, Syria, when she noticed a red dot from a sniper’s laser sight pointed at her and a soldier started screaming, from an adjacent building, to back away from the window. As Sahib, a 10-year-old at the time, and his four siblings huddled on the living room floor, their mother slowly stepped away from the window in shock – it was 2011, the start of the civil war in Syria.
Saleh and his family lived in Syria as refugees from Iraq when the civil war began in Syria. They had to return to Karbala, Iraq, and wait nearly two years before they could immigrate to the United States in 2013. In 2018, he graduated from Boise High School.
“It was like heaven arriving in Boise, I was so happy and thankful – I kept wondering if it was real or just a dream,” said Saleh.
When he started College of Western Idaho (CWI) in the fall of 2018, Saleh looked at healthcare programs and worked closely with his advisor Erica Compton, who currently works as the Assistant Director of Advising and Student Success.
“From the very beginning, our advisor/advisee relationship clicked, and we would check-in often,” Compton said. “In Sahib’s pursuit of the medical field, he completed the ESL-pathway course and Environmental Services Technician, and he was able to get a part-time job at a local hospital. Shortly after working in the field, he told me, ‘bodily fluids are not for me,’ and he decided to explore other programs.”
Compton continued to work with Sahib and after talking with him about his interest and passion for computers and technology, he decided to start the Cybersecurity program.
“I like the classroom learning experience with my instructor, Linda Otto. Everything is very logical and displayed visually, so it’s easy to develop new skills for my Cybersecurity classes,” added Saleh.
Through all of his challenges, Saleh remains optimistic and knows education will be crucial to success.
“Regardless of the obstacles presented to Sahib, whether personally, professionally, or academically, he has not given up,” continued Compton. “With the adversity he has overcome, he has continued to be one of the nicest and most humble human beings I’ve had the pleasure to work with.”
Once he graduates from CWI, Saleh plans to attend Boise State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity.
CWI Hires New VP for Human Resources
President Bert Glandon announced Ryan Herring has been chosen as the incoming Vice President for Human Resources for the College of Western Idaho (CWI).
“We are so fortunate to have Ryan for his expertise in the many intricate nuances of today’s complex world of human resources,” said Glandon. “He leads by example and embodies the CWI spirit in all he does.
Herring has been serving as the Executive Director of Human Resources and has worked at the College since 2014. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Human Resources and worked for Simplot, Xerox, and The Adecco Group before joining CWI. Herring has a background in workforce management and development, Title IX, and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the Human Resource Certification Institute and has a Strategic Workforce Planning Certification from the Human Capital Institute.
“I am thrilled,” said Herring. “CWI is such an amazing institution, and to have the opportunity to continue our work here in the support of our faculty, staff, and students, there is simply nothing better for me!”
Herring is filling the role following Lillian Talley's retirement in December, and he will assume his new position beginning March 15.
Farm to Fork Event Recognized with National Award
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Farm to Fork event and Communications and Marketing team were recognized with a national award in March from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). The College received a silver Paragon Award in the Special Event category.
Farm to Fork, spearheaded by Andrea Schumaker, Department Chair of Agriculture Sciences, is a terrific example of CWI continuing to thrive during the pandemic. Instead of participants joining friends and family at the College to enjoy the meal featuring produce grown in the Campus Garden, 2020 participants picked up their boxes of fresh food to prepare the meal in the comfort of their homes.
CWI’s Communications and Marketing team developed a wide range of content to support the event, including how-to videos assisting participants as they prepared the meal, a webpage, multiple social media posts, a video featuring Gutierrez Family Farms – one of the local sponsors, and an interactive text messaging option to navigate the how-to videos for each course of the meal.
“Farm to Fork is such a fun event to plan and coordinate,” said Schumaker. “Supporting local farms and businesses while hosting a delicious meal to support and sustain the garden is the icing on the cake! It is impressive to see CWI’s Communication and Marketing team celebrated for their hard work on the event! It truly is a labor of love and the event couldn’t happen without the hard work and dedication of those at CWI as well as the Treasure Valley!”
Schoenherr Named Faculty of Distinction for March
Congratulations to Heather Schoenherr, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for March 2021. Schoenherr is an Associate Professor of Psychology and one of the College’s founding faculty members.
“It has been quite an adventure growing and changing with CWI,” Schoenherr said. “When we first started, we were small enough for faculty and administrators to attend meetings all together. Meetings were so lively because we were all answering the question, ‘What do you want this college to be?’"
Dedicating her career to creating opportunities for students to discover their potential and build their strengths, Schoenherr regularly volunteers her time and talents to directly influence the experience of students at CWI. This includes serving as the Psychology Club and Psi Beta Honor Society advisor, leading the annual President's Writing Awards, mentoring research assistants, and working to build a research bridge for CWI’s Psychology students with Boise State University. In addition, she serves as a liaison for the Institutional Review Board at The College of Idaho and serves on the National Council for Psi Beta.
“I was fortunate to have outstanding mentors while I was in college. Their dedication to my success and belief in my ability is why I became a teacher. I feel fortunate to do the same for others. As professors, it is easy to believe in students. The challenge is getting students to believe in themselves. I have found it is essential to create opportunities for students to shine to build the confidence to continue their education.”
“Heather is the epitome of what is excellent at CWI,” said Associate Professor, Stephanie Ritchie Breach. “She is an engaged faculty member who is always striving to provide the best opportunities for her students. I am constantly impressed with how purposeful Heather is in all areas of her teaching—from normalizing academic challenges for her students, to instilling a growth mindset, to continual research and preparation for her courses. Heather is not only teaching her students about psychology but also helping them develop skills that will help them be successful in whatever path they pursue.”
“Because of CWI, I am inspired every day,“ Schoenherr said. “My colleagues and students are always teaching me something new and push me to be the best educator and human I can be.”
Schoenherr loves exploring the foothills and is an avid non-fiction reader. When not grading or teaching, she can often be found researching about aspects of teaching or psychology.
“How lucky am I that I enjoy my job so much it can be a hobby?! My non-working hours are mostly filled with the beautiful chaos of my 3- and 4-year-olds. I am fortunate to have a supportive partner cheering me on with each step of my journey.”
Local Agencies Hire CWI Law Enforcement Students
All six members of Class 9 of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Law Enforcement (LE) program are now successfully employed at local agencies. The students, who graduated this past December, were hired on at Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Army Reserve, and Idaho Department of Corrections within 30 days of completing the program.
Tomas Gomez, a 2020 graduate of CWI’s LE program, began working at Canyon County Sheriff’s Office prior to completion of the program.
“At CWI, each student is installed with the utmost professionalism and exercise the highest level of ethics, empathy, and energy. We finish feeling highly motivated and determined to be the difference and impact our community positively,” Gomez said. “I am very excited to be in this career. I enjoy the experiences I get to have and meeting so many great people. My future goal is to be successful leader and leave a legendary mark in the state of Idaho.”
Gomez’s classmate, Fatuma Oweid, now works as a Corrections Officer at the Idaho Department of Corrections.
“The Law Enforcement program taught me to give 100% and to train as much as I can,” said Oweid. “I’ve learned so much from my brothers and sisters in the program. I will always have their six.”
The LE program provides well-trained students to agencies throughout Idaho and the Northwest region. Entrance into the program is highly competitive. Recruiting for the Fall 2021 academy is currently taking place now through the first of June. Persons interested in applying are encouraged to visit the LE program page on the CWI website to learn more or contact Director LeRoy Forsman at leroyforsman@cwi.edu.
Community Events Inspire Inclusive Excellence
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) committee for Inclusive Excellence would like to highlight upcoming and ongoing community events focused on equity, inclusion, and diversity. A current and regularly-updated list of events is published on the CWI Diversity webpage. For anyone looking to continue leaning into these important conversations, we invite you to sign-up to attend events of interest to you.
To anyone planning an event reflecting the Inclusive Excellence mission of CWI, please email the details to diversitycommittee@cwi.edu.
2021 Connections Project
Mark your calendars for College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) sixth-annual Connections Project event Thursday, April 29, at noon on CWI's Facebook page and YouTube channel. This year’s live-streamed event will recognize winners of the Connections Excellence Awards, Juried Art Show, and President’s Writing Awards.
For additional information or questions about this year’s event, visit the Connections Project page online or email connections@cwi.edu.
Facebook Link: 2021 Connections Project
YouTube Link: 2021 Connections Project
Visiting Artist Series Welcomes Mithu Sen
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Visiting Artist Series is proud to welcome international artist, Mithu Sen, Friday, April 9, from 1 -2 p.m.
Sen, a visual and performance artist based in New Delhi, India, has exhibited and performed at museums, institutions, galleries, and biennales and triennials including Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2016); Tate Modern, London (2013); Queens Museum, New York (2015); Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, USA (2014); Peabody Essex Museum, USA (2016); Palais De Tokyo, Paris (2015); Art Unlimited, Basel (2016); Asia Pacific Triennale 9 Brisbane (2018); Kochi Muziris Biennale, India(2014); Mediations Biennale, Poznań, Poland (2012); Dhaka Art Summit, Dhaka (2014); among others.
Sen was the first Indian artist to receive the Skoda Award for Best Indian Contemporary Art in 2010, succeeded by the Prudential Eye Award for Contemporary Asian Art in Drawing in 2015, and Performance Artist of the Year by India Today in 2020.
The CWI community is invited to join as Sen discusses her work with interactive, multi-media formats exploring and questioning social norms, fixed beliefs, and categorizations, as well as her professional development as an artist. Sen’s lecture will be followed by a Q & A session, both of which will be recorded for viewing at a later time. As some of the topics explored during the lecture will contain adult material, the event is not suitable for children.
CWI’s Visiting Artist Series is made possible through a grant from Idaho Commission on the Arts, which is supported by National Endowment for the Arts. Visiting Artist Series workshops, featuring visual and performing artists, are free and open to the entire CWI community.
Contact Brenda Fisher at brendafisher@cwi.edu to learn more or with questions.
Zoom Link: Visiting Artist Series Welcomes Mithu Sen
Passcode: 203504
