CWI Compass Connect - June 28, 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 Celebrates First SkillsUSA National Title
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is celebrating a historic trip to the 2016 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 20-24 in Louisville, Kentucky. A group of CWI students and recent graduates won medals in a school record five events, including the College’s first-ever SkillsUSA national championship. Steve Silva brought home the honor with his first-place performance in the Prepared Speech competition. Since 2010, CWI students have medaled at the SkillsUSA national event 11 times.
Silva’s success is remarkable considering this is his first year participating in competitive speech. (Read Steve’s story here.) The Canyon County native graduated this spring from CWI’s Heavy Equipment Technician program. With his gold medal, Silva will receive a SkillsUSA scholarship that he plans to use at Boise State University.
Following his win, Silva shared: “Winning the gold means I learned that even though something seems massively difficult, and maybe not doable, that things are possible if you break them down and finish them a step at a time. You can accomplish massive things.”
CWI students continued their success with silver medal finishes in a pair of events. Dustin Loya placed second in Telecommunications Cabling, while Tera Filan, Adam Hayman, Trent Jensen, and Zack Lager earned silver in Quiz Bowl.
Laura Gilmore and Josiah Duff concluded CWI’s trips to the podium with bronze medals in their respective events. Gilmore won bronze in CNC Turning Specialist, while Duff placed third in Electronics Technology.
The SkillsUSA national conference brought more than 6,000 high school and college students together from around the United States. Visit www.skillsusa.org/ to learn more.
Chance Encounter Leads to Golden Opportunity
For College of Western Idaho (CWI) alum Steve Silva, a chance encounter turned into a golden opportunity when he decided to get involved with SkillsUSA. The Diesel Technology program graduate just finished competing in the National Skills and Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. He walked away from the competition with the gold medal in the Prepared Speech category after placing first in the nation.
“To me, winning the gold at the national level means you can do it,” he said. “Impossible lives in the mind.”
Steve’s life has changed considerably since the end of last year when he saw a sign in the hallway at CWI's Nampa Campus Micron Center for Professional Technical Education. The sign announced an upcoming SkillsUSA meeting. He dropped in to check it out.
“I knew I wanted to surround myself with good people during my time at CWI,” he said. “I definitely found that in SkillsUSA.”
Shortly before becoming involved with the group, he was encouraged to participate in a rookie speech tournament hosted by CWI. His Comm 101 teacher Johnny Rowing was the one who inspired him to do it. He took first place in that tournament, and later went on to represent CWI at the state’s SkillsUSA competition in the Prepared Speech category. A gold medal followed in that event as well; earning him a spot in the national competition as an automatic qualifier.
“For as long as I live, I will hold CWI in a special place in my heart,” he said. “I was a guy who was coming off a cattle ranch before I started school. I was a lousy student when I was younger. I’m definitely not the same person I was before starting at CWI.”
Steve’s journey is somewhat unique. The youngest of six children, he grew up on a ranch in Canyon County. He graduated from Nampa Christian High School in 1999. A few years later he joined the military and worked as a munitions specialist for the next six years. After some personal and real-world exploration, he moved back home and went to work again on the family ranch. After deciding he wanted something to call his own, he chose to go to college.
“My mom always encouraged me to live, pursue my passion, and not be afraid to fail,” he said. “So I guess you can say I went to school because of her. I chose CWI because it was affordable, conveniently located, and offered a Diesel Technology program.”
Steve excelled as a student during his time at CWI. Along with earning accolades as a public speaker, he also earned two scholarships through the CWI Foundation. He graduated from the Heavy-Equipment Technician program in May and immediately enrolled in summer courses at Boise State University. His ultimate goal is to earn an MBA, work for a great company in the Treasure Valley, and, in his words, contribute to the greater society.
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
A College of Western Idaho (CWI) graduate has received the opportunity of a lifetime. Shawn Gayner, who graduated from the Horticulture Technology program in May, will soon begin her studies at Dartmouth College. She will be attending the Ivy League School as one of 30 students in the nation to be selected as a Veterans Posse Scholar.
“An Ivy League school was never in my plans,” she said. “But this is an opportunity I could not pass up.”
The Posse Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization, launched its veterans program in 2012. The organization scours the country looking for military veterans who would excel at completing select private colleges. Scholars are then chosen from a pool of applicants. This year that pool was 1,000. The recipients’ tuition, books, fees, and some housing costs are covered.
“I thought maybe I would go on to a (regional) college, earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree, become a master gardener or plant breeder, and then go to work,” she said. “Instead, I will now be starting over as a freshman majoring in biology.”
Shawn’s story is not what you would call typical. She graduated from Meridian High School in 2009. Less than a year later she enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. She would spend the next five years stationed in sunny Southern California—working indoors as a telecommunications repair technician.
“It was always my intent to go to college after the military,” she said. “But I wanted to serve my country first. After working in a building with no windows for all of those years, I knew I wanted to choose a field where I could work outside and in nature.”
After becoming a mom and fulfilling her obligation as a U.S. Marine, Shawn volunteered to return to civilian life as part of the military’s downsizing measures. She returned home to Idaho and quickly rediscovered her passion for science. CWI became her college of choice.
“Horticulture is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program,” she said. “Science-based classes that are fun because they are hands-on. I absolutely loved the program. It was rigorous, demanding, and opened a lot of doors for me. Even though I will be starting over, I certainly don’t feel like I wasted any time. If I hadn’t gone to CWI, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend Dartmouth.”
Shawn is currently wrapping up a summer-long research project at College of Idaho. For the past three months, she has been participating in the project as an INBRE (Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) scholar; studying the possibility that sagebrush can be used in the future as a pharmaceutical. She plans on putting her horticulture background to use at Dartmouth’s organic farm and greenhouse.
CWI’s Caloca Recognized for Hispanic Youth Development Work
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Director of Enrollment Management, Luis Caloca, has been recognized for his dedicated work with Hispanic youth in Idaho. On June 15, the Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce presented Caloca with its Sembrador del Futuro (Sower of the Future) award at the organization’s scholarship luncheon. Each year the honor is given to someone who displays an extraordinary investment of time and effort fundraising, developing, and empowering the state’s Hispanic youth. Caloca was nominated for the award by members of the IHCC Board.
“I would like to thank my family for their understanding when I am away on evening and weekends,” said Caloca after receiving the award. “I would also like to thank College of Western Idaho, for their support in reaching out to our diverse community.”
Along with his work helping connect the Hispanic community to opportunities at CWI, Caloca also serves in a number of public volunteer roles. He has been a board member for the Idaho Latino Scholarship Foundation since 2013; serving most recently as Treasurer and Scholarship Coordinator for two years. Since 1997 he has also acted as State Advisor for a regional high school Latino organization called Future Hispanic Leaders of America.
Caloca has worked at CWI since July 2008. He graduated from Boise State University with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in Public Administration.
Putting the Unity in Community
A true community effort is helping a special group of students achieve their dreams of going to college. Thanks to generous contributions from the Mexican Consulate in Boise and matching funds from the Wells Fargo Foundation, seven Hispanic students received scholarships this past year through the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation. Five of those students were recently honored at a luncheon sponsored by CWI and the Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
One-by-one the students stepped up to the microphone and expressed their gratitude for receiving the financial support. While each recipient told a different story, they all have one thing in common. As Mexico natives, none of them qualify for federal financial aid.
“It feels so great when people say, ‘Hey, I’ve got your back. I believe in your dreams’,” Libna Luevanos, a Biology-Healthcare student, told the crowd. Luevanos, whose ultimate life goal is to become a doctor, works two jobs to pay for college.
Hispanic students at CWI currently make up 22 percent of the College’s student population. More than half are credit/degree-seeking students. The remaining students are enrolled in the College’s Basic Skills Education program; learning English as a Second Language and other college prep and life skills.
Students honored at the luncheon are all seeking degrees. They are studying to become accountants, educators, radiologists, doctors, and law enforcement experts. All are first generation students and, thanks to these scholarships, they are all debt free.
“Wells Fargo is proud to support CWI’s Hispanic student scholarship and mentoring program again this year,” Molly Lenty, the Vice President of Wells Fargo Idaho Region Community Relations, said. “We realize the importance that a strong support system provides to first generation, low-to-moderate income, and minority students who are pursuing their college and career goals.”
Wells Fargo contributed $10,000 to help fund CWI’s Hispanic Student Initiative.
“Education is the top priority focus area in which Wells Fargo funds across the state,” Lenty said. “We commend the work that CWI is doing to make college accessible and successful for students of all backgrounds.”
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.
CWI Receives Grant to Help Fill High-Demand Jobs
The nation’s top machine tool builder has stepped forward to financially help students at College of Western Idaho (CWI). The Gene Haas Foundation has awarded a $17,500 grant to the CWI Foundation. The funding will be used to provide scholarships for students in the College’s Machine Tool Technology program.
“This scholarship opportunity will help get more students trained for this highly lucrative career,” Pat Neal, CWI’s Assistant Dean of Trades and Technical Programs, said.
Gene Haas originally started his Foundation to help fund local community projects. As his company, Haas Automation, grew into the billion dollar company it now is, his Foundation’s efforts have grown to include millions of dollars in funding to community colleges and vocational schools nationwide. Right now, the Foundation is focused on helping to fill the high number of manufacturing jobs that are going unfilled due to a lack of skilled workers.
“Manufacturing jobs are in high demand,” Neal said. “These positions offer a high wage and good working conditions. We are contacted constantly by local industry looking for employees who have skills to operate a manual or CNC mill or lathe. We are only able to fill a small number of these positions.”
The skills taught in CWI’s Machine Tool program offer opportunities in a diverse field of specialized occupations such as;
- Machine Operator
- Tool and Die work
- Automotive Machinist
- Field Work
- Machine Maintenance Mechanic
- CNC Programmer
- Quality Control
In addition to providing funding for scholarships, the grant also covers a student’s cost of obtaining NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) accreditation. Scholarships will be awarded to students currently enrolled in, or will be enrolling in, a machining-based training/education program.
CWI Closed for Independence Day
On Monday, July 4, College of Western Idaho (CWI) will not hold classes in observance of Independence Day. All campus buildings, offices, and services will also be closed. The College will resume its regular class schedule and operating hours on Tuesday (July 5).
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.
