CWI News – Dec. 13, 2024
In the Spotlight
Agricultural and Horticultural students from the Landscape Design I course at College of Western Idaho (CWI) presented plans for a new arboretum to community partners and faculty on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB). The new arboretum design will ultimately be chosen in February and included adjacent to the under-construction Agricultural Sciences Complex.
News Highlights
CWI Celebrates the Holidays with Gingerbread Battle
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is kicking off the holiday season with some festive fun! Three creative contestants representing students, faculty, and staff, take on the ultimate contest to see who can create the best CWI-themed gingerbread house and walk away as the first CWI Gingerbread Battle champion!
Meet the contestants:
- Luis Caloca – Dean, Admissions & One Stop
- Andrea Schumaker – Department Chair, Agriculture
- Zayne Sedrick – CWI student studying Anthropology
Watch
Watch the battle on CWI's social media channels or below:
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Vote
You get to choose the winner! The contestant with the best gingerbread house, as voted on by you, the viewers, will be this year's CWI Gingerbread Battle champion.
- Cast your vote for the sweetest masterpiece by Thursday, Dec. 19, at 5 p.m.
- This year's winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20, on CWI social media channels.
Fall 2024 Fire Service Technology Graduation Ceremony
Seventeen Fire Service Technology graduates from Class #6 at College of Western Idaho (CWI) walked across the Nampa Civic Center stage and took the Firefighter Code of Ethics oath to celebrate the completion of the program on Dec. 11.
The ceremony commenced with Director of Fire Service Technology, Darrin Raskopf, welcoming the graduates’ family, friends, and special guests. Graduates and Fire Service Technology instructors marched into the ceremony holding flags and reciting the pledge of allegiance.
“I always look forward to the graduation ceremony each year as it is the culmination of all the hard work of the students and is a time to celebrate their accomplishments,” said Raskopf. “The bond that is formed between our instructors and the students extends far beyond the classroom, and it’s great to see some of the friendships and mentoring continue on after they leave. This group of students is a great class, and it was a pleasure to have them in this program.”
Keynote speaker, Kelsey Backen, Division Chief of Training Operations for the Eagle Fire Department, shared with graduating recruits what lies ahead in this career — long days, time away from family, but also the lifelong friends and “second family” they will make along the way.
Valedictorian and Fall 2024 Top Academic Award recipient, Sam Nielsen, also spoke during the ceremony, thanking friends, family, instructors, and the many active and retired members of the Treasure Valley fire community who helped train the class. He shared how proud he is of his graduating class and how close they became throughout the semester.
“We became a team over the last 16 weeks,” Nielsen said. “No matter how hot or cold or the size of the challenge — we encouraged each other at every step of the way. That is what it meant to be a crew. These were the moments that built us.”
The ceremony also highlighted more student honors, including CWI Fire Service Technology graduate, Kyle Fletcher, receiving the Most Physically Improved Award.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates were left with one final piece of critical wisdom, “I always preach the importance of continuing education and can sound like a broken record, but your career will also be an education,” Raskopf said. “At some point you’re going to want to promote, and the extra classes, certifications, and degrees are what will break that ceiling. Keep putting the work in for that prize because it will always pay off in the end.”
Cyber Newsletter: Popular Cyber Scams Series 3
“Individuals Posing as Employees of a Company”
Fraudulent individuals posing as an organization’s associates often call the customers requesting credit card information. Please note that these calls are fraudulent. Organizations will not call or email customers asking for account or credit card information.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from an organization that you do business with requesting your credit card number in order to charge you a small fee to resolve a technical issue, please hang up immediately and contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the fraudulent call at DoNotCall.gov.
If you need to make any changes to your account, please login to your account online.
Essential tips to help avoid falling victim to online phishing and phone scams:
- Stay Alert: Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts or calls requesting personal or financial information. Always verify the sender's identity before sharing any sensitive details.
- Verify Requests: If you receive a suspicious message or call claiming to be from a trusted organization, independently verify the request through official channels.
- Protect Personal Information: Avoid sharing sensitive information like passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers over the phone or online unless you initiated the contact and are certain of the recipient's authenticity.
- Use Security Software: Install reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on your devices to help detect and prevent phishing attempts. Keep your software up-to-date to ensure optimal protection.
- Educate Yourself: Stay informed about the latest phishing and phone scam tactics. Be wary of common techniques such as urgent requests for money, threats of legal action, or offers that seem too good to be true.
- Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect you've encountered a phishing attempt or phone scam, report it to the appropriate authorities, such as your bank, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or local law enforcement.
For more information about CWI’s organizational security please contact Michael Wilson at michaelwilson1@cwi.edu
For more information about cyber awareness or cybersecurity, you can either contact Michael Wilson or Sara Hoyt at sarahoyt@cwi.edu or cyberdefense@cwi.edu, or visit the Cyber Defense Center website.
To report a possible cybersecurity issue, please submit a help desk ticket to IT.
Celebrating Innovation and Vision
Fall 2024 at College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Entrepreneur Lab has been a hub of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. As the year comes to a close, we are thrilled to spotlight the incredible participants who have enriched our cohorts and events, turning their visions into reality.
Meet Our Featured Entrepreneurs
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Maegan Rupe and Seth Hoover: Inspired by their personal journey, Rupe and Hoover designed functional and fashionable sweaters for women undergoing chemotherapy. Their innovative garments feature arm openings for convenient treatment access—a thoughtful solution addressing an often-overlooked need.
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Estrellita Gonzalez: Starting with a hot chocolate booth in downtown Caldwell, Gonzalez plans to expand her venture into a family-friendly buffet dining concept.
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Uriel Ornelas: Ornelas introduced his unique candy creations, specifically designed for teenagers. Having achieved success in the experimental phase, he’s ready to scale up!
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Patrick Fry-Al Thwani: Our first-ever attendee and prize winner, Fry-Al Thwani is now developing an online side hustle—PRE-assembling circuit board Christmas tree ornaments to save customers time.
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Daniella Jensen: Jensen is launching a business aimed at helping young people plan gap year adventures. She’s starting with a blog and social media platform to share travel expertise.
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Dion Saldivar: Saldivar is pursuing his dream of launching a modern and experimental Mexican food and drink truck. He attended our Idea, Set, Go workshop to bring his vision to life.
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Oscar Perales: Through the Next Level Accelerator program, Perales is taking his business, Take It Easy, to new heights. This app-based junk removal service promises convenience at your fingertips.
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John Carl Granados: A proud partner of the Entrepreneur Lab, Granados is the owner of 1866 Creations LLC, a screen-printing business based in Nampa. He was a grant winner while attending one of the Entrepreneur Lab's Business Basics events.
A Collaborative Spirit
This semester’s participants have not only showcased incredible innovations but also demonstrated the collaborative energy that makes the Entrepreneur Lab thrive. Their journeys are inspiring, and we can’t wait to see what they achieve next.
Stay Connected
Stay in the loop on the latest entrepreneurial news and updates. Subscribe to the Entrepreneur Lab's newsletter.
Safety Fest 2025: Empowering Safety in the Community
Join College of Western Idaho (CWI) for Safety Fest 2025, an engaging and informative event hosted by CWI's Workforce Development and Safety Fest of the Great Northwest. This annual gathering will take place for the second time at CWI's Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC). Designed for everyone in the community, Safety Fest offers invaluable opportunities to enhance safety knowledge, obtain certifications, and connect with industry experts — all at no cost to participants!
Jan. 7 – 9
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC)
Why Attend?
- Free Safety Classes: Expand your expertise with a diverse selection of classes, including OSHA training, CPR certifications, and more.
- Trade Show: Explore a dynamic vendor showcase featuring the latest safety tools, resources, and services.
- Professional Growth: Gain certifications that advance your skills and knowledge at no cost.
Safety Fest is your chance to prioritize safety in your professional and personal life while engaging with like-minded community members. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from experts and enhance your safety expertise.
For more information, visit Safety Fest or contact Glenn Karn at glennkarn@cwi.edu.
Big Changes From Your Staff Senate
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Staff Senate has been hard at work, committing to improving staff engagement, delivering updates, enhancing communication, and fostering connections. Below are some exciting updates!
Staff Senate Bylaws
Updates have been made to the Staff Senate Bylaws ensuring a more effective and legitimate voice for all staff.
Staff are encouraged to vote on the proposed bylaws this week through Dec. 20.
SharePoint Hub
Staff Senate is thrilled to announce the launch of the new CWI Staff Senate Public SharePoint site, designed to be the central hub for all things Staff Senate. Key features include:
- Anonymous Feedback Submission Form: Let your voice be heard without revealing your identity
- Staff of the Month Submission Form: Nominate outstanding colleagues for recognition
- Staff Senate Announcements: Stay informed about ongoing efforts from Staff Senate members and committees
- Initiative Tracker: View the status of ideas, concerns, and requests submitted to Staff Senate by the broader CWI staff
- Other Resources: Access links to meeting minutes, upcoming events, and essential tools for staff
Monthly Newsletter
In addition to the resources outlined above, the Staff Senate SharePoint site also contains the new Staff Senate monthly newsletter. This newsletter contains information pertinent to CWI staff, including Administrative Council meeting outputs, important updates from Staff Senate and Staff Senate committees, staff activity and event information, and staff recognition.
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
- Staff Senate Proposed Bylaws Voting
Dec. 2 – 20
- CWI Staff Holiday Gathering
Tuesday, Dec. 17
1 – 4 p.m.
Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)
Get Involved
Your involvement is crucial to the success of the Staff Senate. Together, we can make a significant impact! Staff are encouraged to participate, share feedback, and help Staff Senate shape a better workplace for all by:
- Attending Staff Senate meetings
- Submitting feedback
- Participating in senate nominations and elections
- Joining Staff Senate committees as an ‘association-at-large’ member
To learn more or contact Staff Senate, visit the Staff Senate Sharepoint Site.
Ordering Promo Items Just Got Easier
College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Marketing department is working to empower departments to reach out directly to vendors for promotional item orders. To help uphold the College's brand, and allow departments to collaborate with vendors more easily, Marketing has created the CWI Logo Usage Guide for Vendors along with a useful list of approved those companies that CWI works with. All this information can be found for ongoing reference under Employee Resources > Communications & Marketing on my.cwi.edu.
PLEASE NOTE:
- As a standard practice, Marketing works directly with vendors regarding the sending and use of CWI logo files and does not share these design files internally.
- Marketing will still need to be involved in the review and approval process for items requested by departments (see more details on the order workflow in the Usage Guide).
- At this time, this guide is exclusive to our Institutional brand. Coming soon will be a supplemental guide for our new mascot, the Otter. If you want to include the Otter before Marketing sends the guide and assets to vendors, you will need provide details about the item (color, imprint size, imprint colors, etc.) to Marketing in order to send the vendor appropriate file(s).
Don't hesitate to reach out to communications@cwi.edu if you have any questions.