CWI News – July 25, 2025

This summer, 22 high school juniors from across the Treasure Valley stepped into the world of Career and Technical Education (CTE) during College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) CTE Summer Bridge Program. Held annually, the weeklong event offers students a unique opportunity to explore in-demand careers, gain hands-on experience, and make lasting connections — all before their senior year of high school begins. 

Students were divided into two learning tracks based on their interests. Track one introduced the students to hands-on training in Automotive Technology, Powersports and Small Engine Repair, Collision Repair Technology, Heavy Equipment Technician, Heavy-Duty Truck Technician, and Machine Tool Technology. Track two focused on Cisco Networking and Security Technologies, Drafting Technology, and Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology. Each program area provided interactive, skills-based learning in state-of-the-art labs, guided by CWI faculty and staff. 

In addition to career exploration, students visited CWI’s Entrepreneurship Lab to learn how to turn ideas into business ventures and attended workshops hosted by the College’s Work-Based Learning Center, Admissions, and Financial Aid teams to help them plan their future educational pathways. 

"The Summer Bridge Program is more than just a peek into CTE programs — it's about equipping students with experiences that help them envision their future," said Denise Aberle-Cannata, CWI Provost. 

Students also had plenty of opportunities to build friendships and team skills through a series of challenges and icebreakers, including Tug-of-War, the Hula Hoop Pass, a Rock Paper Scissors Showdown, and a Balancing Nail and Circuit Board STEM challenges. 

The week also included exciting industry tours to Micron, Lyle Pearson Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Dealership, and Greyloch, giving students a firsthand look at local employers and the real-world application of the skills they explored. 

To wrap up the event, students gathered for a celebratory BBQ, DJ-hosted dance party, and volleyball game. The program concluded with remarks from Provost Aberle-Cannata and a Dual Credit presentation to help students understand how they can earn college credit while finishing high school. 

The CTE Summer Bridge Program is designed to inspire students to pursue education and careers in high-demand, high-wage fields, while supporting their transition from high school to college. 

Learn More About CTE Programs at CWI

College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Workforce Development Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program has received a $21,659 grant from Capital Matrix to enhance the program’s training capabilities. This award will fund the purchase of advanced simulation equipment, including life-like nursing skills manikins, giving students access to realistic, hands-on learning experiences designed to prepare them for the demands of today’s healthcare settings.

The CNA program plays a vital role in addressing the growing demand for skilled caregivers in long-term care and hospital environments, especially as the Treasure Valley’s aging population contributes to a rising need for chronic disease management and long-term care services. With this new grant funding, the program is set to grow both in reach and impact.

“Students benefit tremendously from training with the same kind of equipment used in modern clinical environments,” said leadership from CWI’s Workforce Development team. “This support from Capital Matrix allows us to elevate our curriculum with high-quality manikins and simulation tools that make learning more interactive, more engaging, and more effective.”

These manikins will allow students to practice a wide range of skills including activities of daily living, use of personal protective equipment, and caregiving techniques — critical competencies required in assisted living and hospital settings. The equipment is expected to boost student confidence, engagement, and certification pass rates, ultimately helping more students transition directly into the workforce.

Beyond enhancing student outcomes, the grant will also allow CWI to build towards offering more CNA course sections throughout the year, training more students and supporting the region’s growing healthcare workforce needs. The timing was especially ideal as the College prepares to expand its healthcare offerings with the opening of its new Health and Science Building.

Capital Matrix, a nonprofit certified development company based in Boise, supports economic development across Idaho by partnering with small businesses and organizations to fund projects that contribute to community growth. Their investment in CWI’s CNA program reflects their ongoing commitment to building stronger communities through targeted, impactful support.

This new investment in simulation training represents a major step forward for healthcare education at CWI, offering students a clear path from certification to career in a field that continues to grow in need and opportunity.

Ready to start your career in healthcare? Learn more and apply to CWI’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program

As a young boy who immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, to Idaho at the age of 10, Ramiro Villafana quickly learned the value of resilience and hard work. The transition wasn’t easy, despite coming to the United States legally with his family — learning English, adapting to a new environment, and navigating the unfamiliar world of American schools often left him feeling isolated.

“I would rather spend time in the bathrooms at lunch because I had no one that I knew or that I could understand,” he shared. But through it all, his parents’ unwavering belief in the power of education served as his guiding light.

After high school, Villafana enrolled at Boise State University to study Mechanical Engineering. But life had other plans. As he started a family in his third year, balancing school, work, and parenting became increasingly difficult. Ultimately, he made the choice to step away from college and return to a familiar trade — landscaping.

“Working as an adult and having gained discipline from life’s responsibilities, I found myself getting better at what I was doing day by day,” he recalled.

That work eventually blossomed into entrepreneurship. Alongside a few partners, Villafana co-founded Luxury Lawn Care, a landscaping company dedicated to quality and service. Around the same time, he was ready to return to school — this time with a clear purpose. He enrolled in the Horticulture Technology program at College of Western Idaho (CWI).

“I chose the Horticulture Technology program because I became part owner of a landscape company, and I wanted to excel my knowledge to provide accurate information to customers,” said Villafana.

Through courses in soil science, irrigation, plant health, and landscape design, he gained not just technical expertise, but the confidence to position himself as a true professional in the field.

“Anything that I learned I was able to use almost right away in my company.”

Villafana’s passion for the outdoors runs deep.

“What I am most passionate about is being outside and providing a connection back to nature for all of our customers,” he explained. “I like that I can be a mediator of nature and people. Connecting with nature is very important, and having a professional knowledge thanks to CWI gives me confidence that I can go as far as I want to go.”

Earning his degree took nearly four years of part-time study while working full-time and raising four children. Studying science in a second language presented its own set of challenges, but late nights and the support of his wife helped him persist.

“My goal of being a role model for my kids when they go to college kept me going,” he said.

Villafana credits his professors, particularly Casey O’Leary, for helping him succeed.

“She built me up to become a better and more confident person,” he said.

Now a proud graduate, Villafana continues to grow Luxury Lawn Care with the skills and knowledge gained at CWI. His advice to students just beginning their journey is simple but powerful: “Always do assignments no matter how big or small they are because everything counts at the end.”

A unique opportunity presented itself for Villafana in 2024. As work steadily progressed on CWI’s new Agricultural Sciences Complex, Luxury Lawn Care found itself bidding for a contract to complete irrigation systems and more for the student-designed Arboretum — a primary feature of the Complex’s landscape design and located at the northern entrance of the College’s Nampa Campus.

They won the contract.

For Villafana, education wasn’t just a stepping stone — it was a transformation. With roots planted firmly in knowledge and a future cultivated through passion and perseverance, he’s blooming in every sense of the word.

Ready to grow your future in horticulture? Learn more about the Horticulture Technology program at CWI.