Interview with on of Barstow's new WIA Youth: Jonathan Avina

Jonathan Avina

Jonathan Avina

Jonathan is currently attending Barstow Community College majoring in Chemistry and Physics. One of his favorite hobbies is playing music.

Interview

Q: What made you decided to join the Career Institute WIA Program?

Avina: I decided to join the Career Institute because I thought it would be a good program for me.

Q: What do you hope to learn from the Career Institute? 

Avina: I'm hoping that I will learn skills that will benefit me in the long run.

Q: In what ways do you hope the Career Institute will help you?

Avina: I hope that the Career Institute will help push me forward in my life journey.

Career Institute Barstow's Potential Student Ambassador for 2015: Socorro Castellanos!

Socorro Castellanos

Hello, all I wanted to share my recent interview with Ms. Socorro Castellnos (Picture on the Left) Barstow's potential Student Ambassador for 2015. A little background on Socorro, she is currently attending Barstow Community College as a full-time student, and is majoring in Molecular Biology. Socorro is also the founder and President of the Science Club at Barstow Community College and has recently been nominated for a Humanitarian Award from the City of Barstow!

Q: Why would like or choose to be a Student Ambassador for the Career Institute?
S.C.: I want to be an Ambassador because it seems like a great program. I really believe that I can be a leader and I know that I can lead people in the right direction because the Career Institute has already provided the correct training to do so.
Q: What do you think you will enjoy about the ambassador program?
S.C.: The thing that I believe I will enjoy the most is meeting new people. I think it's wonderful that the Ambassador's from all the other sites come together from time to time and interact.
Q: In what ways do you hope/has the Career Institute helped you?
S.C.:I believe the Career Institute will help me be a bit more social and help me open up and reach out to our community.

Congratulations!

Congratulations Iolani!

On July 25th Barstow Community College held it's annual Scholarship Award Ceremony. Barstow Community College awarded almost $46,300 in scholarships to one hundred students. One of those hundred, happened to be one of our Barstow WIA students, Iolani Elisara! Stay tuned to learn more about Iolani, She is going to be one of next months "Success Stories"!

(Elisara and her family after the award ceremony)

"Bridge to College Success!"

Bridge to College Success!

(Instructors and Students for Bridge Program 2014, Image Source:Barstow Community College Official Facebook )

Earlier this month Barstow Community College started its annual Bridge to College Success Program for recent graduates and/or graduating high school seniors in their service area that plan on attending Barstow Community College. The Bridge Program is designed to give an insight and prepare student for their first semester at Barstow Community College. During the program student's take various workshops to prepare them for college-level classes. I personally believe this program is a wonderful opportunity for student's! It not only prepares them educationally but it also prepares them for a different type of educational environment. 

Success Story: Jesenia Velasquez

Success Story: Jesenia Velasquez

Jesenia Velasquez with her siblings, Francisco & Rosa

Working close with my colleague/friend Jesenia, I’ve come to understand what kind of person she is. She’s very kind, loyal to the ones she cares for and she's very giving. With her can do attitude and and happy go lucky spirit she earned herself an AA degree in Natural Math and Science. Her next step in life is to attain her bachelors in Neuroscience at Santa Barbara bringing her closer to her ultimate goal which is receiving her Ph.D in Neuroscience. One lesson she will take and cherish from the Career Institute is that self-presentation is key to opening doors leading to new opportunities. The one thing she loved and will miss about the Career Institute is all the new friends she made during her years as both a participant and a student ambassador of the Career Institute.

Success Story: Tim Togafau

Success Story: Tim Togafau

Tim, with members of his family after graduation.

This month I decided to make fellow Student Ambassador Tim Togafau my Student Success Story. Tim started attending Barstow Community College in Spring 2012. Throughout his time attending Barstow Community College, Tim has faced many obstacles but none of them have stopped him from receiving his Associates Degree in Psychology on Friday, May 23, 2014. When I asked Tim what his meaning of happiness is, he simply replied:  “Finding your purpose in this world and fulfilling it and when looking back on life at age 80 having no regrets but a feeling of fulfillment”. What Tim will take and cherish from the career institute is pursuing your goals with fervency and the family bond formed between the participants of the Career Institute Barstow W.I.A. group of 2012/2013. Tim was also the Student Assistant for Career Mentor Melissa Matteson. Working with Tim has truly been a wonderful experience, I wish nothing but the best for him as his future and hope’s he lives his life as he once said “Like a BOSS!” 

Throwback Thursday!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: LEADERSHIP CONNECTION 2013

(In order from left to Right: Jan R., Dylan B., Jesenia V., Claudia J., Desean T. Janet O., Sarah M. & Tim T.)

Hello All! I just wanted to share this picture is from our Leadership Connection for 2013. I am very thankful for being able to be apart of this. On the day this photo was taken we were given the privilege to visit the Barstow's local Fire and Police department. However, when we showed up to the Fire Department the Fire crew was out on call so we decided to take a little impromptu tour of the Mojave River Valley Museum, which is where this photo was taken. At the museum we learned a lot of new things about our hometown and the surrounding areas. This picture is honestly my favorite of them all because that day was truly memorable because we all had fun and truly felt like a little family after it was all over. If you look at this picture very closely the two boys on the left Jan and Dylan are leaning/hovering on/over a cactus... yes, cactus! The rest of us honestly didn't notice until we all looked at all the pictures that were taken at the end of the day. Now, does the young man on the right look familiar? Yes, that's our other Student Ambassador for the Barstow area Tim Togafau! I really hope you guys enjoy this photo as much as I do! 

Student Success Story: Stephanie Saiz

    Stephanie Saiz

Stephanie Saiz

Stephanie Saiz was born and raised in Barstow, California. She was in band for most of her life playing the flute and the piccolo. Stephanie is currently attending Barstow Community College perusing a degree in Social Science and hopes to find a career in helping others. Stephanie is also Career Mentor Melissa Matteson’s Student Assistant and current participate in the WIA program in Barstow. I asked Stephanie what her definition of success was, she stated that she believed that the true meaning of success for her was to “be happy and make others happy”. I also asked her if she felt that she has reached happiness in which to she replied “I think I’m close, but not quite there”. Stephanie is extremely grateful for being able to be a part of the Career Institute because it’s helping her prepare the youth in the community how to be responsible and confident by helping them with resumes, work experience and find a job. 

Front page!

Earlier this month we were contacted by Anneli Fogt from Daily Press, who was very interested in learning more about our organization. Ms. Fogt interviewed current WIA student Iolani Elisara, Career Mentor Melissa Matteson & myself about all the wonderful things the Career Institute does for the youth in the community. We all honestly thought we would just get a little section in the paper but we soon found out that we were featured on the front page!!

We would all like to give a huge shout out and thank you to Ms. Fogt from the DailyPress for her interest in our organization and for helping our name be seen and spread out to those who are unaware of us and the things we do for the youth!

Hello All!

This post it to inform you guys of some exciting news! The Career Institute in Barstow has recently been interviewed by the Daily Press so, we should be featured in our local paper soon!