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.

Success Story: Iolani Elisara!

Iolani "Ani" Elisara

For this month’s success story I decided to write about Iolani Elisara or, “Ani” as she likes to be called. Ani is an active participate of the WIA youth group and Leadership for the Barstow office. Ani is one of seven children and is the first to pursue a degree straight out of High School. Both of Ani’s parents only received a High School diploma, and decided she wanted something different. She began attending and working at Barstow Community College in 2013. Her professional goal is to go into the medical field and become a Family Nurse Practitioner and to later join the Air Force. She is well on her way to reaching her goal, during her first semester at Barstow Community College, Ani has made it on the Barstow Community College President’s List by earning 12 or more graded units and achieving a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.75 or Higher. Last month Ani was one of almost 100 students that received a scholarship from Barstow Community College. Ani’s story is truly one of success that is still being written.

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)

Small town, big dreams, & success!

Success Story: Michelle Lopez

Michelle Lopez is a Barstow Native that has achieved great success. Lopez has been working at both Barstow Community College and Barstow High School for more than ten years. Lopez graduated from Barstow High School however she didn’t attend Barstow Community College until several years later after she met with a counselor from Barstow Community College. He encouraged her to get a degree from and transfer to Park University once she received her degree. Lopez then went off to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Psychology from Park University and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from the University of La Verne. As soon as she obtained her Master’s she was hired by Barstow High School and then got hired by Barstow Community College when the started a summer outreach program for high school students. 

I then asked Lopez what her definition of success was and she replied, “Achieving the goals one sets for themselves and enjoying the end results. I enjoy what I do on a daily basis, which is helping students succeed and reach their goals!”

I honestly believe that Ms. Lopez’s story is a great one to share because, she pursued her dreams and was able to give back to the schools that helped her along the way. She is proof that just because you live in a small town doesn’t mean you can’t dream big and be successful.

"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.