Chili-Cook Off Booth!

On July 12th, Sarah and I went to Big Bear's annual Chili Cook Off to spread the word about the Career Center and our upcoming programs! We have been volunteering a lot with the Old Miners' Association, who runs the Chili Cook-Off in every year, offered us a space to set up a booth at their event. 

We brought a tent, tables, chairs, and plenty of flyers filled with information on Saturday morning, ready to go! With the help of our Career Mentor and one of the Center's students, we had it set up pretty quick. The crowds started to come for the Chili Cook-Off around ten, and with their chili samples in tow, they would look at our booth and ask us what the Career Center was. We were happy to tell them, and walk around the Cook-Off passing out flyers in turns. 

We didn't get a lot of sign-ups for our program that day, but we got plenty of people interested and were able to get the word out at a huge Big Bearian social gathering! Definitely a way to advertise the Center and what we can do for Big Bear! Hope we can do it again!

-Dezi Guillen and Sarah Avignone

Personal Care Aide Course In Big Bear!

At the Career Center of Big Bear, we are starting a Personal Care Aide course August 18th! If you want to jumpstart your career into the medical field, this is a great way to do so! We are all very excited for this class to begin. The Career Center will be hosting this course, where a teacher will come up to Big Bear three days a week for four weeks to train our students in this profession. 

Once I found out that the course was coming up to our mountain town, I worked with my Career Mentors and an online editing program called LucidPress, to make an official Career Center of Big Bear PCA Flyer. This said flyer has been passed out digitally and on paper-and we are getting amazing results! It looks like this course will be filled to the brim with students who are passionate about this course and are eager to learn. I am so glad that we are able to bring this opportunity to the community of Big Bear! 

-Sarah Avignone

Ryan Schwantner Success Story

When Ryan first started at the Career Center of Big Bear in 2012, he had a lot on his plate. His girlfriend was four months pregnant and because of this new development; many problems arose at home, he didn’t have a stable job and needed to move on towards the next chapter in his life. 

Ryan fought through the hard times and completed Customer Service, Computer Skills and Financial Freedom, along with many Life Skill projects which helped him in his future jobs and personal financial issues. He maintained great attendance and gave everything his all. He has and continues to go above and beyond  to provide a great example of himself for his child to look up to. Ryan is bettering his life, and in turn, bettering his family’s life.

Mr. Schwantner is now working four stable jobs. He works at the Bowling Barn and The Fun Plex as a Game  and Computer Mechanic, employed at Far Sight Studios as a game tester, and is also working at West Coast Amusement as a Contract and Vending Tech.  Fueled by his passion of graphic design, he is able to work in an environment he loves. His dream jobs enable him to be able to provide for his growing family, which is now a family of four. He has two sons, four stable jobs, a home to call his own, and a broadening career path. This is Ryan’s version of success.

-Dezi Guillen

Chautauqua High School Presentation

Earlier this month, Sarah and I went to Chautauqua Highschool to give a presentation about The Career Center and what our program could do for them. We were introduced by the principal, Doug Lane, to all of the school's students gathered in their meeting room. Doug introduced us as the next step in students futures. We then talked with them about our WIA program and the Career Center in general. A lot of the kids seemed really interested!

After our presentation was over Doug gave us their meeting room to stay during break to talk more with anyone who had any questions or wanted to sign up. We got a total of eight people who have is their contact information and set up days to meet up with Cheryl, The Career Center of Big Bear Mentor.  It was so great to see these kids find our program and what we do something that they would like to be apart of!

-Dezi

Gardening with The Community!

On Monday, Sarah and I went over to the Big Bear Community Garden to reach out to them about our program and what we can offer them. We talked a lot about our WIA Program, and how we are trying to generate as many opportunities for the youth in our community as possible. As Ambassadors, we also wanted to make it clear that while The Career Center is here to help out our young adults of Big Bear, we are also here to help the businesses and organizations of Big Bear. We want our small town to thrive and be successful, and if our students can help in this town's succession, we want to do just that. After sharing our individual stories of how this program helped us, we answered their questions about our Work Experience part of the program and how it all works.

Afterward, Dave, one of the employees of the Community Garden, explained to us what they are trying to do for Big Bear and its inhabitants. Dave told us that they are wanting to grow more vegetables and fruits for the food banks and schools, so that our community can have fresh grown food. Their garden is completely organic and mindful of the environment, they are wanting to make a difference. We, The Career Center, are helping young adults build strong foundations for their futures, while the Community Garden is providing healthy foods to the less fortunate and to Big Bear's youth. It is amazing to be able to talk and work with another organization so geared towards helping others.

-Dezi Guillen and Sarah Avignone