INSIDE SFCC S A N TA F E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E | W I N T E R 2 0 1 7
In this issue
SFCC leads statewide health care education initiative Media Arts + Film + Photography = Success New scholarship for veterans and more
FEATURE
SUN PATH program improves lives while strengthening health care Just a few years ago, neither Victor Medina nor Jordan Simms ever imagined that they would someday work in the health care field. In fact, neither of them had finished high school. Fast forward to the present. Now they both have earned their GEDs, as well as certificates to work in the rapidly growing health care profession. Most importantly, Medina and Simms have both landed jobs. They are among the more than 300 participants who’ve landed a job after completing a SUN PATH program. SUN PATH stands for the New Mexico Skill UP Network: Pathway Acceleration in Technology & Health Care.
Additionally, 647 program participants received a wage increase. Santa Fe Community College is the lead institution for the SUN PATH Consortium, a statewide collaboration to develop and expand health care career pathways. The effort is funded by a $15 million U.S. Department of Labor grant. Kristen Krell serves as the director of the consortium, which includes 11 community colleges, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, the New Mexico Higher Education Department, and more than 200 health care employer partners. At the core of the SUN PATH program is the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. I-BEST pairs two instructors in the classroom, one to teach professional and technical content for the health care programs and the other to teach basic skills in reading, writing and math. Through this model, students can simultaneously earn a GED while jumping into the course content. Some students attend supplemental classes or tutoring. This all leads to accelerating student success and moving participants rapidly into good-paying jobs. Simms, 19, works as an Advanced Patient Care Technologist in Emergency Services at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. “I love my job. It’s a fun place. You never, ever stop learning and there’s never a dull moment in the E.R.,” Simms said. “I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t gotten into the program.” Due to family circumstances, she was home-schooled. “I just could not learn online. I was living in a rural community and tutoring just wasn’t an option. I got really depressed and felt so bad that I couldn’t even get a GED.” She found the opportunity to enroll in SUN PATH and is grateful she did. “My teacher Leslie Foust sparked my love of health care, so much so that someday I’d like to teach it,” Simms added. Through SUN PATH, Simms not only earned a GED, but also a Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician – Basic. She, along with others in her class, went on to pass the National Registry EMT licensure exam. Sahaj Khalsa, program director of the college’s Emergency Medical Services Institute, notes that SUN PATH students had a 100 percent success rate. By comparison, he said the state average is a 68 percent success rate and the national average is 67 percent. “(I-BEST instructor) Kerry Bank and (EMT teacher) Leslie Foust have done an excellent job in developing a model that truly works,” Khalsa said.
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“It’s really an exciting dynamic to work with another instructor to integrate subject matter,” Bank explained. “For example, to instruct English 109 in a class of EMT students I will have the students research ambulance businesses or write about personal health experiences. They gain writing skills and learn how to research and how to compare and contrast options. Math comes into play when students are learning how to calculate pre-measured medicine doses - information they’ll need for the license exams. We find that students relate to material presented and explained this way. And we have higher retention rates than other programs.”
THROUGH THIS MODEL, STUDENTS CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY EARN THEIR GED, WHILE JUMPING INTO THE COURSE CONTENT.
AT A GLANCE: SUN PATH ■ $15 Million U.S. Dept of Labor Grant ■ 11 New Mexico Community Colleges ■ 200+ Health Care Employer Partners ■ 300 Student Participants Landed a Job ■ 647 Student Participants Got a Raise ■ 100 Percent Success Rate Passing the National EMT Licensure Exam
One of the growing areas in health care is for community health workers. Through SUN PATH, Victor Medina earned a GED, a Home Health Aid Certificate and a Community Health Care Worker Certificate. He now works as a Community Health Care/Diabetes educator at La Familia Medical Center. He is often the patient’s first contact at the clinic and checks their vital signs. He spends time talking with them (in Spanish or English) and listening to their concerns. “The most interesting part is being a member of a health care team. You get to know the patients and help them navigate their health care. It feels good,” he said. As a teen, Medina had dropped out of high school, thinking he’d go right to work. “I found work, but at minimum wage, and I was working two jobs. Now I work regular hours and earn better wages. It means a lot to me, since I’m a father. The program has helped me become a better father.” He hopes his example will inspire his daughter to go to college. Both Simms and Medina plan to continue their studies to advance their careers. SUN PATH is designed to help participants gain skills and add credentials to move forward in their professions. Learn more: R. Thaddeaus Lech, New Mexico Workforce Development Career Coach, 505-428-1748 Max Coscia, SUN PATH Coordinator, 505-428-1137 www.sfcc.edu/programs/sun-path Photos, opposite page: Victor Medina; right: Jordan Simms
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PROGRAM PROFILE
Shared Vision
Media Arts, Film and Photography merge arts, film and photography as very complementary,” he said.
to acquire a laser cutter, a 3-D printer and to develop new curricula.
The merger will allow for better alignment of the curricula, increased student support, additional sharing of workforce training partnerships, and more focused marketing.
The department provides students the most current technologies and software to meet changing job market demands. Media Arts, for example, offers cutting-edge classes in game design, web design, 3-D graphics and animation.
“A person who wants to be a cinematographer also needs to be a good photographer,” said Milton Reiss, professor of Film Production and Workforce Training. “Students are already making these connections.” TC Townsend was working on a ranch in Colorado and had no experience in the film industry when he decided to enroll in the Film Program at SFCC. The whole idea seemed “far-fetched,” but he had always loved movies, and the industry was growing in New Mexico, so he decided to move here. Townsend earned an associate degree and now he is a member of the IATSE 480 stage and film crafts union and finds regular work as a production assistant for films, commercials and fashion shoots. “The program gave me the foundation that everybody needs. It got me plugged in,” he said. The college’s Film Program aims to serve students even better with the recent merger of Media Arts, Film and Photography within the School of Arts, Design, and Media Arts. Although some students were already taking classes across various disciplines, the merger will make that easier, aid the departments in sharing resources, and assure students that their college credits transfer easily when they continue their studies. Peter Taussig, chair of Media Arts, Film and Photography, called the merger a “great marriage.” “I see media 4
Will Wilson, head of photography, agreed, saying, “To be a media producer you really need a wide skill set. The core is storytelling.” (Read more about Wilson on Page 6.) Film, which became a degree program in 2008, now has about 200 declared majors, many of whom hope to become the next Steven Spielberg. Others will find success in landing union jobs in the film industry in New Mexico. According to Monique Anair, assistant professor and Coordinator for Contract Training, 67 percent of the students in SFCC’s film technician training program will participate in Film Crew Advancement, a state-funded program managed by the New Mexico Film Office that assists production companies in hiring new talent to create more job opportunities for New Mexico film and television professionals. The program pays half the wages of qualifying crew members in specialized craft positions for up to 1,040 hours of work. The new collaboration has been facilitated with Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 federal grant funds. This grant has been instrumental in providing technology that helps bridge career pathways between local high schools, SFCC and four-year universities. Grant funds have been used
Taussig said he and Anair will be working on the concept of meta majors, a way to mix and match different courses that can then be applied toward an overall degree in multiple career pathways. Faculty members point to success stories. Every week Taussig looks at The Santa Fe Reporter to see what its art director Anson Stevens-Bollen, one of his former students, is doing. Stevens-Bollen got his degree from the college in media arts and said the program, “created a drive
Scholarship puts father/daughter on road to success for me. It was such a positive environment and the teachers were great. I pushed myself the furtherest I could go.” The film faculty cited Daniel Carlton, another grad who is a union member, who has worked in sound departments (boom operator and sound utility) and composed music for 35 films and TV shows. “Those are skills I learned from taking just about every audio class with (instructor) Jason Goodyear,” Carlton said. He’s now spending time writing musical scores for short films. “Composing is where my passion lies and I wouldn’t have been able to bridge the film and music world without the things I learned at Santa Fe Community College,” he said. Townsend, who came from Colorado to study film at SFCC, is putting skills he learned at the college to use on movie sets and in commercials for products such as Under Armour. His first paying job was as a location assistant on “Cosmos,” a 2014 science documentary hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson that aired on the National Geographic Channel. He also worked on Adam Sandler’s Western, “The Ridiculous Six,” and on the Western revenge tale “In a Valley of Violence,” with Ethan Hawke and John Travolta. The 28-year-old worked on “Hostiles,” a Western shot in New Mexico. The Scott Cooper-directed movie features Christian Bale and Wes Studi. He continues to work on his own writing projects, and will work on a television show expected to go into production soon. “SFCC’s training is seated in reality,” he said. “I find lots of my peers, some with four-year degrees and giant debt, are doing the same thing I’m doing. I’m very thankful to the college for designing a program for students wanting to get into the business and teaching them how to use the tools available.”
Philpatrick Gallegos, 42, and his daughter Mikiela, 19, are well-known on campus. Both are active with the Veterans Resource Center and the Student Government Association. But due to mounting financial pressures, they were not sure if they could continue their education. Both had vehicles that needed repair and they wondered if they would be able to have enough money to pay for books and meet other financial needs. “When we found out we were both going to receive the new scholarship for veterans we were so relieved. I can’t express the gratitude that we feel. It’s made a huge difference,” Philpatrick said. The Gallegoses are the first to receive support from a new scholarship fund for veterans and their dependents, established through a partnership between the SFCC Foundation and the City of Santa Fe Veterans Advisory Board. SFCC Foundation Executive Director Deborah Boldt said, “Foundation Board member Ken Dettelbach was a driving force in bringing the scholarship to SFCC. We wouldn’t have this opportunity without his hard work and advocacy.” U.S. Bank, along with many individual donors, contributed to the fund. Philpatrick, a single parent, is a determined student. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served for four years as a firefighter. After he was honorably discharged, he worked as a civilian at Kirtland Air Force Base, where he attained the position of Lead Rescue Tech/Medic. His career was cut short in 2004, when he was involved in a hit-and-run auto accident. As a result, he lost his left arm and sustained serious injuries. He spent 12 years undergoing intensive rehabilitation. Returning to school was initially challenging, since he had been away for many years. He credits the Veterans Resource Center staff with helping him make the transition. Because of his accident he was unable to use the G.I. bill benefits before they expired. That’s where the scholarship came in: it supports veterans and their dependents who are not normally eligible to receive educational benefits. His goal is to get an Associate of Science in Computer and Information Technologies. Although he acknowleges the course work is rigorous, he still finds time to volunteer with the Student Government Association, currently as vice president. “I got introduced to the health field while in high school, when I earned my Phlebotomy Certificate from the college,” Mikiela said. That experience gave her the confidence to pursue a career in health care. She plans to earn an associate at SFCC, then study at the University of New Mexico, after which she will follow in her father’s footsteps and join the Air Force to get a medical degree. “I’m interested in becoming a pediatric and adolescent doctor,” she said. In addition to her studies, she serves as the secretary and historian of the Student Government Association. SFCC was designated Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges by Military Times in 2015 and 2016. This year it was cited as fourth in the nation. For more information on the scholarship, contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@sfcc.edu or 505-428-1268. 5
NOTEWORTHY
Hatherly Published in Community College Journal of Research and Practice
Will Wilson, Head of SFCC’s Photography Department, Featured in Major Exhibitions
Amanda Hatherly, Director of New Mexico EnergySmart Academy, has published the article, “Teaching Building Science with Simulations,” in the Community College Journal of Research and Practice.
Carthy Awarded Golden Apple for Excellence in Teaching Long-time adjunct faculty member in Teacher Education and full-time teacher at Capital High School, Laura Carthy was awarded The Golden Apple for Excellence in Teaching. The award has been given to New Mexico’s most outstanding teachers since 1996. Carthy has taught at Capital since 1995. She began teaching at SFCC in 2001. She first taught Developmental Studies, then taught as adjunct faculty for the Alternative Licensure program. She also has been a Tecolote Group leader at St. John’s College since 2007.
Casey Camp-Horinek, Citizen of Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, “Zhuthi,” Tribal Council Woman, Leader of Ponca Scalp Dance Society, Sundancer, Delegate to U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Matriarch of wonderful family (grandmother, companion, mother, sister), Defender of Mother Earth (2016) Archival pigment print from wet plate collodion scan, 8 x 10 Photo Courtesy of Will Wilson
Lovato Receives Award from American Welding Society Welding Instructor Jake Lovato was awarded The Howard E. Adkins Memorial Instructor Section Award by the American Welding Society. The award was given “in recognition of quality instructional performance devoted to the promotion and expansion of welding skills and knowledge.”
Will Wilson’s exhibition, PHOTO/SYNTHESIS continues through April 2 at Fred R. Jones Museum of Art at University of Oklahoma, Norman. His works examine the idea of portrayal among Native American subjects. Wilson spent last summer collaborating with tribal leaders in Oklahoma to photograph selected community members. Wilson’s work is also featured in the exhibition, “As We See It – Contemporary Native American Photographers” on display through April at the New Mexico State University Museum in Las Cruces. After leaving NMSU, the show will travel to the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. For more on the Photography Program, contact Wilson at 505-428-1525 or william.wilson1@sfcc.edu.
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SUN PATH Reports to Legislators
SUN PATH Consortium representatives shared program successes with legislators and stakeholders recently at the Capitol. Sponsored by the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the event gave partners and legislators the opportunity to discuss the program and explore how to sustain the initiatives that are getting people the skills and credentials they need to work in the rapidly growing health care field. SFCC is the lead institution for SUN PATH, a collaboration of 11 New Mexico community colleges preparing students for good jobs and careers. SUN PATH Director Kristen Krell, SFCC President Randy W. Grissom, SFCC SUN PATH/I-BEST graduate Victor Medina, and former SFCC SUN PATH Director Brenda Loya at the Capitol.
SFCC welcomes Kris Swedin as the new Director of Continuing Education and Contract Training. Swedin worked for SFCC from 2006-2008 leading the effort to establish the Sustainable Technologies Center, partnering with the City of Santa Fe, the County, the Regional Development Corporation, and others to plan the programs and space that we now know as the Trades and Advanced Technology Center. She also developed entrepreneurship training programs, served as Director of Community Action for Creative Santa Fe, and as Director of Economic Development at the city. Contact Swedin at 505-428-1253 or kris.swedin@sfcc.edu.
Hospitality and Tourism Students Attend IMEX America Expo Hospitality and tourism students Glory Sasser, Cordell Pacheco, James Forbes, president of the Hospitality and Tourism Club, and Ryanna Kramer, treasurer, attended the IMEX America exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with Hospitality and Tourism Program Coordinator Katherine Fox Ehlert. Expenses were covered thanks to the support of SFCC’s Student Government Association and the Office of Student Development.
Congratulations to Recent Retirees! Thank you for your service to the college: Gordon Fluke – Director, Continuing Education Miriam Sagan – Associate Professor, English, and founder of the Creative Writing Program Herman Suina – Water/Wastewater Operator Janet Wise – Executive Director, Marketing & Public Relations
SFCC Students Awarded Grant Congratulations to students Jeremiah Star, Marlon Guite and Chason Simpson, who are working as paid interns for a New Mexico EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) SEED project for 22 weeks. The $50,000 grant is to update and improve the capacity to monitor algal growth. One of the overarching questions addressed in the project is whether inexpensive, scalable, closed photobioreactors (PBR) can produce commercial biomass. The students will co-publish a research paper for the National Science Foundation under lead investigator assistant professor Stephen M. Gómez, Ph.D. Luke Spangenburg, Director of the Biofuels Center of Excellence, is one of the co-investigators.
AARP Tax-Aide Returns SFCC hosts the AARP Tax Aide program that helps prepare income tax filing for hundreds of seniors and low-income residents free of charge. The service is available through April 18 in the William C. Witter Fitness Education Center, Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The tax assistance will not be available during Spring Break (March 13 to 19) or the Spring Holiday (April 14-16) weekend. For more information, contact AARP Tax-Aide District Coordinator Peter Doniger at 505-670-6835, ext. 1780, or taxhelpsantafe@gmail.com.
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Published by Santa Fe Community College President and Governing Board Randy W. Grissom President Kathleen Keith Chair Pablo Sedillo Vice Chair Jack Sullivan Secretary Dr. Martha G. Romero Member Linda Siegle Member Mark Konda Student Ex-officio Contact Board Members at www.sfcc.edu/about/ governing-board/ or call 505-428-1148 Produced by SFCC’s Marketing and Public Relations Department Interim Executive Director: Todd Eric Lovato Writing & Editing: Jennifer Bleyle, Anne Constable, Emily Drabanski, Todd Eric Lovato, Laura J. Mulry Design & Layout: Sonja Berthrong Photos: Chris Corrie, Milton Riess, Emily Drabanski, Kerry Scherck
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