Schools and Sports

Garfield County School District Teacher Highlight

by Danette Verde

Sydnee Mecham - Computer Science and Graphic Design Teacher, Panguitch High School

PANGUITCH - Sydnee Mecham has been a part of Panguitch and Garfield County since she was 12 years old when her family moved to Panguitch. She graduated from Panguitch High School, and then pursued her passion for design by going to Southern Utah University and getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design. She had worked for many graphic design firms since she graduated college and loved every bit of it, but when her and her husband Jace decided to move back to Panguitch, she chose to work as a freelance graphic designer and photographer. Just this year, she started as the Computer Science and Graphic Design teacher at Panguitch High School, and, according to Mecham, she absolutely loves it. She is an asset to Panguitch High School and her community. Sydnee has three young children—Liam is six, Della is four, and Nola is one. They love to live in Panguitch and to be close to all of their favorite outdoor hobbies.

In Mecham's classes, she relies heavily on Adobe programs whether it be to design the yearbook, code websites, edit videos filmed by the students, or learn more about design processes and problem- solving through being creative. The program she has really pushed her students to learn this year is Adobe Illustrator.

In Mecham’s Digital Literacy class, she had the opportunity to teach students how to work with a Computer Science/Tech tool called a Finch Robot, which is done through cod- ing and problem-solving. She was so impressed with the things the students in the class were able to come up with. They had to work through different problems, but they enjoyed stretching their abilities to see how to create the movements they were hoping for.

Mecham loves everything creative, which is why she loves teaching computer sciences. She says it’s amazing to see how knowledge in these areas can help in many instances.

Mecham remembered when she was in high school in Ms. Caine's computer science/technology classes. She loved the things she was learning and how they shaped what she wanted to do in life. It gave her the skills needed to

Garfield and Wayne High Students Attend Annual Rural County Career Fair

BRYCE - On

January 10th, students from Bryce Valley, Escalante, Panguitch, Piute and Wayne high schools gathered at Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill in Bryce Canyon City for the annual Rural County Career Fair. This is the first time holding the event since the pandemic. The career fair was organized by the school counselors from each of the respective high schools. Nearly 50 employers, college representatives, professors and military representatives attended to present possibilities for students’ future career pathways.

Courtesy Gary Bennett ing and develop our local communities. not only pursue design but know more about programs that computers have to offer us. Computer Science isn't going anywhere but is going to get more and more

On January 10th, students from Bryce Valley, Escalante, Panguitch, Piute and Wayne high schools gathered at Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill in Bryce Canyon City for the annual Rural County Career Fair.

In rural areas, it is difficult to get presentations and information to seniors because of distance and travel time needed for presenters to disperse the information. Gathering the students together in one place made this efficient and convenient for presenters and students alike. Presentations were organized into panel discussions with presenters organized in pathways such as law enforcement, health care, natural resources, and others.

The fair opened with a presentation from Angie Atkinson, who is the University of Utah’s southern admission counselor. She focused on next steps and the hang ups associated with them. The central purpose of this presentation was to help students see possibilities for their future wherever the road ahead takes them. A focus for the career fair was to get students thinking about career pathways that may lead back "home" to earn a liv-

Administrators and volunteers from our community helped to facilitate presentations and direct students to breakout groups. Following breakout panels, students were able to mingle and speak with college representatives, military recruiters, and business representatives. Students were treated to a lunch provided by our local sponsors and selected for door prizes. A survey of the students and presenters found the event to be a big success.

The counselors wish to give special thanks to the sponsors: Garkane Energy, Garfield Memorial Hospital, Ruby’s Inn/ Ebenezer’s Barn; Garfield, Piute and Wayne county commissioners; and the CTE departments from each respective school district. The school counselors are hopeful that the fair gets bigger and better each year, and they encourage our students to find their career pathway, and maybe a road that leads back home.

—Gary Bennett, School Counselor, Panguitch High School

intuitive, and she is excited to teach that to her students and hopes they can relate it to the opportunities they will have in their futures.