CTE expo at IVC give students a window on careers
IMPERIAL — Students from across Imperial County saw a glimpse of their future at the Career Technical Education Expo showcasing college curriculum and potential employers requiring those featured skills.
CTE’s annual expo at Imperial Valley College hosted 70 exhibitors for 1,000 Kindergarten- to 12th-grade students and many IVC students to inform them how to prepare for university or jobs, noted Patricia Robles, IVC economic and workforce development staffer. “We want students to know there’s diversity of courses at IVC that prepares them for a career of choice and (they) can remain in the Valley,” said Robles.
Nursing is very demanding cautioned Pam Hansink, IVC Nursing Learning Center instructor. “They have to take it seriously but the rewards are lucrative and job fulfillment satisfying,” she said.
Monse Gonzalez, a Holtville High School senior, said she liked making people feel better. She is studying biology and will enroll in anatomy class next year. Part of her interest in a medical field was spurred by the death of her grandmother, who was stricken with diabetes and cancer.
“Loma Linda University has a great nursing program,” she said.
“The expo gives a lot of information about our future and I like Loma Linda’s reputation also and they have scholarships,” added her classmate Gloria Ibarra.
Advising students on medical careers were Meri Myrick, assistant director of education at El Centro Regional Medical Center, and Shiloh Williams, director of medical/surgical services at ECRMC.
“We tell them once they graduate from a nursing track, ECRMC has a 12week residency program, and they do classroom work to visiting units with a nurse preceptor,” Myrick said.
“After they learn the basics, they’re brought into the unit of their choice and it’s a neat program because they’re exposed to a wide variety of units and can become very successful,” added Williams.
Popular with expo visitors was the automotive technology mock-up dashboard display of working accessories. Ricardo Pradis, IVC auto tech instructor, showed off a power window and seat adjustment display.
“All car mechanisms now are operated by computers so cars are like robots,” he said. “One of the main things, you must go to school even to be a mechanic since you must be certified. You can’t get hired off the street anymore.”
Before arriving at IVC, auto tech applicants need a lot of science courses as well as English because repair work requires extensive reading, as well as math to compute formulas. And mechanics must know basic chemistry to understand how gas mixes with air to turn over an engine and know to safely handle oil, coolant, break and transmission fluids and their proper disposal.
Even IVC freshman Noemi Parra found the expo useful for her career aspiration of becoming a Spanish teacher. She also appreciated the health department’s demonstration of CPR and the music department programs so she can learn to play a guitar.
Malina Nevarez is an IVC student assistant who will receive her certificate in digital design in June. She had several recommendations for prospective students.
“They should get a FASFA (student aid) first thing,” she said. “They should also check IVC’s WebSTAR, a student portal to check available classes. And they need to check EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) that offers bus tickets or sometimes bookstore gift cards.”
“Don’t procrastinate about decisions,” Nevarez cautioned. “You got to be passionate, otherwise you’ll lose your drive.”