5 North Bay career technical education success stories
Santa Rosa Junior College issued about 3,200 career technical education certificates on May 25.
Here are five brief looks at how five of them are changing their job outlooks via the new credentials.
Alexia Hicks is seeking a well-paying job and believes getting a pharmacy technician certificate is the quickest way to do this while she pursues a degree in liberal studies, focusing on teaching after a transfer to Sonoma State University. She would like to earn a teaching credential so that she could be a pharmacy instructor.
She recognized Ahmed A. Deen, MPA/HAS, the college's pharmacy technology program coordinator, for his support and commitment to students.
Deen says pharmacy technicians are in high demand. He frequently gets calls from those interested in hiring SRJC students.
Melanie White-Lam received a wine studies certificate, focused on enology. She is a returning student with a science background after earning a degree in biology. She has a job with the city of Santa Rosa now. With a passion for winemaking, she is looking forward to someday, perhaps in retirement, working in a wine laboratory.
She credits Kevin Sea, Ph.D., chairman of the college's wine studies Program, for being a great role model, teacher and someone who goes above and beyond by sending emails to prospective employers seeking internships and mentoring opportunities for his students.
Heather Holliday received a certificate in human resource administration. She is learning on the job in a business's HR department.
“I fell into this professional, and now I love it,” she said.
She said she has been lucky to have an opportunity to connect with good counselors at SRJC, who guided her in the right direction.
She pointed to Eleanore Webster, human resources program coordinator, and Roy Gattinella, business department chairman.
Nicholas Wolch achieved a web fundamentals certificate from the college's Computer Sciences Department. He is an aspiring front-end website designer. The highly intensive certificate program is immediately applicable to his career. He recently filed for a fictitious name statement and business license to start his own enterprise near Silicon Valley.
He was inspired by the leadership and subject matter expertise of SRJC professor Ethan Wilde.
Ron Sinclair earned an emergency medical responder certificate, under the direction of Jeffrey Snow, chairman of the college's emergency medical technician program. Sinclair hopes to advance his career category by also becoming an emergency medical technician and, ultimately, a paramedic.
Originally from the Island of Jamaica, he currently is a security officer and lives in California.
