Cosmetology students decorate heads for new website

EVIT Cosmetology students decorated seven styrofoam heads for a new website called Bangstyle.com. Each class chose a theme and worked together to decorate using items such as feathers, glitter, paint, sequins and feathers along with the required "Bangstyle" bandana. The heads will soon be traveling to Las Vegas and hopefully around the world while being featured in pictures on the Bangstyle.com website.

Health studies a family affair for Gilbert Family

In today's competitive job market, having the right training, experience and a positive attitude makes all the difference. For one Gilbert family, taking the first step toward a new career in healthcare started with their mother. A short time later, it became a family affair with three members of the Tedesco family attending classes at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in Mesa.

Cindy Tedesco, 53, first learned of EVIT when her two sons, Aaron, 20 and Kevin, 21, attended the automotive and construction programs as high school students. At the time, she was working at a hospital as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) but knew she wanted to continue her education and eventually transition to a job in a physician's office.

"In speaking with doctors about jobs that were in demand with opportunity for growth, several suggested I consider getting certified as a medical assistant" said Cindy Tedesco, who started the two-year Medical Assistant program in August.

A medical assistant can perform administrative and clinical tasks such as collect and prepare laboratory specimens, prepare and administer medications, draw blood, prepare patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings under a doctor's supervision.

"While I had done poorly as a student in elementary and high school, learning as an adult student is completely different. I love learning and acting as a mentor to some of the younger students in my class" she added.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow 34 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the healthcare industry expands because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population, there will be an increased need for all healthcare workers.

Cindy's two sons, inspired by her dedication to go back to school, followed in her footsteps and registered for the Sterile Processing and Distribution (SPD) program at EVIT. During the 18-week program, Aaron and Kevin are learning how to clean, sterilize and package medical and surgical supplies. The SPD course is taught in a state-of-the-art lab with equipment and training provided through a Veteran's Administration (VA) partnership. They hope to land jobs working in a hospital or surgery center upon completion of the program.

To learn more about EVIT's Adult Education program, visit www.evit.com/adulted or call 480-461-4028.

"Go Green" Fashion Show

On Friday, Aug. 19, second-year Fashion Merchandising students took their creations to the runway. The assignment was simple: create a wearable garmet using something other than fabric without sewing. The result was anything but ordinary!

Balloons, paint swatches, party supplies, electrical tape, books and magazines were just a few of the items included in this "Go Green" collection. Fashion shows were held at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. with students, faculty and parents voting on their favorites.

First place for the morning show was awarded to Madison Culley (Red Mountain High School) for her "Blue Bombshell" dress made of tissue paper and paper plates.

In the afternoon, Hailee Heighton (Apache Junction) took top honors for her "Belle Princess" dress made of tissue paper and plastic liner.

Congratulations to all of the students on their extremely creative designs!

EVIT is Makin' Headlines!

EVIT's Interior Design and Welding programs were recently featured on ABC 15 during their morning show. Watch the clip!

Do you have friends wishing they were attending EVIT this year? It's not too late to register. Invite them to BAFT (Bring a Friend Tuesday) on Aug. 23 or stop by our registration office.

Culinary students impress celebrity judges

Today's the first day of school at EVIT, but that didn't stop second-year culinary students Brandy Rennic (Apache Junction) and Chelsea Hacker (Apache Junction) from showing off their skills!

On Saturday, Aug. 6, Rennick and Hacker were selected by instructor Chef Turcotte to compete in an "Iron chef" type event at the Sanctuary Resort as part of a "Lunch and Learn" event hosted by Tram Mai of Channel 12.

With a 15-minute time limit, the mystery ingredients were revealed and the students went to work creating their own salad for celebrity judges Eddie Matney and Michael DeMaria.

Meanwhile, event attendees enjoyed a four-course lunch that was prepared with the help of additional EVIT students in the Sanctuary kitchen.

When it was time to judge...the salads created were too delicious to pick a winner, so it was called a tie!

The excitement of a new school year

In just a few days, the EVIT grounds and classrooms will be buzzing with more than 3,000 students. But, before the bell rings on Monday morning marking the official start of school, teachers are back on campus a few days this week.

Yesterday, the entire EVIT staff (teachers, administrators, support staff, maintenance workers, etc) came together for a day of in-service training. It's really a special opportunity to have everyone together at the same place and same time. The morning kicked off with an inspiration speech from Superintendent Dr. Downey, followed by the introduction new staff members and teachers and a sharing of summer adventures and accomplishments.

It's amazing how many cool places EVIT staff traveled over the summer, from Italy to month-long road trips, and the number of amazing accomplishments by our students, such as taking 2nd place in EMT at Skills USA Nationals and 1st place in Fashion Design at FCCLA (see post below).

Following the morning session, the group was divided up by birthdays then matched with a fellow co-worker at random. We then loaded on to a school bus (or van) for a special field trip and lunch at the new East campus near Power and Warner Roads.

While there was still some construction activity and furniture being moved in, it was quite impressive. My favorite rooms were the aviation classrooms, with a spectacular view of ASU Polytechnic and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in the distance. From the outside of the building it looks like an aviation tower with windows streching from nearly floor to ceiling. Other cool features include a rooftop garden, courtyard water feature and 150-seat auditorium with stadium seating. In addition to aviation, there will also be some health classes offered on the East campus.

The afternoon wrapped up back on the main campus with short presentations from various departments, such as the business office and public relations. While everyone left a bit exhausted from the amount of information and hot day, it was fun and a great chance to meet new people. There is definitely a vibe of excitement in the air and I have a feeling it's going to be a fantastic year!

Gold medal awarded to fashion design student

Congratulations to Landry Low, a Fashion Merchandising student in Kristen Johnson's class. She was awarded the coveted Gold medal for Fashion Design at this year's FCCLA competition in Anaheim, Calif.

During her time in California, she also met Wesley Nault and Daniel Feld from Season 5 of Project Runway. They were so impressed that she was offered an opportunity to intern with them when she moves to New York for school. Way to go Landry and Kristen!