Home on the range

Cool things were happening in the construction class on Wednesday afternoon. Students were working on the beginnings of miniature houses:

They were working in small groups to measure, cut, and hammer away:

Keep up the great work!

Campus Director's Message

EVIT Campus Director James Fisher has decided to do regular podcasts for students and parents. To check out his first video message, click here.

Attorney Gen. Terry Goddard visits EVIT

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard stopped by Tuesday morning to chat with students and learn more about EVIT. He and Superintendent Dr. Sally Downey hopped in a golf cart to tour the campus.

Mr. Goddard saw a variety of programs, including several in health:

And he got to see culinary arts students in action, preparing desserts:

Dr. Downey asked students to explain to Mr. Goddard how they feel about EVIT. Here's what they said:

"I can get a job out of this."

"You get to do stuff here that you like."

"It's challenging; it makes you think."

"It's fun."

"EVIT opens doors that I never thought were possible."

Thanks for visiting, Mr. Goddard!

Former EVIT student challenges Iron Chef

Former EVIT culinary student Julie Fiedler (pictured on the right) will be featured on Iron Chef America on Sunday, as part of a team of students challenging Iron Chef Michael Symon.

Tyler Burke, 24, Katelyn Remick, 21, and Julie, 20, are all students of the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Phoenix.

"I've participated in competitions before, but nothing this extraordinary, so I feel extremely grateful for being selected," Julie said.

Julie attended the EVIT culinary program from 2005-2007. Julie's mother, Mary Fiedler, said EVIT helped Julie get a jumpstart on her career.

"She said, 'Mom, I know what I want to be when I grow up,' and boy did she know. She went into culinary at EVIT and loved it," Mary said.

The episode is scheduled to air Sept. 27 on the Food Network.

Students weigh in on EVIT

A group of students met with the EVIT public relations team on Thursday to talk about what brought them to EVIT and what they love about the school. Here they are, playing a candy bar icebreaker game:

The students gave excellent suggestions on how to reach out to other students like them and get the word out about all the great programs we have to offer.

When one student was asked if she loves EVIT, her response was, "If I could take it home with me, I would."

Here are some other things the students were saying about EVIT:

"Seriously, this is way better than high school."

"It doesn't feel like a high school. It feels like a second home. It's just comfortable."

"Everyone seems really respectful (of the school) here."


Thanks for helping us out, guys! We can't wait for our next meeting.

Culinary students lend a hand

Several EVIT culinary students attended Gourmets for Good, a benefit that raised money for the United Food Bank, this past Saturday at the Villa Siena in Gilbert.

EVIT staffer Tricia Guerrero accompanied the students, who helped out at the event as servers and had an opportunity to mingle with chefs from some of the Valley's fine dining establishments.

Welding for a good cause

I popped by the welding classroom to see what they were up to today, and I spotted teacher Pete Acosta working on one of the centerpieces for the EVIT Education Foundation's Annual Gourmet Breakfast Fundraiser.

The welding folks are creating dozens of centerpieces that will be auctioned off to raise money at the breakfast. One student showed me part of a moon centerpiece he has been working on.

The finished product will be stunning.

Bridesmaid Renovation

Kristen Johnson's fashion students have done what former bridesmaids everywhere would be envious of: they transformed old bridesmaid dresses into fashionable, everyday wear.

Johnson's morning and afternoon classes each held a fashion show on Friday to show off their work. Second-year students took the outdated dresses and transformed them info modern, fashionable outfits, including cocktail dresses and dressy ensembles of vests and long shorts. First-year students modeled the garments in the morning show; second-year students modeled each other's designs in the afternoon show.

"Many women who have been in weddings have bridesmaid dresses that have been sitting in their closet for ages," Johnson said.The project gave students an opportunity to showcase how they can breathe new life into an outdated garment.

Here are what the dresses in the morning class looked like before the students got their hands on them:

And here they are now, modeled by first-year fashion students:

This is what the afternoon students' dresses looked like back then:

And now:

Former EVIT student inspires 3D class

A former EVIT digital imaging student was on campus Thursday to tell to 3D Animation students that what they are learning in class now can lead them to success in the future.

Jared Payne was in Eric Perez's digital imaging classes from 2001 to 2003. Now, Jared is running his own sign design business called SignsXtra.

Since completing the program at EVIT, Jared has designed everything from comic books to websites to brochures.

"It's amazing to me, as I look back on my career, how much I've been able to accomplish based on the building blocks Mr. Perez gave me," Jared told the students.

Jared encouraged the students to follow their passions and push themselves to learn more and get more experience so that one day, they can enjoy their jobs as much as he enjoys his.

"The sky is the limit with the skill set that you learn here," he said.

Health students gear up for HOSA

EVIT health students trekked over to the auditorium today to learn how they could get involved in their student organization, travel to workshops and participate in competitions.

Health student fees include a membership to the Arizona chapter of HOSA, the Health Occupations Students of America. As part of that membership, students can choose to attend regional and state workshops, and they'll have a shot at competing at the national conference, held in Orlando in June.

First up is a conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on Nov. 6, where members can attend sessions on leadership and informational meetings on specific healthcare fields, as well as gather information on how to compete and win at the national conference. Get more details on the conferences here.

Competition topics run the gamut. Students can choose from health profession events, such as specific events for biotechnology, dental assisting or sports medicine. They can show off their leadership skills through speech, writing, or poster design competitions. And they can sign up for emergency preparedness events, recognition events, and teamwork competitions.

The group also will team up to raise money for Autism Speaks, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research for the causes, treatments and prevention of autism. Last year's EVIT HOSA group raised more than $2,700 for the cause.

Good luck this year, HOSA students!

3D Animation students collaborate with Spark

Students in Eric Perez's 3D Animation class will spend the next several weeks redesigning the website for Spark Magazine.

Spark officials met with Perez's class on Wednesday morning to detail what they expect from the new site, which hasn't been redesigned in several years. They want all the same basic information available but presented in a fresh new way.

The Spark folks are giving Perez's students a creative license to make the site interative and visual in whichever ways they choose.

The service learning project is a win-win for all involved because Spark gets their site redesigned for free and the students get real life experience to add to their resumes.

"By the time they go to college, they have work to reference and show their professors or future employers," Perez said.

Make your reservation today!

The culinary students have drafted their menu for the Oct. 1 opening of their restaurant, The Fifth Season. It is mouth-watering, to say the least. Behold:

Appetizer
Choice of:
*Roasted Corn Chowder, Spicy Lobster

*Grilled White Peach and Arugula Salad, Duck Bacon, Sherry Vanilla Syrup

*Hierloom Tomato Carpaccio, Fog Hill Goat Cheese, Blood Orange Olive Oil

Main Course
Choice of:
*Porcini Crusted Halibut, Cabernet Demi Glace, Sweet Corn and Avocado Risotto, Assorted Baby Vegetables

*Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Green Peppercorn Demi Glace, Roasted Shallots, Cherry Tomato Confit, Wild Mushroom Crostini, Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

*Apple Smoked Prime Rib of Pork, Spiced Apple Compote, AZ Crochett Honey Mashed Sweet Potato, Sautéed Swiss Chard

Dessert
Choice of:
*Red Wine Poached Pear, Roquefort Cream Mille Fueille, Red Wine Butter Ice Cream

*Viennese Crepe, Hazelnut Cream, Rum Marsala Raisin, Hazelnut Brittle, Dark Chocolate Sauce

*Lemon Soufflé, Mascerated Strawberries, Tuile Cookie

Tables are filling up, so make your reservation today by contacting Tricia Guerrero at 480-461-4093 or tguerrero@evit.com.

Congrats, Jake!

Congratulations to EVIT fire science student Jake McDaniel, named as this month's Mesa Rotary Club Student of the Month.

Jake is a second-year EVIT student who also attends Red Mountain High School in Mesa.

Here is Jake addressing the EVIT governing board at Monday night's meeting, where he was honored:


And with teacher Rick Shearer:

You are cordially invited...

... to the EVIT Education Foundation Annual Gourmet Breakfast Fundraiser!

EVITEF is raising scholarship money to assist eligible students. Support our students by attending the event from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4 in the EVIT Culinary Arts Building.

Tickets are $100 per person; you may also sponsor a table for eight people for $1,000.

RSVP before Oct. 26 by contacting Kona Fitzgerald at 480-461-4114 or kfitzgerald@evit.com or by faxing 480-461-4089.

Law enforcement students get hands-on tactical training

Tony Garcia's second-year law enforcement students served a search warrant to a suspected drug house this morning during a simulated military tactical training operation.

The Marauders Tactical Training team was on campus to teach the students how to put on proper gear, including helmets, vests and shields, and armed the students with airsoft pellet guns.

The students learned how to get into a standard four-person or six-person formation, and how to enter a high-risk situation.

The students were given "missions" to complete, including search warrant and hostage scenarios.

To see more photos from the training, click here.

Hungry?

The breakfast and lunch cart re-opened today!

Stop by from 7:30 to 8 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to noon every Monday through Friday at the stand in front of the student lounge.

Grab some sandwiches, soda and baked goods for $1.25 or water for $1.

Enjoy!

Gov. Brewer visits EVIT

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was on EVIT's campus this morning to speak to members of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials.

She told the group of about 250 people that education is essential to the state's economic development and that supporting education is one of her "top priorities."

Here she is, talking with EVIT Superintendent Sally Downey and Public Relations Manager Lynn Strang.

Addressing the AASBO members:

Chatting outside the auditorium before leaving:

Meet your new student tour guides

Congrats to EVIT's new student tour guides!

These students went through an extensive application and interview process, and now they'll be called on to show off our campus to future students, parents and community members.

Here are the morning tour guides:

And the afternoon tour guides:

Good luck, guides!

Law enforcement students get real world experience

About 20 of Tony Garcia’s law enforcement students hit the streets over the weekend to pass out crime prevention flyers and talk to residents about the role of police officers in the community, as part of a partnership with the Mesa Police Department.

(The photo shows Garcia's morning class all dressed up and looking sharp on Wednesday.)

The students have created their own Law Enforcement Explorer post, a program that aims to give youth insight and training in the field.

Garcia’s students are now working on their second assignment: fixing misprinted telephone numbers on Mesa citations. As part of the Explorer Post program, students also get to ride along with officers on patrol and get a first-hand look at the profession they are interested in.

“They’re hammering out volunteer hours, they’re meeting other officers who do this on a daily basis, and they’re learning how to interact with the public,” Garcia said.