Red Ribbon Winners

The EVIT community has spent the week supporting National Red Ribbon Week, a drug prevention campaign.

Students and staff have been sporting red "Hugs Not Drugs" wristbands, and the ECC sponsored a door decorating contest.

ECC officers roamed the campus today, judging the decked-out doors and bulletin boards. There were lots of great entries!


But when Superman himself shows up with a message, he's pretty much a shoo-in to win. The winning AM design, courtesy of the Early Childhood Professions class:


And the winning PM design, which took up the entire hallway leading up to the Massage Therapy class:


Yes, the prop on the right is actually a student.

Each winning class received $100 for their program. Great job to all who participated!

Cosmetology has gone Crazy

Cosmetology students competed in a "Crazy Hair Competition" today. And boy, was there some crazy hair:

But some was even crazier than others. Here are the winners (a tie!) in the morning class:

And the winner of the afternoon class:

The fan put her over the top (that's the back of her head!!):

The cosmetology class is open for business, by the way. But they promise not to make your hair look crazy. Unless you request it, of course.

Always busy...

EVIT students have been doing all kinds of cool stuff lately.

Earlier this month, the Fire Explorer Post 2611 went to Workman's Creek Falls for a 180-foot rappel:

Massage therapy students practiced their chair massage techniques:

And fashion students took over a couple of stoves in the culinary department so they could dye fabrics with coffee, tea, Kool-Aid, charcoal, turmeric and beets:

Keep up the great work!

Breaking the mold

The EVIT Non-Traditional Committee is hard at work, brainstorming ways to overcome gender stereotypes and recruit students into programs that are historically known for attracting a specific gender.

Some industries tend to attract more female students: cosmetology, health, early childhood education, and massage therapy.

Others attract more male students: automotive technologies, collision repair, radio broadcasting and law enforcement.

But the Non-Traditional Committee wants to get the word out that at EVIT, these programs are for everyone and gender diversity is increasing. Committee members are even thinking about starting up a club, so these non-traditional students have a chance to meet each other and celebrate their successes.

What do you think? Is a club a good idea? How can the committee attract more female students to construction or more male students to early childhood education? We'd love your input -- leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Congrats to our iPod winners!

EVIT students were given a challenge this school year: Bring a friend to EVIT. If the friend signs up for a class, both would be entered in a contest to win an iPod!

Two pairs of students were pulled from a hat as possible winners; one pair received iPods and the other pair each received a $25 giftcard to Best Buy.

Best Buy winners: Steffen Vickman, in biotechnology, and his friend, Josh Castillo, who signed up for health foundations.

And the grand-prize, iPod winners: Sean Castle, in automotive technologies, and his friend, Jorge Bahena, who signed up for biotechnologies.

Congrats, students! Keep bringing those friends in!

Aviation students get up-close lesson

The aviation class met recently with the pilot and crew of the Medical Evacuation Helicopter stationed at PhxMesa Gateway Airport.

"The class has been discussing helicopters this past week, and this was a good opportunity to get up close and ask questons," teacher Lou Amadee said.

EVIT employee takes part in global healthcare conference

This weekend, EVIT's practical nursing program director will give the invocation at an event that honors exemplary nursing mentors and leaders from diverse backgrounds.

EVIT's Cecilia Fleming, who was a mentor honoree at least year's event, also wrote the "Circle of Mentorship" candle ceremony that she will perform at the Global Caring Nurses Foundation's 2nd Annual Global Healthcare Conference.

The two-day event will take place at the Hilton Phoenix Airport Hotel and offers educational seminars on Friday, Oct. 23 and a gala, award and recognition event on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Fleming is also the president of the East Valley Chapter of the Arizona Nurses Association.

Multimedia student starts up apparel business

First-year multimedia student Scotty Cummings is embarking on his dream: starting up his own apparel business.

“It’s a dream I’ve always had,” Scotty said. “It’s why I came to EVIT.”

A class project earlier this school year prompted him to create a company logo, and now he has designed and produced T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and a few jackets for the business, called Karma Clothing and Accessories. Eventually, he plans to add other items, such as bags and stickers.

“I’m just amazed at this guy,” said Brian Higgins, Scotty's teacher. “His drive and motivation; it’s unmatched.”

Until Scotty gets a company Web site up and running, he is relying on help from his friends to wear his products and spread the word about his new venture.

By this winter, his apparel will be available for sale at an EVIT design store that his class is creating. The store will feature Cummings’ products, as well as a number of other items designed by students in his class, such as posters, cups, school supplies and other clothing.

We'll bake for you this Thanksgiving

Let's face it: You'll have your hands full enough whipping up a turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving. You don't need to worry about how you'll find time to make fresh rolls and homemade pumpkin pie, too.

Let our culinary students help you.

They'll bake for your family for you: white or wheat rolls, apple pie, mincemeat pie, banana loaf, dark chocolate loaf. Yum, yum, and yum.

Click here for an order form. Orders can be placed from now through Nov. 18, and will be ready for pickup on Nov. 24 and 25 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, call (480) 461-4093 or email bakery@evit.com.

Auto expert offers students career advice

Last week, automotive students got tips from an industry expert on what types of skills employers will expect them to have and how to hone in on what type of career they want.

The speaker, Bob Jones, started up Quality Transmission Service in Tempe 32 years ago and also serves on the automotive program's advisory board.

He said it is important for students to concentrate on these "soft skills" in order to successfully hold a job: attendance, skills, teamwork, attitude, appearance, communication, ethical behavior, responsibility, accountability and dedication.

He also offered tips for student who are still trying to figure out what job they want. He suggested students visit career fairs, look at the various exhibits and collect information from those that interest them. Then they should plan a visit to the places they are interested in and ask the employees questions, such as what they like and don't like about the job, and write down the answers to refer to later. After the visit, he said they should decide whether they have an interest in that particular job. If they do, they should inquire about job shadowing or a part-time job opportunity to try it out.

He reminded students that they should be proactive about figuring out what job they want while they're still in school, rather than waiting until after their schooling is complete and hoping to find a job that is right for them.

Rotary Student of the Month

Congratulations to Jesse Knox, EVIT automotive student and the Mesa East Rotary Club’s September student of the month!

Jesse was nominated for the honor by his first-year automotive instructor, Derek Hall, who said Jesse’s positive attitude and willingness to always learn something new made him stand out in his class.

“I wish I had a classroom of Jesses,” Mr. Hall said.

Jesse was honored by the EVIT governing board at the Monday, Oct. 12 meeting. He told board members that he credits his education at EVIT with landing him a part-time job at Purrfect Auto Service.

“EVIT definitely taught me everything I know,” he said.

Jesse hopes to intern at a Toyota dealership and then go on to become certified in Toyotas.

Here he is, with his former teacher, Mr. Hall:

Aviation student receives $3,000 scholarship

First-year aviation student Ryan Lewis has been honored with a $3,000 scholarship that will allow him to take nearly 40 hours of flight training.

The scholarship, from Learning for Life's Aviation Exploring program, acknowledges and rewards students who have what it takes to be successful in the aviation industry.

Ryan has been very active in aviation, participating in the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Explorer Program for the past three years and learning the basics about different aspects of aviation, such as piloting and maintenance. He said the lessons he has learned there have served as a solid foundation for the education he is now getting at EVIT.

"The Explorer group gave us a lot of experience and some knowledge, but I feel that the EVIT program goes into a little more detail in certain things," Ryan said.

Ryan is a junior and still has another year and a half in EVIT's aviation program, so he's using that time to figure out what aviation career path he wants to take. He's considering being a pilot, or working in air traffic control or maintenance.

"My favorite part (about flying) is it seems like it opens the world a little bit," Ryan said. "You get to know the weather and how to navigate, and it’s really a unique experience."

Congratulations on your accomplishment, Ryan!

Luis "Gonzo" Gonzalez visits EVIT

East Valley Institute of Technology students who have perfect attendance got a special treat at an assembly on Friday, Oct. 9: A visit from former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Luis Gonzalez.

Gonzalez stopped by to congratulate students who have perfect attendance and to encourage students to keep up their hard work.

“If you pursue your dream and work hard enough at it, you’ll get there,” Gonzalez told about 500 students during an assembly. He stressed the importance of education, making good choices, and taking time to help others.

“The one thing you can’t measure in any sport or anything that you do is the size of your heart,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzo took time after the assembly to sign autographs and take pictures with students.



He even signed a few posters and baseballs for staff members.


And Superintendent Sally Downey presented him with a gift from the welding class: a snaky baseball holder, which he vowed to put on his new desk in the Diamonbacks' front office.

Lending their expertise

Second-year interior design students were working on a project today for the video productions class: a new set.

The set will be able to transition from an office to a bedroom or a living room to a dining room, depending on the video students' needs.

Here are the plans, drawn by the interior design students:


And the students, hard at work:

Aviation students are flying high

Second-year aviation students have been going out on their first solo flights during the past couple of weeks.

Here are a few of the students on the day they first flew on their own:

Great job, guys!

It's alive!!

Second-year electronics student Christopher Jaggers made a robotic arm come to life during class today.

Christopher set the arm to do a series of tasks, picking up and setting down magnets, by programming it with more than 100 lines of code. He worked on it in his spare time, during class breaks, and with very little help from books or manuals.

"Sometimes intuition works best," said Kevin Nordquist, the electronics teacher.

Nice job, Christopher!

A demonstration from a "seasoned" chef

Executive Chef Matthew Taylor, a former EVIT student and the chef at Metro Brasserie & Bar in Scottsdale, stopped by culinary arts today to give students a live demonstration.

His focus was on the importance of seasoning and tasting foods.

"Nine out of ten times, the reason why a dish doesn't succeed is because it isn't seasoned correctly," Taylor told the afternoon class.

The chef demonstrated how to cook three chilled soups: potato and leek, English pea, and corn. He described how a chef should be able to determine whether a dish is improperly seasoned.

"I don't want you to be able to follow a recipe; I want you to be able to cook," Taylor told students. "The thing about cooking is being able to use all of your senses and all of your instincts."

Fashionable experiences

Fashion was in the air last week, with Phoenix Fashion Week and Arizona Bridal Week taking over the Valley. Several of Kristen Johnson's EVIT fashion students got hands-on experience working with designers during their shows, while others attended a show as VIP members of the audience.

Alex Lockhart and Lucy Rodriguez, both second year students in Johnson's morning class, helped Jennyvi Dizon during her Arizona Bridal Week show at the Sanctuary on Camelback Resort in Scottsdale on Thursday.

Alex and Lucy helped dress models for the show, show guests around and answer questions.

"It was a great experience," Lucy said.

Lucy is hoping to design her own line one day, while Alex plans to work on the business side of fashion.

Four other students (Brisa French, Kelsey Hoyer, Luz Ibanez and Marissa Chvarak) helped dress models during a "Designer of the Year" show at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday.

And, as always, the fashion students were busy conjuring up their own designs last week. Their assignment was to choose a designer they admired and create a garment that could fit into that designer's collection, while also adding a bit of their own flair into it. Students chose a variety of popular designers, including Dolce & Gabbana, Liz Claiborne and Kimora Lee Simmons.

Here are the creations of the morning class:

And the afternoon class:

A successful grand opening

Last night, 20 EVIT culinary students proved they can not only cook, bake and serve a gourmet meal, but also create a total fine dining experience for paying customers.

They prepped for two hours before customers began arriving.

They lit the dining room with candelight.

And they began cooking some amazing, beautiful food.




To see more pictures, visit our Flickr page.

I can't wait until the restaurant reopens on Nov. 5! The dining room fills up quickly, so I'd recommend making your reservation today by contacting Tricia Guerrero at 480-461-4139 or tguerrero@evit.com.