CBC Foundation Newsletter - Spring 2024

CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION EDITION

SPRING 2024

CRAFTING CAREERS: INSIDE CBC’S CTE PROGRAMS

CBC’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs are career catalysts for community members. CBC offers Apprenticeships and other trade programs in Automotive Technology, Health Physics, Manufacturing Technology, Nuclear Technology, Occupational Safety & Health, and Welding Technology.

CBC FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Billetdeaux, Chair

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Melda Velasquez, Vice Chair & Board Development Chair

CBC NEWS

Kadlec Regional Medical Center

Matt Backlund, Treasurer & Finance Chair

Community First Bank

Douglas Christensen, Secretary HMIS

Matthew Petersen, Immediate Past Chair

Petersen Hastings

Rebekah Dobbs, Gift, Estate and Planned Giving Chair

Gesa Credit Union

Marsha Halverson, Fund Development Chair

Educator, Retired

Lynn Tegeler, Scholarship Chair Central Plateau Cleanup Company

Rebekah Woods Columbia Basin College President

Andrew Chung Gesa Credit Union

Maggie Esquivel Gravis Law

Stephanie Green Washington River Protection Solutions

Ann Harper Artist

Kedrich Jackson

Columbia Basin College Trustee

Moses Jaraysi

Whitney LaMarche

Hadron Intinsic Consulting, LLC

Shawn Nyman

CBC Faculty Representative

Mitch Peterson CompuNet

Edgardo Quiroz-Moreno Keller Williams

Jaime Shimek Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Holly Siler, Columbia Basin College Trustee

Camden Simmelink

Student Representative

Kyle Simmons

CG Public House

Adan Tijerina

Tayler Welch

Monte Nail, CPA

Paige Wyatt Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

CBC FOUNDATION STAFF

Erin Fishburn Executive Director

Devon Holze

Sarah Murphy

Timmy Song

CBC News

DRIVEN BY DETERMINATION

UKRAINIAN REFUGEE’S LIFE-CHANGING CAREER BEGAN AT CBC

In April 2022, CBC alum Dmytro, his wife, three children and 2-year-old grandchild fled their warravaged hometown of Mariupol, Ukraine.

Their escape to Turkey took more than a month as they slowly moved, mile by mile, to evade capture by Russian soldiers. Once in Turkey, their journey to safety continued.

“Along the way, we stayed in refugee camps, strangers’ homes and abandoned cars as temporary shelter. It wasn’t easy,” Dmytro reflected.

In early June, Dmytro and his family reunited with his wife’s sister and her husband in the Tri-Cities.

With their Ukrainian home and his cherished 23-year career as a truck driver left behind, Dmytro faced a daunting new reality.

“We arrived with nothing,” he recounted. “But I was determined to get up on my feet to support my family and contribute to our new community.”

It was Dmytro’s brother-in-law who told him about CBC’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program, run in partnership with T Enterprises Truck Driving School. The program, which covered 80% of tuition costs for every accepted student via a Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges CDL Grant, offered Dmytro a path forward.

After completing the program in February and successfully passing his Department of Licensing CDL Class A exam the same month, Dmytro now works for TTap Construction Services in Kennewick.

Looking back on his experience, Dmytro expressed gratitude for the profound impact CBC had on his life. “Everyone involved in the program and instructors at T Enterprises, like Sergey Oleynik and owner Theresa Maki, put in their sweat and tears to make sure I succeeded.”

LEARN MORE AT COLUMBIABASIN.EDU/CDL

Why We Give!

“Union Pacific has a long-standing commitment to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve and where our employees live and work. Our investment in CBC’s School of Career and Technical Education ensures students have the latest machinery and equipment as they prepare for modern manufacturing industry and other technical careers.”

Blueprint for Success

CBC NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ALUM SPOTLIGHT

The Nuclear Technology program at CBC addresses the local industry’s specialized workforce requirements. The program offers daytime and evening classes to provide a pipeline of skilled technical and professional workers for nuclear clean up, research and energy employers – a vital part of the Tri-Cities’ economy.

DISCOVER MORE AT COLUMBIABASIN.EDU/NUCLEARTECHNOLOGY

Jennifer Meza was ready for a fresh start after working as a restaurant server for most of her adult life.

“Working in the food industry is demanding. You don’t get holidays off, have no benefits and rely on tips,” Jennifer said. “I have a 13-year-old son and want to give him a better life.”

Inspired by her brother’s career, Jennifer decided to pursue a new path and enrolled in CBC’s Nuclear Technology program in 2019 to become an instrumentation and control technician.

“The program was challenging and exciting,” she said. “Everything I learned was completely new to me.”

CBC’s Nuclear Technology program instructors are seasoned industry professionals with extensive experience, bringing up-to-date insights and practical knowledge to the classroom.

“What made my time in the program so valuable was the passion and expertise of the instructors,” she added. “Jason Stone, Craig Smith, Jason Smith, Lloyd Keith and Judd Furby shared their knowledge and made learning fun and engaging.”

While Jennifer was still a student, two companies offered her internship opportunities. She opted to intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), honing her skills working on government and private sector projects.

After graduation, Jennifer transitioned to a full-time role at PNNL, where she spent two years before accepting a radiological control technician position at Washington River Protection Solutions on the Hanford Site.

Jennifer and her cohorts have a bright future. Reflecting on their success, she shared, “Most of my 30 classmates in the program have secured positions in the industry.”

PROGRAM GRADUATES PLAY ESSENTIAL ROLE IN WORKFORCE SAFETY CULTURE

A proactive approach to keeping employees safe and healthy is a strategic necessity for businesses aiming to thrive.

In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded a staggering 2.8 million injury and illness cases, highlighting the pressing need for proactive safety measures.

Charlie Taylor, an Adjunct Faculty member for CBC’s Occupational Safety & Health program, underscores the program’s importance. “Companies are starting to understand that having a safety professional on board who understands human behavior and how safety systems work together benefits their bottom line by ensuring employees can stay safe and productive.”

CBC stands out as one of the few colleges in the U.S. offering a STEM-based associate’s degree in this field. The program is structured to allow students to enter at any quarter. The courses equip students with the knowledge and methodologies needed to help change a company’s safety culture in collaboration with management teams.

“This career is ideal for students who want to help people,” added Charlie. “The profession spans every industry and educates individuals on how to stay safe on the job to prevent injuries.”

Program graduates earn an Associate in Applied Science in Occupational Safety & Health Technology, setting them on a path to impactful careers. To learn more about the program, visit columbiabasin.edu/osh.

CBC President Rebekah Woods (left) and mascot Thunder at the graduation ceremony with Jennifer Meza in 2021.

“As a first-generation, first-year college student trying to get into an industry that requires many tools, I truly appreciate your support. It will go a very long way for me.”

JUAN, AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Building Skills Through Partnerships

CBC has a long history of collaborating closely with unions and businesses to bolster the region’s talent pool of qualified workers by providing college credit for apprenticeships. These apprenticeships combine on-the-job training with specialized technical courses led by company instructors or CBC instructors who are industry experts.

CBC currently offers nine apprenticeship programs, including for Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) Wallula.

PCA’s pipefitters and millwrights train within CBC’s Welding Technology evening program for one or two years to refine their skills in alignment with comprehensive industry standards.

“Many PCA employees are graduates of the CBC Welding program, so they know the quality of our curriculum and labs and caliber of our instructors,” said Clarissa Pruneda, CBC’s Director for Workforce Development. “They trust our program to provide supplemental training to augment their employees’ welding proficiency.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CBC’S CAREER LAUNCH PROGRAM-ENDORSED APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT COLUMBIABASIN.EDU/APPRENTICESHIP