March 12, 2015 VOLU M E 1 0 | I S SUE 41
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Teen honored as hero after crash Arvada West student receives award for help at fatality scene By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia.com It can happen in a moment. While changing the station on her car radio, Mikayla Brown heard something she would later come to recognize as a defining moment in her life. “That day, that whole thing solidified what I wanted to do,” Brown said of her lifelong dream to be a firefighter. “That’s my getaway, that’s my medicine, is in the back of an ambulance helping someone else.” On May 2, 2014, a 16-year-old Brown was stopped at a red light at 36th Avenue and Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge when she witnessed a hit-and-run accident. Having grown up around firefighters and taken her own first-aid and fire academy training, Brown pulled her car over to help. “For me, it was just my natural instincts, that’s all I really have,” Brown said. “Some people feel led to do something and that’s what I felt led to do right there — I knew someone needed help, and when someone needs help that’s just my natural instinct, to just go.” Brown jumped in to the dusty scene, first
checking the safety of the children involved, then moving to the victim, a 18-year-old Jordan Sprouse, who was lying face-down and unconscious across the seat. Brown, with the help of another, pulled Sprouse from his car, covered him with her grandfather’s bunker jacket, immobilized his spinal cord to prevent further injury, and performed CPR on him until a faint heartbeat could be detected and paramedics arrived on scene. “At that point, I had seen the guy run, the guy who hit Jordan, and at that point a Marine and a biker actually ran after him,” Brown said. “I just sat there thinking, how could you do that to someone, how could you leave your girlfriend and your two babies as well as a guy who’s lying pretty much dead on the sidewalk?” That driver, Alton Kirkland, was caught, and would received a 35-year prison sentence. Sprouse would later succumb to his injuries. Currently, Brown spends her time interning with Arvada Fire Protection District, taking the EMT courses at Warren Tech, working and finishing her degree at Arvada West. Around eight months after the incident, Brown recalls feeling blessed, after receiving a phone call from the American Red Cross, letting her know that for her act of service, she was being awarded the Red Cross Youth Hero Award. “It was amazing how composed, mature
Mikayla Brown, a senior at Arvada West High School, poses for her senior photos in the place that holds a part of her heart, the fire station. Courtesy photo and compassionate she was as a 17-yearold,” said Patricia Billinger, communications director for the Colorado and Wyoming region of the American Red Cross. “She wasn’t just a bystander; she had training in CPR and first aid and she recognized a need and didn’t just stand there, but jumped right in.” Brown was one of five individuals honored as heroes this year. As for herself, she
The (citrus) power of science
said she doesn’t consider herself a hero, but rather an ordinary person who helped someone in need. She said, as negative an event as the accident was, it solidified her future, giving her the confidence she needed to pursue a lifelong dream. “I want to say thank you to Jordan,” Brown said. “For giving me that confidence that I can do this and that this is the career I want to take.”
Red Rocks STEM program helps girls Scouts will gain badges by taking part By Clarke Reader
creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Campbell Elementary School held its 30th annual Science Fair with more than 130 projects displayed, judges awarded students with first-, second- and thirdplace ribbons as well as one for best in show. From homemade volcanoes, electrical conductors and orange batteries to solar systems, lava lamps and rainbow roses, kindergarten through sixth-grade students put their scientific creativity to the test last week. Photo by Crystal Anderson
There are more and more STEM jobs available to today’s young people, but not enough of those jobs are going to women. Red Rocks Community College renewable energy and skilled trade programs has joined forces with the Girl Scouts to keep young girls interested in these types of programs through a series of STEM-based badges for Girl Scouts in fourth through twelfth grades. The events will be held March 16 through April 27 in the renewable energy department on Red Rocks’ Lakewood campus, 13300 W. Sixth Ave., west end, second floor. “We want girls to explore STEM careers, laboratories and tools — to give them hands-on experience,” said Mariah Rossel, a faculty member at RRCC. “It’s really exciting to see these girls do this kind of work.” Some of the badge events are single-day projects, like a woodworker project or room makeover project. There is another, multiple-day “journey” event where students will take an energy pledge by looking at energy issues and existing energy efficiency solutions and identifying an issue in the community. The participants will then design a plan to mitigate the issue. Red Rocks will host a sustainability celebration and showcase of participants’ projects on April 27. This event will complete the journey badge for the Girl Scout STEM continues on Page 9
Jeffco teacher negotiations begin Staff Report Negotiations between the Jefferson County School District and the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) began March 9. In this negotiation season, the two par-
ties are engaging in interest-based bargaining to come up with a new contract. During the session, both sides will discuss items such as teacher compensation, paying for advanced degrees, communication, increases in teacher librarians, smaller class sizes, having an effective educator in
every classroom, student achievement and teacher performance, among other topics. March negotiation dates are confirmed, with meetings tentatively scheduled through the end of June. The district will continue to confirm future dates on an ongoing basis. All meetings will be held
in the Board Room at the Jefferson County Education Center, 1829 Denver West Drive, Golden. Colorado Community Media will offer weekly recaps, in print and online, throughout the negotiation process.