FEATURES
Cuestonian
September 16, 2009
7
News Briefs
Laura Schafer/Cuestonian
Jeremy Kantner rewarded
Cutting a red ribbon to open the new Veterans Affairs Office are L to R, Sharon Brazell, Cuesta President Dave Pelham, ASCC President Joshua Shepherd, Trustee Gaye Galvin, Vice President Linda Fontanilla and Veteran Stephan Gunsaulus.
New center serves Vets The official ceremony and opening of the long awaited Cuesta College Veterans Affairs Office took place Sept. 9 on the San Luis Obispo campus. Located in the 6900 building, the office provides assistance for all veterans seeking to attend college. The center will allow a place for veterans to get help with their transition to civilian life and will allow them to find information about the school, their GI bills and any other service that is needed. Until now, student veterans were served at the student services center.
“This has been a labor of love,” said Linda Fontanilla, vice president of student services and leader of the Veteran’s Affairs Center project. Currently, more than 200 veterans are attending Cuesta College. “The Veteran’s A f fairs Center office is a tribute to all veterans who have served our country,” said Cuesta President David Pelham. Keynote speaker Joshua Shepherd, Navy veteran and Associated Students of Cuesta College president, spoke on the behalf of all veterans here
on campus. His view that the center is a milestone for Cuesta College was held by many in attendance. He said the center will be “a venue for vets to meet and study” and “a one-stop resource center.” The new office comes at the right time because more veterans and their dependants are expected to apply for benefits in the wake of changes to the GI Bill effective Aug. 1. Fontanilla said, “Cuesta is a good transition from serving in the military to civilian life.” Daniel Irving, Monique Koster and Matt Nicolaou contributed to this story.
The wallet of a Cuesta student, that contained more than $1,200 was turned in by another student who was honored with a certificate of outstanding citizenship. Jeremy Kantner, 28, said he was not looking for recognition when he found a wallet in Cuesta College’s No. 3 parking lot, and returned it to campus police. Bart Topham, Cuesta’s Police Chief, recommended him for the honor. “I will say this, being a cynical cop and having seen the other side of the coin,” he said during the special recognition ceremony, “I really appreciate this.”
Paramedics prepared to help The third class of paramedics graduated at Cuesta College this month. “We planned this graduation on a significant date in EMS history,” said Dennis Rowley, paramedic program director. “We will never forget the sacrifice that many have given on September 11. Let’s continue this memory by seeing another few select men and women enter into the world of EMS.” The Centra l Coa st Paramedic Program’s curriculum spans three semesters and prepares working students to take the licensing exam for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Te c h n i c i a n s Pa r a m e d i c (NREMTP) to become a licensed California paramedic. The Centra l Coa st Paramedic Program earned national accredita-
tion status last year by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for EMS Professionals.
Knowing 2+2 = scholarship $$$ Two mathematics students received scholarships from the California Mathematics C ou nc i l of C om mu n it y Colleges recently. S a c h i r a Udu nu w a r a g e received $250 a nd Heidi Sinkovich took home $150 at a Cuesta awards ceremony. Six math students also received cash prizes and certificates for participating in the American Mathematical A ssociat ion of Two-Yea r C o l l e g e s ’ M a t h Te a m Competition. The winners were: Holly McNeil, first, $150; Zachary Pierce, second, $125; Mohammad Zohour, third, $100; Jennifer Shatts, fourth, $75; Cooper Stimson, fifth, $50; and Brianna Luce, sixth, $25.
Daniel Lehmkuhl tops Skills USA A 20 -ye a r- old Cue st a College student earned a silver medal at the 45th annual National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference held in Kansas City, Mo recently. Daniel Lehmkuhl, was runner-up in the postsecondary category of automotive service technology. He earned about $10,000 in prizes and also was named a n a lternate to the 40th WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Canada. “I had 814 points, and the winner had 857,” he said. “To place second in the nation is quite an honor, so I was very happy for that.”