EMCC’s SouthWest Skill Center honors 95 spring grads
The SouthWest Skill Center (SWSC) at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges, celebrated the accomplishments of 95 students at their Spring Completion Ceremony on Friday, March 8, 2013 on the EMCC campus’ Ceremonial Plaza.
The ceremony honored and recognized students completing their programs in Practical Nursing, Phlebotomy, Spanish Medical Interpreter, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Distribution Logistics.
“This is an important milestone for our students and their families,” said center director Tom Cotner. “Preparing our students for new careers is important to us, and we are proud of what they have achieved. Relevant skills are the key to employment, especially in today’s economy, where employers may be cutting back on training and expecting applicants to be well-prepared, even before they apply for jobs.”
Two students were selected to speak at the Completion Ceremony based on their accomplishments. Kathy Gonzalez represented cohorts who are successfully completing the Spanish Medical Interpreter program, and Ivy Arciszewski represented 20 students completing the Practical Nursing program.
Kathy Gonzalez, a mother of two children, took classes each Saturday for six months, and completed her externship in Scottsdale. Before that, she worked as a hygienist for a dentist in Mexico and then earned an associate degree in interior design in California before relocating to Arizona.
Naturally shy, Gonzalez has developed her ability to speak up on behalf of others. She knows how much
interpreters are needed in the medical field, and how important they can be. “The ability to communicate an allergy to medicine could be the difference between life and death,” she said.
Ivy Arciszewski, also the mother of two, came to the United States from Poland 15 years ago. After living on the East Coast, she moved to Phoenix six years ago. She now lives in Goodyear.
Arciszewski pursued a career in physical therapy in Poland, and has a passion for fitness, leading boot camps and teaching kickboxing. She intends to continue her focus on fitness, and looks forward to having more time to do it.
Arciszewski said the eleven months of the Practical Nursing program were demanding. At first, she was overwhelmed with the amount of studying, and balancing her studies with her family was a challenge. “My younger son didn’t think it was a lot of fun, and often didn’t want me to go,” she said. With the bulk of the work is behind her, she credits good instructors and friends for supporting her accomplishments. “It was a great class,” she said.
Arciszewski has applied for the board test and plans to work in a hospital as a licensed practical nurse.
Since 1999, the SouthWest Skill Center has offered short-term job training and career development, specializing in allied health careers. SWSC students completing the PN program have an impressive 90 percent first-time pass rate on the exam leading to LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) designation. For students continuing into the EMCC Registered Nurse transfer program, there is an 84 percent pass rate for the exam leading to their RN license. The Center has been acclaimed for its active learning in a highly technological environment, such as the simulation lab which creates a practicum patient experience for students.