GreatNews.Life Student Voices: A great start to the new year

What’s recently happened?

The Hammond Area Career Center had its annual open house on January 21 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. The open house offered community members a chance to tour the programs available to students and to meet individuals who are knowledgeable about the program. Sophomores Willahn Goethe and Jayden Dennis came to the open house to get a better understanding of it.

“We came because I wanted to see more,” said Goethe. “We came on the tour with our school, but we only got to visit two classes. We’ve already stopped by Criminal Justice and Early Child Development. So far, we really like the Radio and TV program.“

Many parents went to each class in search of a program that would fit perfectly for their child. Everyone got to meet the teachers and get a feel of the environment.

“My daughter came to tour the building, and I wanted to visit the Radio and TV program,” said Kory Johnson. “Though she seems more interested in the dental program, I think she would do well at broadcasting with her ability to read and articulate her words as well.” 

The open house serves as a way to inspire more enrollment within the community; its result won’t be fully shown until next school year, when enrollment applications flood in.

What’s coming up?

Students at the ACC are preparing to compete at Skill USA. This annual competition will serve as a chance for its competitors to show off the skills, knowledge, and techniques that they have learned throughout the year in their selected contest. On January 31, students will face off at the regional level. If they do well enough, they are off to state and then nationals.

“We had to perform six of our skills, and we went up against about three other schools,” said Janice Velez, a previous competitor in the Emergency Medical Services category. “A lot of people are nervous when they first get there. I think if you just set your mind on one thing, you’ll do well and place.”

The areas covered in the competition include Health Sciences, Construction, Arts and Communications, and Leadership. Many first-year students are preparing to enter and participate for the first time.

“I’m entering the plumbing section, which will include connecting pipes, cutting Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and soldering copper,” said Sergio Magallanes, a first-year student in the Construction Trades program. “I don’t think it will be too difficult, but I am a little nervous and excited. This competition will be good to put on my resume and to see where I’m at compared to others.” 

Staff spotlight:

Virginia Sparks is the Health Careers instructor at the ACC. Sparks has been teaching at the ACC for around six years. Before teaching, she worked as a school nurse, and prior to that job, she worked in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in outpatient surgery. She has even worked as a substitute teacher. 

“I wanted to try something new,” Sparks said. “I really enjoyed the school setting as opposed to a health facility. I had worked with younger kids back when I was a school nurse, but I wanted to try something with high school kids.”

Her favorite part about teaching is forming relationships with her students. Hearing about their career aspirations and watching them grow from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 

“I’ve learned that I don’t have to just talk to my students the entire class period,” said Sparks. “I’ve learned that it’s okay to give them an activity and let them work through it and observe. Teaching is more than just standing in front of the classroom and talking.”

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, crocheting, and going on walks. If she could have had any other job, she would have been an accountant due to her love of numbers.

Student spotlight:

Julissa Ramirez is a first-year student in the Early Childhood Education program. Ramirez decided to join the class because of her love of children and her desire to work with them. While it was not always her first thought when applying to the ACC, she discovered that it was the right fit for her.

“Before I came here, I was going to do culinary,” Ramirez states. “I like cooking, but I don’t feel as passionate about it as I do about childcare. I realized just how much I love working with kids, because they bring me happiness.”

In her class, Ramirez has learned a variety of things from the different illnesses children are prone to get to the different ways children learn and the way their senses develop.

“My favorite thing I learned was the health aspect of what goes into early childhood,” said Ramirez. “They taught me Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how kids develop their motor skills and senses.

Once she leaves the ACC, she aspires to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childcare. At the moment, she is considering Purdue Northwest for their Early Childcare program. Afterwards, she plans to work as a preschool teacher.  

When outside of school, some of her hobbies include playing tennis and the violin.