A-B Tech and Student Government Celebrate Earth Day
An Earth Day Celebration was held April 23 in the Azalea Building parking lot. The event included live music and free lunch from Chick-fil-A, as well as the planting of a tree.
Additional activities included an environmental fair (right), oxygen bar (below) and several inflatable games.
The Student Government Association also held an election to select new officers, with Alice Powell being named President; Catalina Powell, Vice President; Lola Powell, Secretary; and Michelle Little, Treasurer.
'Career Bridge' Provided Assistance to Immigrant Students
The Human Resources Development 'Career Bridge' program was funded for just one year, but its impact is expected to last a lifetime for those who were able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Created to help Russian, Ukrainian, Moldovian and Romanian immigrants of which there are more than 5,000 in Buncombe County develop job-readiness skills and find work, 'Career Bridge' was funded for 2003 through a $12,500 New Horizon grant from the Community Foundation.
Since many of the participants already possessed an exceptional education and tremendous work experience, the project wasn't geared toward 'job-training,' but toward acquiring the skills required to break through the barriers holding them back from finding a job in the United States. Among the areas addressed were becoming familiar with a new computer keyboard, explaining the concepts of American corporate culture, updating language skills and learning how to search for a job and prepare for an interview.
Fifty people utilized the program, 38 in the Attain Skills in Keyboarding (ASK) class and 12 in career planning and development, but project coordinator Elizabeth Saunders said the word-of-mouth advertising was just starting to peak when the program was winding down. Saunders believes that all of the 'Career Bridge' participants benefited from the experience, but cites two people in particular as highlights of the program.
Ivan Gritskan came to the U.S. from Moldova in early 2003 with more than 25 years experience in road construction, but was unable to find comparable work to support his wife and their five children. Ivan started 'Career Bridge' in August and interviewed with the City of Asheville with Saunders and program translator Michael Arrowood accompanying him in early November. By Thanksgiving, he had secured a job working in road construction for the city's Public Works Department. Ivan's supervisor talked with Arrowood in March and said they "wished they had ten more employees just like him."
Tamara Zaluzhnaya acquired a master's level education in economics and accounting while living in the Ukraine, and when she arrived in the United States several years ago wanted to utilize her education and experience in the field of medical coding. She already had a job at Mission Hospital, but was having some trouble with her basic skills, so Tamara entered 'Career Bridge' and started planning how she could advance within the ranks of the hospital. She's been at Mission for more than a year and is continuing the process of eventually working her way into her dream job.
Saunders also mentioned additional success stories like Halyna Rudyk and her husband, Andriy, who both took part in 'Career Bridge' and now work at Reynolds Middle School, as a tutor in English as a Second Language, and at Mission Hospital, respectively.
For Saunders, who still keeps in touch with several 'Career Bridge' participants, seeing the funding, and therefore the program, come to an end, was extremely disappointing.
"We feel like we were very successful," said Saunders. "We've gotten very good feedback from the employers on our clients' progress, performance and opportunities for advancement. We tried to tie up all of the loose ends and exit gracefully, but we felt like we were just getting started on helping them with their career development needs."
Human Resources Development Coordinator Shelley White was also unhappy to see the funding end, but quickly pointed out that although 'Career Bridge' itself is no longer offered, work with Russian and Ukrainian students will continue through ASK and employment skills courses taught in Russian.
"We will also continue to seek external funding sources to offer programs like Career Bridge in the future," White added.