On Oct. 25, the Westwood College – Denver North campus hosted a group of 30 students from Lester Arnold High School to help emphasize the importance of continuing their educations. Lester Arnold High School, an alternative high school that is part of the Adams 14 school district, reengages and educates students who may not have been successful in the mainstream public school environment.
Denver North campus director of admissions Ron Dejong and admissions representatives Amanda Phelps and Eveliina Russell (at left) spoke to the students about the importance of choosing and attending a college that will meet their individual learning requirements. To further pique interest, the students participated in several hands-on activities organized by faculty representatives from the schools of Healthcare, Industrial Services and Technology.
Audrey Theise, Health Information Technology program chair, and Dennis Steuerwald, School of Healthcare program chair, provided the opportunity for students to observe a phlebotomy class, which was practicing various venipuncture techniques and administering EKG tests. This activity was a huge hit with the participants.
The students then rotated to a demonstration led by School of Technology chair Chuck Bradford and faculty member Clay Chandler, who presented a video on the growing technology field. They also hosted a question-and-answer session regarding the skills that students would learn if they pursued the new Information Technology ‒ Associate of Occupational Science degree.
Greg Begun, Automotive Technology faculty member, led the students through their final activity, where they discussed the demand for industry-related automotive professionals and provided the opportunity to tour the garage and manipulate various pieces of equipment and tools. Students were then led back to a general session and participated in a pizza reception and closing ceremony.
Comments from the students indicated a high sense of interest in learning more about the programs offered at the Denver North campus. The organizers of the event expressed their appreciation for Westwood’s efforts in putting together valuable presentations and making their students feel welcome at the campus.
We look forward to building a long-lasting partnership with this school in the coming years. We give special thanks to Armando Guardiola, director of student finance, and his brother, Jose Guardiola, the community counselor at Lester Arnold High School, for establishing this new relationship.