James Martinez’s ambition is to become a concept artist in the future. He started to explore his artistic ability in a drawing class but went on to learn how to transform his pencil drawings to graphic art in his Graphic Communications class. Taking a CTE course in Graphic Design really paid off for him because his skills earned him a brand new iPod touch as the winner of the West-MEC Student T-Shirt Design Contest.

“I want to develop character animation in the future so I’m taking graphic communications,” said Martinez. “I never expected to win the t-shirt design contest, I couldn’t believe that I won at first, but now I’m pretty psyched!”

James’s design will be printed on t-shirts for students throughout West-MEC’s member districts.

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Tim Parrino teaches Graphic Communications at Deer Valley High School, he encouraged all of his students, including James Martinez to submit a design in the contest.

“The West-MEC contest was challenging for all my students still James was a step ahead of the curve,” said Parrino. “I recognized his potential early on in the semester. He has a natural artistic ability and he’s comfortable using Adobe Creative Suite software to create really great, original work.”

Graphic design and media productions are some of the hundreds of Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses offered at West-MEC member districts. The t-shirt design contest was targeted to students currently enrolled in West-MEC graphic design and/or media productions programs at West-MEC member districts. Thank you to SRP for sponsoring the contest and donating the iPod touch given as the contest award.

RSKHS Media Productions + Creative outlet for student filmmakers = Peoria Film Festival

They came from around the Peoria district and even from Tucson to watch the creative work of student filmmakers at the Peoria Film Festival. Raymond S. Kellis High School’s media production instructor, Jeff Southwick and his students hosted this year’s film festival.

Students from media production classes at Peoria Unified high schools, and from Rincon High School in Tucson submitted video entries for the film festival.

Media production students entered the following categories:
• Animation
• Documentary
• Music video
• News package
• PSA
• Short film

The Kellis auditorium housed an energetic and creative crowd as the lights dimmed and the show started. First up on the projection screen was the student music video collection, produced to accompany a local Peoria band’s song. The band, Change of Pace acted as judge for the category. They even threw in a surprise for film festival revelers, making a special appearance as musical guests. Take a look at Change of Pace and the student, whose music video won their vote in photos below.

Student-produced video entries in each category ran throughout the day and each one garnered numerous good-humored ooo’s and ah’s from the crowd.

SkillsUSA Arizona Championship

The top Career and Technical Education students gathered for the SkillsUSA Arizona Championship. The annual two-day conference featured multiple skill and leadership competitions for SkillsUSA members. A variety of career industries were represented at the conference. Contests ranged from TV/Radio News Anchoring and 3D Animation to Masonry and Residential Wiring.

Sounds of hammers, drills and torches filled the Phoenix Convention Center as students from around the state competed for the chance to represent Arizona at the national SkillsUSA championships.

Check out photos of talented SkillsUSA contestants in action.

Caitlin Lee, senior at Centennial High School and a graduate of the West-MEC EMT program earned the top grade in the course at Glendale Community College. Most recently, Caitlin took the next step in EMT training and earned her EMT certification by passing the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam.

“I took my certification exam so that I’ll be able to work as an EMT while I attend college,” said Caitlin. “West-MEC has given me the advantage to actually work in the medical field while I’m getting a degree in it.”

After graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in medicine to become a doctor.

The West-MEC EMT program is offered through a partnership between West-MEC and the Maricopa Community College district, high school students of West-MEC member districts have the opportunity to attend EMT courses at Glendale Community College(GCC), GCC-North, Paradise Valley Community College and Estella Mountain Community College. Upon course completion, students may receive two high school credits and 12 community college credits as well as gain eligibility to take the EMT National Registry exam.   

 For more information contact West-MEC at 623-873-1860.