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Inside News - June 2005
Heart of Ohio Alumnus Designed His Future
and Went After It
Below: Tech Prep
college graduate Eric Newland (center) mentors Architecture and
Construction Management students Andy Kushmeider (left) and Ryan Thompson
(right)
Few programs in the Heart of Ohio Tech Prep Consortium have seen more
success than the Architecture and Construction Management (ACM) program at
Gahanna Lincoln High School. The program, just wrapping up its eighth
year, is a satellite of the Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical
Schools.
The ACM program has an incredible track record of both recruitment and
college participation. Enrollments are filled every year, with a waiting
list of students hoping that someone will – please! -- drop out. Much of
the program’s appeal stems from the reputation of the teacher, Dan Keiser.
Keiser, also a practicing architect, is an exceptional, student-oriented,
hands-on instructor. Keiser’s unusually active program advisory committee
includes some major names in central Ohio architecture and construction.
And the Eastland-Fairfield District provides the ACM lab with the best and
most-up-to-date equipment and software.
ACM students learn from Day One that they are to go on to college. And
they do, in droves – at least 90% each year (counting private and out of
state universities). Quite a few have gone on in architecture at Kent
State University, Keiser’s own alma mater. This spring, the class took a
field trip to Kent State to visit the program there, and to meet with a
dozen earlier ACM graduates now enrolled at Kent State. Many of these (and
other) ACM alumni volunteer as senior project mentors for the current high
school students, working together mostly via email.
Mr. Eric Newland -- an alumnus of the ACM program, as well as a mentor for
current ACM students and a recent graduate in architecture from Kent State
-- agreed to write about his Tech Prep experiences. Here is his success
story:
“’Mediocre’ seems the best adjective for my high school freshman and
sophomore experiences. Being blessed with a mathematical and logic-based
mind, I was able to get by with little effort. I had a strong talent for
art, especially drawing and designing, but my school’s art classes were
filled first by upperclassmen, making it difficult for me to get into a
class for which I had any passion.
“I remember hearing about the ACM program at Gahanna Lincoln High School
in my sophomore year. It sounded pretty exciting to me. I could pursue a
field where my strengths and interests would actually culminate in a
stimulating career. After a program visit, I applied and was accepted.
“Under the instruction of Dan Keiser, my junior and senior years were
phenomenal. Because the subject matter actually interested me, my GPA rose
nearly a point and a half. School transformed, in my mind, from a mandated
state requirement to a self-driven vehicle to achieve any future I could
imagine. I used every opportunity the program offered to – metaphorically
–‘ press the pedal to the floor,’ and grab all the information and
practice in architecture I could get my young hands on.
“As I learned new software and design approaches, I got into graphic
design. The flexibility of the schedule Dan Keiser had set up allowed me
to pursue this interest, as I taught myself 3D design rendering and HTML
Scripting. Using these skills, I developed a fully interactive, HTML-based
portfolio to show my architectural projects. By the time I graduated from
the ACM program in 2001, my portfolio helped me get accepted directly into
The College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State
University.
“My four years at Kent State passed extremely quickly. In that time, I was
chosen to represent the first- and second-year students in The American
Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). I also spent 20 weeks in
Florence, Italy, studying Italian language and culture, European
architecture, and urban planning. In May 2005, I graduated with a
Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Architecture.
“Today, I am working as an intern architect practicing residential,
commercial and religious architecture with a talented, rapidly growing
architecture firm in Columbus, Ohio. I have been accepted into a dual
graduate program at Kent State University and will graduate in 2007 with
Masters Degrees in Architecture and Business Administration. I plan to use
this training to become a registered architect and a commercial real
estate developer.
“Too often, people measure success by letters on a report card, a person’s
social position, or income on a paycheck. In my experience, success is
more of a journey -- of achieving dreams, and dedicating the effort it
takes to achieve them.
“My Tech Prep experience changed my life. I know it is changing other
students’ lives too. I encourage schools in Ohio to continue to offer a
wide array of quality Tech Prep classes and programs, to support teachers
like Dan Keiser who inspire and nurture students, and to help all students
find and pursue their passions. To quote my teacher and friend, Dan
Keiser, on the first day of class with him: ‘Design your future, and go
get it’.”
A final note: The ACM program at Gahanna Lincoln High School has an
outstanding and informative website. We invite you to visit it at:
www.acmsite.com
Student Success Spotlight!
Upper Miami Valley Tech Prep Consortium Spotlight Story
Sara Gruber Waldo (Above), Class of 2000
Greenville High School, CIS Tech Prep
Current Position: Director of Development for Dayton Right to Life and The
Greater Dayton Pro-Life Education Foundation
After graduation in 2000 as a Computer
Information Systems’ College Tech Prep student at Greenville High School,
Sara Gruber Waldo attended Cedarville University working towards a degree
in Organizational Communication. Learning from her student experiences in
the CIS program enabled her to complete a Bachelor of Arts Degree in
Communication in May 2004. Shortly after, she was hired as the Director of
Development for Dayton Right to Life and the Greater Dayton Pro-Life
Education Foundation.
Originally, Sara had merely planned to attend a two-year college and work
towards a technical degree. Her plans took a new turn when she was offered
a track and field scholarship at Cedarville University. This exceptional
opportunity enabled her to continue within her Tech Prep CIS pathway. Sara
attributes that her interest in the field of communication correlates with
her experiences in her high school Tech Prep classes.
Sara says, “I was always a visual learner and needed hands-on experiences
to keep me interested. With the continual changes that go along with the
computer and communication industry, I am able to stay engaged and learn
new things – sometimes on a day-to-day basis. That is how technology works
as an education tool. That is what motivated me then and what motivates me
now!”
 Sara oversees the fundraising and development for the organization.
Running non-profit and grant-funded programs such as Dayton Right to Life
takes a certain expertise in the areas of management and communication.
Sara’s (right) responsibilities involve event coordination, working with major
corporate and individual donors, community outreach, as well as working
with legislators on issues that are instrumental to the organization’s
mission. In Montgomery County, the foundation works towards expanding
educational choices for teens, promoting life at all levels and supporting
those in need with assistance.
Sara is in the process of planning the program’s primary annual
fundraiser,”Viva la Vita! A Celebration of Life and Hope” The event is
held at the Schuster Center for Performing Arts in Dayton and features
keynote speaker, Senator Zell Miller of Georgia. He is known for his
lifelong career as a Democratic politician and more recently, his famed
address at the Republican National Convention.
“The event draws a large number of supporters, donors and legislators in,
and it has to be a success. I can definitely say this much, Tech Prep
prepared me for this challenge – time management, communication and a
desire to succeed. All of these areas come into play with a huge event
such as this,” said Sara when she reflected back on her beginnings as a
student in the CIS program.
In summary, Sara expressed her thoughts about her own experience as a Tech
Prep student. When asked if she had any advice for students who aren’t
sure what is next, she replied, “I look at it this way, education and
technology always pose problems that need to be solved. Essentially, that
is what it is all about. Tech Prep programs encourage students to work to
find the solutions. That is the same idea in the workplace! Keep working
and you’ll get there…many times over.”
College Access
Information Hotline
Designed to Remedy College Confusion
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Good information is a
remedy for the notion that college is out-of-reach for too many Ohioans.
The College Access Information Hotline,
which just began service this week at 1-800-I ATTAIN (1-800-428-8246),
offers callers information on preparation for college, admission,
articulation and transfer and general facts about enrollment at colleges
and universities throughout Ohio. In addition, the hotline service will be
paired with the existing State Grants and Scholarship Hotline to deliver
information about college student financial aid, directing callers to
available local, state and federal sources.
“In Ohio, as elsewhere, getting at least
some education beyond high school is crucial. The new Hotline will help us
address misconceptions about college cost, student aid and academic
preparation, which are barriers to increasing college participation and
completion,” said Roderick G. W. Chu, chancellor of the Ohio Board of
Regents. “Too many students – particularly those from low-income families
– do not know there are numerous programs available to assist them in
understanding and taking advantage of college and university
opportunities.”
Ohio is ranked 39th among the 50 states in
bachelor’s degree attainment, at just over 21 percent of the population
over the age of 25 having a baccalaureate degree. Having been at the
forefront of the agricultural and manufacturing economies of the past two
centuries, Ohio’s low educational attainment places the state and its
workforce in a difficult position from which to compete in the 21st
century Knowledge Economy.
Initially available from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.,
Monday – Friday, the hotline will serve to supplement the
college-advisement work of overburdened high school guidance counselors.
According to a report by the National Center for Educational Statistics,
there is an average of one high school guidance counselor for every 315
students.
While there is an abundance of college
information available on the Internet, the sheer volume of links returned
by search engines and the uncertain veracity of some scholarship-search
sites can be intimidating and produce additional obstacles to college
enrollment.
The Ohio Board of Regents is the
coordinating body for higher education in the state. Created in 1963 by
the General Assembly, the 11-member public board has a direct,
non-governing relationship with all of Ohio’s colleges and universities.
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