What’s happened:
This October, Porter County Career and Technical Center (PCCTC) students gave back. On October 8, the PCCTC health science classes held a fundraiser for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
DIPG is a highly aggressive brain tumor that occurs mostly in children. The tumor occurs at the bottom of the brain stem in the pons. This area controls many vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate, making everyday functions difficult when something goes wrong. The illness is terminal and often spreads to other areas of the body. It’s known as the most common brain stem tumor to occur in children.
In an effort to spread awareness and raise money for DIPG, health science students hosted a tie dye fundraiser for the cause. This particular fundraiser is under the H Life Foundation. The foundation was started in August 2015 and is named after Heather Serafin. Serafin was a 17-year-old girl with DIPG who fought for two years but unfortunately passed away in October 2015.
In this fundraiser, participants donate ten dollars. The students then tie dyed a shirt for themselves and a shirt for a child living with DIPG. This event raised over 3,000 dollars for DIPG. If you’d like to join in, visit www.theh.life.com to donate and show support.
What’s coming up:
PCCTC will be offering a new program in August 2022, a veterinarian assistant program! Students will be able to work with a wide variety of animals and gain hands-on experience.
“It’s our job in career and tech ed here at the career center to help a student find their passion and purpose,” said Audra Peterson, director at PCCTC.
In this kind of learning environment, students will be able to learn just that. The course will be a senior course with students needing to first take the medical terminology and anatomy/physiology classes their junior year. This is great for the baseline knowledge that students will need to excel in the veterinary field.
It is the career center’s goal that during the students’ second semester of the new program they will be able to intern at veterinary clinics. While Peterson is in contact with many local veterinarians, other interested vets are welcome to get involved. You can contact Peterson via email at:apeterson@pces.k12.in.us.
Teacher spotlight:
Duane Thornbaker is the electronics teacher at PCCTC. Thornbaker studied at Valparaiso University, Purdue University, and Valparaiso Technical University, so it’s safe to say that he is more than qualified for the position. He has been teaching for seven years and previously worked in industrial electronics for forty years. Thornbaker is extremely enthusiastic about his career in teaching.
Like many of the classes offered at PCCTC, Thornbaker’s class is very hands-on. The class is very rigorous and involved, but Thornbaker and students wouldn’t want it any other way. Students learn a plethora of skills such as house wiring, soldering, electronic assembly, and troubleshooting. All of these skills are essential for a job in electronics.
The most important project of the year for juniors is building their own multimeter that they then use for all their labs throughout the remainder of the year. For seniors, the most important project is building their very own power supply that they can take home with them. At the end of the two years, students are provided the opportunity to take the Electronics Technicians Association (ETA) test.
Thornbaker’s teachings go far beyond the classroom and allow students to gain a multitude of opportunities in the workforce.
“I hope they learn how to learn after they leave high school,” said Thornbaker.
The course is dual credit, so students acquire college credits for classes at both Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. Thornbaker is committed to and passionate about giving students the tools they need to succeed and excel in their given occupation or field of study.
Student spotlight:
Flynn Wilson is a vibrant second-year student in the radio and television vocational program at PCCTC. The class is taught by Dallas Milligan. In the radio and television class, students produce a monthly newscast, stream football games for Valparaiso High School and other live sporting events, and much more. Like many others at the school, it’s an extremely hands-on program.
Wilson is taking what he learns in the classroom a step further. Recently, he was a production assistant for an NFL kickoff event in Tampa, Florida. His favorite part was helping the director and producer in the broadcast truck.
“My vocational class has helped me learn the technology and systems that are specific to video work. All production is the same in one way or another, only the systems change,” said Wilson.
Wilson thoroughly enjoys the live production aspect of the video and radio production class at PCCTC. He plans to continue doing work like this throughout his life by pursuing a degree in media production at the University of Cincinnati. Wilson hopes to become a freelance video director for live events.