Latest news with #SaltLakeCommunityCollege
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Weber State program geared to Spanish speakers experiences ‘staggering' uptick in interest
A unique Weber State program geared to Latino immigrants and other Spanish speakers mustered interest from more than 100 students in the spring 2025 semester, and university leaders think the initiative has a bright future. During the fall 2024 semester, the program's first, just a handful of students took part in Building Puentes, which offers online instruction in Spanish and English, one of its unique features. Then interest ballooned. 'We knew there was a need for this program in Utah, but the leap from four students to more than 100 students was pretty staggering. It just confirms the demand for classes like this and how excited people are to participate,' said Bryan Magaña, spokesman for the Ogden-based university. Weber State has made outreach to Latinos a priority — about 30% of Ogden residents are Hispanics — and the launch of Building Puentes last fall figures in the efforts. In its initial phase, the focus of the bilingual program — geared to those whose primary language is Spanish — has been on helping business-minded students earn certificates of entrepreneurship to aid them in building their own businesses. Now, it also includes programming for those interested in getting early childhood education certificates, with plans in the works to create pathways to associate and bachelor's degrees. 'This program is offering a unique opportunity for individuals who have postponed or perceived higher education as out of reach due to language barriers,' said Yesenia Quintana, who helped develop Building Puentes and leads Weber State's Community Education Center. Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake County also has some class offerings in Spanish. The focus of Building Puentes is to create a pool of professionals to meet the needs that university officials see in the community. Some of the first cohort of students have started businesses that offer care for the elderly, home cleaning, mental health services and more, according to Quintana. Looking ahead, plans are coming together to offer computer science-related certificates while additional elements call for the integration of English-as-a-second-language classes into the programming. Of the students who took part during the 2024-2025 school year, 31 participated in commencement exercises on April 25, though they formally won't finish their classwork to get certificates until the summer semester. 'Seeing the pride in their children's eyes was so moving. It's exciting to think about the ways our graduates will use the skills they learned here to bring new ideas and businesses to Utah,' Magaña said. University officials characterize Building Puentes as helping serve Utah's Spanish-speaking population. 'These classes are for anyone who speaks Spanish, so we've seen people from all over, from Utah and beyond,' Magaña said. But it's hardly Weber State's only effort targeting Latinos. The university is also striving to become an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution with at least 15% of its students Latino. Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution, with a student body that's 25% Latino, opens the door to additional federal funding. A $2.5 million grant from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity and private donations fund Building Puentes. It still faces years of development, as university officials describe it, but they're optimistic. 'It's an innovative program that has expanded access to higher education in our region,' said Doris Geide-Stevenson, interim dean of Weber State's John B. Goddard School of Business and Economics. 'We're thrilled to recognize this milestone and look forward to expanding the program in the years ahead.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Salt Lake EMT instructor's sexual abuse case to go to trial after 7 female victims testify in court
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1-888-421-1100. SALT LAKE CITY () — A former fire captain and EMT instructor will face 15 felony sexual abuse charges in trial after seven victims testified against him during his preliminary hearing Tuesday. Christopher David Burk, 46, was charged with 14 counts of forcible sexual abuse and two counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse earlier this year. The judge dismissed one of the attempted forcible sexual abuse charges at the end of Tuesday's hearing. PREVIOUS STORY: Salt Lake fire captain and EMT instructor charged with sexually abusing students Burk was arrested after two female students spoke with police, alleging they were abused by their EMT instructor. He was originally facing six charges, but has as five other victims came forward after his arrest. During the preliminary hearing, seven women spoke of their experience with Burk as their CPR or EMT instructor at several locations, the majority of which were EMT students at Salt Lake Community College or Utah Valley University. Other victims included a high school student enrolled in a program and an employee attending a CPR training at her workplace. Each woman testified one by one, recounting similar stories of Burk touching them inappropriately. The victims said Burk would ask them to stay after class to review the class content or invite them on 'ride-alongs' with the fire department. When they were alone or out of view, Burk would allegedly demonstrate different 'medical assessments' on the students. The victims all said he touched them inappropriately during the demonstrations. 'I didn't know what he was doing and I didn't know how far he was gonna take it.' -A victim's testimony in court One victim said Burk unbuttoned her top and did an assessment 'skin to skin.' Another said he lifted her shirt to do lung assessment demonstrations and touched her in her groin area under her clothes. The victim said she was 'afraid to report any of it' since she was going through a hard time in her life and Burk was her 'only support.' Another victim testified in court that Burk had touched her breasts under her clothes four times while supposedly helping her review content after class. She said he 'had touched every part of me' and she 'knew what he was doing.' The victim told the court she didn't let on that she knew what was happening because she just wanted to 'make a safe exit,' saying it was after a late-night class and she didn't know if there was anyone else in the building. 'What was going through your mind at this time?' prosecutors asked the victim. 'I was terrified,' she said. 'I didn't know what he was doing and I didn't know how far he was gonna take it.' Prosecutors called an EMT SLCC coordinator to the stand who said instructors should always be doing demonstrations in class on other instructors, not students. She said EMTs are taught to always use the back side of their hands to make sure patients are not uncomfortable. When asked by prosecutors if there is 'ever a scenario where your instructors would demonstrate by cupping a female student's breast,' she said, 'That should never be the case.' The Sandy police detective leading the case took to the stand during the preliminary hearing, describing the process of arresting Burk. He said he could not get in contact with him for nearly two months and had to arrest Burk using unmarked vehicles. The detective said when interviewing him he denied touching underneath the student's clothing. Despite one victim's claims that SLCC had known of UVU sexual abuse allegations involving Burk, the school told ABC4 they were 'unaware of any accusations or charges regarding sexual abuse until the student came forward.' The school said Burk was employed with the school from July to November of last year. 'After a SLCC EMT student filed a complaint on November 20, 2024, the college took immediate action and placed Burk on administrative leave the next day (Nov. 21) pending an investigation. When Burk was arrested on Jan. 30, 2025, this is when SLCC learned about Burk's criminal charges. Burk was immediately fired,' the statement read. Burk's next hearing is on April 15 when court officials will agree on a date for his trial. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion: Investing in dreams — the power of support at Salt Lake Community College
My father is from Ghana, and though he did not have the means to pursue education beyond high school, its importance was emphasized in our home. He told me that education will open doors for you more than anything else, and it can never be taken away from you. So, when I found myself a single mother at 18, I knew I had to find a way to access education, no matter how hard it was going to be. I started at Salt Lake Community College not only because it was the most affordable tuition but also because I could access child care. The college's child care centers, located at three campuses, supplement the cost for low-income parents. I was working two jobs, one as a CNA and one on-campus, as I was earning a biology degree with plans for nursing school. I was a Black, single, teen mom and prepared to be judged and doubted, but the opposite happened. SLCC's small class sizes and easy access to teachers personalized everyone's story. Professors and staff looked for ways to support me. When I was tired in my evening chemistry class, the professor didn't call me out. Instead, he checked in with me later and found out why I was so tired. He became a mentor, along with others, who wanted to see me succeed. Up to that point, I had never had a Black instructor. My attitude shifted from pessimism to purpose: I was pursuing an education to improve my life and my son's. Now I have an inside view of how SLCC strives to help students access and achieve additional education. As a member of SLCC's Board of Trustees, I've learned a lot about the demographics of SLCC students and what they need. Most of SLCC's students — 80% — live and work in Utah. Two-thirds work while attending college, and the majority attend part-time because they are juggling so much. Almost half are the first in their families to attend college, so they need help navigating this new terrain. I've learned that SLCC meets students where they are and focuses on reducing barriers to college. One of the biggest obstacles for most of our students is affordability. They want to be here, working hard, if they can afford it. Through donations, SLCC has been able to offer nearly $3 million annually in scholarships to all kinds of students, and because our tuition is so low, these dollars go far, benefiting more than 4,000 students. On the board, we are deeply aware that despite our students' grit and resilience, staying in school can be overwhelming at times. We've seen relatively small, unexpected expenses tip students into a downward spiral, resulting in them dropping out of school. In response, SLCC created a safety net, the Bruin Emergency Fund, to help students with one-time financial emergencies. For example, it could help a single parent who cannot afford to replace a $200 car battery, which then prevents her from taking her kids to school and getting herself to her classes and her job. Or the unexpected medical bill that could mean coming up short for rent and risking eviction. This donor-supported emergency fund helps students get by and stay focused on their education, so they can eventually become more financially secure in their futures. Lifting families out of poverty lifts Utah. While these, along with the college's child care centers and four food pantries, help our current students, SLCC's highly successful PACE program focuses on high school students who qualify for free/reduced lunch or who come from families where no one has attended college. This mentoring program, now in six local high schools, guides students through all four years, and eventually they receive a six-semester scholarship to SLCC. I've heard PACE scholars say they didn't see themselves as college material, because they couldn't even begin to imagine how they would get there. Thanks to donors, more than 700 high school PACE students are realizing what is possible. Many of the students here are their parent's dream, as I was. Education makes these dreams a reality, and sometimes it takes a village to help them come to fruition. Please consider supporting SLCC's students on the college's 2025 Giving Day, Feb. 20.
