Interact Club kicks off Xmas service project fund drive

Pictured: Front row: Rylie Janczarek, Savannah Feldner, Johnny Barba. Back row: Charlie Hall, Jenna Gress, Kait Stillion, Lakyn Ogle, Ethan Wray, Annie Kackley.

The Meadowbrook Interact service club kicked off its Christmas fund raising drive with the Pumpkin Ball held in the Meadowbrook cafeteria. Several types of tickets were sold. Basic tickets were $5.00. Students wearing costumes were charged $4.00.

To encourage students to bring canned goods, students bringing 3 canned goods were charged $4.00. Students bringing 10 canned goods and wearing a costume were admitted for free.

The club collected over 4 boxes of canned goods. The canned goods will be donated to the Byesville Rotary Christmas Food Basket project. Monies raised by the sale of dance tickets will be used to support the club’s other Christmas projects.

As part of the festivities, judges selected students with the best costumes to become members of the Pumpkin Court. Prizes were awarded to 1 male and 1 female student from each class. Nine students were chosen. Three awards were given to senior class contestants because of a tie. In keeping with the season, prizes were boxes of candy.

Byesville Rotary learns about career development at Mid East

Pictured: Back row: Barry Ross, Enrollment Coordinator from Mid East Buffalo Campus, and Becky Bruner, Speaker Host.

Barry Ross, Enrollment Coordinator from Mid East Buffalo Campus, explained that career development is an important aspect of education at Mid East. He wants his students to consider setting a career goal early in their education. Early choice helps graduates prepare to meet the requirements today’s employers look for in new employees.

Ross begins with simple questions instead of a lecture. The questions—as well as the candy rewards he offers to students who offer answers—get students thinking about the kind of future they want and what kind of life style they want to live. His questions prompt students to think about the life style a fast food restaurant salary provides compared to the life style any of the career paths offered at Mid East can provide. His questions encourage students to consider careers in areas such as Criminal Justice, Computer Support Technology, or Industrial and Engineering Systems in construction, manufacturing or transportation.

Ross challenged the Byesville Rotarians to answer some of his questions such as, “What is an average electric bill for a one bedroom efficiency apartment?” or” How much does it cost to provide food for one person for a month?” Follow up questions include, “What are the 5 most common foods purchased on an entry level salary?” and “By how much will your food bill increase when you have a baby?”(Answers: the top 5 foods—1) Ramon noodles, 2) mac and cheese, 3) cereal, 4) frozen pizza, and 5) hot dogs; and—a baby triples the food budget.)

Once Ross’s students begin considering the cost of living, he works with them to project a budget that will meet their life style expectations. He stated that it is more important for students to make a plan than to just say “This is what I want to do.”

Most of the 2000 students at Mid East use the Career Center to explore career possibilities. Forty-four per cent of students graduating from Mid East continue their education after they graduate. Ross pointed out that Mid East has partnered with Zane State to offer the Pathway to Engineering program which provides post secondary education courses to students while they attend Mid East.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chair Jim Vaughan, 740-260-2969. More information about the Byesville Rotary can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283

 

Representatives of BEST visit Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Back row: Mr. Moore, Coordinator of Special Needs; Mrs. Smith, Instructor; from Mid East Buffalo Campus; Becky Brunner, Speaker Host. Front row: Jeremy Kostelnik and Sabrina Hackley, Mid East Buffalo Campus students and members of BEST.

Mrs. Smith, Instructor, and Mr. Moore, Coordinator of Special Needs from Med-East Buffalo Campus, visited the Byesville Rotary meeting. They were accompanied by two student representatives of BEST—Jeremy Kostelnik and Sabrina Hackley.

Smith explained that BEST (Business Employability Skills Training) program prepares students for entry level employment and independent living. Mid East Buffalo Campus has offered for 20 years. Currently 13 students between 16 and 21 years old are enrolled in the program.

A key component to the program is Mid East’s partnership with local businesses to provide students with real world work-based learning experiences. Current local partners include South East Med, the YMCA, Goodwill, and the Guernsey County Senior Center. BEST students spend 1 day a week working at a job assignment at one of these sites.

Examples of the skills they learn on the job include the importance of being on time and showing initiative. Brown indicated that as a result of being held responsible for a job, the students’ behaviors change. They exhibit more maturity and begin showing more personal initiative. Sabrina explained that she has learned to focus on the details of a job so that her efforts are judged “good” by her supervisor.

Another element of the program is learning interviewing skills and how to fill out forms necessary to apply for a job. Students hone their skills by participating in mock interviews. Members of the local business community volunteer to be the interviewers. Jeremy who is a senior in his second year in the BEST program participated in the interviewing process last year. When asked for his tips on interviewing well, he said, “Be yourself.”

On campus, students take classes in subjects such as MSOffice, filing, and record keeping. They also learn life skills such as how to budget, shop for a car, and find a place to live.

Moore pointed out that students often begin the program with no job goals. The experiences they have on the job help them define specific job goals. The success rate of the BEST program is impressive. Most students graduating from the program enter the work force. Some continue their education by earning certification in specific areas such as Administrative Assistant. Others choose to earn an advanced degree in areas such as computer programming.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chair Jim Vaughan, 740-260-2969. More information about the Byesville Rotary can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283