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Mary Yazzie, a graphics instructor at Miami High School for the past 15 years, has worked with CVIT for more than a decade. Her graphic design classes help prepare students with “real-world” classroom experience.
“We like the program a lot,” Yazzie says. “By the time they’re finished, my kids have a working knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, and will be ready for advanced graphics.”
She compares CVIT to a 2-year certificate program with hands-on learning to prepare students to enter the job market. To facilitate that, Yazzie has created partnerships with several organizations to give her students work experience.
“After they complete the program, they can go straight to work and get jobs that might help them pay for a four-year college,” she says. “They also develop a portfolio they can use once they leave school.”
CVIT also helps the program in other ways. When Yazzie took her students to SkillsUSA—a national career and technical student organization—CVIT helped find a community grant to match the $3,500 raised by students.
Ultimately, CVIT prepares students for trades, or to get a leg up on continuing educational opportunities elsewhere.
“With the CVIT program, they get college credit for, so, really, it kills two birds with one stone,” Yazzie concluded.
Journalist, writer and editor who has worked for community newspapers for more than 15 years. After four years at Davis-Monthan AFB and a few years living in Tucson, moved to California to find his fortune. He is happy to be back in Arizona, in the mountains he loves.
