By Kelly Heffern
SIATech is an open entry, open exit program. This means that new students enroll each day, and students graduate when they have met all the requirements for graduation. I’d like to tell you about one new enrollee and one recent graduate from our campus at SIATech Perris.
Welcome to Rayheme Jones!
Rayheme heard about SIATech from a former student. He heard it was a good program where he could work on his own, but still get help from teachers when he needed it. Rayheme started during our summer school session and hopes to make substantial progress in the coming school year.
So far, Rayheme likes that it is a smaller environment. “It’s friendlier,” he says, and he appreciates that there are teachers available to answer his questions. Rayheme came from a larger public school environment and felt that he wasn’t receiving the interaction from teachers that he needed to succeed. He said he hates not understanding something, and would often over-think it. Then, when he’d ask for clarification, he would be told to go back and ask another student. He likes that at SIATech, he can do the work himself and get clarification from SIATech teachers.
Rayheme is a musician. He plays the drums, guitar, and bass, and likes to write his own hip-hop and rap songs with his friends.
Congratulations to Jordy Ruiz!
It took graduate Jordy Ruiz longer than he planned to finally graduate. Like most of us, he didn’t plan on the obstacles that hindered his progress. Jordy was on track to graduate in 2018. Unfortunately, he suffered from a biking accident that required surgery and months of rehabilitation.
When Jordy was healthy again he enrolled in SIATech to finish his diploma. While he may have been disappointed that his graduation timeline had been thrown off, Jordy didn’t let it prevent him from reaching his goal and realized that it merely delayed it.
As a graduate, he has also been able to complete other small goals, like earning his Driver’s License. While at SIATech, Jordy learned how to make videos, and he is currently working on filming and putting together his own video to showcase his BMX freestyle and street riding. He hopes to use his self-made video to find additional sponsors for his amateur flow BMX riding.
Jordy works at a bike shop as mechanic in Riverside, and is currently looking for a second job, with interviews scheduled for this week. Jordy is glad to be able to be in a better position now to help his family out. He plans on attending college next year. He is excited about his future and the opportunities that are ahead of him! Best of luck, and congratulations, Jordy!
