450 MLHS Juniors Visit BBCC Campus for “Prof-Tech” Preview Day

Four hundred fifty juniors from Moses Lake High School visited the Big Bend Community College campus Wednesday to get an up close and personal look at some of the Professional and Technical Education Programs offered at BBCC.

Event organizer Monica Medrano, Workforce Education Services Coordinator, said the “Preview Day” was setup specifically for our local high school students.

“Because BBCC is in Moses Lake High School’s backyard, many of the local students often overlook the college as an option post-graduation,” Medrano said. “The BBCC Prof-Tech Preview Day planning committee, and MLHS faculty and staff, felt it was important to bring the junior class to campus in order to help students see first-hand what Big Bend has to offer.

“There are many things about BBCC’s prof-tech programs that cannot be experienced through brochures, web-pages, or presentations. This interactive, highly detailed event gave students the opportunity to experience the BBCC environment in a way that is only possible by stepping onto campus.”

Big Bend counselors presented students with a video presentation outlining the “Top 10” reasons to come to BBCC, booths for Professional and Technical Education program information were made available, and visitors from MLHS also got a first-hand look at the college’s Medical Simulation Lab and a demonstration of the new Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones) program.

The MLHS juniors also got to see the inside of one of the college’s many aircraft and were treated to a live welding demonstration.

During the campus tour that highlighted all of BBCC’s professional and technical education programs, students had the opportunity to ask questions of instructors to find out how a Professional and Technical Education degree can put them on a pathway to a fulfilling career.

Local and regional employers, including Yahoo, were also on hand to talk with students, along with area colleges and universities.

“(The Preview Day) event provided the junior class of MLHS with important information about post-secondary education and showcased what Big Bend has to offer right here in Moses Lake,” said BBCC Director of Workforce Education Services Heidi Summers. “The 450 students from the MLHS junior class saw the “drones” fly, the SIM manikins in action, toured BBCC aircraft, and saw live welding demonstrations.  The students from MLHS were highly engaged in the event and asked great questions.”