July Students of the Month

KAYSVILLE, UT – Each month, Davis Applied Technology College (DATC), a UCAT campus, nominates two students for their exemplary efforts at school, work and life. This month, Chastyne Wright from the Dental Assisting program and Matthew Gonzales from the Composites Material Technology program were selected.

Chastyne Wright
Dental Assisting

Chastyne Wright moved to Utah from Tennessee with the hopes of making her dream of becoming a dental hygienist real. She had heard about Weber State University’s program, and knew her first step would be to become a dental assistant. Chastyne began her quest at Davis Applied Technology College in March and is well on her way to graduating in the next few months. “I could be done around September if I really push myself.”

In a program that typically takes a year to complete, Chastyne is on track to have her education finished in half the time. Her instructor, Cathy Turnbow, has found Chastyne’s progress to be outstanding. “Chastyne is a self-motivated go-getter. She has 300% progress and she makes sure to attend class everyday. Not only is Chastyne very organized, she is also detail-oriented. I know she will do well in the dental field.”

Chastyne couldn’t be happier with the instruction, self-paced nature of the program, and the hands-on skills she has learned in such a short amount of time. “I love this program. My instructors sit down with me and take as much time as I need to learn. It’s hard being a single mom, but with the support of my instructors, I know I can do this.”

Once she completes her education at DATC, Chastyne says she will immediately apply to Weber State’s Dental Hygiene program. She plans to work as a Dental Assistant and get some of the dental hygiene prerequisites out of the way until she is accepted into the program. “I love this field and I’m so excited to be a part of it.”

Matthew Gonzales
Composites Material Technology

Matthew Gonzales has always had a love for military aircraft. His fascination for the WWII era has given him a strong desire to build or repair airplanes. Originally, Matthew dreamed of joining the Armed Forces, but due to health complications, he looked for other ways to hone his interest. Through a referral from Job Corps, Matthew enrolled in the Composites Material Technology program at Davis Applied Technology College.

In the Composites Material Technology program, Matthew has had the opportunity of training on building aircraft parts out of composite materials. He has enjoyed this challenging program and is one of the first students to arrive in the morning and one of the last to leave, working hard and staying busy throughout the day. “I’m looking forward to working with jets. It’s something I can actually do and I feel pretty confident in myself that I can.”

Matthew began the program just two months ago and is well on his way to completing next month. His instructors, Ben Hokanson, Damon Gallegos, and Marc Karpowich have been amazed at his eagerness to learn. They say, “Matthew is an incredible student. He is always working hard on his projects and asking intelligent questions. He is also the first to volunteer for extra assignments. He demonstrates a complete understanding of the curriculum and pursues perfection in all lab assignments, never failing to try for the best outcome on any one project. The company that hires Matthew will greatly benefit from his exceptional work ethic as well as his qualities as a person.”

Once Matthew graduates, he would like to work at HAFB, or in any position working with military aircraft. “I’m glad Utah values the composites industry because there are many jobs out there. I’m excited to be working on military aircraft. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

About Davis Applied Technology College:
Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) is one of eight campuses of the Utah College of Applied Technology, and is located just north of Salt Lake City, Utah. DATC provides training in an open-entry, open-exit environment which annually prepares over 7,400 high school and adult students with career and technical skills. DATC currently offers certificate programs in the Schools of Business, Construction, Health Professions, Information Technology,
Manufacturing, Service Professions and Transportation. The College is committed to quality education and dedicated to its philosophy of "We Change Lives." For more information, visit www.datc.edu or contact James Larson at james.larson@datc.edu or 801-593-2483.

About UCAT:
UCAT is the parent organization for Utah’s eight regional applied technology colleges (ATCs). Established by the State of Utah, UCAT provides market-drive technical education through eight ATCs that meets the needs of Utah’s employers for skilled workers. The ATCs prepare both adult and high school students to enter or advance in the workplace. Customized training is also provided to employers for their work force through UCAT’s Custom Fit program. The eight ATCs are Bridgerland, Davis, Dixie, Mountainland, Ogden/Weber, Southwest, Tooele, and Uintah Basin. For more information, visit www.ucat.edu or contact Jared Haines at 801-955-2172 or 801-361-0631.

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