June Students of the Month

Each month, Davis Applied Technology College (DATC), a UCAT campus, nominates two students for their exemplary efforts at school, work and life. This month, Kristen Jones from the Surgical Technology program and Kimberly Morin from the Financial Administration program were selected.

Kristen Jones
Surgical Technology

Kristen Jones had either wanted to be in the legal field or the healthcare field, but couldn’t decide which, so she tried law. However, after working as a paralegal, she found that it wasn’t for her so she decided to give the healthcare field a try. Kristen began working as a volunteer at Dixie Regional Medical Center. She was delighted in her work and came to the conclusion that the medical field was where she wanted to be. “I like that I get to help people and see the results of my work. The body is very interesting how it all works together. “

After moving to Northern Utah, Kristen started working at Primary Children’s Medical Center, and was referred to the Surgical Technology program at Davis Applied Technology College to further her healthcare career. “I’m doing [Surgical Technology] to get more experience. I don’t want to go to school for 10 years and find out I don’t like this. I’m trying to get my feet wet.”

Pam Carter, Kristen’s Surgical Technology instructor, says “Kristen has been in the program since July of last year and has good attendance and progress. She has attended classes while also working as a core tech in the operating room at Primary Children's Medical Center. Her supervisor gave her an awesome letter of reference when she applied to the program telling us what an asset she was to the staff working in the operating room and how pleasant her attitude was. As a student, Kristen has been all those things. She is a hard worker and takes her learning seriously.”

Once she finishes her classroom studies, Kristen will begin work at the VA Medical Center in June for her externship. Though it hasn’t been easy, Kristen is grateful to be working full-time and going to school, so that she can gain the experience she needs as she looks forward to a future career as a nurse practitioner or a hospital administrator.

Kimberly Morin
Financial Administration

Just last year, Kimberly Morin decided to make a change in her life. She had gone through some challenging times and wanted to make things better for herself and her children. One of the goals she set was to go back to school. “I don’t know why, but I think I was ready to change. I’ve always wanted to go back to school, but never did. I knew this would be my chance and I’m learning so much more this time around.”

With the encouragement of a friend, Kimberly enrolled in the Financial Administration program at Davis Applied Technology College. “I have many years of experience doing accounts payable/receivable. The market is so bad out there. I thought if I got more education, I’d be in a better position to find a job.”

Kimberly has breezed through the curriculum at a record pace. She’s only been in the program a few short months and has already passed six of the required courses. Her instructor, Rama Rasmussen, has been shocked at how quickly Kimberly has excelled. “Kimberly has a 143% progress rate and has been successful at completing several courses in a short amount of time. She is conscientious and pays attention to detail, important traits in Financial Administration.”

Once she completes her education, likely within the next 6 months, she hopes to find employment as an Administrative Assistant to use the skills she has acquired. “I’m learning Excel, Quickbooks, and accounting. Then I’ll be going into Business Ethics and Law.”

Ultimately, Kimberly would like to educate others in changing their lives. “I want to let them know that it is possible to do something. It really is possible. I didn’t think I was smart, but now I know I can do anything.”

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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