CTE Academy students living up their program's fullest potential BY LILLI KOCH AND ALEXA GALVEZ for the Hawkview
Now that the 2021-22 school year is almost done, everyone has had the time to adjust back to an almost normal school year after distance/hybrid learning. But there are a few things that are just slowly going back to normal, specifically for the academies at La Quinta High School.
There are six academies at LQHS: Information and Communication Technology Academy (ICTA), Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFJROTC), Culinary Arts Academy, Medical Health Academy (MHA), Public Service Academy (PSA), and Multimedia Journalism. All of them have great opportunities for careers in their designated fields, but due to COVID-19 and safety measures, there are a few things that are different for them this year. Nevertheless, they continue to persevere and work towards their goals.
In room 706 lies a place that can go unnoticed by students, looking just like a typical classroom with typical students. However, what truly lies inside the classroom is the Information and Communication Technology Academy, most commonly known as the I.T. Academy.
The I.T. Academy offers the educational skills needed to obtain a career in the world of technology, such as networking and coding. Students who are in the academy have the opportunity to be certified up to five times in the technology field, providing them a leg up in finding jobs after high school that they are suited for.
Frank Ceja is the instructor and head of the Information and Communication Technology Academy, and has been working in the technology field for over 20 years. Just like his students, he very much enjoys playing video games, preferably his favorite game “Halo.”
During distance/hybrid learning, Ceja and his students were just fine, unlike many other teachers at La Quinta High School, he said. Since coming back to school for a somewhat normal school year, Ceja has felt no difference and continues to do what he can to finish the second semester strongly.
“There’s no difference for me,” he said. “We just hit the ground running as soon as we started and my students are picking up right where we left off, so we’ve been doing just fine.”
Ceja said that the I.T. Academy classroom is surrounded with a happy and positive atmosphere from both Ceja and his students since coming back to school in person.
The I.T. Academy has done many great things for the school such as forming Geek Squad, which is a group of Ceja’s seniors who go out near the end of the day to serve teachers and staff who are having technical difficulties. However, Ceja is most proud of his students in the academy this school year because of how hard they work and take initiative.
“Here’s the reality: the classes that we’re teaching them, the information that we’re going over, the sophomores, juniors and seniors’ classes are dual enrollment. Dual enrollment means that the class that they’re taking here is the same class at College of the Desert, so they’re getting college credit as well,” Ceja said. “The content, the information that we’re going over, is the same content that is taught in college. So that’s why I am so proud of the students that they’re able to do this, and there’s no reason why they can’t do this.”
Ceja would like everyone to know that he and his students are an academy that is growing and will continue to grow. The academy will continue to look forward, and hopefully have the I.T. room redesigned (ideally adding a painting of Ceja’s favorite character from “Halo,” Master Chief).
Amongst many students in the I.T. Academy, Zakee Jones ‘24 is in his second year. He has had an easy transition coming back to school this year, and is finding this school year to be less stressful and scary because teachers are “lightening the load” of work.
Not only does the I.T. Academy offer the technology needed to learn and progress throughout the year, it also offers field trips such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL. However, due to COVID-19, the I.T. Academy is pushing hard to obtain a field trip to JPL this year, although they’ve already been denied field trips until further notice.
The high school’s admin has permitted the academies to go on field trips this spring, as long as they are outside.
Jones’ favorite activity to do in the academy is building raspberry pis, or tiny computers that are compact, with a group.
Like all academies, the I.T. Academy offers a variety of technical skills in order for a student to pursue what career they want to do in the future. Now that this year has all students coming back to campus, students are able to learn and fully comprehend new skills in person.
“I’ve learned more about computers in general, I’ve learned about networking. There’s a lot you learn, I’ve learned about Linux, which is another operating system like Windows,” Jones said. “And I’ve learned how to 3D print and use a little bit of the laser cutter.”
Jones would like everyone to know that I.T. is a great academy and everyone enjoys one another and helps each other out. He loves technology, and he continues to stay in the academy not only because of the things he learns but also because of the people around him.
Aaron Delara ‘22 has been with I.T Academy ever since he started high school. He’s a TA for Ceja’s first period, as well as student learning about cybersecurity in fifth period, and back in the classroom for his internship in sixth period, where he is a part of Geek Squad.
One of the activities Delara could do this school year that he couldn’t do last year is participate in the club esports. Every Thursday after school, the I.T. Academy holds esports practices where students can play online/video games competitively such as “Valorant,” “Super Smash Bros,” and “Fortnite.”
“I can go to the I.T. room now on Thursdays for esports practice, for ‘Smash Brothers.’ Before we weren’t able to because everything was online,” Delara said.
Out of the entire four years of being in the academy, Delara is most proud of Ceja for being his instructor and mentor throughout his high school life.
“I’m most proud of my teacher honestly because Mr. Ceja does everything for us. It’s crazy, he’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He’s always making sure that we know that we can just come to him if we ever need anything,” Delara said. “He does a lot for this academy, like everything in the academy room is all because of him. The 3D printers, the laser cutter, the posters, and all the certificates on the wall from students who got certified are all because of him. Mr. Ceja knows what he’s talking about, too, because he’s been working with technology his whole life, and he loves video games so he relates to us.”
Delara encourages students who want to learn about technology to join the I.T. Academy because so much can be learned. Anything to do with computers, networking, cybersecurity, coding or video games can all be learned in I.T. Academy.
Another academy that LQHS has to offer is the AFJROTC program, where students can learn about leadership and how to apply it in a military setting. Although this is a four-year program, only three years are required to obtain a higher rank when enlisting in a branch of the military. Students who join AFJROTC can also join another academy.
Although it is run by the cadets, which are the students in the program, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Taylor is one of the instructors overseeing the AFJROTC program, working alongside Master Sergeant Gregory Murray — both are also retiring this school year.
Adjusting to in-person school again with a full classroom of cadets has been interesting for Taylor. However, the new “normal” of COVID-19 has taken out some of the things that the program usually does every year.
“For our program, we’re missing major functions of ‘normal,’ '' Taylor said. “We’re not getting a chance to travel and go to what we call, ‘CIA trips,’ which stands for Curriculum In Action,” Taylor said.
Nevertheless, the core of the AFJROTC program has never changed.
Cadets continue to pursue and possess leadership skills and climb the ranks in the chain of command.
“Our program is a leadership program, and in that program, you get a chance to experience a little bit of the military by wearing uniforms, doing drill, which is military marching, and physical fitness,” Taylor said. “The biggest opportunity you get in our program is the chance to have a leadership position that actually gives you authority for running the program.”
What Taylor is currently most proud of is that the AFJROTC program passed their recent inspection in January with only one write up, which is really good due to the fact that they were so behind because of COVID-19.
“The cadets really came through,” Taylor said.
Taylor would like everyone to know that the AFJROTC program is more than just being in a military setting, there are more opportunities offered than just leadership.
“ROTC offers opportunities for kids to understand what it’s like to be a leader and have a leadership position. It also opens their eyes to things such as global studies, where we study other cultures around the world, and they get a chance to learn financial literacy,” Taylor said. “We teach some things that aren’t necessarily taught in other courses on campus.”
Alex Rodriguez ‘23 has been in the program since he started high school, and is in the Charlie Flight cohort (flights are how the program names their class periods). He currently holds the rank of a technical sergeant.
For Rodriguez, being back to in-person school is making it much easier, not just for comprehension, but also for the fitness he has to do as part of the program.
“It’s much easier [that] I get to be in school physically and [we] get to do the workouts together as a flight. It’s also nice that I get to see my teachers. They’re pretty funny,” Rodriguez said.
Compared to last year, marching is something that Rodriguez can now do this year with his flight.
“Marching may seem boring, but it’s nice how you can do it perfectly,” Rodriguez said.
The AFJROTC program’s leadership skills have gotten through to Rodriguez this year, where he has learned to be a leader and has learned to believe in himself.
“I’ve learned to become somewhat of a leader. I never thought that I could ever be good enough to be in a leadership position, but sometimes you have to be a leader if no one is there to lead,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez wants everyone to know that the program is really fun and not what many people expect.
“Some people think that all we do is military stuff; but in reality, the instructors and the actual class aren’t as strict as they think,” Rodriguez said.
Luis Fonseca ‘22 is the chief master sergeant of the AFJROTC program and has been with the corps for four years. He is currently in the Alpha Flight cohort class.
It didn’t take too long for Fonseca to adjust back-to-school since it was a welcoming first week of school, and he was in hybrid learning last year.
In the AFJROTC program, leadership is not the only important skill needed to succeed. There are other skills such as management and organization.
“I’ve learned a lot about leadership and management. My academy would constantly teach me about that and it’s just one of the few lessons we get taught. Other stuff I’ve learned is how to organize stuff better and to not leave things for the last minute,” Fonseca said.
Fonseca is most proud of the corps in general and how much they are a family.
“It’s not just a class, it’s also a place where you can meet new people,” Fonseca said.
Fonseca’s favorite event to do in the program is the field trip to the Miramar Air Show.
“That was the most fun out of all the field trips. We went all the way to Miramar base and saw the Navy’s Blue Angels fly; it was crazy. We also got free Monster [energy drinks],” Fonseca said.
Before, due to COVID-19, the program couldn’t do any field trips this year. Now, as of March 14, all field trips will be approved by admin as long as they follow the safety and health guidelines. It’s only a matter of how long it takes to be approved.
Fonseca wants those who are interested in the AFJROTC program to know that just because one joins the program, it does not mean that one has to join the military.
“It’s just a place where you can grow as a better leader and find lifelong friends. It’s a place where you can relax, have fun, explore your options and just be yourself,” Fonseca said.
The Culinary Arts Academy is another academy offered by LQHS, where students who want to pursue a career in the food industry can start during their freshman year, which makes it a four-year program.
Not all academies are four years because most of them have their students make the commitment during their sophomore year.
David Wood is the instructor of the Culinary Arts Academy and works alongside Chef Felicia Benavides, the Culinary Arts Academy specialist. Together, they teach their students how to properly prepare food as well as how different roles inside the kitchen work. Like the I.T. Academy students who are sophomores, juniors and seniors are dually enrolled at College of the Desert.
The benefit of being dually enrolled is that the students are getting college credit for the courses they’re taking in the academy.
Wood hasn’t been having too much of a hard time adjusting back to a regular school year.
“Of course, we have to follow the safety procedures and things like that with masks and keeping our hands clean. We are always washing our hands when we’re here in Culinary, so we got that under control. We probably have the cleanest hands of anyone at school,” Wood said.
For Wood, it has been somewhat difficult to try to teach students at home due to COVID-19. However, both Wood and the students are handling it just fine.
“It has been a little tricky with students who are stuck at home, but I would have to say that it hasn’t been too disruptive for us. It’s been pretty good,” Wood said.
This school year, the Culinary Arts Academy has had time to prepare for a normal year where the students can have more hands-on experience. New equipment, as well as more upbeat attitudes, have arrived in their academy room and kitchen. However, there are limitations as the pandemic continues to play a role in restricting events and activities within academies.
“It’s gone really well. Our number of students has grown. This is the most students we’ve ever had in the program at once,” Wood said. “We’ve been making a lot of neat things in the kitchen and we are looking forward to the time when we’ll be able to host events. That’s the one thing the pandemic has done for us: we do a lot of social events that we haven’t been able to do. I think that is the main thing that the pandemic has affected: we can’t bring people from outside in here to do things. Eating indoors has slowed us down, too.”
Since distance/hybrid learning was implemented last year, student morale and their ability to focus went down, especially since the hands-on activities were canceled. Wood’s students are finally returning to their positive mindset, as well as focusing and honing in on the skills that they’re taught.
“I think that students in some ways are getting used to focusing and being in class again after having a year of being at home. A lot of students are taking a while to adjust to normal in-school stuff,” Wood said. “Some students are still kind of in a different mode, a less-structured kind of mode because last year was less structured. I think the students are getting used to or finding it challenging to get back in the swing of things.”
Wood is most proud of the students that are taking the initiative to try new things and to be in charge of different groups, as well as running different things like the Blackhawk Cafe and different sales such as cake-pops.
“There’s a lot of students that have a lot of leadership qualities and they’ve been stepping forward and actually operating these things, and that’s been very impressive,” Wood said.
Wood wants everyone to know that his students aren’t learning just about the cooking, they also need to clean up afterwards.
Savannah Mendenhall ‘25 is a freshman and a first-year culinary student. She’s been adjusting very well because it’s easier to comprehend and focus in-person.
“Online school is harder because with a busy house, it makes it even harder to focus. But here, it’s easy,” Mendenhall said.
The Culinary Arts Academy does teach their students how to cook individually, but a different aspect of a kitchen role is learning how to work together. Mendenhall’s favorite activity to do is working together in a group to create a dish.
“It’s nice cooking by yourself, but it’s more fun when you do it with other people,” Mendenhall said.
Culinary Arts Academy teaches their students many new skills, such as proper knife holding and cutting techniques. Mendenhall is still covering the basics before advancing on.
“I learned how to properly hold a knife and how to work with people in a group,” Mendenhall said.
Mendenhall would like everyone to know that although Culinary Arts Academy is fun, there will be consequences if one messes around too much.
“If you’re not careful, you can get hurt. Each place might be safe, but there could still be accidents,” Mendenhall said.
Jordan Torres ‘23 is currently in her third year as a culinary student, where she is learning about hors d'oeuvres and charcuterie. She is adjusting well to the school year and is able to comprehend more easily, and the only main difference she finds is the mask mandate.
As of March 11, the mask mandate was lifted from the school district as well as the rest of California, but masks are still strongly recommended.
“Wearing masks isn’t really hard, except when doing P.E. or going in the kitchen for culinary, it can get pretty hot,” Torres said.
Culinary Arts Academy had a difficult time getting through to students last year because there was no physical kitchen or actual students to work in it. However this year, culinary students’ skills are improving because of the hands-on experience working in the kitchen.
“For culinary with online schooling, we weren’t able to go into the kitchen like we did freshman year. So instead of working in the kitchen and doing stuff with other people, those at home had to do it all by ourselves,” said Torres. “But since coming back-to-school, we’re able to now be in the kitchen with everybody and it’s more hands-on than before.”
Torres is most proud of being in Culinary Arts Academy and being able to do more events, like Feed the Heroes, which is an event where the culinary students have the opportunity to help serve food to first responders.
“[For Feed the Heroes], I had to miss three of my periods, which were on a block schedule. I was helping with packaging the food, sometimes making some of the food, too. But mainly it was packaging the food, getting everything in order, bringing [food] out, bringing stuff back in, and taking stuff to the back,” Torres said.
Torres would like everyone to know that culinary is great and that it’s fun to be in the kitchen with other people, especially with Wood and Benavides.
“It’s really nice being able to learn cooking at school,” Torres said.
Like Culinary Arts Academy, there is another academy that is fully hands-on in order to grasp the concept taught and gain the experience to apply that knowledge: Medical Health Academy, or MHA for short.
Melissa Moore, the teacher and coordinator for the Medical Health Academy at La Quinta High School, works as hard as she can to run the academy, teaching a variety of subjects to her juniors and seniors.
“I teach MHA classes, which are health classes,” she said. “And then I teach the anatomy physiology class.”
Medical Health Academy is a three-year commitment. Starting in the 10th grade, students interested in joining the academy are interviewed to find out what they will bring to the academy and why they want to join.
“You make new friends and whether you like it or not, you are with them. We do become a family. We know each other really well. We support each other and we help each other when it comes to getting prepared,” said Moore.
The Medical Health Academy family goes beyond just one period.
“A lot of the students have the same classes together: English, history and science. They see a lot of each other,” Moore said.
Along with textbook work in the classroom, the students do hands-on activities, including fun and interesting classes in CPR and being able to accurately take a person’s blood pressure. The students get the opportunity to take their lessons outside the classroom in job shadows and plenty of exciting field trips as well.
“Each student gets a choice of four different places that they could [job shadow]. For example, telemetry was one. Respiratory therapy was another part,” Moore said.
The rise of COVID-19 changed everything for Moore and her students.
Unable to go on trips or do job shadows while facing the challenges of distance-learning, Moore still found ways to get the students the knowledge they needed.
“We use NEPRIS, which is a Zoom conference, so we can reach out to professionals all over the country. We search up a surgeon of a specialty or an RN or any type of medical field,” Moore said.
Students hear from and engage with people in professions ranging from a veterinarian to a physical therapist.
While being cautious of current conditions, MHA is continuing to play a role in La Quinta’s community.
When students are in the classroom, they are learning about crucial parts and skills of being in the medical field.
“They're learning medical terminology. They're learning the history of medicine, they're learning the restrictions, O.S.H.A. and all the guidelines and the legal parts of it,” Moore said.
Second-year MHA student Kolbie Elliott ‘23 is hoping to pursue a career in nursing.
Finally, after quarantine and distance learning, students in MHA are able to do job shadowing.
“I'm looking more at the physical therapy kind of thing, like a personal trainer, where I can go out and help other people become the best they can be,” Elliott said.
Whatever students are doing, whether they are in the class or on field trips, or doing job shadows, they are happy to be doing it together, as a family.
“Everyone in MHA is pretty tight knit. Everyone there is a friend,” Elliott said.
Another equally interesting and engaging LQHS Academy is the Public Service Academy, taught by Rahsaan Diaz and Kevin Schmidt.
Diaz has been teaching La Quinta High School’s Public Service Academy for six years now, and has grown fond of the subject.
“Best teaching job I have ever had. And I love it,” Diaz said.
The academy teaches subjects such as criminal law, police and fire policy procedure, as well as looking into supreme court cases, motives behind action taken by government agencies and the laws that they are bound by. Students learn about the right and wrongs of large cases.
“We try to shed a little light on why things happen the way that they happened, whether they were right or wrong on the part of the government. So we're not shy about pointing out things that could have been done differently,” Diaz said.
Field trips for PSA include police departments in San Diego, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and taking a look at College of the Desert’s public service program.
PSA doesn’t just teach students about law and criminal justice as that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Students are also taught life skills and professionalism. In a class of 38-40 students, only a handful of them want to get into a police, military, or fire career.
“We try to bring them around to as many colleges as we can, just so they can see if it is something that is right for them. And if it's not, that's cool, because the majority of students in PSA, oddly enough, don't want to go into law enforcement or the military, really, they want to go do other things,” Diaz said.
The same as every academy, except Culinary, PSA is a three-year academy, starting as a sophomore right up until the student’s senior year. No matter what grade, though, every student gets college level courses.
“A College of the Desert instructor comes into the campus and teaches the course here. It’s college level stuff, college level grading. So it's a lot of work, a lot of intricate knowledge that they have to know,” said Diaz.
Each grade level is learning about something different, but equally important and interesting.
Sophomores are currently learning about criminal justice. Juniors are being taught fire science and emergency medical response. Seniors are looking deeper into and getting involved in paramedic level courses.
Junior and second-year PSA student, Jasmin Berriozabal-Escalante ‘23 joined the academy to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
“I guess looking at her just made me want to do it and then I would go to work with her sometimes. She was a home caregiver for a few years. So I go to work with her and I'd see how she takes care of them,” Berriozabal-Escalante said.
While there are difficult lessons with a lot of work, Berriozabal-Escalante loves the academy and can’t choose her favorite part.
“Honestly, I love everything about it because you're learning something new every day in class. If you want to do law enforcement or be a paramedic or stuff like that, then that's the place to be because you really do get hands-on,” she said.
The LQHS academies offer everything a student needs to stay on track for a career, from job experience, to having fun with a second family. If you are looking for help figuring out what career path is right for you, visit these classrooms and talk to the most inviting teachers ever. The academies are a very important part of La Quinta High School's environment and help bring people together and set them on the right track towards their future.