Western Nevada College

The Jazz and Beyond festival committee announces that the winner of the 2020 poster and program cover art contest is Karen Kreyeski, for her entry, “After Midnight Jam.” The winner of the T-shirt design is Evan Tynan, for “2020 Jazz & Beyond Festival Logo.” These were selected from ten entries to highlight the 17th annual Carson City music and art festival.

This spring, the occurrence of COVID-19 presented students at Western Nevada College a unique and challenging context for their final project. The Engineering Design class applied problem-solving and engineering design skills to address a real-life scenario in managing the response to the virus.

Between the three of them, they have worked more than 70 years in faculty and administrative faculty positions at Western Nevada College.

Artist and poet, Jaeda DeWalt wrote, “When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.” If there is one word to describe Pioneer High School’s class of 2020, it would be “resilient.”

Conditions in Northern Nevada have changed dramatically over the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, one thing has remained consistent: Carson City Toyota and the Campagni Auto Group’s commitment to this community including students and higher education at Western Nevada College.

Like millions of college students across the country, Western Nevada College students have faced rapid change as they’ve quickly adjusted to learning remotely. In March, WNC responded immediately to threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carson High School is pleased to announce individuals who have excelled in their positions as Educational Support Professionals and have been recognized for their works of merit by their peers and coworkers. The ESP employees from CHS are those individuals who enable teachers to focus on the teaching of their students, and every teacher knows that without them, a school could not hope to function.

Patt Quinn-Davis, Carson High School Language Arts teacher and adviser of the school newspaper and Carneta yearbook, is retiring. For Quinn-Davis, the publications staff became a part of her family every year and even more so when students stayed with the program throughout their high school careers.

Western Nevada College’s 2020 Jump Start graduating class includes 94 students representing Carson, Churchill County, Dayton, Douglas, Fernley, Pioneer, Silver Stage, Smith and Virginia City high schools; Oasis Academy and Nevada Virtual Academy; and through homeschooling.

Sena Loyd, primary candidate for the Nevada State Assembly, District 40, will be the featured speaker at Monday's virtual Democratic luncheon. Sena is best known for her years of exemplary service as Carson City's library director, in recognition of which she was named 2017 Nevada Librarian of the Year. She now serves as Director of Research and Workforce Development at Blockchains, LLC.

The Carson City School District is pleased to announce six high school seniors (four from Carson High School and two from Pioneer High School) who have shown exceptional academic prowess. The valedictorian and salutatorian honors represent the students who have earned the highest and second highest ranks, respectively, among their graduating class.

Western Nevada College, working with a core of performers from the Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company, has created a virtual choir — Broadway Rising! — to share the power and beauty of Broadway during these times when live performance is no longer possible.

Although Western Nevada College has delayed its commencement ceremony to honor its 2020 graduation class because of COVID-19, the college is proud to announce and congratulate its list of graduates.

Western Nevada College has provided Latino students with the opportunity to attend, thrive and excel academically for a decade. Since its inception, WNC’s Latino Cohort has provided support to more than 500 Latino students, empowering them to earn their associate degree before pursuing a four-year degree or entering Nevada's workforce.

Join Western Nevada College Foundation and Vice Chancellor Nate Mackinnon on May 21 at 6:30 p.m. for a memorable evening of virtual family fun.

From the comfort of your own living room, you can test your family’s knowledge, compete for fun prizes and interact with your community virtually in the No Brainer Virtual Family Trivia Night, supporting the COVID-19 student emergency fund.

The Carson City School District is pleased to announce Carson High School’s graduation ceremony plan for the Class of 2020.

Carson High School will hold a drive-through ceremony Saturday, June 6, with varying times throughout the day where graduating seniors and their families will stay in their single vehicle until it's time for the graduate to exit their car, have their name announced on the loudspeaker as they walk across a stage erected on the northwest lawn (near the blue and white concrete ‘CHS’ sign), collect their diploma, have their picture taken, return to their vehicle and then proceed to the exit.

Western Nevada College has received more than $600,000 in CARES Act Emergency Grant funding for students. CARES Act Emergency Grant funds are designed to assist students with expenses directly related to the disruption of campus operations. Awards will go to students who have completed a FAFSA, met Title IV fund eligibility criteria and were directly impacted by classes going online.

Is this pandemic over with yet? Nope! Not to beat a dead horse, but what is everyone doing with all this time off? For some, time off would be a fantastic development in their busy lives, and for others, time off would be an awful development because they are not able to pay their bills if they cannot go to work.

The point here is clear: Those who need time off cannot have it, and those who have time off do not want it. This is where hope, attitude, and contentment come into play. It is time for a laugh.

Pioneer High School’s Sydney Miller is an example of a student who has added ambition with opportunity to create her success.

Now is a critical time to stay informed and engaged about Western Nevada College through a student chat at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6. All WNC students are invited to join the conversation through the Zoom link:

Listening to a medical training need that a workforce sector was asking for prompted Western Nevada College to launch a Paramedicine program this year.

The Carson City School District will transition all secondary students to a Pass/Fail grading system for the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year. The decision comes as principals, instructional leaders, district-level administrators and members of the teachers’ union have discussed the extension of school closures following spring break.

Hundreds of sheep will arrive in the hills west of Carson City this week and next week, with heightened alert and expectations as fire season arrives when the rain and snow stops and the heat settles in.

If you know Shanell Cavener, then you are tremendously lucky. If you work with her, or she taught you, then the luck is multiplied tenfold (hopefully this is the right math to use, Shanell?).

Shanell Cavener is this year’s Carson High School Teacher of the Year, and she could not be more deserving of the honor. Shanell is quiet, often working behind the scenes in ways people would not even realize in order to benefit the lives of all who enter CHS.

As Women’s History Month comes to an end, the Carson City Chamber Board of Directors announces the recognition of ten exceptional women who have been — and will continue to be — important in the history of this city.

Greetings Students of Western Nevada College: I hope each of you are doing well. Needless to say, the last couple of days and weeks have brought great change. Because of the very unique challenges presented by the coronavirus, we have had to make radical changes and adjustments to how we do things in all aspects of our lives.

On Friday, March 13, Carson City resident Sena Loyd filed as a candidate for State Assembly District 40. Loyd, 36 and a registered Democrat, is an information professional currently working in the high-tech industry. Previously she served as the Library Director for the Carson City Library from 2014-2019.

Western Nevada College will move to remote, online instruction effective March 23, and will continue in this manner for the remainder of the spring semester. Our faculty and staff are working diligently to finalize plans to migrate classes to remote instruction, primarily Canvas.

Editor's Note: The following Senator Square column was submitted before the Carson City School District's announcement regarding school activities. All school, district, and non-district sponsored athletics, extra-curricular activities, assemblies, concerts, practices, and events are suspended effective Monday, March 16, 2020 until further notice. Activities and events scheduled later in the school year, including graduation ceremonies will be evaluated closer to the date. Go here to read the notice.

PK O’Neill filed late Friday afternoon with the Secretary of State’s Office as a Republican candidate for State Assembly District 40. The District includes all of Carson City, the east side of Washoe Valley and parts of southeast Washoe County.