Profiles - About Alumni for April 2008

Featured Alum: John Summers, attended 1986-1990

I graduated from Bradshaw Mountain High School (in Dewey) in 1983. After that, I went to work at various entry-level jobs. After doing this for a couple of years, I decided that I needed more for my life and that I needed to further my education. In 1986, I decided to start taking a few classes at Yavapai College. I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with my life, so I just took a variety of technical classes (diesel and auto mechanics, welding and so forth). I still didn't really know what I wanted to do so I continued to take various classes without a real goal.

In the variety of classes that I was taking at the time, I happened to take a course in Dr. Larry Strom's mechanical engineering program- he was instrumental in my career choice of mechanical design. He was an inspirational instructor with a passion for his students and he empowered them with knowledge and the ability to "think outside of the box". Even though his degree program was only a two-year program, he would pride himself on teaching the program like a four-year course. I believe he left a tremendous impact on many of his students.

I graduated from YC in 1990- it was the busiest time of my life! I got married the year before, bought a house in Prescott Valley, had my first child on the way, was taking several college classes each semester and on top of that, I was working 50-60 hours per week! I was getting very little sleep, but it was worth it to earn my degree (I was the first in my family to achieve this goal).

I was working for Ruger Firearms at the time- they were very gracious at supporting my schooling. They promoted me to the engineering department a couple of months before I graduated from YC. I continued to use the skills that I had learned at YC until 1997 when I moved to Texas.

I started out in Texas as an AutoCAD mechanical designer helping to design oil field equipment. I begin to learn other software programs such as Solid Edge and Solidworks 3d design packages- this vastly improved the ability to bring complex mechanical solutions and ideas to reality. I also worked for a military contractor that designed ship cranes and elevators- mostly for the US Navy LPD-17 project.

In 2005, I joined a company here in Fort Collins, Colorado utilizing my solid modeling skills. But instead of modeling complex mechanical components and assemblies, I would be modeling buildings. It was an interesting switch using my modeling skills to model architectural models instead of mechanical components. The buildings that we model are some of the most complex, premiere buildings in the world today. The company is CPP Wind Engineering, Inc. We build scale portions of cities and test our clients’ buildings in large wind tunnels to examine the pressures that winds apply to the building surfaces. We also perform environmental wind tunnel testing and CFD (computational fluid dynamics).

Recently, I flew out to San Diego to attend Solidworks World 2008- a yearly event where Solidworks Corporation showcases the latest technologies and innovations in design. While I was there, I tested (and passed) the Solidworks Professional Certification test. It is a challenging test that ensures that a user has the necessary skills to be proficient with Solidworks.

I owe a lot to Yavapai College- the skills that I learned through the degree program propelled me into a career that I could only dream about without the education.

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Bruce Hart ll - Associate of Arts, 1972-1974

Bruce writes: “I’m a psychologist in private practice, and live in Yuma, Arizona. After graduating from Yavapai College in 1974, I attended NAU receiving a B.S. in psychology in 1976. I then attended Kent State University from 1976 until receiving a Ph.D. in psychology in 1982. I hold a diploma in forensic psychology, and am a fellow with the American College of Forensic Examiners. I've published in the areas of PTSD and psychological testing for the courts.

I live with my wife Janice, and our son attends AWC. I was a member of the Brotherhood, a non-traditional fraternity, and we enjoyed cheering on the Rough Riders Basket Ball team as well as the community service projects we completed.

I really appreciated the college professors, and the personal relationships, which we were able to establish. John Hanes and Ron Adams helped cement a solid academic foundation in English and math respectively.”

Pavla Pletkov - Associate of Science, focus in electrical engineering, 2003-2005

Pavla gives us this update:

“I'm signing full-time this summer with Rockwell Collins in Sterling, VA. I'll be working in the flight simulator division, and continue playing basketball overseas during the season, taking a sabbatical leave in the autumn. I'm really excited because they have stuck in there with me during the last year and a half and continued to support my playing career, so I thought it would be important to add that in there.”

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Bill Wallace, Class of 1977/78

William H. Wallace III "TUNA"

Bill contacted us to wish us good luck with the Alumni Outreach venture. He was one of so many that returned from military service and attended Yavapai College on the G.I. Bill. He’s proud to be a Navy veteran. He was in student government and chief justice of the student court. He has many great memories at the Prescott campus.

His field of endeavor for 33 years was Food Service Management! It disappointed him many times. The pay and advancement was not all it was cracked-up to be. So you students out there – talk with him if you are thinking this field as a career. He would love to hear from his old classmates.

He is currently retired and living in Wilhoit, AZ.

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Lindsey Jastrzab - 1997-98, Associates Business

Photo left: Lindsey Jastrzab at far left

I played volleyball as a Roughrider during my two-year stay at Yavapai. I continued on to play at the University of Portland as a Pilot. I received my Bachelors in Arts in 2002. I moved back to Scottsdale to take prerequisite classes for California State - Dominguez Hill's Prosthetics program. I graduated from CSUDH in 2005. Most recently I attended Northwestern to earn my Orthotics education. I am currently working as a certified Prosthetist in South Scottsdale at Prosthetic Orthotic Associates while completing my orthotics residency.

Fay Matsumoto definitely impacted me positively while I was at YC. She was our assistant VB coach and always pushed each individual girl to get the most out of us. She was very dedicated and always a ton of fun to be around. I must mention Dalton Overstreet (our head Coach) because he was wonderful too. He put a great team together. These two people will always be held in high regard in my mind.

We had a great time together and there are many people I have lost contact with but would love to hear from. :) I hope everyone is doing well.

My email is RJastrzab@aol.com

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