St. Philip's College Students Chosen for Honda Internship

(l to r) Dr. John Carnes, SPC Dean of Applied Science and Technology, congratulates St. Philip’s College students Adam Gonzales, Leonard Martinez, Tiffany Rackley, and Leticia Contreras, who were selected for a summer internship at Honda.

How would you like to earn $16 dollars an hour and drive a car for free? That’s what four students from St. Philip’s College’s Automotive Technology Department are doing. The four students were selected for a summer internship at the American Honda Motor Company’s corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, California.

The students are working with a team of Honda’s professional staff in the parts and service division. This all-expense paid internship ends in early August.

For a second year, American Honda Motor Company has sponsored automotive students in community colleges around the country to participate in this program. Typically, Honda selects two students from each campus, but was so impressed with the automotive students from St. Philip’s, that they selected four.

After winning two gold medals in state competition, Electronics Technologies student Ryan Gernsbacher also competed in national competition and placed eighth.

The conference is a showcase of career and technical education students, with nearly 5,000 competing in 84 hands-on skill and leadership activities. SkillsUSA is a national organization with the goal of providing experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development.

Named an "Exemplary Program" by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the San Antonio College Dental Assisting Program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and certification. The Engineering Program offers an Associate of Science degree as well as preparation for transfer to four-year institutions.

On July 10th, to help develop the capacity to identify and manage the complex risks faced by the Alamo Community Colleges and to advance her job-related knowledge and skills, Linda "Lin" Freeman in the District Office of Legal Affairs/Risk Management became one of the first educational risk managers in Texas designated by the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research as as a Certified School Risk Manager( CSRM).  The new professional designation comes in addition to the Workers’ Compensation Specialist designation Lin earned in 2005.

The  CSRM is awarded after completion of a career-building, five-part designation program for risk management education specialists. The CSRM faculty includes the field's top practitioners and leaders. Five intensive courses guide participants through the risk management process, emphasizing practice over theory. By successfully completing the entire CSRM course of study within a three-year period, including successful completion of examinations for all five courses, individuals earn the prestigious title of "Certified School Risk Manager," visible proof of professionalism and specialized knowledge. To keep the certification valid and ensure continuing career development, there is an annual continuing education requirement.

"Lin's initiative in pursuing this designation is consistent with the professionalism she brings to the complex tasks involved in helping maintain and manage appropriate and cost effective levels of insurance coverage to protect the Alamo Community Colleges, their students and employees," said District General Counsel Martha McCabe. "Her colleagues salute Lin for the intelligence, care and good humor with which she constantly seeks to improve the delivery of risk management services to the Alamo Community Colleges," McCabe added.