NJ students: Byers slated to have poem published
Dr. Joseph Bonk, Department of English chairperson at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, reported that senior Kylie Byers is slated to have her poem, “Progression,” published in The American Library of Poetry.
Byers said, “I wrote ‘Progression’ as an ode to overcoming things and pushing through life when you feel it is impossible. I think we all have felt this way more than once in our life and I want this to bring hope to anyone who feels hope is out of reach.”
“When I submitted ‘Progression’ back in late April, I really didn’t have high hopes of being selected for anything,” she said. “I was extremely shocked to even be considered for the publication. I was truly thrilled and honored to accept.”
Bonk said, "Kylie's perceiving that people are in need of hope ― and then producing a poem intended to meet that need ― aligns her with both the spirit of Mountie Service and with what the French deemed littérature engagée ― the idea that a literary artist's role is often to engage society on topics she feels are important (in Kylie's case, it's the importance of hope), rather than producing art as an end unto itself. Congratulations, Kylie! You've certainly made MSMA proud."
At Mount Saint Mary Academy, Byers is involved in the Women’s Empowerment Club and Yearbook committee. Outside of school, she volunteers at her church and a local pet shelter.
Raritan Valley Community College
Some local high schools have been introduced to the college experience through Raritan Valley Community College’s Summer Immersion Program.
Approximately 50 juniors and seniors from Franklin and Bound Brook high schools participated in the program, which ran from Monday, July 11, through Friday, Aug. 5.
Housed at RVCC’s Workforce Training Center, the Summer Immersion Program focused on a number of topics including workforce training career programs, apprenticeships, non-credit certificates and for-credit, career-focused certificate programs, and for-credit transfer programs.
Students also toured the Branchburg-based campus and learned about options for paying for college and RVCC’s student support services.
In addition, students participated in important sessions focusing on their future careers. Some of the program topics included:
• Skills and aptitude inventories• Resume development and job search skills• Soft skills and motivation ― honing interpersonal skills required to secure and retain employment• Entrepreneurship ― identifying attributes of a successful entrepreneur and multiple pathways to goal attainment
The students also gained important professional and personal credentials by participating in a 10-hour, General OSHA Industry Training and a six-hour, First Aid CPR course.
The Summer Immersion Program was supported by an Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge Grant, “Creating On-ramps to College,” from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) that offers expanded educational opportunities for students. The grant helps support the needs of students, focusing on such areas as accelerating completion, removing barriers, and creating pathways to education and work. It also includes much-needed support services for students. For additional information about RVCC’s Summer Immersion Program, contact Jacki Belin at jacki.belin@raritanval.edu.
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Also: Raritan Valley Community College’s Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies will host an exhibition of artwork by more than 60 Central Jersey students, on view from Wednesday, Sept. 7, through December at the college’s Branchburg campus.
The exhibit was created by middle and high schools students after reading and discussing Robert Fisch’s book, Light from the Yellow Star: A Lesson of Love from the Holocaust. The project is part of an outreach program at the Holocaust Memorial and Education Center at the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center, Bridgewater. It’s co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties.
In Light from the Yellow Star: A Lesson of Love from the Holocaust, Fisch, a Holocaust survivor, pediatrician, author, and graphic artist, shares his difficult journey during the Holocaust. Each page is accompanied by a graphic image that addresses the words on the opposite page. The book’s message, as the title implies, is that even in the darkest times there is always hope for a better future. These lessons are essential in today’s world.
The public is invited to learn more about the exhibition and outreach program at alive presentation, Friday, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m., at RVCC. During the event, artist and educator Evelyn Rauch will discuss the work and the inspiration behind this exhibit. The presentation will be hybrid, both in-person and on Zoom. Registration is required. To register, visit: www.shorturl.at/bMOWZ
For additional information about any events sponsored by RVCC’s Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, contact Michelle Edgar at michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu.
Thomas Edison State University
Kim MacAvoy-Sorochen, clinical education and Simulation Lab coordinator in the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions at Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, has earned the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) designation.
MacAvoy-Sorochen, who passed all practice and theory requirements to become a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, is one of fewer than 3,000 CHSE-certified registered nurses to hold the designation.
Developed by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, a global community of practice enhancing the quality of healthcare, the CHSE certification is intended for individuals who perform healthcare simulation in the educator role.
“I wanted to earn the CHSE certification because it demonstrates an expertise in simulation and provides me with a greater understanding of the process, which makes me a better educator,” said MacAvoy-Sorochen, who works on the Accelerated BSN Program team at the university.
A Certified Emergency Nurse with a background in emergency nursing, MacAvoy-Sorochen, a Monmouth Junction, resident, earned her bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and master of science in nursing (MSN) degrees as well as a nurse educator certificate from TESU. Prior to joining TESU, she worked as a reproductive and endocrinology nurse coordinator at a fertility clinic and at Penn Medicine at Princeton, both in Princeton.
“It is anticipated that students will benefit greatly from Kim’s expertise in developing and implementing simulation-based education and training designed to enhance patient safety and quality during healthcare delivery,” said Dr. Lia van Rijswijk, associate dean of Undergraduate Programs in the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions.
Student and School news appears on Saturdays. Email: cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com
Carolyn Sampson is Executive Office Assistant for the Courier News, The Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com, and handles the weekly Student News page.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ students: Byers slated to have poem published
