Cathrin Wischmann

I want to start out by stating working with students, specifically Valley High School students, is my dream job. It’s apparent in the quality of work I provide Jordan District that I take great pride in the program I’ve built. I’m personally vested in the success of every student participating in my Careers Program and spend countless hours making sure we have the best Program in the state.

I’ve been with Jordan District since 2004. I spent my first two years helping special education students write basic portfolio’s then came to Valley High in 2006. When I arrived, the packets for the Careers Program were extremely outdated. I looked at this as an opportunity and took the initiative to develop up-to-date curriculum. As of today I’ve been able to accomplish the following:

Valley students who participate in our Careers Program are inline with Governor Herbert’s 2020 initiative. (1, 2, 4, or more.) We’re second to none in respect to the emphasis being placed on College and Career readiness.

Grown program from 50-60 students per quarter to 24 students per class or 240 per quarter.

Students now finish my program with Electronic Portfolios consisting of: two resumes, business letters, fact sheets, work samples, thank you notes, resignation letters, evaluations, and assessments.

Based on data collected through our School Needs Assessment a top priority of parents is assistance in navigating the college process, this is being addressed successfully.Semi-Annual FAFSA Workshops, scholarship lab open twice per weekI started the Valley High School FaceBook page, highlighting events and activities around the school. I monitor and of course feed the website on a daily basis.Scholarships are also a big part of my responsibility, awarding 700 Keys To Success cards, helping students to write the essay and apply for scholarships. This year over $20,000 in scholarship monies were awarded to our students.

Spearheaded the transition from “pen and paper” to significantly more efficient platforms: Google Classroom, Valley High School Website, FaceBook Page, and Email communication. All my students work with Computers or Chromebooks. Again, I took the initiative to understand and oversee the changes in technology and continue maintaining the various channels to this day.

Teach two Mentor Classes where I help Sophomore’s adapt to the expectations at Valley High School in order to achieve their best chance at success.

Increased Career Day Presenters from 5 when I started to 100+ and growing.

Additionally: Salt Lake Community College, other local Colleges, Universities,Tech Schools, and Public Offices visit and speak to our students as well as attend Career Day. I oversee the Work Release Program and require each student comply with the established guidelines to receive their grade. Every student receives CTE or elective credit by handing in check stubs and a supervisor evaluation to receive credit. Approximately 150 students participate in this program. Several students graduate early each quarter and need to be prepared for the next level of life. I’ve made significant contribution to the College and Career Readiness Course Valley implemented by providing individual attention necessary to help students get a jumpstart in whichever path they’ve chosen. In my mentoring classes I spend time on an individual basis discussing grades. If basic requirements aren’t being met we find out how to improve; whether it’s extra time needed for homework, tutoring, specific skill focus, or anything else we see fit. It is my goal to see every student become successful. I use Students News to help our 10th graders understand how to research if needed, write paragraphs, create bullet points, or whatever else is required to fill their educational gaps.

Creating a memorable yearbook for our school is very time consuming. I spend countless hours at home outside of contract time making sure I’m covering the challenges we face as an alternative high school with inconsistent enrollment times which leads to smaller class sizes. I’m lucky to have a motivated student for one quarter. Continuing to make this memorable is important to me which is why I:

Take pictures of our students at different events or during their normal school day.

Make sure to include young mothers with their babies. For some it is the only way they get pictures and I make sure they receive copies.

I take our Class Pictures, pictures for our slideshow, and Graduation Pictures.

The Careers Program at Valley High School is without question one of, if not the best in this state. We have other Districts and Alternative Schools study the program. I gladly share all the material and knowledge with those seeking to improve their program hoping to improve education for students statewide. Valley High School should be very proud of the recognition we’ve received considering the strength of the program before I came on board. Our Superintendent, Members of the District, and Board Members have all made it known they’re very impressed with the work I’ve put in for our students. I’ve won awards and countless students have written letters thanking me for my dedication.

I received my degree in Merchant Shipping & Trading while I attended college in Germany. I continued pursuing my education while in London and have received several U.S. college credits by attending countless counselor conferences in the 14 years I’ve been involved in teaching. I continue to educate myself, increase my skill set, and seek knowledge through many different avenues related to my work.