THOSE WHO HELPED A.V. KIDS LAUDED.

Byline: Daily News

PALMDALE- Organizations and individuals who helped prepare Antelope Valley students and adults for careers were honored at the sixth annual A.V. Bridge awards hosted by the Antelope Valley Career Prep Council.

The awards recognized significant contributions, made over at least three years, to improving career preparation of Antelope Valley residents.

Individual Bridge honors included:

--Bob Johnstone, a retired Edwards Air Force Base administrator who heads the Aerospace Office and the Southwest Defense Alliance and is in many organizations. Johnstone was recognized for his passion for preparing more students for technical careers.

Johnstone started with the Career Prep Council and Math, Science, Engineering and Technology Consortium in January 2002 and became the consortium's chairman later that year.

Johnstone has worked with aerospace companies, military, education, cities, state, and federal agencies to increase the numbers of students preparing for and entering careers requiring math, science, engineering, and/or technology education.

Johnstone helped research Project Lead the Way, brought representatives to consortium meetings, and promoted the start of pre-engineering programs at local high schools. He has worked with officials at Antelope Valley College, California State University, Bakersfield's Antelope Valley campus, and California State University, Fresno, to expand engineering programs offered locally, as well as provided support for applying for grants.

--Susan Jauron, an Antelope Valley Adult School teacher, was recognized for her efforts on career preparation for adults by creating medical training programs. Because of her work, the Adult School offers medical classes including optometry, medical assistant review, medical terminology, basic human anatomy, home health aide for certified nurse assistants, veterinary assistant, CPR, medical billing and coding.

The Adult School medical classes have more than 360 students, compared with 80 when she started in 1995. She is working on starting phlebotomy technician 1 and 2 and surgical technician courses.

Jauron has also worked in the community to find jobs for students and helped them create resumes and prepare for job interviews.

--LaMoyne Kinzell, a retired Palmdale School District worker, was honored for her work with the Health Careers Academy at Palmdale High School for more than a decade. Kinzell was one of the first mentors for student interns in the early 1990s and continued to provide internship training until her retirement. She helped start injection and venipuncture training, which provides certifications, for the Regional Occupation Program's Health Occupations 2 class. She is active in the Health Care and Education Consortium and the ROP Health Occupations Advisory Committees.

Kinzell has been a judge for Health Careers Academy seniors' graduation projects for more than a decade, and also interviews students for placement in internship sites.

--Barbara LaFata, public information officer for the city of Palmdale, has worked with ROP programs to provide internship opportunities and guest speakers. For more than three years, she has worked with the ROP Careers in Law and ROP Project Management classes to help create internship opportunities and mentors the student interns. LaFata has been a member of the ROP Business Advisory Committee and a Senior Project Mentor and judge.

--Organizational Bridge honors were given to the Palmdale School District, its Head Start program and its special education preschool for providing a rich variety of internships for high school and adult students to explore education careers.

Since 1998, the Palmdale School District's Head Start program, under Carol Rush, was the one of the first internship community partners for the ROP Careers with Children class. Rush arranged for guest speakers, interviews, and ROP advisory committee members.

The Palmdale School District's elementary schools opened internships in 1999. Principals and teachers act as mentors and provide practical applications for the ROP students.

The PSD's special education preschool, under Robbie Penniman, provides internships for ROP students who want to work with children with special needs.