Hamilton High School students cut a ribbon as Chandler Unified board members, staff, industry professionals and others look on. The Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting was to celebrate the first year of the district’s first semiconductor program, located at Hamilton.
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Hamilton High School Principal Dominic Romero speaks during the Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting. The event was to celebrate the first year of the district’s first semiconductor program, located at Hamilton.
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Intel spokesperson Angela Creedon speaks at the Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting for Chandler Unified’s semiconductor program at Hamilton High School..
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Janet Hartkopf, Chandler Unified’s coordinator of emerging technologies, speaks during the Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting to celebrate the first year of the district’s first semiconductor program, located at Hamilton High School.
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Gene Fallico of NXP Semiconductor speaks at the Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting for Chandler Unified’s semiconductor program at Hamilton High School.
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Hamilton High School Principal Dominic Romero speaks during the Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting. The event was to celebrate the first year of the district’s first semiconductor program, located at Hamilton.
Chandler Unified’s first semiconductor career pathway program started when students returned in July for the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Students, industry partners, district staff and local officials gathered at Hamilton High School on Jan. 15 to celebrate the start of the program with a ribbon-cutting.
Chandler Unified’s semiconductor program is based at Hamilton this year as part of the district’s career and technical education curriculum.
“This new program is a result of the direct investment in the future workforce, aiming to equip high school students with the specialized skills needed for careers in the rapidly growing semiconductor industry,” the district stated in a news release.
Hamilton Principal Dominic Romero spoke at the event.
“What makes this program special is that it sits at the intersection of education, industry and community,” Romero said. “We’re not just preparing students for jobs — we’re preparing them for purpose. We’re providing access to the very fields that shape our global community and national security — and we’re doing that right here, at a public high school.”
Superintendent Frank Narducci said the program was built with years of careful staff planning, along with major contributions from “generous partners.”
Several students also spoke, one praising the “high level of expectations” instructors have of students and the amount of hands-on learning that’s built into the curriculum.
Janet Hartkopf, the district’s coordinator of emerging technologies, also spoke, as did Intel public affairs coordinator Angela Creedon, Gene Fallico of NXP Semiconductor and Biren Minhas of Cirrus Logic.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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