Overnight travel approved for East Valley Institute of Technology students

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A total of 95 East Valley Institute of Technology students are to attend a state leadership conference in Tucson March 17-19.

The EVIT board voted 6-0 Feb. 24 as part of a consent agenda with other items to approve an additional fee for student overnight travel for meals at the AZ HOSA State Leadership Conference in Tucson. Board members William Hobson, Amber McAffee and Laura Metcalfe were absent.

The EVIT board must approve any trips that are 75 miles or longer.

East Valley Institute of Technology is a public trade school providing 50 career training programs for East Valley high school students and Phoenix-area adults at two central campuses in Mesa. East Valley school districts include Apache Junction, Mesa, Queen Creek, Cave Creek, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Higley, J.O. Combs, Scottsdale and Tempe. Classes are 8-10:35 a.m. or noon-2:35 p.m. Monday through Friday. Classes with four-hour blocks are 7-11 a.m. or noon-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Classes are also held at satellite campuses, according to https://www.evit.edu.

HOSA conference

The EVIT board on Nov. 4 approved student overnight travel for 275 students to travel to Tucson March 17-19 to participate in the AZ HOSA State Leadership Conference. The cost breakdown at the time was $250 paid per student from the student activity account and $175 paid by the student for a total of $425.

The latest cost breakdown is $250 paid per student from the student activity account and $220 paid by the student — which includes a new $45 for one lunch and two dinners — for a total of $470 approved Feb. 24.

HOSA, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, is a national student organization that promotes career opportunities in the health care industry, according to its LinkedIn page.

The conference “provides students the opportunity to compete, qualify for national conference, meet state executive council and network with fellow HOSA members,” it states on an EVIT field trip request form.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.