OlyCAP & the LC - pt. 2

Continued from previous article

Image courtesy of The Cougar Room - click to enlarge

One of the recipients of the program, Erik Montoya, was placed with the NOPLC as a paid (by OlyCAP) intern as well as in the capacity of a part-time, non-credit student. During the time he was at the LC (thirty hours a week) not only did Erik achieve his GED from Peninsula College, but he also graduated from the Clemente Course with 6 college credits. After his initial placement for six months, his LC-directed job skill acquiring regimen was assessed as having been been so effective that he was given a time extension by OlyCAP, ten months total.

During his internship, Erik digitally remastered three years of Chimacum Valley TV footage for the LC's Community Archive Project (in cooperation with the Jefferson County Historical Society and Port Townsend Television). He gained new skills in hardware and software maintenance as well as in networking. As he worked on various community video projects, Erik decided he would like to become a video journalist. For the short term, he also looked into the possibility of starting a local, small business installing high-tech entertainment systems.

In addition to the other projects Erik worked on at the LC, he was also able to put his new knowledge to use for the Port Townsend Film Festival, creating an animation sequence for the 2008 Festival's 36 film trailers, seen nearly 6,000 times by over 750 attendees. Working with the LC staff and the creative directors at the PTFF, Erik was an integral team member in designing and executing the spotlight-in-sky portion of the animation

Through his LC study and paid internship, Erik was able to advance his education, provide a living wage for his family, and to learn to apply new skills to creatively solve technical issues in a state-of-the-industry, publicly-acclaimed manner. The development of his technical capacities, social and office skills, and the creation of a contemporary, well-rounded and documented portfolio has provided Erik with the confidence to be an asset to the community, whether as wage-earner or as an entrepreneur.