Like many students, Miya Ayala wasn’t certain about her career direction when she started college. Thankfully, she received support from Yakima Valley College’s recently-launched career services and wellness program, made possible by the college’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Relevance Project grant and led by Denny Michels.
“Denny helped me figure out what I wanted to major in and recommended several colleges that would be beneficial to me [to transfer to],” said Ayala, who is among the first to take advantage of the new program.
Designed to equip students with the skills and resources they need to succeed in today's competitive job market, the program is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and aims to bridge the gap between education and employment for YVC students.
“Students have been asking for more career and wellness-based offerings and YVC is listening,” said Michels, career and wellness program manager. “Whether they need assistance with writing a resume for the first time, exploring time management strategies, or building their confidence before an interview, we are here to help."
The multipronged approach includes online resources, in-person coaching and workshops and a dedicated office space.
TOP: Career and Wellness Program Manager Denny Michels, right, talks to students about career services during the fall Yak Family Night event held on YVC's Grandview Campus in September 2024. ABOVE: Michels tables during a Club Fair held on the Yakima Campus in January 2025.
Handshake
Launched on campus in April 2023, Handshake is an online platform that connects students with jobs and internship opportunities tailored to their skills and interests.
Between July and December 2024, Handshake proved to be an important resource for Yakima Valley College students, with 37 students submitting job applications through the platform. During this same period, 240 students activated their Handshake accounts, exploring a wealth of career opportunities. Employers such as the Washington State Department of Ecology, Tree Top and Re-Bath of Tri-Cities were among the most sought-after by students.
“Our goal is to set up each student attending YVC with the tools needed to succeed during their time here and beyond.” — Denny Michels, career and wellness program manager
Additionally, it provides resources such as career fairs, virtual events and employer reviews, helping students make informed decisions about their career paths. By leveraging Handshake, YVC students can build professional networks, gain practical experience and enhance their employability, all while navigating the transition from college to career with greater confidence.
New location
Michels offers a comprehensive range of services to students at the new center located in Deccio Higher Education Center on the Yakima Campus. Through both one-on-one sessions and group events, Michels assists students in exploring careers, searching for jobs, crafting resumes, writing cover letters and reviewing the best job application strategies.
Additionally, Michels provides wellness-based services and workshops on topics that impact student success such as study skills, time management, work-life balance, procrastination and imposter syndrome.
Furthermore, Michels, along with Counselors Guadalupe Huitron-Lilly and Heidi Matlack and Running Start Director Hillary Emerson are participating in a six-week mindfulness workshop series to continue to build their skills so they can design additional programming for YVC students connecting mindfulness to their professional and personal success, such as breathing exercises, mindful movements, mindful listening, understanding personal values, emotional regulation, stress tolerance, and compassion.
YVC students participate in the mental health painting exercise in the HUB in January 2025.
Collaborating with the career and wellness program and other key partners to expand student access to well-being programs helps bridge the gap between students' psychosocial needs and institutional capacity.
“This ultimately supports students’ academic success because they’re given the tools to build resiliency,” said Huitron-Lilly.
For Ayala, who’s pursuing an associate in arts transfer degree with plans to transfer to Evergreen State College and major in environmental studies, the one-on-one support she received was essential.
“Denny took the time, and we went over the pathway for several potential universities as I was leaning away from the biology and chemistry aspect of the degree,” she said. “They allowed me to not only find out my future major but also my future college when I am done here at YVC.”
With Denny’s extensive knowledge of tests and assessments available Ayala has gained valuable insights about herself.
“This allowed me to narrow down potential interests relating to majors and my own personal values when it comes to work,” said Ayala.
Ayala is especially grateful for having career preparation and career assessment services available to her.
“I needed help with a cover letter recently and Denny was more than willing to assist me with going over it. The career assessment allowed me to find out what my own values were and helped me see what type of career would be the best fit for me.”
“Denny is such a spectacular individual who has immensely helped me figure out what I want to do and how to get the most out of my work and personal life.” — Miya Ayala, student
A student creates a vision board during a January 2025 event part of programming planned during the month to support mental health.
Career explorer and career pathways modules
Another exciting feature of the new Career Services webpage is the Career Explorer online tool, which allows YVC students to browse educational and career options tailored to their life stage and interests.
“Now students can explore the estimated projection of different careers they're interested in right on the YVC website,” said Michels. “This will help students explore careers on their own and gain valuable information on the sustainability of their choice.”
Additionally, the college is enhancing academic program pages with pathway modules. These modules provide detailed career information specific to each program.
"The pathway module tool equips both current and prospective students with the resources to plan their careers post-YVC,” said Ben Tole, website coordinator. “Having this information on program webpages will allow our students to more easily explore potential earnings, industry growth projections, and specific career opportunities within their chosen program."
The rollout of the modules is ongoing with an anticipated completion date of fall 2025.
Story by Stefanie Menard, AA-DTA ’05, communications consultant. Photos by Menard and Matt Barton, graphic designer/multimedia content producer.