Two Gavilan College students in the Computer Graphics and Design program—and their instructor—walked away from the California State Fair in Sacramento with top honors, extending the program’s winning streak for a fifth straight year. The fair, which took place between July 11 and 27, featured competition between students from all 122 of the state’s community colleges.
CGD student Emily Faz, of Morgan Hill, took home the highest award in the fair’s technical graphics division—the GoEngineer SolidWorks Award—as well as a first-place rosette. Faz was recognized for a collection of three-dimensional models of six dolls she made, all by creating virtual interchangeable parts.
“I like to challenge myself and see what happens,” Faz told the Dispatch. “It was a lot of trial and error over the course of the three weeks I worked on them.”
Gilroyan Tim Holliday, also a CGD student, received a second-place rosette in the solid model rendering category for a three-dimensional model of a guitar.
For Colette Marie McLaughlin, Faz and Holliday’s instructor and head of the CGD program, the awards point to the consistent quality of her students.
“I love being able to get students engaged in what they’re learning, and these two students reflect the best of the best,” McLaughlin said. “They put in an incredible amount of work to create their projects, were collaborative and helped other students and are incredible human beings. You don’t win a ribbon without putting in more than what is expected.”
McLaughlin also received a first-place rosette at the state fair, but that’s not what she said makes her proudest; it’s her students—past and present.
As the teacher counted the five ribbons on the wall of the CGD lab recognizing five consecutive years of first place awards, she said her former students have nabbed high-paying jobs after completing her two-year program, from designing patents to working as engineers in the public and private sector.
According to Faz, her dream job would be working as an animator for Pixar Studios. She said she’s on her way toward a career in the design field and plans on taking animation classes at Gavilan during the fall semester.
Holliday, who is legally blind after losing a greater part of his vision, said working with computers comes naturally.
“I had to make a choice about what I could still do, and working with computers is something I still enjoy and like,” Holliday said, adding that he created a portable closed-circuit television system for his wheelchair to enable him to see his instructors and zoom in on the whiteboard with a camera he can control. “But I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.”
Holliday said he can see himself working as an engineer or a pilot but and plans to continue studying at Gavilan College for a few more years.
“This last year was the best group of students I’ve ever had,” McLaughlin said. “They did outstanding work.”
