Last month, UFC welcomed four local high school teachers to the company’s headquarters in Las Vegas for a three-day job shadowing externship program recently developed by the Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) and the Nevada Department of Education.
The purpose of the program is to allow teachers to network with local businesses and bring their real-world experience into their classrooms, while also providing them insight into the potential careers available to their students.
The teachers who participated included Ronald Barranco, Southwest Career and Technical Academy; Melvin Valentine Jr., Mojave High School; Kyle Hindsman, East Career and Technical Academy; and Anthony Jacobs, Western High School. The group collectively possesses 30 years of teaching experience, mostly related to business and computer science.
During their three days at UFC, the teachers worked with the Content, UFC FIGHT PASS, Production, and Global Brand departments, shadowing representatives from each area, including Aziz Bawany, Digital Product Manager; Crowley Sullivan, Vice President and General Manager of UFC FIGHT PASS; Tim O’Toole, Senior Vice President of Event Production; Tony Scott, Senior Director of Post Production; and Bobby Besabe, Creative Director.
Craig von Collenberg, Executive Director of OWINN, shared his gratitude to UFC for their willingness to open their doors.
“The teachers who participated in the externship program each had different takeaways from their experiences,” said von Collenberg. “The common thread was the importance of teachers really comprehending and visualizing the connection between education and industry. Through this experience, they will be better prepared to create pathways for their students’ future, which they are all passionate about. I believe we all need to work together to empower our teachers and equip them with the knowledge and resources they need to prepare and grow our next generation of innovators and leaders for Nevada.”
Ivette Fernandez, Endeavor Vice President of Government Relations, added, “UFC is proud to play an important role in the development and success of students in the Las Vegas community. We’re glad to partner with the governor’s office on such a meaningful initiative.”
