GateWay Community College is proud to celebrate Healthcare Program Manager Jennifer Kline being named the Association for Career Technical Education of Arizona (ACTEAZ) Post-Secondary Educator of the Year. Kline’s remarkable dedication, innovation, and leadership in Career Technical Education (CTE) throughout her ten-year career have garnered her this well-deserved recognition.
The ACTEAZ Post-Secondary Educator of the Year award honors those who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students, and dedication to the improvement of career and technical educators in their institutions and communities. Kline has continually exemplified all of those qualities, going above and beyond for students and educators alike in her time at GateWay.
“Jennifer’s dedication to our students, professors, and staff is amazing,” said GateWay President Dr. Amy Diaz. “She stands as a significant driving force behind the exceptional healthcare programs at GateWay, paving the way for our students to emerge as industry-leading professionals.”
Kline’s innovations while at GateWay have helped not only the campuses, but have also extended their positive impact to the surrounding communities. Through collaboration with industry partners and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Kline successfully secured funding for a free immunization clinic for health sciences students enrolling at GateWay. This initiative provided easy and cost-free access to vital immunization for students who may be uninsured or underinsured.
Jennifer Kline has also been an integral part of GateWay’s long standing CTE partnership with Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC), specifically with the EMT Program, which is now open to junior and senior high school students. In fact, it was through this partnership with West-MEC that Jennifer received the nomination for this prestigious award.
Kline has taken the lead in customizing curriculum and establishing two healthcare apprenticeship programs for the Pharmacy Technician and Ophthalmic Assistant programs. Additionally, Kline was able to work with certification bodies advocating for students under the age of 18 to be permitted to take the national certification exam. Her work has led to excellent certification success rates, as EKG Technician and Pharmacy Technician students have a 100% first-time pass rate, while Phlebotomy students have achieved an impressive 97% first-time pass rate.
In addition to her impactful contributions to students, Kline has placed significant emphasis on the development of instructors. She spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive onboarding program for new CTE instructors in GateWay’s Clock Hour programs. This program provides new educators with essential training, including adult methodology training, ADA accommodations, and Title IX training. Kline collaborated with two faculty members to develop “Health Professions Educator”, a formalized CTE Educator program for industry experts new to teaching or those that have interest in becoming a health science educator.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized by my peers with this award,” Kline said. “Working alongside our healthcare students, instructors, and staff to ensure their success and help them achieve their goals brings me immense joy.”
With this recognition, Kline becomes eligible for the Region V award, the winner of which will be announced at an event in Hawaii. If Kline is to earn the region recognition, she will then be eligible for the national award.
To learn more about the Health Sciences programs offered at GateWay Community College, please visit gatewaycc.edu/degrees-certificates/health-sciences.