“As an attorney, I’m rarely speechless… But at this moment, I’m just so overwhelmed. This is priceless,” Caprioglio said, visibly moved as he lifted the medal that hung around his neck by a red and blue ribbon. “I’m proud to wear this and to be affiliated with the university. … I’m just overwhelmed. … I appreciate you and I’ll always be a Bulldog and continue my service to the university until the day I die. So I thank everybody, I think that’s about all I’m good for right now.”

Caprioglio, a Fresno State alumnus, represents District 4, which includes the Fresno State campus. He called Fresno State “the crown jewel of District 4.”

“Paul’s bold service has been instrumental in further strengthening ties between his alma mater and our surrounding neighborhoods within his district, and for that, we are extraordinarily grateful,” Castro said. “I am pleased to bestow this honor on our longtime friend whose enlightened and compassionate leadership is a gift to our students, the University and the entire City of Fresno.”

Following the Medal of Distinction presentation, councilmembers took turns honoring Castro, who will begin a new role next month as chancellor of the 23-campus California State University system, the nation’s largest public university system with nearly half a million students.

“I also want to thank you and your wife, First Lady [Mary] Castro, for your service to the Fresno community,” said District 2 Councilmember Michael Karbassi. “I was [at Fresno State] in Dr. Welty’s time and it’s amazing how much the campus has hanged and you’ve taken us to a whole new level. Being the first Californian to lead the CSU system is very fitting. It’s the largest system of higher education, but we love you in Fresno and you’re still a Fresnan, and we’re never going to forget about you and you always have a home here and I mean that.”

Karbassi then presented Castro with a small stuffed Bulldog.

“I’ve had that since I was a student,” Karbassi said. “He has been through a lot. I never thought I’d be able to take him to City Hall with me. And I’ve been so blessed to do that. I want you to take him to the CSU chancellor’s office so he can keep moving up, if you don’t mind, as a very small token of our gratitude. But never forget, we’re definitely a part of your roots and we appreciate your service to our community.”

Established in 1993, the President’s Medal of Distinction is the highest non-degree award presented by Fresno State. It is given to citizens of the region, state or nation whose contributions in the area of professional achievements or public service are of national or international significance.

Caprioglio graduated from Fresno State in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He earned his juris doctorate from University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. He began his professional career in the California State Attorney General’s Office, going on to prosecute murder cases for the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. He later established a private law practice.

A Fresno native, Caprioglio and his wife, Rhonda, have lived in the district he represents for more than 40 years.

He was sworn in as a member of the Fresno City Council in January 2013 and has served two terms as the Council president — in 2016 and 2019. During his time on the City Council, Caprioglio has focused on public safety and safer neighborhoods. He became trained in repairing streetlights and now spends time nearly every week repairing or replacing damaged streetlights.

“It has been an honor to work with Councilman Caprioglio,” said Larry Salinas, executive director of government relations for Fresno State. “He has been a tireless advocate for not only Fresno State but for all of District 4. He truly embodies the spirit of this award.”

Previous recipients of the President’s Medal of Distinction have included Virginia Eaton and Joan Eaton (2020), Jon Parish Peede and John E. Horstmann (2019), Fred Ruiz (2018), Fran Pavley (2016), Ray Steele Jr. (2015), Justice Armando Rodriguez (2015), Justice Marvin Baxter (2014), John “Phil” Larsen (2014), Jim Nielsen (2012), Richard D. Hovannisian (2012), Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama (2009), Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (2006), His Holiness Karekin II (2005), Robert E. Coyle (2003), M. Victoria Kazan (1998), Kenneth L. Maddy (1998), Meline Kalfayan (1998), Joe Williams (1994) and George Kauffman (1994).

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The Big Fresno Fair hired 686 employees for the months of September and October. NOTE: This does not include the local employees hired by our carnival provider, Butler Amusements, our Janitorial Company, Pritchard Sports & Entertainment or each of the individual food vendors.

Livestock Pavilion

• 898 animals were exhibited at the Fresno Fair.
• 182 animals (meat goats, dairy cows, heifers, chickens, turkeys and rabbits) were put up for auction at the 2014 Jr. Livestock Auction on Saturday, October 4.
• 479 animals (beef, sheep and swine) were put up for auction at the 2014 Jr. Livestock. Auction held Saturday, October 11.
• $794,954 was generated from the two Livestock Auctions.
• The most expensive animal sold for $10,000
• 40 bales of straw/sawdust were used in the Animal Birthing Center
• 525 pens and cages were set up.
• 62 clubs exhibited in the Livestock Pavilion this year.
• 124 gallons of soap were utilized at hand washing stations this year.
• 86 animals won champion awards.
• Livestock employees worked a total of 10,540 hours during the 13-day Fair

Ag Ventureland

• 52 pregnant sheep were brought to the 2014 Fair.
• 102 lambs were born on-site.
• 150 baby chicks were hatched at the Fair.
• 6 cows were milked at the Cow Palace Milking Demonstrations and 910 gallons of milk were collected during the 13 days of Fair!
• 140 baby animals were on exhibit
• 120 bales of shavings her used in the exhibit

The Fair Education Program

This annual program draws students, teachers and parents from Fresno County Elementary School classrooms who take part in educational tours of the Fair. Young participants visit each exhibit building and they are taught about the rich agricultural history of The Big Fresno Fair while using an interactive and educational guide and having fun all at the same time.

• Over 35,579 Fresno County parents, teachers and students toured the Fair on four different days this year as part of the Fair Education Program. This is the 22^nd year of the Program.

Home Arts Building presented by Save Mart Supermarkets

• There were 100 homemade quilts that were entered for display.
• Pumpkin Carving Contest; had 10 participants
• There were 6 food contests:
  • Ethnic Food Contest; had 7 participants
  • King Arthur Flour “Great Cake” Contest; had 8 participants
  • Made with Nuts Contest; had 12 participants
  • Baked with Raisins & Raisin Pie presented by California Raisin Marketing Board had 30 participants
  • Chile Cook-off Contest; had 5 participants
  • Pie Contest; had 13 participants
• There was an average of 8 demonstrations per day

Wells Fargo Agriculture Building

• ·         The biggest pumpkin weighed 400 pounds.
• ·         595 grapes were given ribbons in four different divisions.

Kids’ Town

• New Wizard’s Challenge Exhibit
  • 36 STEM-based activities were on display in the Wizard’s Challenge exhibit
  • 230,000 people entered the Wizard’s Challenge exhibit
  • Thursday, October 9 was the busiest day in the Wizard’s Challenge exhibit with 40,000 people entering the exhibit
  • 26 gallons of soap were used for the Bubble Arena

Gem and Mineral Exhibit

• 1,800 lbs. of polished rocks handed out during the Fair Education Program.
• $6,000 in scholarships awarded to Fresno State and Fresno City College students.

Free Entertainment

• 1,580 hours of FREE entertainment were provided during the 2014 Fair.

Brian I. Tatarian Grandstand

• ·         547 horses ran in the races this year.
• ·         83 races were held this year.
• ·         On average 6.6 horses ran per race.
• ·         325 horses were stabled during the Fair.

SPCA

• 60 animals were adopted by Fair patrons during the 13 days of the Fair.

Wool Riders Only Mutton Bustin’

• ·         550 kids participated in Wool Riders Only Mutton Bustin’
• ·         50 sheep were brought for this attraction.
• ·         50 bales of hay were used to feed the sheep during the Fair.

All-Alaskan Pig Races

• 52 All-Alaskan Pig races were run.
• The pigs ran a total of 2 miles.
• Did you know:
  • Pigs are the 5^th smartest animal on the planet.
  • Pig’s IQ is about equivalent to most breeds of dogs.
  • An adolescent pig can run around 15 mph.

Bull Riding

• 1 minute was the longest ride time.
• 1 second was the shortest ride time.
• A total of 2,250 people attempted the Bull Riding at the 2014 Fair.

Play It Safe

• 300 children were ID’d and fingerprinted.
• 1,000 Play It Safe Coloring Books were handed out at the Fair.
• 70 awards and 25 bikes from the coloring poster contest were given out at the annual Play It Safe Awards held on Saturday, October 11.

New Willamette Valley Pie Company

• 4,600 slices of pie were sold.
• 550 turnovers were sold.
• 2,500 slices of cobblers were sold
• Marionberry was the most popular flavor during the 2014 Fair.

Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ

• ·         2,800 pounds of tri-tip were sold.
• ·         7,000 smoked turkey legs were sold.
• ·         1,100 ears of corn were sold.
• ·         400 pounds of baked beans were sold.

West Coast Concessions Fairs, Churros

• ·         9,600 Churros were sold.
• ·         1,090 pounds of sugar and cinnamon were used.

Southern Comfort Kitchen

• 6,000 Fried Gator Bites on a stick were sold.
• 600 pounds of shrimp were sold.
• 700 pounds of rice were used.
• 5,000 crab fries were sold.

Texas Twister Drinks

• 880 oranges were hand squeezed at the Fair.
• 2,380 cherries were used in the drinks.
• 2,015 Texas Twister Drinks were sold.
• 4,100 pounds of ice was used.

Sharky’s

• 995 lobster corndogs were sold.
• 860 shark bites were sold.
• 4,900 pounds of fries were sold.
• 330 mini crab cakes were sold.
• 1,961 orders of lobster fries were sold.

Garlicky’s

• 9,000 Garlic Chicken Kabobs were sold.
• 3,500 pizzas were sold.
• 100 pounds of garlic cloves were used at the Fair.
• Chicken Kabobs were the most popular item sold from Garlicky’s.

Sonoran Hotdogs

• 2,500 hotdogs were sold.
• 200 pounds of bacon were used.
• 60 cans of pinto beans were used.
• 300 onions were used.

Jackson Enterprises – Grilled Corn Stand

• 6,200 ears of corn were purchased.
• 3,000 corn in a cups were sold.

Too Cool Icee Stands

• 14,900 straws were used.
• 68 gallons of syrup were used.
• 2,000 refillable sports bottles were sold.

Cotton Candy

• A total of 500 pounds of sugar was used to make cotton candy.

Original Soft Rolled Tacos Since 1947

• ·         1,215 dozen corn tortillas were used at the Fair.
• ·         14,572 rolled tacos were eaten at the Fair.

MBM Concessions/Fat Fanny’s

• 2,400 deep-fried Oreos were sold.
• 480 orders of deep-fried Twinkies were sold.
• 3,300 pints of fresh strawberries were used.

Legendairy Gelato

• 14,128 scoops of gelato were served.
• 3,715 waffle cones were served.
• 38 of World’s Largest Waffle Cones were made.
• 800 lbs. of waffle mix used to make the waffle cones.
• Top 2 top flavors were: cookies & cream and peach champagne

Jack Frost Ice

• An estimated 360,000 pounds of ice was used during the Fair.

Save Mart Wine Garden

• 270 bottles of wine were used throughout the Fair.
• 72 of those bottles were Fresno State award-winning wine.

Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls

• Over 32,800 pounds of flour was used.
• Over 11,000 pounds of cinnamon sugar mixture was used.
• Over 4,400 pounds of butter was used.
• Over 5,100 pounds of cream cheese was used.
• Over 980 pounds of walnuts was used.

New Grandpa’s Family Fudge

• 500 pounds of fudge were sold.
• The top three flavors of fudge were:
  • Snickers
  • Chocolate Nut
  • Chocolate

Jeanne’s Artichokes

• 2,280 pounds of artichokes were sold.
• Artichokes were the most popular item from Jeanne’s sold at the 2014 Fair.
• 1,220 deep-fried frog legs were sold.
• 460 banana dogs were sold.

Beerocks

• 1,800 pounds of flour were used for beerock dough.
• 1,500 pounds of ground beef were used during the Fair.
• 1,500 pounds of onions were used to dice up and mix in the beerock meat.
• 1,500 pounds of cabbage were used to mix in the beerock meat.

Funnel Cake Express

• 225 pounds of powdered sugar were used.
• 2,100 pounds of dough were used.
• 6,000 funnel cakes were sold at the 2014 Fair.
• 120 new Gooey Monster Funnel Cakes were sold.
• 40 new Pan Puffs were sold.
• 60 new Maple Syrup Funnel Cakes were sold.
• 200 new Deep Fried Candy Kebobs were sold.

Pepe’s Mariscos

• 950 pounds of shrimp were used for the ceviche.
• 1,000 pounds of shrimp were used for shrimp cocktail.
• 1,530 pounds of carne asada were used.
• 300 limes were used.

Dippin’ Dots:

• 840 pounds of Dippin Dots were sold.
• The top three flavors were Banana Split, Cookies & Cream, and Rainbow ice.

Old Tyme Kettle Corn

• 6,400 pounds of corn kernels were popped during the 2014 Fair.
• 3,550 pounds of sugar was used during the 2014 Fair.

Spud Shack

• 5,000 pounds of potatoes were sold.
• 800 baked potatoes were sold.
• 90 pounds of butter were used.

Polynesian Shave Ice

• 4,100 shave ices were sold.
• 920 pounds of syrup were used.
  • The top three flavors were: Cherry, Bubble Gum & Tiger’s Blood.

Wellmon Concessions

• 650 orders of Dirty Fries were sold.
• 1,500 pounds of deli meat were used.

Sugar Shack

• 75 pounds of sugar were used.
• 125 candy apples were sold.
• Red candy was the bestselling type of candy apple.

Red & White Concessions: Corn Dogs

• 775 pounds of batter were used.
• 5,000 regular corn dogs were sold at the Fair.
• 3,250 jumbo corn dogs were sold at the Fair.

T Concessions Corn Dogs

• 40 pounds of flour was used.
• 20 gallons of mustard was used.
• 20 gallons of ketchup was used.

Gary Morse Concessions

• 2,100 bananas were used for frozen bananas.
• 18 gallons were chocolate were used.
• 42 pounds of sprinkles were used.

Good Ol’ Burgers

• 4,000 burgers were sold at the 2014 Fair.
• 2,250 pounds of beef was used.
• 230 orders of fried pork skins were sold.

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Their project was recognized at the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) National Engineering Design Competition in Portland, where they competed against hundreds of students throughout California and nine other states. The winning students are 15-year-old Mario Ruiz and 14-year-olds Mario Castillo, Daniela De La O and Jeremiah Robinson.

The students are part of the MESA program at Fresno State’s Lyles College of Engineering. MESA encourages students — especially those from underserved populations — to learn in new and exciting ways that will prepare them to attend four-year colleges and universities.

“The MESA program prepares students to think like an engineer—explore, design, create and make it better,” said Beatrice Prieto, director of Fresno State’s MESA program. “That is what these Mendota students did throughout the school year to prepare for the national competition. They faced many challenges but never lost their concentration and always had a positive attitude. Their MESA advisor, Dave Sackrison, was a great role model who encouraged them throughout the competition.”

The competition required teams to develop a prosthetic device within a small budget to complete pre-defined tasks. Students were judged in design efficiency, dexterity, object relocation, distance accuracy, technical display, technical paper and oral presentation.

“The MESA program provides students a great opportunity to experience complex learning in engineering, science and mathematics via hands-on activities at their schools,” said Dr. Ram Nunna, dean of the Lyles College. “These experiences provide the students a foundation to pursue majors such as engineering when they enroll in college.”

MESA provides academic support and enrichment to more than 18,000 K-12 students and more than 7,800 college and university students each year. Most MESA students are economically disadvantaged, the first in their families to attend college and attend underperforming schools.

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Each year, the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for a carefully chosen group of K-12 educators to attend one of its five teacher institutes in Washington, D.C.

During the five-day program, participants work with Library education specialists and subject-matter experts to learn effective practices for using primary sources in the classroom, while exploring some of the millions of digitized historical artifacts and documents available on the Library’s website.

Educators attending the teacher institutes develop primary-source-based teaching strategies that they can take back to their school districts, apply in the classroom and share with colleagues. Teaching with primary sources is a powerful way to help students ask engaged, probing questions, develop critical-thinking skills, and gain knowledge. All educators can access classroom materials, teaching tools and strategies for teaching with primary sources from the Library’s site for teachers at www.loc.gov/teachers/.

Applicants to the Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institutes reflect the diversity of the world of K-12 education. Participants in a teacher institute session typically include school library media specialists and school administrators, in addition to classroom teachers. Those selected come from many different states, representing large metropolitan school districts and smaller, rural school districts. The expertise provided by the Library of Congress during the institutes can benefit every level of K-12 education.

Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources—accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience. Students working with primary sources become engaged learners while building critical-thinking skills and constructing new knowledge. Teachers working in the Library’s collections will explore the largest online collection of historical artifacts with access to millions of unique primary sources for use in instruction.

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They competed against journalism students from 13 states in the competition that recognizes excellence in broadcast journalism among APTRA members in the western United States. Dale Yurong of KFSN ABC 30 won first place in the Best News Writing category (Class 2).

“The APTRA Awards represent the highest standards of broadcast journalism,” said board president John Shaffer. “This year the APTRA Awards were more competitive than they have been in the past thanks to an increase in the numbers of entries, both on the individual and station level.”

The APTRA Awards were judged by AP-member broadcasters in Mississippi and Texas.

Glutz was the reporter/editor for the Fresno State entry and Monk  was the photographer.

They profiled Dongyan Zhang, an international student from China, in a story that aired on Fresno State Focus, a news and public affairs program produced by Fresno State students. It airs on Comcast 94, AT&T 99 and CMAC.TV during the fall and spring semesters.

 “G.J. and Ashley worked well together as a team to tell a touching story about an international student who was finding it difficult to make new friends,” said Faith Sidlow, a lecturer who teaches the broadcast journalism class that produces the show.

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Dr. Bartell died June 13 in Fresno at age 70. The memorial service will be from 11 a.m.-noon at the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (2360 E. Barstow Ave.) followed by a reception with light refreshments from noon-2 p.m.

Dr. Bartell served as dean from 1992 to 2006, when he stepped down to return to teaching and was succeeded by Dr. Charles Boyer, current dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

He is credited for directing Fresno State’s agricultural education during a time of dynamic change and contributing to the growth of the world’s premier agricultural region.

Boyer said Dean Bartell was instrumental in the development of numerous initiatives including new degree programs, enhancing opportunities for faculty to do applied research, the growth of the university’s farm market and bringing the California Future Farmers of America’s annual conference to the Fresno State campus.

“Dean Bartell’s involvement in the region, state and nation raised the stature of the college and university,” Boyer said. “This enabled us to expand our programs, including the formation of the Department of Viticulture and Enology. The legacy of this foundation is seen today through the many gifts and other support that helped ensure the success of the university’s recent capital campaign while enhancing the Jordan College and Fresno State.”

Under Dr. Bartell’s stewardship, Fresno State’s viticulture and enology programs were merged in 2000 after nearly 50 years operating independently, making Fresno State the first California State University campus to combine those academic programs with research and industry outreach.

In 1997, the Fresno State Winery was bonded to bottle and sell its student-produced wines commercially, a first for any university campus in the nation. The sale of Fresno State wines has supported scholarships for students and the viticulture and enology programs. The winery has won more than 600 awards in commercial wine competitions.

Dr. Bartell also actively supported the annual Future Farmers of America and the State Leadership Conference that attracts 5,000 student participants to Fresno. He was honored in 2006 by the national FFA with its highest award for distinguished service.

“Dean Bartell provided solid leadership for the school and significantly improved the amount of scholarly activity during his tenure,” said Dr. John D. Welty, president emeritus of Fresno State who Bartell served his deanship under.

While serving as Fresno State’s dean, Dr. Bartell was active in several state and national organizations. He served as chair of the Dean’s Council of the California Ag Leadership Program, president of the American Association of State Colleges of Agriculture and Renewable Resources and as a member of the Policy Board of Directors for the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. He was instrumental in the Agricultural Literacy Program, California Food and Fiber (CF3), the Agricultural Research Initiative, the Farm Bureau and other advisory councils.

“During Dean Bartell’s tenure, reaching out to alumni was made a priority as well as fundraising in support of students and programs,” said alumnus Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau and president of the Ag One Foundation who was also the Dean’s Medalist for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in 2002.

After retirement, Dr. Bartell was involved in such projects as the development of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Innovation, enhancement of the viticulture and enology program and continued development of the International Center for Water Technology.

He also advocated for agricultural educational issues at the state and federal level spending time in Washington, D.C. consulting with the United States Department of Agriculture on policies regarding education in agriculture.

The dean was a board member for the Fresno Community Food Bank for many years.

Dr. Bartell’s career in education began in 1968 as an instructor of biology at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia after receiving his bachelor’s degree in education at Eastern Illinois University in 1966, his master’s in entomology from Purdue University in 1968 and his doctorate in entomology from the University of Kentucky in 1973.

His research concentration was in insect pest management, field crop entomology, biological control and insect behavior.

Dr. Bartell is survived by son Tim Bartell and son Paul Bartell and his family, Heather and Riley Bartell, of Fresno; and his siblings Jim and Nadine Bartell of Bartonville, Illinois; Marie and Leon Bluhm of Royal, Illinois; Dick Bartell of Brimfield, Illinois; and Catherine and Richard Hula of East Lansing, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Ag One Foundation in support of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State or to a university of the donor’s choice.

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He will be honored at the Goldman School’s 15th Annual Alumni Dinner on Oct. 24 at The Berkeley City Club.

Castro earned a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) degree from the Goldman School in 1990. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Berkeley and a doctorate in higher education policy and leadership from Stanford University.

Castro was appointed as the eighth president of Fresno State on Aug. 1. He also holds an appointment as professor of educational research and administration in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at Fresno State.

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Students from Kerman High’s F.O.R.S.S. Club (“Friends of Rachel for a Safer School” – established for Rachel Scott, the first student casualty in the Columbine High School shooting and the Safe School Ambassadors program from Community Matters) created five public service announcement (PSA) videos, four in English and one in Spanish, with targeted messaging to screen in Fresno County high schools.

The PSAs provide youth with realistic, relatable examples of ways to refuse drugs and alcohol, while “saving face” with their peers. The videos were written and performed by Kerman High students, with help from their teacher and club advisor, Amanda Valle and edited and produced by ValleyPBS.

The PSAs will be mailed to all Fresno County high schools with the goal that other campuses will share them with their student body. Seeing positive, realistic examples of how youth can refuse drugs and alcohol and live a substance-free life will ultimately help other students to do the same.

A screening and release party will be held at 11:25 a.m. at Kerman High School on Friday, May 23. All area high school students are invited to create their own video messages and upload them to share at valleypbs.org/byYou, ValleyPBS’s user-produced video sharing website.

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Located near Barstow Avenue and Campus Drive in between the Aquatics Center and the North Gym Annex, this two-story facility will be home to the Physical Therapy Department and offices for several athletics coaches.

The first floor of the 22,000-square-foot facility will consolidate physical therapy offices and laboratory spaces under one roof. The department’s offices and labs have been scattered across three buildings since its doctoral degree program was approved in 2011.

“Consolidating the Physical Therapy Department’s administrative and faculty offices will provide more convenient access to the research and teaching laboratories, and more importantly, it will provide improved communication and collaboration between faculty and the students they serve,” said Dr. Jody Hironaka-Juteau, interim dean of the College of Health and Human Services.

Hironaka-Juteau said moving physical therapy to the new facility will also free up office space in McLane Hall for the college’s Department of Nursing.

The second floor will be dedicated to sports administration, housing coaches offices for men’s and women’s basketball, softball and volleyball, as well as a large team meeting room and a dedicated self-instruction computer lab for student-athletes.

“This new facility, along with the construction of the new Aquatics Center, points to an improved collaborative environment for academic and athletic facility users,” said Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro.

The building will be constructed from steel, glass and cement. It has been designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver equivalency by using a combination of sustainable features including HVAC efficiency, energy efficient light fixtures and recycled content materials.

Construction is scheduled to start in June 2014 and be completed by July 2015.

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“For job seekers who simply didn’t or couldn’t attend college, there are still many rewarding career opportunities available if they know where to look, including in fields such as health care, personal services and information technology,” says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast. “To land one of these jobs, you’ll need to compensate with good, old fashioned hard work and some post-high school training,”

Studies show that earning a college degree will lead to a more rewarding career financially than if you never advance beyond high school. They also show that spending some time in college, such as for an associate’s degree, will pay off in higher earnings compared to having just a high school diploma. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average median weekly salary for a worker without a degree $651, compared to $777 for those with an associate’s degree and $1,108 for those earning a bachelor’s degree. The tradeoff is that a college degree can be costly — the average cost for a four-year degree ranges from $40,000 to $160,000, according to the College Board.

Self-employment also is a promising path for several of CareerCast’s top jobs without a college degree. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that more than 22 million Americans are self-employed. The highest growth industries for self-employment include automotive repair and personal grooming, and for those who are trained or have experience as automobile body repairers, hair stylists or skincare specialists, the opportunity to thrive as business owners is significant.

Though college degrees aren’t required for these jobs, they do require specialized training. Individual states have licensing boards for skincare specialists and hair stylists, and specialty programs exist to help students learn the basics. Similarly, trade skills offer aspiring welders, automotive repair specialists, electricians and carpenters training to get started. Likewise, job seekers in the healthcare industry can get their start through associate’s programs in nursing, respiratory therapy and medical record-keeping.

Here is CareerCast’s list of the 16 best jobs that don’t require a college degree:

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During this 30 week, after school class, participants were led by local business leaders who taught the in depth curriculum while also hearing from dozens of local business owners. They created professional business plans and spent several weeks preparing for their presentations at the Investor Panel in April, just like Shark Tank.

6, self-confident young men and women pitched their products and services and received actual funding from revenues donated by local companies. Buchanan High School Senior Chandler Warne was selected to present his company, SPOT, a web-based mobile check-in system for businesses with off site employees, at the Regional competition in Frisco, Texas.

Although he wasn’t chosen to go on to the nationals, he represented Clovis well and had a lot of interest in his company. He even met with the general manager of the Mavericks.

“We are thrilled with the results of the first YEA! class,” said Program Manager Fran Blackney. “ Students and parents tell us that the skills they have learned will last a life time. And, the Chamber is creating new business owners to enhance our local economy. Definitely a win-win situation for everybody.”

Applications are now available to Central Valley middle and high school students for the Class of 2015.  Contact Fran Blackney at the Clovis Chamber at 299-7363 or visit www.clovischamber.com.

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