By Matti Maya
National Surgical Technologist Week is filled with special recognition for students at Glendale Career College (GCC) in Glendale, California.
At GCC, NSTW has been an annual event for the past 25 years. Students are recognized for their outstanding academic achievements and the campus shows its appreciating with special events, including visits from local surgeons who are active in the Program Advisory Committee for Surgical Technology. There also are demonstrations involving surgical procedures and specialty instrumentation, public presentations, a special cake honoring the week, and raffle drawings. College staff prepares and serves food for the surgical technology students in appreciation for their hard work. Students in their clinical rotations and preceptors are also recognized.
“Our clinical partners look forward to the delivery of hot, fresh tamales in celebration of National Surgical Technologist Week,” said Matti Maya, program director at GCC. “It has become a tradition over the years, and we look forward to making these annual deliveries to our colleagues and clinical partners to show our appreciation and to recognize the enormous contribution they make to our students’ education in the field of surgical technology.”
Maya has been a certified surgical technologist for the past 20 years and is a certified registered central service technician. She and her team of instructors put many planning hours into the activities and recognitions for NSTW. It is her goal to involve every surgical technology student in the classrooms as well as the clinical sites to ensure that everyone is recognized.
“It is truly a team effort that makes this happen,” Maya said.
GCC has received proclamations from local government officials for the City of Glendale for recognizing Surgical Technologist Week, which are proudly on display in the college’s lobby. It has also been recognized in the local news media over the years.
Matti Maya, CST, CRCST, program director at Glendale Career College in Glendale, California, has been involved in and dedicated to Surgical Technology Education for the past 25 years. She has been an active member of AST, as well as IAHCSMM, and the California Central Service Association. In addition, Maya has served with the California State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists as Treasurer for the Board, and as an advisor and consultant.