Judy Telfer started the first Mountainland Technical College, or MTECH, dental assistant program in the Wasatch Back in 1991.
With no dedicated building, she said the program had to get creative when looking for classroom space. The mechanic room was at an old hospital in Heber; Telfer’s dental assistant students bounced around Wasatch High School.
“We were in the conference room, and so when the high school needed to have a conference, we had to go find another place to have class,” she said.
Up until last year, MTECH classes were available at Wasatch, but often required driving to an MTECH campus in Lehi, Provo, Payson, Orem or Spanish Fork.
At a ribbon-cutting for the college’s new Heber City campus Friday, Aug. 28, Telfer said people across the Wasatch Back now have better access to technical education.
“This is beyond what we could have imagined. That here we are, in the heart of Heber Valley in this new beautiful building with all the latest equipment.”
For Wasatch High School seniors Presley Pyper and Paisley Post, the new campus makes their goal of becoming medical assistants much easier.
Pyper said she originally didn’t take an MTECH course because getting to other campuses was difficult. With the building just a 5-minute drive from Wasatch, that barrier has been removed.
Pyper is now enjoying her classes at the new Heber campus.
“It's been really fun. We kind of like use each other as patients,” she said. “We've gotten stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, so we just get to use those a lot.”
For Deer Creek High School students, the commute is even shorter — it’s a 2-minute walk. Park City, South Summit and North Summit school districts can also more easily bus students to the campus.
Pyper and Post said they may also use the MTECH certification as a stepping stone. Each pathway allows students to earn up to 30 credits that can be applied at Utah’s public universities.
Brittany Snow teaches pharmacy technician classes at the Heber campus. She said MTECH isn’t just for high school students; adult learners can also find a fresh start.
Snow was originally working in human resources at MTECH, but decided to enroll in a course.
“I wanted my own MTECH educational experience and found that I loved it,” she said. “I also work at a pharmacy on the evenings and weekends, and get to bring those experiences here into the classroom.”
The Heber campus was made possible through a partnership with the Wasatch County School District, which donated the land for the building.
Classes in plumbing, welding, culinary arts, automotive technology and more are already in session.
