First class in funeral service graduates from Wash. College.

First class in funeral service graduates from Wash. College. KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- One student was painting a mustache,completing the process of turning a wax-covered skull into the image ofWalt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966)Disney, Walter Elias Disney . Another was crafting the elongated ears of poet AllenGinsberg Noun 1. Allen Ginsberg - United States poet of the beat generation (1926-1997)Ginsberg . Randi Cloud had chosen to create the visage of Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963)[1] is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer and television personality best known as host of NBC's late-night talk/variety show Late Night with Conan O'Brien. ,with a picture of the television talk-show host propped in front of her. The students were in one of the required classes of a new FuneralService Education program at Lake Washington Technical College Lake Washington Technical College is a community college located in Kirkland, Washington.The college was founded in 1949 as Lake Washington Vocational Technical Institute. The main campus in Kirkland opened in 1983. inKirkland, the first such program in Washington state. The first class ofseven students graduated in June, and a second class of nine willgraduate in August. "This is something I've wanted to do for quite awhile," said Cloud, who has experienced deaths in her family."I felt like this was something I could do a good job at becauseI've been through it. People don't like going to funerals, butif I can be sensitive to those things I can be a good funeraldirector." The need is so great for funeral directors and embalmers that thestate added the program two years ago. Until Lake Washington began its program, local mortuary-sciencestudents had to travel to Oregon, California or even farther away toreceive training required to be licensed in Washington. The program is complex. Students learn business aspects of runninga funeral home, the psychology of dealing with grieving family membersand the science of embalming embalming(ĕmbä`mĭng, ĭm–), practice of preserving the body after death by artificial means. The custom was prevalent among many ancient peoples and still survives in many cultures. . They also learn restorative art. They maybe faced with restoring the body of a gunshot victim, or someone whodied in a car accident--hence the skull class. Christina Graylee, 32, will graduate in August. She said she haswanted to become a funeral director since she was a teenager. She wasreared by her grandparents, and she saw all the care that the funeraldirector gave when her grandmother died. "I want to help people who are grieving and be there forstrangers who go through their worst days," said Graylee, a singlemother and former college dropout (1) On magnetic media, a bit that has lost its strength due to a surface defect or recording malfunction. If the bit is in an audio or video file, it might be detected by the error correction circuitry and either corrected or not, but if not, it is often not noticed by the human who was working for a tool companybefore she went back to school. "I had an interest in science andart, and I really respect the dead. The dead don't have asay." She said she was a little nervous about embalming. Once she did it,though, she realized the human body is a beautiful thing. "I knowthe person is not there anymore, so I want to make them look as good aspossible." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Robin Grant graduated from Washington State University with abiology degree, she couldn't find a job. So she decided to become afuneral director and embalmer. Grant, 24, was in the first graduatingclass. "I really liked it," Grant said. "I love the scienceand the anatomy, putting things back together and seeing how itworks." Erin Wilcox, director of the program, said she began in the fieldby working at a funeral home in college, mowing lawns, washing thehearse and taking out the garbage. She graduated from college withdegrees in English and religion, but her boss then asked if she'dconsider being a funeral director. "I figured maybe deep down I did," she said. "But Ididn't want to admit it." She graduated from mortuary school in California and worked as afuneral director and embalmer for five years before joining LakeWashington. "It takes a special kind of person," Wilcox said."It's very emotionally stressful, and you're on call24/7. You sacrifice a lot for it, and it takes up your life. It'svery fulfilling, but it's not for everyone." Although Lake Washington trains its students in both aspects, afuneral director and an embalmer have separate roles in treating deaths.The funeral director arranges for disposal of the body, prepares thedeceased for viewing and arranges an embalming. The embalmer might not have contact with the family. He or she hasbeen trained in the art and science of embalming, including anatomy andchemistry. Embalming involves washing a body and injecting a preservative preservativeAny of numerous chemical additives used to prevent or slow food spoilage caused by chemical changes (e.g., oxidation, mold growth) and maintain a fresh appearance and consistency. Antimycotics (e.g. toready it for viewing and placement in a casket. Once that is completed,the embalmer rewashes the body, including shampooing the hair andcleaning the fingernails. The embalmer also applies cosmetics. Adam Horton, 33, has a teaching degree from the University ofWashington and almost had his master's degree in education, but hedecided to change careers. He had worked in administration at a funeral home and decided hewould like to be a funeral director. "It's meaningful andworthwhile," he said, while crafting his plastic skull intoGinsberg, one of his favorite poets. According to the Department of Licensing, the state has 285licensed embalmers and 396 licensed funeral directors, and many holdboth licenses. King County has 68 embalmers and 95 funeral directors. The Lake Washington program expects to receive accreditation fromthe American Board of Funeral Service Education this summer. Cameron Smock, president of the Washington State Funeral DirectorsAssociation and president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Bonney-Watson, said he is sopleased by the new program that he's already hired a graduate. "For many people who are doing this as a second or thirdcareer, they have families and mortgages and can't relocate out ofstate," he said. "Having an instate in��state?tr.v. in��stat��ed, in��stat��ing, in��statesTo establish in office; install. program really aids theirability. And we don't have an appropriate pool of qualifiedapplicants." BY SUSAN GILMORE, THE SEATTLE TIMES