Quan Gan, founder of Gantom Lighting & Controls, talked to KHTS about his involvement in the Castaic High School project, and how the new school is set to prepare students for a more holistic approach regarding industry education.

Gan was asked by Dr. Marianne Doyle to help Castaic High School with their approach to industry education for their future students.

“One of the persons spearheading this project has been Dr. Marianne Doyle, and she’s asked me as an industry expert to give her some feedback on what kind of equipment to really help the students be better prepared as they get into the industry,” Gan said.

Related: Castaic High School To Feature Dental Program

Gantom Lighting & Controls, formerly Darklight, was founded in the spring of 2010 as a manufacturer of special-effects lighting equipment catering to the themed attraction industry. They specialize in illumination of low-light and space-constrained environments where traditional theatrical luminaires aren’t suitable.

Gan was part of one of the first graduating classes of Valencia High School, and is excited to help with the creation of a new high school in Santa Clarita for his children to take advantage of.

He believes he can do so by helping provide the school with a well-rounded approach to industry education.

“What I see going forward in the industry is a more holistic approach that really exposes the students to as many disciplines as possible so that they’re not just pigeonholed into one particular thing,” Gan said.

Gan noted that students today are typically not looking for traditional jobs of the past, but want to make a difference in the world.

“They’re not necessarily looking for a factory job for the rest of their lives, or even a nine-to-five job,” Gan said. “They want to be empowered to be creative, and in order to do that they really need to understand multi-disciplinary type of work.”

Castaic High School is a highly anticipated Hart District school expected to open to students for the Fall 2019 semester. Melanie Hagman has been named the school’s founding principal by the William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board. In addition to athletics and performing arts departments, Castaic High School is expected to have a strong emphasis on career technical education in partnership with College of the Canyons.

Castaic High School Project

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