April | 2018 | Sonya Christian's Blog

Monthly Archives: April 2018

Leadership Shines at BC

Uncategorized April 28, 2018 1 Comment

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, April 28, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade!

BC’s 104th commencement is on May 11th. We will be graduating our first class of 7 students who have completed all the courses for a Bachelor of Science degree. Even if your friend or family member isn’t walking at this commencement event, plz gather a group together and come hang out at the Memorial Stadium to see history being made. The celebrations start at 7:00 pm sharp and we will have great music and other goodies for you to relax and have a good time.

Student Leadership and Involvement Awards

Last Thursday evening the Student Leadership and Involvement Awards Ceremony, coordinated by the Office of Student Life, recognized the accomplishments of student organizations and leaders at Bakersfield College. As they showcased their ingenuity and creative talent the wide variety of activities our students are involved in was impressive.

This year’s award recipients were:

Presidents Leader of the Year Award: Emmanuel Limaco
Service Award: Rayven Webb
Renegade Spirit Award: Dezi Von Manos
MVR – Most Valuable Renegade: Adrian Godinez – Wrestling and Kylee Fahy – Softball
Student Employee of the Year Award: Karla Garcia, Office of Student Life and Alexandra Scott, Supplemental Instruction
Outstanding Student Organization Advisor(s): Helen Acosta, Sexuality and Gender Acceptance Club and Jonathan Schultz, Free on the Outside
Grace Van Dyke Bird Award: Emerging Leader of the Year Award: Alexandra Scott
Alumni Association Honor Trophy: Emerging Leader of the Year Award: Ganae Romo
Jack Brigham Scholarship: Baldeep Sandhu
Samuel W. McCall Outstanding Professor of the Year Award: Jennifer Garrett, Performing Arts Faculty

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Outreach Open House

On Friday, April 20th, Bakersfield College Office of Outreach and School Relations hosted its 3rd annual BC Open House, opening the campus to over 700 high school seniors who will be attending in the upcoming Summer and Fall semesters. Attendees participated in various workshops/activities such as BC Jeopardy, while visiting over 25 tables that displayed various student support and academic programs. Students who had yet to register for courses were able to walk away from the event with a class schedule. This event gave students their first look of what it will be like to be a Renegade. Thanks for all the support provided from Counseling, CalSOAP, Admissions & Records, IT, and Food Services.

Honors Celebration Dinner

The Honors Celebration Dinner was held on Friday evening with a crowd of 200 gathering in the Fireside Room and Cafeteria. The dinner is an opportunity for the Foundation to honor the Scholarship Donors, their Scholarship Recipients and the Leadership and Departmental Award Winners. It gives Donors the chance to meet our wonderful students and hear firsthand how their support impacts the students’ success. There were Donors present from 30 unique scholarship funds at the dinner and all departments from BC were represented. The Foundation will award nearly half a million dollars in scholarships and awards for the 2018/2019 academic year and it would not be possible without continued generous support from our donors. Thank you Corny Rodriguez for the photo.

BC Drumline Places 6th

The BC Drumline was awarded sixth place in the Winter Guard International Percussion World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, with a score of 93.388 out of 100, the highest score BC has ever recorded in the history of this competition.

Tim Heasley and the students in the BC Drumline started working toward performing in this competition since late September, rehearsing for hundreds of hours together while fundraising throughout the year to raise money for the annual trip to Ohio. They also competed in local events with the Pep and Pageantry Arts Association of Central California, as well as other competitions hosted by Winter Guard International.

After qualifying to participate in the World Championships, the BC Drumline spent the week leading up to the competition rehearsing at Edison State Community College in Piqua, Ohio. They then competed in three different venues around Ohio before qualifying for the finals completion at the University of Dayton Arena last Saturday.

KGET reported on the Drumline’s historic success in a news piece, and Heasley is infinitely proud of his group’s success and ability to rise to the occasion when called upon to do so.

“The students and staff are really driven by the pursuit of excellence,” Heasley said. “They return to BC having competed with the best, in front of the toughest judges, and with a confidence of knowing that they can take on the next challenge, whatever it may be.”

BC’s drumline is made up of a mix of BC students and individuals who travel from as far away as Merced every weekend to rehearse and participate. The experiences and what they’ve learned from being a part of BC’s drumline is something they take with them for the rest of their lives. “As much as the skills developed ‘on the floor’ are important, the skills developed ‘off the floor’ will forever help our students approach the challenges they face,” Heasley said.

Pre-Law Celebration

2018 Pre Law Celebration

On Monday, the students who are graduating under our Pre-Law pathway participated in a special celebration in the Levan Center commemorating all of all their hard work and wishing them the best of luck as they pursue a career in law.

Liz Rozell and Corny Rodriguez gave brief speeches thanking the graduates and all of their professors for staying on the path, and each of the students got an opportunity to speak about the dedication and persistence required to complete their pre-law classes.

Special thanks to Pearl Urena for organizing the Pre-Law Celebration and advising our Pre-Law students throughout the year. This is an important program that is helping to make courtrooms in Kern County more diverse and reflective of the community.

SGA Power Lunch with Scott Spielman

BCSGA’s Legislative Affairs Department hosted its last Power Lunch in the Fireside Room on Monday with District Attorney candidate Scott Spielman, who talked about his 20-year career fighting for justice as a Kern County prosecutor.

Spielman’s career in law enforcement started in 1984, when he enlisted in the Army as a military Police officer. After four years as an MP and reaching the rank of sergeant, he graduated from Moorpark College and Fresno State before attending the McGeorge School of Law and passing the state bar to become a lawyer in 1993.

Tommy Tunson and Scott Spielman

Spielman has worked as a prosecutor for the Kern County District Attorney’s office since 1994, participating in over 100 felony jury trials. Over 20 of those trials involved murder, and another 20 involved sexual assault, Spielman said. Over the last seven years, he’s been the Assistant DA under Lisa Green, helping her to manage all the hundreds of prosecutors and thousands of cases the office deals with every day.

Students in the audience got the opportunity to ask Spielman questions about sanctuary cities, rehabilitation for non-violent drug offenders, and youth community outreach programs.

This year’s Legislative Affairs Power Lunches have brought some of Kern County’s most important elected officials to the BC campus to answer questions from our students.

There’s a pathway for everyone at BC

This past week a former Public Health student reached out to BC Public Health professor, Sarah Baron. The student shared she plans to transfer to a CSU and become a Public Health Nurse. She said, “I want to thank you for all of your involvement and for being a phenomenal professor. ” and added, “I want to thank you for helping me find my pathway.”

There’s a pathway for everyone and it starts at the home of the Renegades.

Public Health Professor, Sarah Baron

Delano Community Alliance Fundraiser

The Delano Community Alliance held its annual fundraiser on April 21. The group is a volunteer organization composed of different community stake holders including school districts, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and religious groups. Bakersfield College is represented on the board of directors.

Matthew Rodriguez, Helen Calip, Carolina Madrigal, Raquel Lopez, Araceli Renteria, Valerie Alcala, Alma Feathers, Sue Ann Villaros, Abel Guzman, Jesus Jimenez, Richard McCrow.

(front) Matthew Rodriguez, Helen Calip, Carolina Madrigal, Raquel Lopez, Araceli Renteria, Valerie Alcala, Alma Feathers, Sue Ann Villaros, (back) Abel Guzman, Jesus Jimenez, Richard McCrow.

The “Pre-Cinco de Mayo Fiesta” fundraiser featured tacos, mariachi, raffles, and a salsa contest among other fun activities. The mariachi “grito” (shout) competition title went BC Rural Initiatives Director, Abel Guzman. Bakersfield College was one of the gold sponsors, and was well represented with 11 staff members in attendance.

Fundraiser committee members, Mathew Cauthron, Rosalinda Rivera, Barbara Mejia, Abel Guzman

The goal of the event was to raise money to help families in need. The alliance provides financial support for families who are facing eviction, are unable to pay utility bills, or who are facing any other hardship.

Rosalinda Rivera (DUESD Superintendent), BC Staff Alma Feathers, Carolina Madrigal, Raquel Lopez, Valerie Alcala.

Abel Guzman in Mariachi “Grito” Competition

Mariachi Mestizo (Youth Mariachi)

Metal Fabrication Technology AS at BC

A new degree in metal fabrication at BC will equip students with the unique technical skills to gain employment in the fields of construction, transportation, manufacturing industry, sheet metal industry, custom job shops, aerospace, and so much more. This new program has been approved by the Central Mother Lode Region with 9 endorsement approval votes from Cerro Coso, Porterville, COS, Fresno, WHC, WHL, and Columbia.

Thank you to Liz Rozell, Jason Dixon and all the faculty who helped make this happen!

Jason Dixon, Manuel Fernandez, and Sean Caras

Architecture 33 Students at BC

Oliver Rosales, Victoria Hogan, Sarah Baron

In early spring this year, Bakersfield College submitted a National Endowment of the Humanities Challenge Grant. If awarded, BC would receive funding to create a Cultural and Humanities Center at the Delano Campus. Central to the application was the partnership with the Architectural Computer Practice Class, ARCH B33, who submitted architectural design concepts for the grant application. Each featured an actual three-dimensional design with layouts of the building both inside and outside. Of those submitted, Victoria Hogan’s was selected to be included in the application. The grant-writing team, Delano Foundation, the Levan Center for the Humanities, and the entire Renegade community all congratulate Victoria and the entire Architecture 33 class for their hard work!

BC Jazz Plays the Beatles

The Bakersfield College Jazz Ensemble dazzled audiences in the Indoor Theater on Monday night with its big-band arrangements of classic songs by The Beatles.

Kris Tiner opened the event by introducing the community to the upcoming Jazz Studies program that will be a part of our curriculum next semester. This concentration within our music program will offer more in-depth opportunities for students to prepare for a career in performing jazz music, and will also be adding smaller bands called “jazz combos” to complement the larger ensemble. Before the main ensemble’s performance, Tiner introduced a jazz combo group that performed standards by Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins.

After the combo group’s performance, the entire jazz ensemble took the stage to perform jazz arrangements by the Fab Four, opening with “Day Tripper”, a song recorded during the sessions for the Beatles “Rubber Soul” album, and released as its own single in 1965 . The evening featured arrangements that spanned the Beatles’ varied discography, from the pop of the band’s early releases to the more experimental psychedelic music of its later catalog.

I’d like to thank Kris Tiner and everyone who came out to support our BC Jazz Ensemble, and I can’t wait to hear what the students in our Jazz Studies program are going to be putting together in the future.

Project BEST

On Wednesday in the Indoor Theater, BC was honored to host the Senior Scholarship Banquet for Project BEST, an organization that provides mentoring and scholarship opportunities for African-American males in the Kern County High School District.

Chef Eric Sabella and our Food Services Department provided a delicious dinner for the graduating high school students and their families in the courtyard in front of the Indoor Theater, and attendees spent the evening celebrating the achievements of Project BEST students as they prepare to leave high school and begin their college journeys.

Project BEST, which stands for Black Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching, was created over 25 years ago to increase the high school graduation and college attendance rates of African-American males in the Kern High School District. The organization helps students with their college applications and financial aid forms, as well as scholarships, counseling, tutoring and trips to universities around California. This year’s students got to visit the UC Berkeley campus and attend workshops about college entrance essays as part of the Experience Berkeley High School Program.

Zav Dadabhoy stepping out with the mike while addressing Project BEST

Dr. Zav Dadabhoy spoke a few words at the beginning of the ceremony thanking Project BEST for choosing BC to host its scholarship banquet, as well as sharing some of the details about how we make a college education attainable for everyone.

Dr. Bryon Schaefer

Kern High School District Superintendent Dr. Bryon Schaefer thanked all of the members of the advisory committee on Project BEST for their dedication to ensuring that none of Kern County’s African-American youth are left behind.

Keynote speaker Quinn Woodard told Project BEST students the inspirational story of growing up in St. Louis as an exceptional student athlete who had to change the course of his academic career once he sustained too many injuries to continue playing sports. Woodard went on to start a clothing company at 17 years old with his friends in St. Louis before attending the University of Tulsa. Woodard initially had an interest in pursuing a business degree as an undergraduate, but his experience in Chevron’s Project Lead the Way led him to develop an interest in STEM, which brought him all the way to Bakersfield to work as one of Chevron’s electrical engineers.

Quinn Woodard

Woodard, who recently finished a Masters in Business Administration from Indiana University while working as the Electrical Engineering Team Lead at Chevron, credits his success to the people who recognized his potential and gave him an opportunity to develop it. He advised the Project BEST students to step out of their comfort zone to find their true calling.

“In order to grow, you must embrace discomfort,” Woodard said. “When we invest in ourselves, it creates opportunities to thrive and give back to others.

After Woodard’s presentation, Chevron’s Community Engagement Advisor Adam Alvidrez presented the Project BEST program with $20,000 to use for scholarships and academic development.

Adam Alvidrez

Several students from the Project BEST program then gave brief testimonials about their time in the program. Stockdale High student Bryce Jackson praised one of the program’s exercises addressing budgeting and lifestyle, helping him set realistic goals and expectations for his success, and South High student Malcolm Francisco said that the opportunities for fellowship with other African-American students helped him learn how to respect his heritage in all of his daily choices.

Project BEST students receive special recognition on the Indoor Theater stage.

Several Project BEST students were presented with special recognition awards for their outstanding accomplishments while in the program, and every student who completed the program received a certificate signed by California Assemblyman Vince Fong.

Leading the Nation: Building Excellence for California’s Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Students

Last week, Chelsea Esquibias, Bryan Hirayama, and Craig Hayward presented at the IEPI conference Leading the Nation: Building Excellence for California’s Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Students.

Chelsea Esquibias in a group photo with the panel

Chelsea Esquibias, BC’s Inmate Scholars Program Director, and Ruben Ortiz, College Coordinator for Kern Valley State Prison-B yard, discussed the value of their partnership and continued success of the program during a panel presentation. Most of the students on B yard started the Inmate Scholars Program with BC a year-and-a-half to two years ago and now need only about 5 more classes to reach completion! Faculty interest is high in working on that particular yard with these dedicated students and unique Inmate Scholars Program.

Craig Hayward, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, addressed college metrics and how outcomes, research, and tracking are valuable tools in measuring success of students in all programs.

I encourage you to watch the YouTube videos by our faculty members that really portray the heart and soul of this incredible program.

The Sergeant and the Professor, with BC’s Bryan Hirayama:

A College Expands and Finds Success, with BC’s Chelsea Esquibias:

Innovation of the Year Award from CCLC!

Julian West and BC’s African American Mentoring Program have been awarded the Innovation of the Year by the League for Innovation! This incredible recognition is because of the commitment and passion of staff and faculty at Bakersfield College. African-American Mentor Program (AAMP) is a program that incorporates drop-in mentoring, resiliency guidance, problem resolution, general assistance, and “real talk”. AAMP has a network of passionate professionals on campus and out in the community that are dedicated to the success of African American students. The program does incredible things to change lives and help students stay on the path to a successful future.

Renegade Softball

The Renegades softball team finished its season with the best record in conference play after beating Moorpark College last week, entering the playoffs as the top seed in the conference.
The Bakersfield Californian reported on the results, noting that the Renegades finished the season 31-9 overall while only losing one game in their 14 conference matchups.

Veterans Summit

Bakersfield College was well represented at this year’s California Community College Veterans Summit. MC’d by a towering figure in the CC veteran services community, Nancy Montgomery, RN, MSN, of Irvine Valley College. The summit opened with Hilda Solis, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, the first Latina to hold a cabinet post. Now Supervisor, County of Los Angeles, First District, Solis spoke of the need for services for veterans such as housing, medical, and education. It is interesting to note that Solis and our own advisor for veterans, Armando Trujillo, actually attended the same high school, La Puente High School.

Keynote speaker Oz Sanchez had everyone enthralled with his story our courage and resilience in the face of tragedy. His early life was crippled with abuse and family dysfunction, and his late teens were directionless and riddled with drugs. In 1996, he opted for a different life and joined the Marine Corps. After six years of service with two deployments to the Middle East, he decided to transfer to the Navy and serve as a Navy Seal. In 2001, Oz was the victim of a hit-and-run accident while riding his motorcycle. He suffered a spinal cord injury that left him with near complete paralysis of the lower extremities. Oz fell into deep, five-year depression and had seemingly lost all hope for a fulfilling life. Oz made a choice to redefine himself and began to move forward. He enrolled in school, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in Communications from San Diego State University. He pursued sports and is a three-time Paralympian and winner of six medals. He is a five-time, world champion hand cyclist, Kona Ironman finisher, and now motivational speaker. Oz takes great pride in his role as a mentor for the Wounded Warrior community and is a source of inspiration for anyone suffering from depression or struggling with life’s many challenges. He is of the belief that with passion and purpose, there is no obstacle that can stop us. His message, ‘Know No Limits.’ Very inspiring!

Lisa Kent, Paul Beckworth, Armando Trujillo with Oz Sanchez

Bakersfield College Veteran Services, represented by Armando Trujillo, Lisa Kent, and Paul Beckworth, were honored to present at this year’s summit. The presentation, entitled, “Implementation Starts with Identification; Guided Pathways and the Definition of ‘Veteran,’” was well received as the team spoke about the need to better define key terms at the local, state, and national level. The meaning of terminology as fundamental as “veteran” and “active service” are now being challenged in making education benefits available, the speakers addressed the need for direction from Veteran Affairs. The meaning of “veteran” at community college can often rest of who is asking the question. Does it mean the student who actually wore the uniform, or all students who receive benefits for reporting purposes? What does Equity require?

The team then shifted to the work of Bakersfield College’s Guided Pathways, in particular, our Affinity groups. Student-veterans usually feel like they are behind their peers, having given up years in the service, so they often feel time is of the essence, and want a well-defined pathway.

The role of support services is equally vital to keeping veterans engaged; mental health, DSPS, tutoring, EOP&S, and the BC high touch; high tech approach with specialized veteran educational advising, and the timely data to track their progress. The Guided Pathway meta-majors help ensure learning so our student-veterans can move on to the next stage of their education and success.

Artwork designed by Dylan Wang

Especially rewarding was to listen to The California Community College Veterans Caucus, a high level advocacy group in Sacramento fighting for student-veterans at the leadership level. Larry Kennedy, Trustee, Ventura Community College District presented. Dr. Janett Jackson, Chancellor, Chabot-Las Positas Community College District spoke, as well. Dr. Jackson is an inspiration. She is the oldest of 8 children, a product of the Central Valley, started off in education as a classified staff member. She later became a tenured professor, then Academic Senate President, then later a vice-president, then president, then chancellor! She did this while she served as an officer in the California National Guard, last serving as the Brigade Commander of the 40^th Corps Support Group in the Sunni Triangle in Iraq, where she led her troops into combat. Hers is very much a story of inspiration and fortitude. She has received numerous military awards; included among them is the Bronze Star, the Combat Action Medal, and Operation Iraqi Freedom Campaign Medal.

Lesley Bonds – Community Voices

Lesley Bonds, BC’s director of Student Success and Equity, wrote an op-ed in the Bakersfield Californian reflecting on her experience at the Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference and how women are often the catalysts of important systemic change within communities.

Bonds’ piece is a retrospective on how her faith in the “transformative power of women” led her to BC, where she’s helped create new opportunities for women, people of color and other underrepresented groups in our community.

She describes the epiphany she had during the course of the day regarding how the work of all faculty and staff at BC is integral to shaping the future of Kern County. “An investment in the education of young girls is an investment in the education of a community,” Bonds wrote.

“We are our community’s college – uniquely position to support meaningful progress in Kern County.”

We are BC! We are Bakersfield!

William Velasquez

We have talented and gifted staff and faculty at Bakersfield College including William Velasquez who sent me an email yesterday with the following image. He said

Yesterday, I decided to stay after work and walk around BC campus with my camera and found this rose bud in front of the Fine arts building. Thinking of the students that were around the building when I took the picture, I was inspired to write an inspiring quote that harmonizes with the picture.

By William Velasquez

Meeting with Central Valley Regional Coordinator

On Friday, Lesley Bonds, Grace Comiso, Manny Mourtzanos, Julian West, Karen Snow, Yvonne Armendariz, Jennifer Johnson, and Marisa Marquez discussed with Laura Lara-Brady, Ph.D., Guided Pathways Regional Coordinator what BC has learned over the past few years in the Guided Pathway implementation process.

They discussed completion coaching communities, communication plans, data coaching, Transfer Pathways and the successes and barriers that come along with them. It was important to give feedback and look at the implementation from a practical perspective through the lens of administration, staff, faculty, and meeting state legislative requirements while providing services and improving student outcomes.

Celebrating Regina Hukill

The Math Department and Dean, Stephen Waller’s office, held a special luncheon for Regina Hukill. Regina served as Math Department Chair, and was highly praised by the Math Faculty for her direction and leadership to them during the 5 years as Chair.

She will be stepping out of the Department Chair position to resume her position as full-time math faculty.

Thank you Regina!

A Beautiful Garden Fest 2018

Last weekend, Garden Fest was a beautiful day. We had thousands in attendance including many visitors, community organizations, garden clubs, and vendors expressed their love for the event and the feeling of community.

Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make Bakersfield College and Garden Fest bloom.

See all the photos at BC’s Smugmug.

Renegade Athletics

Baseball team were declared Conference Champions and now head into payoffs.

The Bakersfield College baseball team clinched a spot in the Southern California Regional Playoffs with a 7-1 victory over visiting LA Valley on Thursday.BC starting pitcher Lane Cowan turned in a brilliant 8 2/3 inning performance as the Renegades clinched at least a tie for the Western State Conference-South championship.BC holds the tie-breaker with LA Pierce, the other team vying for a share of the league title.The Renegades won the season-series against the Brahmas, three games to two. BC can clinch the WSC-South championship out-right by winning its regular season finale versus West LA on Friday. Cowan gave up one run on four hits and one walk before reliever Adam Brown came in with two outs in the ninth to secure victory, snapping a two-game losing streak by the Renegades. from gogades.com

Women’s Swimming takes second place in WSC

The Bakersfield College women’s swim team took second place at the Western State Conference Swimming Championships. The three day meet ended on Saturday with the Renegades securing second place. On Saturday, the last day of competition, BC had five individuals and one relay team finish in the top five and score valuable points. The top finishers for the Renegades and the team scores are listed below.

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

We are Bakersfield!

Uncategorized April 21, 2018 1 Comment

Good Morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, April 21, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade.

The Renegade Red and White Roses are bursting out creating a joyous walkway into my home.

Renegade Red and White Rosed April 20 2018

Great week at BC and in our community. Let me start with the Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference

Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference

Thursday was the 28^th annual Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference and Bakersfield College staff and faculty were in full force attending the workshops and tuning into the messages from keynote speakers. The conference allows women in business to network, find mentors, and develop friendships with to advance their careers and or businesses. Many of the workshops focus on topics from a feminine perspective and included topics on health and wellness addressing healthy lifestyles, nutrition and breast cancer. Communication workshops addressed techniques for overcoming lessons learned as girls to be more effective in the business world. There were several on maintaining the balance of work and family.

Josie Gullian and Endee Grijalva

The Conference also held many empowering workshops on leadership such as “Secure Your Place at the Table – Women Leading in Male Dominant Territory” by District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, Assembly Member Shannon Grove, and Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez.

While the name and focus of the conference is women, men are also welcome and there were many workshops that were gender neutral on many business topics including business strategies, leadership and finance. Richard Chapman, head of Kern EDC, presented on “Kern County’s Economic and Workforce Development Opportunities and Possibilities.” The keynote speakers and many of the workshop speakers were motivational for everyone.

The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference is a major supporter of the R.O.S.E. (Realizing Options for Student Excellence) mentor program. The program matches high school students with mentors and has several seminars, to aid student mentees in recognizing their value and self-worth. Topics for the seminars focus on careers, communication, balancing life, money, safety and building self-confidence. The mentees receive a scholarship to cover the cost of attending the BWBC. Conference attendees were impressed by one of the mentees that spoke about the benefits of being in the program and to encourage all the women present to become a mentor. This is a wonderful program and I encourage all of you to consider becoming a mentor.

Like the R.O.S.E. program, BC encourages and mentors students to better themselves through education and gave some BC students the opportunity to attend the BWBC. EOPS/CARE/CalWORKS purchased two tables, and sponsored fourteen women from all three programs to attend the 2018 Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference. These ladies are all single parents who are striving to achieve a better life for their families through education. The importance of exposing our students to different events such as the BWBC is vital to their growth, and development as students, professionals, and individuals. They were able to develop networking skills, meeting highly successful women, and gaining valuable business knowledge that will empower them to become strong leaders.

Debi Anderson, Steve Watkin, and Sandi Taylor at BC’s Booth

The 2018 luncheon keynote speak was Laila Ali, undefeated boxing champion, television host and entrepreneur. She is also well known for her famous father Mohamed Ali and treated BWBC attendees to several picture of her young self with her famous and doting father. She told us of many of the trials in her life that she overcame to be a successful and very driven business woman. Her stories were relatable to what many women and girls face in this time and she is a great example of encouragement for all women.

Joseph Luiz has a Bakersfield Californian Article mentioning highlights from the day.

Kimberly Bligh and Mary Jo Pasek

It was great to be invited to be the closing keynote at the Women’s Business Conference. BC women leaders gave birth to this event. Phyllis Hullett – In 1989, BC professor started the Bakersfield Business Womens Conf. as an idea during the International Year of the Woman. She gathered friends and coworkers, and out of one meeting of 12 women and 1 lone man, Pat Shaffer, Dean of Development at Bakersfield College, agreed to serve on the executive board. The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference was born.

I focused on the important guiding tools of Choice, Commitment, Compassion, and Community while interweaving music from the song “We are the World.” The session concluded by having about 25 women leaders on the stage in red We are Bakersfield t-shirts singing We are the World with the BC Chamber Singers.

I am the luckiest and happiest college president ever and by the end of my talk, I was surrounded on stage by talented musicians, community leaders, fellow educators, friends, and family. We are Bakersfield!

Loved Robin Mangarin Scott’s introduction of me in that beautiful voice. Robin was representing the sponsors of the keynote — Dignity health and CBCC.

I want to start by thanking Heidi Scott. If it wasn’t for Heidi, I would not have had the courage to do the music.

Heidi Scott and Sonya Christian April 19 2018.jpg

Heidi Scott, Sonya Christian

We invited the whole audience to stand and join us in song.

Kaya Leyendecker and Heidi Scott

The Chamber Singers had their Spring Concert at the BC Indoor Theater the same evening. Yet they decided to come our and support me and do We are the World.. Thank you Jen Garrett. Your energy is astounding and you are out there constantly giving to others.

BC Chamber Singers

Was so happy to have women leaders from Delano join us. Thank you April Gregerson for organizing this. and thank you Rosalina Rivera and Sandra Rivera.

Sandra Rivera, Rosalina Rivera, Sonya Christian, April Gregerson

Thank you to all these fabulous busy women who showed up support the event.

Liz Rozell, April Gregerson, Sandra Rivera, Rosalina Rivera, Ingrid Lake, Cathy Abernathy, Raji Brar, Immani Brar

Pam Rose, Mia Cifuentes, Victoria, Lilly Agbalog, Cheryl Scott, Lauren Skidmore

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Trustee Agbalog, Sonya Christian, Michael Bowers

Cathy Abernathy, Sonya Christian

Cheryl Scott, Sonya Christian

Thank you Norma Rojas-Mora for helping me recruit the women leaders in our community.

Sonya Christian, Norma Rojas-Mora, Lisa Kent

Was happy to meet Bethany Rice, Billie Jo Rice’s daughter. Beautiful, smart young woman. And then the lighting and sound guys, Manny Gomez and Ryan McCallah, who let me know they were also the ones who did the work in setting up the lighting and sound systems in BC’s newly remodeled Indoor Theater!

Manny Gomez, Sonya Christian, Ryan Mccallah

Thank you to the 2018 Executive Board, Diane Williams, Norma Rojas-Mora, Marisol ONeil, Susan Spears, Arleana Waller, Diane Williams, Christina Springstaad, Irma Cervantes, Tayna Nichols, Deanna Blaise, Marelle Williams, LaMeka Ross, Leigh Pozas, and Colleen Bauer.

Thank you for being great sports and wearing the We are Bakersfield t-shirt and joining us on stage

Thank you to Manny De Los Santos, William Velasquez, Monika Scott, Jennifer Serratt, and Asha Chandy. Here are some photos of the folks behind the scenes.

Loved this photo of William Velasquez relaxing after the session.

BC Crew in Attendance

Kern County Black Chamber Honors Bakersfield College

Bakersfield College were honored by the Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce with the Outstanding Corporate Member Award. In accepting the award, I acknowledged the efforts of all those who have worked hard on the African American Initiative and Dr. Zav Dadabhoy for being an “equity” champion and finding the necessary resources to support the equity agenda.

Zaz Dadabhoy, Steve Watkin April 20 2018

I specifically recognized the efforts of Dr. Paula Parks, Umoja Community lead, in increasing the success of Black students on campus, and Mr. Steve Watkin, Director of Outreach, in increasing their access and contributing to BC’s equity agenda. I then handed the award to Steve who has been leading the AAI effort on campus.

BC had two tables that included administrators, faculty, staff, and Umoja students.

Also honored at 15th Annual Gala was CSUB President Dr. Horace Mitchell with the Lifetime Achievement Award. I will miss you Horace when you retire. Loved seeing Cindy Pollard being recognized as the Business Woman of the Year. Enjoyed catching up with Jim Baldwin (who won the award for Outstanding Community Organization) and Rudy Salas. Spotted Danielle Hillard, Michelle Miller-Galaz and Nick Hill and snapped a picture.

Nick Hill, Michelle Miller Galaz, Danielle Hillard, Rudy Salas

Enjoyed catching up with Mayor Karen Goh who is a big supporter of education.

Karen Goh, Sonya Christian KCBCC April 20 2018

Karen Goh, Mathew Knowles, Shannon Grove

The keynote speaker for the event was Mathew Knowles, Beyonce’s father… what a treat! Have a picture of him with Shannon Grove and Karen Goh.

Congratulations to all other award recipients:
Cindy Pollard, the Distinguished Businesswoman Award,
James Luckey, Jr. of the News Observer, Distinguished Businessman Award,
Judge Gloria Cannon with the Business Pioneer Award,
CSUB President Horace Mitchell, the Lifetime Achievement Award
Barrington Lewis, the Outstanding New Business Award,
Sharron Lehrer, the Outstanding Young Achievers Award, and Jim Baldwin of BARC, Outstanding Community Based Organization Award.

Thank you Kern County Black Chamber (KCBCC) for recognizing Bakersfield College. Thank you Richard Soberanis, CEO of the Chamber. And congratulations Nathan Banks…looking forward to great things under your chairmanship of the Chamber Board.

KCBCC has been a great partner of Bakersfield College and supported us in 2016 with Measure J. I am sure we will continue to work closely together for many years to come.

Social Justice and Health Hackathon at BC

The preliminary panel kicked off this years Hackathon and really set the stage for a fantastic and meaningful event. Each of the panel members discussed what were the pressing issues and the solutions they wanted to explore. This helped the teams form around the issues and begin developing ideas. Over the next three days, teams worked hard to develop these concepts and then competed in a 3 minute pitch, one page community impact report, and technology competition.

Thank you to Mayor Karen Goh for attending the kick off and inspiring the student teams.

Mayor Karen Goh inspires at the Hackathon Kick Off

Thank you to the Preliminary Session on Health Inequality Challenges and Solution panelists including, moderator Kiyoshi Tomono, Genevieve Gale, Sandy Woo, Brynn Carrigan, Michelle Corson, Christy Leyvas,and Jack Becker.

Eddie Rangel, Sandy Woo, Karen Goh, Kiyoshi Tomono, Jennifer Self, Sarah Baron

By the end of the competition, 11 projects had been submitted and community partners have expressed interest in funding their ideas! All the student groups submitted great projects and please do stay in touch with us for years to come. Now for the finalists and winning team!

Project Kern Air- 1st Place

Created an app concept to raise awareness on air quality in Kern

Congratulations to: Noe Ramirez, Victoria Corrales, Troy Scott, Justin Morales, and
Krystal Reynes

R.A.H.T ( Renegade Against Human Trafficking)- 2nd Place

Created a tech tool to help connect those who are victims of human trafficking with help.

Congratulations to: Janneth Guarcas Garcia, Alexander Glascock, Carlos Hernandez, Maria Cabrera, and Stefanie Medina

Sex shouldn’t make you next- 3rd Place

Created a website for youth to raise awareness sexual transmitted diseases and also help connect resources to those who are risk of a STD.

Congratulations to: Yajaira Hernandez, Elizabeth Martinez, Jessica Macias, Jessica Jaime, and Crystal Quintevo.

Beyond the winners, it was about the team work, the sharing of ideas and networking with partners. Special thanks to the sponsors and the great support from BCSGA clubs.

neely20h20helping20with20a20team20with20the20pitch-x2

Can’t wait for next years event! This one keeps getting bigger and better! Check out my blog titled “The Renegade Experience is Incredible” from last years equally awesome event.

Jess Nieto Memorial Conference: Exploring Chicano Studies at BC

The conference really hit home…It felt like a family reunion.” Francisco Barroso, Bakersfield College student.

On Tuesday, April 17 the Levan Center for the Humanities hosted the first annual Jess Nieto Memorial Conference: Exploring Chicano Studies at Bakersfield College. Named after the late Dr. Jesus “Jess” Nieto, a former faculty member and Dean of the BC Delano Center in the 1970s, the conference honored Dr. Nieto’s legacy in creating the first Chicano Studies curriculum implemented at Bakersfield College. A Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), this conference celebrated the cultural contributions of Bakersfield’s Chicano/Latino community to the history of Bakersfield and beyond.

Corny Rodriguez speaking in the Levan Center

The conference featured two panel presentations and a keynote address. Prior to the panels, Corny Rodriguez welcomed guests, as well as presenting, along with moderator Octavio Barajas a certificate of recognition on my behalf to Professor Rosa Garza in acknowledgement for her more than twenty years of teaching at Bakersfield College, as well as serving as faculty advisor to MEChA. The first panel consisted of former and current student members of the Bakersfield College student organization MEChA, or Movimieno Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán.

The second panel consisted of an academic showcase by Bakersfield College faculty members Professors Olivia Garcia and Javier Llamas, who discussed the history of women in farm labor activism and the historic Benito Juarez Hall in East Bakersfield as a site of community activism among local Mexican Americans for the past century. Professor Garcia’s talk on the late Esther Uranday, one of the longest serving staff members of the United Farm Workers, was particularly meaningful given that Esther’s daughter and family members were in attendance.

Professor Gonzalo Santos of CSU Bakersfield rounded out the faculty panel by discussing the personal of history of Jess Nieto as an international activist, through his various educational and social justice ties with Cuba, Central America, and China, including a number of educational exchange programs Dr. Nieto organized with education groups since the 1970s. The final presentation included a book talk by Professor Ralph Ambruster-Sandoval of UC Santa Barbara who spoke about his latest book Starving For Justice: Hunger Strikes, Spectacular Speech, and the Struggle for Dignity (University of Arizona Press 2016). Guests were also treated to a special performance by Bakersfield College alumnus and world-renown percussionist Louie Cruz Beltran who regaled the audience with a lesson on the history of Afro-Latino rhythms and Chicano music.

Olivia Garcia speaking in the Levan Center

See all the photos at Smugmug.

A very special thank you to Adjunct Professor of History Octavio Barajas for helping organize and moderate this event, as well as Dr. Oliver Rosales, Professor of History and Faculty Coordinator for the Social Justice Institute of Bakersfield College for sponsoring this event through the National Endowment for the Humanities grant “Energizing Humanities in California’s San Joaquin Valley,” as well as the Bakersfield College Student Government Association’s CCA Grant.

I also enjoyed seeing Octavio on KGET early Tuesday morning. You can see the clip here.

And did you miss his community voices piece? It is available here.

It’s a joy to work with faculty and staff who love what they do and are so passionate about our students and community. Can you see why I’m the luckiest and happiest college president ever?

Renegade Athletics

Softball: We won the Conference Championship

Baseball: The baseball team sits in first place in the Western State-South Conference with three games remaining in the regular season.

The Renegades record is 19-18 overall and 13-4 in conference. BC has won 7 out of their last ten games and are one game ahead of LA Pierce in the standings. The Renegades have to win two of their last three games to guarantee themselves at least a tie for the conference title.

With Sandi Taylor on Saturday, April 14th after another win.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming: The men’s swimming team is in fourth place and the women’s swimming team is in second place after day one of the Western State Conference Championships. The Championships, which are being held at the William A. Wheeler Aquatic Center, on BC’s Panorama campus will continue through Saturday afternoon.

The Bakersfield College men’s swimming team is in fourth place after day one of the Western State Conference Championships. Cael Osborn and Mark Glossbrenner were on two relay team that finished in the top four and also finished in the top three in an individual event. The complete list of BC’s top finishers is below.

200 Yard Free Relay: Mark Glossbrenner/Alejandro Lopez/Bronson Pearce/Cael Osborn – 2nd 1:26.06
500 Yard Free: Christian Chau – 7th 5:14.21, Aaron Green – 8th 5:16.63
200 Yard IM: Mark Glossbrenner – 3rd 2:02.89
50 Yard Free: Cael Osborn – 3rd 21.53
400 Yard Medley: Mark Glossbrenner/Bradley Mouser/Aaron Green/Cael Osborn – 4th Place 3:40.53

The BC women’s swim team sits in second place after day one of the Western State Conference Championship. Niquelette Rimer had third place finish in 50 free and was part of two relay teams that finished in the top three and Jennifer Quan was part of two relay teams that finished in the top three. The top BC finishers from day one are listed below.

Jennifer Quan

200 Yard Freestyle Relay: Jennifer Quan/Alexis Gallardo/Brittney Lumsden-Ross/Niquelette Rimer 3rd Place 1:43.25
500 Free: Bailey Pike – 4th Place 5:29.13
Cynthia Maner – 5th Place 5:30.53
Jennifer Quan – 6th Place 5:23.34
200 Yard IM: Alexis Gallardo – 6th 2:28.45
50 Yard Free: Niquelette Rimer – 3rd Place 25.41
400 Yard Medley Relay: Niquelette Rimer/Cynthia Maner/Jennifer Quan/Brittney Lumsden-Ross 2nd Place 4:17.43

Renegade Pulse Health Fair

Bakersfield College is distinctive in so many ways, and one important way is in how we live our core value of health and wellness. The health of a community is directly related to literacy and education in general, and BC has many activities that promote healthy living, including the 18th Annual Renegade Pulse Health Fair.

The event is part resource fair and part celebration of the programs, agencies and services that support the health and success of students and the community at large. With over 31,000 students, we are a community nested in a community. So, thank you to all who support healthy higher education, from green transportation to our campus facilities, Golden Empire Transit, to quality licensed Community Connection for Child Care.

Teena Bensusen (left) and Amber Smithson from the Behavioral Health Hospital host a booth at the Renegade Pulse Health Fair on April 18th.

The Renegade Pulse Health Fair brought together healthcare organizations, substance abuse support groups, law enforcement agencies and businesses from across the community to educate students on how to live a safer, healthier life.

BC’s Public Safety Department booth had equipment used during Public Safety’s Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Trainings, which are offered for free to students and staff throughout the semester. Student Cadets also answered questions about Public Safety’s cadet program, in which BC students have the opportunity to work part-time helping ensure safety on campus. Public Safety is looking for cadets for the Fall 2018 semester, so if you’re a BC student who is interested in joining the program, contact the office at 395-4554 for more information.

Members of the Student Health and Wellness Advisory Commitee pose inside the Health Hut during the Renegade Pulse Health Fair on April 18th.

Members of the Student Health and Wellness Advisory Committee pose inside the Health Hut during the Renegade Pulse Health Fair on April 18th.

Thank you to the Student Health and Wellness Center including Dr. Ray Purcell and Stella Ponce for putting together the Renegade Pulse Health Fair, as well as all of the organizations who came out to support a healthier Kern County. See more photos at BC’s Smugmug.

Revisiting Two Cultures

The disciplines of the humanities and the sciences can feel as if they’re worlds apart, but UC Santa Barbara professor Alendra Chang spoke at the Levan Center on Thursday to explain how she brings those two worlds together through the study of environmental humanities, which examines themes of ecology in art and mass media.

BC’s Energizing Humanities Grant funded the discussion from Dr. Chang, which was titled “Revisiting the Two Cultures.” Many artists, writers and others have begun to explore ways that art and popular culture can raise awareness of the importance of environmental causes, using data from scientific research to inform their work. Essays in scientific academic journals, and several new academic journals have signaled the emergence of Ecomedia as a field of study that examines cultural representations of the environment in media.

Alendra Chang presents at the Levan Center

Environmental engagement in the humanities combines social and scientific engagement. Journalists, artists and others may feel uncomfortable with scientific approaches, just as many scientists may have trouble engaging in the humanities, but there is emerging awareness of the need to work together to find solutions to environmental problems.

Within the field of environmental humanities, Chang studies the ecology and ecomedia of video games. As editor of the Growing Games blog and a professor of media studies, Chang examines the carbon footprint created by e-waste and the excessive power used by gaming PCs, which can consume the equivalent power of three energy-efficient refrigerators, Chang said. Chang also attempts to dispel the notion that excessive video game use makes people feel detached from nature, citing multiple studies indicating that virtual reality can make people more conscious of their external environment and motivate them to take action on climate change.

During her time as a graduate student at UC Berkeley, Chang worked on an unpublished game about air quality based in the Central Valley that used actual wind speed and air quality data from the area. In the game, you play as a character from Fresno with asthma who must navigate how to keep their lungs clean in one of the worst places for respiratory health in America. In the game, the player’s asthma functions as a superpower that helps them perceive the environment in a different way.

Within the indie and academic games spaces, there have been a number of works that explore environmental humanist themes, Chang said. Some examples she listed included ThatGameCompany’s “Flower”, in which you play as the wind to bring life back to plants; Campo Santo’s “Firewatch”, which is about a man who takes a job as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness; and “Walden, a game”, a project funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities that is essentially a digital recreation of Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden”, one of the seminal works of the American transcendentalism movement in the 19th Century.

Warm thank you to Alendra Chang for coming to BC, as well as Josh Ottum, Oliver Rosales and Andrew Bond from the Energizing Humanities cohort for providing a great learning opportunity for those who have never heard of environmental humanities or didn’t realize that computer games were capable of helping tackle important social issues.

Seen on Facebook

It was fabulous to see Jazz Day at BC gain some attention from the National Association for Music Education. Our local KCMEA, Kern County Music Educators Association, is a chapter of CMEA, which is an affiliate of NAfME. Congratulations to Kris Tiner and all our performing arts and music faculty, staff, and students.

Give them a Like and share by visiting this link on Facebook!

College Council

Jason Stratton Presenting at College Council

It’s an exciting time to be at BC. As we gear up for Accreditation this year, our editing team revealed BC’s ISER (Institutional Self Evaluation Report) at College Council on Friday. College Council is a collegial, consultative, and oversight body designed to serve the good of the College.

Since the group met in Delano, we also broadcast the ISER reveal to the Panorama campus.

Sharon Bush, Kimberly Nickell, and Kristin Rabe tune in to the ISER Reveal from Panorama

Special thank you to the Editing Team including Nicole Griffin, Sarah Baron, Lesley Bonds, Sondra Keckley, the incredible Nick Strobel and EVERYONE who has contributed to BC’s Self Evaluation Report. As Jason Stratton reminds us – It is OUR story!

Nicole Griffin, Sarah Baron, Lesley Bonds, Sondra Keckley, and Nick Strobel

Entree to Employment

On April 17, 2018, Bakersfield College and Kern High School District ROC teamed up to host the Biannual Entrée to Employment event. This career event brings together students and industry professionals over a fine dining experience to highlight social etiquette, conversations about personal and professional experiences, necessary soft skills, workforce expectations, education requirements, diversity of employment and career ladder opportunities.

The evening featured four different programs: Electronics/Robotics, Mechanized Ag, Child Development and Criminal Justice. While the industry professionals and students were busy networking, the Bakersfield College and ROC faculty dined separately to discuss articulation partnerships and dual enrollment opportunities. Thank you to the Career and Technical Education Department for making this night happen and a special thank you to the Renegade Room, Chef Suzanne and her Culinary Arts students for delivering a 5-star cuisine meal that delighted participants. Overall the event was a huge success and a true demonstration of our expanding partnerships with the community.

CTE: Business and Computer Science Employer Panel

Thursday April 19, 2018 the Career and Technical Education Department hosted a Business and Computer Science Employer Panel for students in the program. Professionals in attendance included: Leo Bautista, Senior Recruiter – Talent Acquisition, The Wonderful Company; Steven Alexander, Director of IT Security – Kern Community College District; Keith Wolaridge, Owner – Professional Development Firm; Scott Burton, CEO – On-Stack; Clayton Montgomery, Certified Information Systems Security – Area Energy; Trulaine Woken, Owner – Cones Health Food; and Debbie Butler, Secretary Treasurer & Project Manager – On Stack. What started as an information only session blossomed into a networking event that allowed our students to exchange information with employers, submit their resumes for consideration, and engage in preliminary interviews. Thank you to all of the employers who stayed almost 2 hours longer to provide these exciting opportunities for our students. Special thank you to Beth Harrison, Job Development Specialist and Vikki Coffee, Job Development Specialist, for coordinating the event and Martin Perez, CCPT2 Manager, Master of Ceremonies for the event whose humor, grasp of the subject matter, and navigation of the dialog, cultivated an organic and insightful exchange between community professionals and students.

Noche de Cultura

Thank you to the BC MEChA Club and the Office of Student Life for putting on a wonderful program with its annual Noche de Cultura, a colorful evening filled with an array of singers, musicians and other performers. Noche de Cultura was held April 13 at the Outdoor Theater.

The night opened with Aztecan Blessing, followed by Jammin Island Hula, Group Folklorico Escuelas Unidas, Spoken Word by Tezozomoc, Carbajal’s Martial ArtsAcademy, and Banshee in the Kitchen. One big highlight was seeing the performance by SGA President and MECHA President Dezi Von Manos who gave a tribute to the late Tejana superstar Selena.

Dezi Von Manos, BCSGA President

Ballet Folklorico Huaztecalli closed the evening with an awestruck series of performances. A special thanks to the program committee, Dezi Von Manos, president; Emmanuel Limaco, ICC Rep; Belinda Lopez Rickett, treasurer; Francis Benavente, member; and faculty adviser, Prof. Olivia Garcia.

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BC Drum Corps

BC’s Drum Corps is competing in Dayton, Ohio at the Winter Guard International Championships! Go Gades! The competition can be watched online at www.flomarching.com/

Accessibility for All

This week, Bakersfield College had the pleasure of hosting an expert in accessibility, Gaeir Dietrich Director of the High Tech Center Training Unit (HTCTU) of the California Community Colleges, for two training sessions and a presentation over two days on Accessibility for All. You can read a short bio about Gaeir on the Accessibility for All Flyer.

On Tuesday, Gaier trained over 20 Bakersfield College faculty, staff and community guests from the Department of Rehabilitation and Kern Regional Center. She taught the difficult and intricate skills of making PDF forms accessible to everyone whether they use assistive technology or not.

Twenty-four BC faculty, staff and community guests attended Wednesday’s Accessible Documents trainings. We were pleased to have employees of Kern Regional Center, Taft College, College of the Sequoias and Department of Rehabilitation join us to learn about making Word documents accessible. We all think we know how to use Word, though most of us are self-taught. Gaeir teaches how to make documents accessible, and in so doing, teaches how to use Word to our advantage.

Many of her lessons, just as with the forms, teach a better understanding of using the software that allows us to work smarter not harder. She teaches the helpful acronym: LIST for access! The lessons teach about Links, Images, Structure and Tables. Many of the attendees, just like the attendees for Forms, were heard to exclaim, “that’s how you do it” and “I always wanted to be able to do that, but I didn’t know how.”

The Accessibility for All presentation followed where Gaeir explained the difference between access and accommodation when it comes to satisfying the legal requirements established by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires public entities to make its resources accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act concerns access for everyone, ensuring that all content posted electronically, as well as any software procured, can be used by anyone. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act concerns the provision of “auxiliary aids and services” to accommodate individuals with a particular impairment.

Everyone deserves the right to an education, and educational institutions have an obligation to ensure that we are not depriving anyone of the ability to achieve upward mobility and accomplish their dreams. Community colleges in particular must be sensitive to this issue due to the marginalized populations we serve.

“[Accessibility] is about allowing people the opportunity to step forward, which is what community colleges are all about,” Dietrich said. “By learning to make things accessible, you can make an important impact on someone’s life.”

Dietrich also offered advice for how to test accessibility in a new piece of software that schools are attempting to procure, as well as a few implementation models for how to enforce accessibility standards. Throughout the presentation, Dietrich emphasized the importance of finding the financial and personnel support to tackle accessibility issues from the top of the organizational structure on down. Remember if it is “DUMP’ed (Developed, Used, Maintained or Procured) on campus it must be accessible!”

Terri Goldstein and Gaeir Dietrich

I would like to thank Gaeir Dietrich for coming to our campus to provide this important information and training for the BC faculty, staff and our community. We hope to have you return soon. A special thank you to Terri Goldstein, for arranging Gaier’s presence on campus, and inviting those interested both at BC and from others in the community. Thank you Kristin Rabe, Tracy Lovelace, Pam Rivers, Aricia Leighton and the BC Accessibility Task Force for supporting Terri. Thank you Tarina Perry for making arrangements and organizing all the events on campus. Thank you Eric Sabella and the Food Services staff for the delicious food and Jack Hernandez and the Levan Center for use of the Levan Center for the presentation. I would also like to thank all of the faculty and staff who took time at the end of the semester to learn more about accessibility.

According to the US Census Bureau approximately 19% of the US population has some form of disability, but whatever the number, BC strives to make sure there are no barriers to accessibility for anyone in the community.

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Student Success Stories

This is the time of year I am especially excited to hear student success stories and what our Renegades are planning to do after graduation. Ensuring that students can transfer to continue their studies and/or get jobs in their career of choice is our number one goal. Here are two wonderful examples I heard of this week. Congratulations!

Fredrico Navarro has been acccepted to UC Irvine Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Valeria Tapia has been accepted to UC Santa Barbara in Biology.

Special Delivery from Edwards Air Force Base

The Edwards Air Force Base Civilian-Military Support Group is a non-profit organization that helps provide services to soldiers living at Edwards Air Force Base. The organization recently sent BC a book documenting its over 25-year history of making life a little better for those who dedicate their lives to serving our country.

The group hosts fundraising events that have helped provide an Internet Café for the officers’ dormitory complex, the Flags of Honor Memorial Park, and other resources for residents at the base. The book titled “25 Years Support Warriors” honors all of the organization’s contributions to the base over the years, and copies are being sent to US Air Force installations around the world as an example of how military bases can form important partnerships with their surrounding communities. Thank you to Allen Hoffman for sending the book, which is now housed in our Veterans Resource Center.

Bakersfield Homeless Center Fundraiser

On Wednesday, the Bakersfield Homeless Center had a great turnout at their Annual Drive Thru Lunch Fundraiser. The lunch pickup took place at Compassion Corner at 22^nd and L behind the KGET studios . All the proceeds went to helping families experiencing homelessness.

Here’s a picture of Edie Nelson’s husband John Nelson, who picked up the special lunch for staff in the President’s Office who wanted to support this great cause. Thank you John, and thanks to all who contributed to this annual fundraiser!

CCCCO in Bakersfield.

Loved having lunch with Van Ton-Quinlivan, Executive Vice Chancellor of Technology and Workforce Development, when she was in Bakersfield.

Von Ton Quinllivan visits Bakersfield April 16 2018

Ed Coghlan, John Means, Van Ton-Quinlivan, Sonya Christian, Cindy Collier, Craig Hayward

Fun photos from Garden Fest:

Love this picture of “Uncle Paul” as Abby, Lily and Lexy Garrett call Paul Beckworth in this picture with Sandra Beckworth.

The Vice Presidents enjoying their saturday with their families. Including little Miss Mae.

Little Miss Mae Liz Rozell's grand daughter

Zav Dadabhoy joing Liz Rozell and family April 21 2018

Fun photo of Tom Gelder

Liz Rozell and Zav Dadabhoy April 21 2018

Very happy to see Chancellor Tom Burke at Garden Fest

We are the World!
We are Bakersfield!
We are BC!

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Celebrating people — talent and dedication

Uncategorized April 14, 2018 Comments: 7

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, April 14, 2018 …a quiet cool morning …a great week to be a Renegade!

Renegade Talks

Renegade Talks 2018 Lineup

Based on the popular TED Talks of “Ideas Worth Sharing”, Renegade Talks bring together BC faculty and students to deliver short, innovative, subject-based presentations. This year, the lineup was fabulous including:

“Rolling the Dice” by Chris Cruz-Boone, Professor of Communication
“Black Masculine Identity” by Julian James West
“Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum: A Fork in the Academic Road” by Joe Saldivar, Professor of Biology
“Twelve Seconds” by Amber Smithson, BC Student
“Manners and Today’s Society” by Teena Bensusen, BC Student
“The Burden of Freedom” by Daniel Mechem, Veteran and BC Student

Indoor Theater filling up before the show

If you were not able to attend, videos are being edited. Keep your eye out for them in my blog next week and on BC’s YouTube! For now, here are two teasers from Joe Saldivar and Julian West.

Todd Coston and Andrea Thorson

Special thank you to two leaders at BC who chair and coordinate this event, Andrea Thorson and Todd Coston. See the photos at BC’s Smugmug.

Welcoming the KCCD Trustees to Campus

On Thursday, BC leadership welcomed the KCCD Board of Trustees to campus for their monthly Board Meeting and we started the afternoon with a luncheon provided by BC Food Services and Chef Eric Sabella.

Liz Rozell gave an informative presentation regarding the Industrial Automation Program and introduced one of our upcoming graduates of the first Baccalaureate Class in 2018 – Richard Van Horne. He spoke highly of the program and how he earned a Political Science degree from BC and was inspired to return upon the news of the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Automation. Richard shared that he receives offers for internships, being approached by local industries and said he’s getting his degree at a fraction of the cost of friends who attend other 4-year institutions.

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Automation Student, Richard Van Horne

The Board Meeting then took place in The Norman Levan Center with one highlight being our Emeritus and Retiree Recognition. I had the honor of introducing them, so I’d like to share each of them one more time, highlighting their service.

Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg , Vice-President, Instruction – 35 years, 6 months
Nan is the best coach that I know, the best arbitrator of disputes, the best diplomat, the best cheerleader for students, the most articulate person for issues of equity…… and always kind and generous with her time. Today, we have the opportunity to give our voice of thanks to her years of humble service; we have the opportunity to make visible her focused work behind the scenes that has greatly shaped our community, and so many lives; and we have the opportunity to recognize this tireless and true champion of education.

Katherine Pluta, Dean of Instruction – 32 years, 5 months
Kate provided 32 years of dedicated service to Bakersfield College. She has served many leadership roles including, Division Chair, President of the Senate, President of CCA and recently, Dean of Instruction. And if you look at major initiatives over the years, Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes, Strategic Planning, the Integration of Accreditation into the work of the college, you will see that Kate has been in the forefront. She has been a loyal friend to BC and a friend to me. Kate, you will be missed.

Gilbert Merjil, Groundsworker II – 31 years, 2 months
Gilbert Merjil was a groundskeeper and irrigation specialist for the campus. Although a quiet worker, behind the scenes he took care to ensure we could be proud of our campus grounds. In particular, Gilbert kept the campus green and looking good thorough one of our states worst droughts all while reducing campus water usage. Gilbert resolutely guarded BC’s lawns and sprinklers and was known to chase down vendors who may have driven over the lawn.

Andrea Garrison Professor, Biology 28 years, 8 months May 11, 2018

Professor Garrison has been a cornerstone to motivating the faculty of the College to being excellent teachers. She is respected for her leading the faculty through challenging times. As a true Biologist, she created awareness of important issues in respecting our environment as we function as a College, and she created and organized the club for students to incorporate their faith into their education. When the College started Guided Pathways, she was one of the first faculty to embrace this effort and used that to encourage her students in class to know their pathways and be prepared in all ways for the expectations of learning after transfer. Andrea has been the President of CCA and a winner of the Levinson Leadership Award.

Odella Johnson Professor, Academic Development 24 years, 10 months
Odella Johnson will be remembered for her passion for students, her passion for equity and her leadership both on campus and in the community. Odella participated as a member of the Black faculty, served as faculty advisor to the BSU, served as Director of the Educational Advancement Program (EAP), Director of the Assessment Center, served as ACDV Department Chair, Director Equity and Inclusion and on many college wide and district committees. Prof Odella Johnson thank you for 24 years of service to Bakersfield College.

Susan McQuerrey Professor, ELS 25 years, 10 months
Susan McQuerrey has been a valued member of the EMLS Department and the Bakersfield College community since 1988, when she started as an adjunct. She was hire full-time in 1992. She has served on many committees including as co-chair of the Curriculum Committee and president of the Academic Senate. She also served as the department chair for the English/ESL Department before the two departments split. Her students love and respect her with comments like, “Very respectful; highly recommended,” and “She is a good professor. Very strict, but for our own good. Love her.” Certainly, Susan’s professionalism, experience, and love for teaching will be sorely missed at Bakersfield College.

Jimmy (Smitty) Smith, Skilled Craftsworker, M&O Technician 17 years, 3 months
Smitty as we called him served BC for nearly 20 years as the skilled craftsman and locksmith. He was always eager to assist and made sure it was done the “right way”. His myriad skill sets and care will be hard to replace!. In his role as locksmith, Smitty had a big job to ensure faculty and staff had access to all of the buildings as needed. Smitty was instrumental in helping transition our campus to the new key card system.

Dennis Spencer, Electronics Technician – 10 years, 2 months
Dennis was originally hired as the phone technician. As technology changed and phone systems moved towards voice-over IP technology, Dennis was able to transition and oversee maintenance of campus elevators, fire alarms, and small electronic equipment. He personally oversaw the audio equipment set-up for all administrative events. Dennis always has a great story to share and was the eyes and ears of the campus. Dennis provided personal attention to ensure we had what was needed and ensured every detail was covered when helping out regardless of the projects – from the phones, to computers to the fire alarm system, to large events.

BC’s esteemed retirees

Student Employee Appreciation Week

Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Workforce. This week is National Student Employee Appreciation week, and with close to 500 students employed each year at Bakersfield College there is much to celebrate. The Office of Student Employment in FACE 16 coordinated this fabulous event, that recognized our Student Employees hard work throughout the year. Students were provided a token of appreciation in addition to resources that will help tie their experience on campus to their future careers. For students seeking on-campus opportunities please send them to the Student Employment Lab (FACE 9) where they can schedule an appointment with a job development specialist, apply for on-campus employment through Jobspeaker, search off-campus jobs, create a resume or print career related materials for free. Special thanks to Stephanie Baltazar for spearheading this incredible program for our students.

Inaugural English Student Colloquium

The English Department hosted its first English Department Student Colloquium in the Levan Center on Friday, April 13, 2018. The Colloquium held an essay contest from which three finalists were selected to present at the Colloquium and compete for awards generously donated by the Levan Center. The English Colloquium Committee was pleased with the many well-written submissions they received from Bakersfield College students.

The three finalists, Steven Ledesma, Sarai James, and Brian Melgar, presented their essays vying for the first prize of $1500, with second and third place receiving $500. All three finalists also received an invitation to the BC Donor Dinner.

The English Colloquium, an educational seminar where participants come together to discuss their work, was given an “American Idol” twist. The three finalists each had a chance to perform on stage by presenting their essay, and the judges (a.k.a. committee members) sat on the edges of their seats critiquing the would-be stars. After the presentations, the judges adjourned for discussion and subsequently announced first place winner of the $1500 prize – Brian Melgar. Second place – $500 – Steven Ledesma and third place – Sarai Jaime.

Brian Melgar, Sarai Jaime, Steven Ledesma.

Special thank you Rae Ann Kumelos for leading this Inaugural English Colloquium and to the committee members: Keri Wolf, Richard Marquez, Cynthia Powell, Jennifer Jett, Denise Mitchell, Alicia Skipper, Jason Spitzer, Justin Bell, Jeremy Casabella, Tiffany Wong, and Kaitlin Hulsey. I would also like to thank Anna Poetker and Reggie Williams for lending their colloquium organization knowledge, experience and advice to the English Colloquium Committee. Thank you Eric Sabella for the delicious refreshments and Kristen Rabe for technical support. Thank you Eric Carillo for creating such a beautiful green event poster that Rae Ann believes brought the rain to turn the hills of Bakersfield green. A large thank you Jack Hernandez and the Levan Center for the support and making the English Colloquium possible.

Eric Carrillo’s Poster

A very special guest showed up to the Colloquium — Rae Ann’s father, Laddie Kumelos. She was very proud to tell us that he began teaching English 70 years ago. She certainly did not fall far from the tree as she continues to teach English at BC. She joked that when she wrote him letters while away at school, he would return them, marked up with red ink.

Rae Ann’s dad (tan shirt on the right) in the audience awaiting the start of presentations. And looks like he is texting!

We joke about the red ink of an English teacher, but writing is extremely important for a better workforce and for a better community. Communicating through the written word, understanding it, interpreting what those before us have written enriches our lives, educates us on the past, helps us educate others, and allows us to share our ideas. Events like the English Student Colloquium encourage students to further engage in communicating ideas and strengthening their writing skills. It also gives us an opportunity to see what our students have learned and how they have grown from their education at BC. The three finalists certainly shine as examples of this. I look forward to next year’s English Colloquium. See all the photos at BC’s Smugmug.

The finalists drawing the presentation order from the “golden chalice”

Korean Culture Day

The students in BC’s Korean Culture Club organized an all-day event on Monday in the Fireside Room and cafeteria celebrating the richness of Korean culture. English professor Andrew Bond helped organize the 2nd Annual Korean Culture Festival, which featured Korean music, food, and a performance by the Long Beach-based K-pop dance troupe, The Last Bite.

Sonia Silva, a representative from CSUB’s International Students and Programs office, was on hand to provide future Cal State transfers with information about study abroad opportunities at the university. See more photos on BC’s Smugmug!

Korean Dancers at BC

Faculty working on assessment of Student Learning

On Monday, I stopped by L160 to talk to Nick Strobel and found faculty hanging out and working on assessment of student learning long after the workshop had ended. Just wonderful! In the picture you see Di Hoffman, the outgoing faculty chair, and Brent Wilson, the incoming chair. David Neville on the far right was Assessment Chair before Di, so in one photo we have three generations of Assessment Committee chairs. Here the beautiful woman in the Renegade Red shirt if Sandy Davis, faculty in nursing.

Di Hoffman, Sandy Davis, Brent Wilson, David Neville

BC team at Banner Ellucian Conference

The BC team was at the Ellucian annual conference in San Diego, examining configuration options and models for the upcoming Banner 9 upgrade. I am told that one of the more significant Banner upgrades will go into effect this summer.

Dena Rhoades, Jennifer Achan, Morgan Bohnsack, Michelle Pena, Zav Dadabhoy, Mark Osea, DJ Vanderwerff, Somaly Boles, Ashlea Ward

Watch for workshops and information from the BC Banner team leads: Jennifer Achan and Michelle Pena.

Also caught this photo posted by Tonya Davis, Vice Chancellor of HR on twitter,

AAMP Open House

On April 6, 2018, the Bakersfield College African American Mentor Program (A.A.M.P.) had a packed house for its second annual AAMP Open House. With nearly 200 African American high school students, BC was able to make a significant contribution to preparing African-American students for college before they even arrive on a college campus.

AAMP Open House 2018 attendees

We kicked off the event with an address from our most distinguished keynote, LaMeka Ross. LaMeka faced trials and tribulations early on in her life, with the loss of her father at a young age. Despite the adversity she overcame her obstacles and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration. LaMeka is now working in Human Resources Business Partner Role for Aera Energy. She serves as a living testament to the possibility of enduring and overcoming adversity and to reach success.

The overall theme of the event was to encourage students to exceed academic expectations. Students were split into 2 groups; one group consisted of all seniors while the other was all non-seniors. The senior high school students went to learn about the Umoja ASTEP Program here at Bakersfield College; they got to hear the experiences of prior Umoja students and meet the esteemed faculty that make it all possible. Afterwards, students were able to apply to the program, be accepted, and actually register for the program at the event.

The non-seniors were learning from three amazing workshops that exposed them to their options of dual enrollment, the importance of math, and STEM careers. The entire event was inspirational as students prepared for the transition to college, we planted seeds of encouragement and hope, and we educated students on the opportunities that college can offer.

Thank you to Julian West, Paula Parks, and the whole AAMP team.

Open House 2018 Julian West

AAMP Paula Parks Presenting

Congratulations 2018 KCCD Leadership Academy

The Kern Community College District is committed to supporting professional development that informs employees’ leadership abilities. Each year, the Leadership Academy works to develop classified, faculty and management employees to prepare for leadership roles at every level of the organization.

Through experiential learning opportunities from September through April, the KCCD Leadership Academy offers employees the opportunity to interact with district executives, KCCD trustees, state-level education leaders and others. Participants generate a greater understanding of our geographically expansive district and build cross-district relationships with coworkers.

On behalf of the entire BC community, congratulations to this year’s Leadership Academy participants! And for those of you who have not participated, applications are out for the 2018-2019 cohort. Apply now.

Heather Barajas is currently a Department Assistant III in Human Resources at the Bakersfield College Campus. She has worked at BC for four years and loves being able to see her work/committee participation in action by just simply taking a walk around the campus. As a participant of the KCCD Leadership Academy she enjoyed it because it pushed her out of her comfort zone and gave her more insight of how the district and colleges operate together, in addition to getting to know other people from her campus and the other colleges.

Keith Ford is the Associate Athletic Director at Bakersfield College who has been with BC for almost 3 years. He is involved with campus-wide initiatives and serves on committees including facilities and safety committees. His goal is to one day serve as the Bakersfield College Athletic Director to be able to provide the best opportunities to the student-athletes to achieve their goals, whether it is in athletics, academics or life in general.

Michael McClenic is a program manager at Bakersfield College where he serves students on probation. He started his career at BC in 2015 as an adjunct instructor and seven months later took on the role of Program Manager, Probation and Early Alert. As a participant of the KCCD Leadership Academy he enjoyed the opportunity to meet, interact with and learn from people from other colleges in the district. His takeaway are the words of our esteemed Chancellor – -”What happened in Sacramento, stays in Sacramento”.

Mindy Wilmot is faculty/reference librarian for Bakersfield College. She is finishing up her fourth year (and just received tenure). As a Leadership Academy participant she enjoyed her time learning more about her school and district, as well as getting to work with colleagues from the three campuses. She considered the Legislative Conference to Sacramento the highlight of the academy.

Mike Barrett is a System Support Specialist working at the Bishop and Mammoth Lakes campuses of Cerro Coso Community College. He lives in Bishop California and work at the Bishop and Mammoth Lakes campuses – that’s like a win-win-win-win! He really enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the KCCD Leadership Academy. Having had a chance to tour all of our campuses and see first-hand some of the different challenges each college has in providing educational opportunities for their service areas. He believes our colleges and the district office work well together and is really happy to be a part of such a great team.

Nikki Gardepe is an Assessment Assistant at Cerro Coso Community College. She has been at Cerre Coso for four years. She coordinates student assessment testing activities critical to student academic performance and placement. She knows what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes trying to deal with the sometime complex education system and finds it rewarding when she can truly help others.

Stephanie Olmedo-Hinde is the current Counselor and Coordinator for Porterville College’s Disability Resource Center. She has worked for the KCCD for 16 years. She comes from a family of KCCD employees, her father Robert Olmedo worked for Porterville College for 12 years and her mother, Perla Olmedo, worked for Porterville College for 35 years. “What I loved most about the leadership academy was the lifelong connections I made with my colleagues from BC, CC, and District Office. My team was full of the best people I’ve ever met and we worked together so well, I love knowing they have my back and I absolutely have theirs”

Steven Alexander is the Director of IT Security and has been with KCCD for almost two years. He lives in Bakersfield with his wife and three children. His favorite experience in the leadership academy was traveling to Sacramento to meet with our state legislators and advocate for our district.

Cammie Ehret-Stevens is a native of Bakersfield and joined the Kern Community College District in July 2011 as the Purchasing Coordinator/Analyst. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from California Coast University and a Public Procurement Certification from NLPA. In her free time she enjoys camping and traveling abroad. Cammie recently completed the KCCD Leadership Academy in April 2018, where she gained insight to the district and established multiple networking connections.

KCCD in Oregon

A team from Porterville College, Cerro Coso Communty College, Bakersfield College and the District Officer were in Oregon along with staff from Kern High School District and Delano. We have been scaling up rapidly in KCCD with Dual Enrollment and this trip will help systematize some of our processes. Don’t you see Cindy Collier leading this systems development? This is what Cindy does!

Gearing up for Summer Bridge

I’ve been told that 30 out of the 34 scheduled summer bridge sessions are FULL! That is over 1,350 enrollments! I was overjoyed to see the number of faculty and staff who signed up for some dates to mentor at this year’s Summer Bridge, but we have lots of room left!

Thank you to the advisors and counselors that will be helping us throughout the summer! And Allison Burch, Angela Bono, Bill Chapman, Bonnie Hammond, Brent Wilson, Brian Sivesind, Bryan Hirayama, Bryan Russell, Catherine Starling, Cherilyn Haworth, Chris Cruz-Boone, Christian Zoller, Christina Touchstone, Daniel Gomes, Debra B. Strong, Diana Cason, Dinorah Castro, Don Brady, Eddie Rangle, Eleonora Hicks, Elvira Martinez, Emily Poole, Erica Menchaca, Erineo Garcia, Faith Bradham, Gilbert Ayuk, Glenn Samples, Gurpreet Grewal, Heather Pennella, Helen Medrano, Isaac K. Vannasone, James McGarrah, Jeannie Parent, Jessica Wojtysiak, Kaureen Brady, Keri Wolf, Kim Arbolante, Lisa Harding, Lisa Rogers, Marcelyn Allen, Mathew Garrett, Michael Fragoso, Michelle Hart, Mindy Wilmot, Neeley Hatridge, Olivia Garcia, Sara Wallace, Silvet Holcomb, Stephanie Vega, Stephen Tavoni, Sue Vaughn, Talita Pruett, Teresa McAllister, Tina Posey, Tina Zito, Tracie Grimes, Travis Steele, Vayron Martinez, Veronica Lucas, Wade Ellis, and Yvonne Armendariz. #WeareBC!

Transfer Pathway Advising

Khushnur Dadabhoy, Director of Transfer Pathways, and Grace Commiso, Dean of Counseling, leading the ed advisors and other key team members in a strategy session on transfer pathway advising.

Khushbur Dadabhoy and Grace Commiso lead the presentation

We are BC Treats

Dean Manny Mourtzanos sent 3 boxes of We Are BC donuts to counseling to lift spirits in our big sprint for registration.

Bernadette Martinez with a box of treats

Sarah and John from Dunkin Donuts

John Lyon is the Manager/Owner of the Dunkin Donuts location who made these. Sarah is the young woman who created them. Thank you John and Sarah!

Loved these photos of Manny De Los Santos indulging in the treat. We are BC!

Levan Humanities Review

The 2018 issue of the Levan Humanities Review is published! This years issue has thoughtful, engaging pieces, including the Sufi concept of divine love, the meaning of public, including Confederate, statues, Father Garces, and Gerald Haslam’s essay on the valley and his life as a writer. The editors invite you to enjoy this issue, which will contribute to our daily search for wisdom and our understanding of how the humanities help us in that search.

I loved browsing the copy which was delivered to me this week and seeing contributions from Faith Bradham, Olivia Garcia, Matthew Garrett, and Catherine Abbey Hodges, a professor from Porterville College.

Thank you to the Editorial Board including Dr. Portia Choi, Lily Hirsch, Dr. Rae Ann Kumelos, Erin Miller, Nick Strobel, and Reggie Williams.

If you’d like to purchase your own copy, it’s available on Amazon or online at the Levan Humanities Review website.

RP Conference

On April 11-12th, our Office of Institutional Effectiveness team including Craig Hayward, Karen Snow, David Buitron, Alma Livingston, and Nicole Griffin attended the 2018 RP Conference, the largest gathering of institutional researchers and planners in the California Community College System.

Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Craig Hayward at the RP Conference

Craig Hayward, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, presented during multiple sessions on a range of topics such as student outcomes and policy changes with AB 705, tips and tools for identifying disproportionate impact, and shared how BC’s new program mapper can help clarify the path. Alma Livingston, Research Analyst, also presented with Craig Hayward on how academic advising and CCSSE data benchmarks can guide student engagement and success outcomes, while Karen Snow, Research Analyst, gave a poster presentation on how CATEMA is an integrative tool that will advance student equity. So proud of the OIE team. #WeAreBC

Karen Snow at the RP Conference

It’s a great day any time we get to share and learn ideas for best practices among a group of amazing CA Community Colleges! The tools and information learned at the event will positively impact how institutional research, planning, and effectiveness can positively transform our institution for student success.

Alma, Nicole, and David from BC’s OIE

UC and CCC sign agreement to boost transfers

Eloy Oakley keynoting at the Leadership Summit

Chancellor Eloy Oakley at BC, May 2017

Exciting news from the University of California and the California Community College Chancellor’s Office this week. The UC President Janet Napolitano and CA Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Oakley signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines goals and details of how the community colleges and the UC’s will work together in “Enhancing Student Transfer.” The goals are to guarantee admission for all California Community College Transfer students to the University of California campuses. For details on how our ADT’s could work to our students’ advantage in guarantying acceptance at a UC and how TAGs will be effected, I encourage you to read the University of California’s Article.

KCMEA Jazz Day

Speaking of why I am the luckiest and happiest college president ever! BC had the privilege of hosting the third annual KCMEA Jazz Day on Thursday. Our very own Kris Tiner, Director of the Jazz Studies Program, and member of Kern County Music Educators’ Association has been working hard over the last four months to organize and produce this annual event in between his regular faculty duties.

The Highland High Jazz Band performs in the Indoor Theater on April 12th.

With 10 high school ensembles, 3 junior high groups, and a showcase performance by the BC Jazz Ensemble, it was a festival of music and peer sharing in the Simonsen Performing Arts Center, but as Kris said “the focus of Jazz Day is education.”

Taft High School Jazz Ensemble performs in the Indoor Theater

Unlike many competitive festivals, students who participate in Jazz Day have the opportunity to interact directly with expert clinicians and Bakersfield College music faculty. Each group receives a private half-hour clinic in the band room where they polish and refine their performance, and then they play their set on the Indoor Theater stage. Their performances are professionally recorded and additional clinicians give written feedback. Students are immersed in great music throughout the day – sharing, listening, and learning together!

Head clinician Adam Benjamin works with students from Mira Monte High School

You can see why I am so lucky and happy to be the president of a college with such great faculty so involved in the community and furthering education throughout the county.

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This year’s head clinician was Adam Benjamin, a Grammy-nominated pianist with the band Kneebody, and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. Benjamin performed with the BC Faculty Jazz Ensemble and gave a masterclass where he treated the audience to an incredible solo piano performance.

BC Faculty Jazz Ensemble with pianist Adam Benjamin (photo by Pete LeGrant)

Afterward, the BC Jazz Ensemble took the stage to perform a selection of tunes from their “BC Jazz plays The Beatles” concert coming up on April 23. Read this great article about the KMCEA Jazz Day, Kris’ observations on the state music education, and all of the support from Bakersfield College faculty and administration in Matt Munoz’ Bakersfield Californian Article MATT MUNOZ: KCMEA helps touts music education and all that jazz.

Basketball Academy at BC!

I was extremely excited to hear our first session of the BC Basketball Academy had 46 participants. We had past and present Renegades coaching, high school coaches who played or had children play for me and Several BC alumni who brought their children, which is what the RENEGADE SPIRIT is all about.

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Coach Dahl’s opening message was that we celebrate mistakes because that means you are learning and you have to be uncomfortable to truly become great. The camp ended with a great message from Stig Jantz about the importance of hard work, doing your job and serving others.

Joint EOPS and MESA Student Educational Excursion

EOPS and MESA students kicked off their spring break by visiting UC Davis, UC Berkeley and San Jose State. EOPS and MESA collaborated to identify students interested in STEM majors who are participating in both programs to provide them with a 3-day Educational Excursion. The purpose of this collaboration is to encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM majors. BC alumni currently attending each of the respective campuses greeted the EOPS and MESA students. They provided personal tours and highlighted STEM facilities, majors, support services such as EOP and MESA, and shared their respective experience as transfer students.

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At UC Davis, BC alumni, Emily Schoenborn shared her experience as a transfer student and provided helpful tips to help prepare students for the UC application process as well as the transition. During the visit to UC Berkeley, BC Alumni, Colton Nichelson and Janell Orazco welcomed our EOPS/MESA students and provided a personalized campus tour, shared the benefits of being a student at UC Berkeley, and challenged their peers to go beyond their comfort zone. The final excursion stop was at San Jose State University where BC Alumni, Jose Sanchez, dedicated his Sunday morning to highlight his campus and provided insight on the transfer process as well as the importance of internships. As the students made their way back to the parking lot, BC Alumni, Vu Nguyen and Andrea Hernandez, spotted our BC students. They also briefly, shared their experience in relocating and preparing for transfer. Students who attended the trip were appreciative of the experience and returned highly motivated and encouraged. Special thanks to EOPS and MESA staff for coordinating this successful educational trip.

EOPS Priority Registration Festival

The EOPS department conducted their Registration Festival during first day priority registration on April 4th from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Prior to this day, pre-registration workshops were conducted to provide additional assistance on course registration planning to students. The majority of the students served under the EOPS, CARE, and CalWORKs programs were prepared to register since they already had their courses mapped out on their Comprehensive Student Educational Plan, which is closely monitored and updated by the EOPS Faculty Counselors during each of their three counseling contacts requirement.

There was a constant flow of students from the beginning through the end of the Registration Festival. Although many of their students were prepared to register on their own, the Registration Festival was offered to EOPS students wanting help with registration from counselors and peer mentors.

Seen on Media both social and traditional

Our Chamber Singers received an extra special surprise when the 1965 BC Choir came out to surprise them with a donation to their Australia Tour.

Our faculty are the best — check out the video snippet of Olivia Garcia being interviewd

I saw Olivia Garcia, History Faculty quoted in a news coverage on KERO. Always great to see our faculty contributing to the community.

Gadfly Cafe

Professor of Philosophy, Reggie Williams hosted the Gadfly Café with the topic, “What is beauty?”

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The hour long, round table discussion was packed with students, faculty and staff from all ages and backgrounds with most not afraid to voice their opinions when called on.

Reggie opened of the conversation with a question: “What is beauty and what does it mean to you?” Thank you Reggie for providing these enriching opportunities for discussion and exploration.

Spring Fling

The postponed Spring fling Carnival was well worth the wait. You may remember it was postponed because of the beautiful rain we had a few weeks ago. It was great to see Renegades and their families come out for the carnival fun.

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Central California World Language Project

Last Saturday, April 11 was the last CCWLP workshop for this academic year. Central California World Language Project offers this program to the foreign language teachers of Kern County to assist them in keeping current in their field. This academic year, we had 58 participants. Bakersfield College is proud to be the host institution for this project.

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Celebrating Pam Boyles

Professor Pam Boyles was inducted into the North High Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 7, 2018. It was a great event and I wish I got the video of Pam’s speech from Andrea to publish it on my blog. Pam’s remarks were from the heart and recognized various coaches who had shaped her life include Coach Pam Kelley.

There was a “Pam Fan Club” group from BC that sat together at the event to celebrate this amazing woman…a great athlete, a great teacher, a great leader,….and an amazing grandma 🙂

Let’s read about Pam (Ash) Boyles, North High class of 1983. Love the pitcture!

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Sandi Taylor, Andrea Thorson, Keith Ford

Ann Tatum, Sonya Christian, Pam Boyles, Kate Pluta

Coach Casey Goodman putting BC Softball on the map

It was a treat heading to our softball game against Alan Hancock. BC won 5-1 and it was a delight waking up in the morning and seeing Jon Mettus’ article header BC Softball cements dominance at top of Conference. Yes! Check out the article here https://tinyurl.com/y7f572yu

The BC College community came out in full force to support the team including Trustee Romeo Agbalog whom you see in the picture below. We had the KCCD Board of Trustees meeting on campus earlier in the day and President of the Board, Trustee Kay Meek, congratulated the Softball Team.

I stayed for two innings and then headed out and ran into Pam Boyles and Robert Boyles heading in to support our students. And then ran into Coach Scott Damron (Womens Soccer) and Coach Vayron Martinez (Mens Soccer) heading in. I am the luckiest and happiest college president ever!

Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference

The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference is this Thursday, April 19th at the Rabobank Arena. Buy your tickets today http://bakersfieldwomen.org/

Norma Rojas Mora and I were on Univision promoting the conference. Here is a photo of us with Ofelia Aguirre.

The Powers of our Pets

My life changed forever in an amazing way the day I adopted Neo. You can check out my first photo posted with him in my blog from November, 2016.

While I was browsing my news feed this week, an article caught my eye titled “Three stories that exemplify the healing power of a pet” on USA Today. I was surprised to see it features BC student, Alex Knaak and his adopted Chihuahua, Loki.

Please comment and share with me any stories you have of your loved pets. I/We would love to read them!

Btw, what did you get your pet on Pets Day, April 11 2018?

April 11 2018 Pets Day Neo with new toy cropped

April 11 2018 Pets Day Neo with new toy red ball cropped

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Watching Dreams Blossom at BC!

Uncategorized April 7, 2018 1 Comment

Good morning Bakersfield. The Renegade Red and White Roses have starting blooming in my front yard. A lot of white and one solitary red. Saturday, April 7, 2018…a great day to be a Renegade!

Loved seeing Nick Strobel’s discussion on TESS the exoplanet satellite scheduled to be launched and its mind boggling complexity.

Bakersfield College Southwest

Nick Strobel presenting at College Council

The community has been clamoring for a BC presence in the Southwest.

On Friday, April 6th, College Council met at BC-SouthWest to explore the facility and continue building on our ideas to ramp up class availability and courses for students at this alternative location.

We had a great morning hearing updates from Nick Strobel about BC’s ISER in preparation for our accreditation visit later this year, hearing from Janet Fulks and Khushnur Dadabhoy regarding transfer pathways, and Liz Rozell and Manny Mourtzanos about the upcoming courses being offered at BC SouthWest.

Dr. Martin Luther King

This Wednesday, America commemorated the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination at a motel room in Memphis, Tennessee. Even though his life was taken at the age of 39, Dr. King’s short life spent fighting for equality in the United States was like a small candle that lit the wicks of millions, inspiring generations that came after him to continue his important work.

Photo Credit: http://www.nobelprize.org

Events commemorating Dr. King’s assassination took place across the country on Wednesday, but the march in Memphis attracted thousands of people who marched a mile and a half in his honor. Details about all of the marches can be found in Jenny Jarvie’s article published in the Los Angeles Times.

Registration Rocks (HUGE THANK YOUS)

Registration Rocked once again, but this time at 28 of our local high schools on April 5, 2018. Roughly 3,300 fully matriculated high school seniors were invited to register in just one day.

Can you imagine the team effort it took to pull this one off?! Let me introduce you to some key people who made it happen.

Tuesday’s training to prepare the various teams that went out to the high schools was led by Steve Watkin and Ashlea Ward.

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On Thursday, the teams deployed to the 28 high schools charged and ready to go! Command Central was staffed with three key people to monitor all the activity and incoming needs. Thank you Michelle Pena, Jennifer Achan, and Steve Watkin.

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Due to the high traffic, by 8:00AM the system glitched and crashed…. but our District Office IT heros, Stephen Kegley and Carl Bowman were on the ball and helped us out immediately. Huge thank you to our partners in IT at KCCD. Zav even called this the Registration War Room.

Stephen Kegley and Carl Bowman show the server activity on Thursday morning.

At Stockdale High, we were led by our fearless leaders Jonathan Schultz and Josie Gullian. For me, it was a rewarding experience to sit with incoming students and help them firsthand, pick and register for their very first college classes. And while I was assisting students, almost every one of them registered for 15+ units in Fall!

Sonya Christian and Scott Wolf April 5 2018

The two pictures above are with Scott Odlin principal of Stockdale High School. He was so proud of his students. Thank you Scott for letting us work with the Stockdale students.

All of this could not be possible without our superstars at BC, doing what they do each and every day to serve our students and help them on the path to success.

Thank you to our counseling department and the incredible counselors who worked very hard to pull this off.

Barbara Braid for leading group ASEP workshops and triage throughout the week

Jonathan Schultz for leading Stockdale high school outreach and then turning around the next day to meet with more high school students in group appointments

Marisa Marquez for mapping all of the transfer pathways at the institutional level while meeting with students individually

Keri Kennedy for accepting, reviewing, and supporting Kern Promise students in between individual student meetings. Leading multiple measures 4.0 application

Laurel Mourtzanos for leading an analysis of high demand courses based on student ed plans to help us be strategic in course offerings

Jo Ann Acosta who returned from surgery to process paper problems for students

Julian West and Jonathan Ward for leading African American Mentor Program Open House and getting more high school seniors registered into Umoja and a full load of courses

Victor Diaz, our academic senate Vice President, who is full of life and always brings a positive energy to the center

Shohreh Rahman who leads the international student program, providing a safe home for our students who often travel to Bakersfield without a full support system

Fabiola Johnson who oversees our at-risk and probation work to ensure one bad semester doesn’t take a student off path entirely

Sarah Villasenor who works with our students of concern team and leads communication to keep students on their path

Mark Osea, the fearless department chair who has taken on tech projects, works on the curriculum committee, and collaborates with other departments across campus

New counselors experiencing their first big spring semester registration push and hanging with us like champs: Brynn Schock, Steve Agard, Aneesha Awrey, and Dinorah Castro.

Countless educational advisors for meeting with drop-in students back-to-back: Abe Castillo, Jeff LaForce, Pearl Urena, Josh Shackelford, and others

The outreach ed advisors for leading high school outreach: Manuel, Josie, Pedro, and Debi

EOPS, DSPS, CTE, Title V, Financial Aid, veterans, and athletics counselors and advisors embedded in the departments providing direction and guidance: Angelica, Cynthia, Manuel, Cathy, Jeff, Vanessa, Pam, Dominica, stig, Evette, Lucy, Venessa, Isabel, Diane, and Armando

Our CSUB Transfer counselors who have office hours on campus: Natasha and Alicia

Our Delano counselors and advisors who ensure rural students have the information they need: Jesus, Veronica, Jessica, Jesse, and Elvira

The front desk staff and students for quickly processing check-ins, answering calls: Bernadette Martinez, Luz Mendoza, and Jahnea Palfrey

Eryn Justice and Jackie Lau gave a well prepared and thoughtful presentation to the Delano Counselors on Concurrent and Dual enrollment as well.

Jackie Lau and Eryn Justice

Jackie Lau, you are a rock star. I remember being so inspired by your passion and tireless energy as you volunteered countless hours to Measure J. Thank you!

THANK YOU TO ALL Bakersfield College experts, including staff, administrators, counselors, advisors, student workers, and everyone who was either assigned to be at a high school, or assisted students with registration this week.

High school staff and students showed a great amount of gratitude for our efforts in continuing to make their transition toward becoming a Renegade a smooth one.

What we do is support our students and what that means is life changing. This is guided pathways in action. Thank you!

We are BC!

And the Registration Rocks started with a massive banner for enrollment hanging off the Center for Student Success! What an exciting time to be at BC!

Shout out to the Renegades who helped pull this massive endeavor off.

Thank you to Dylan Wang, our Graphic Designer and the M&O Team including Corey Garcia, Tim Hernandez, Mitchell Barter, Aaron Kidwell, and Landon Webb.

Open registration begins April 18th.

Photographed below is Dylan Wang and the M&O Staff with the banner!

Dylan Wang in front of his design.

M&O Team above the banner

Bill Thomas and Jonathan Schultz April 4 2018

Steve Watkin, Sonya Christian, Bill Thomas April 4 2018

BC Hackathon

Bakersfield College is gearing up for the second annual Hackathon. The theme for this year’s Hackathon is Health and Social Justice. Kern County struggles with many public health challenges and health inequities. Community experts will present in various panel formats and workshops on the following topics: air quality, access to quality health care, food insecurity, human trafficking, and public health outreach. Eric Ruiz, a team member from Google who hails from Modesto, will participate and discuss technology and empowerment. Bakersfield Californian investigative reporter Harold Piece will be presenting on how to use research and infographics to educate the public.

Harold Pierce and Trustee Carter

Much thanks to Harold Pierce also for doing an overview of the event. Check it out here. Also thanks to Channel 23 Alexa Reye who did a great preview piece click here to see overview.

The agenda and more information can be found at www.bcinnovates.com. On this website, you can check out a short video, view the rules, FAQs and register. The Hackathon is for everyone! All academic disciplines are welcome. Make sure to register online! The first 50 registered participants will get a free T-shirt. Note that the event has a waiting list and plans to accommodate everyone by filling up the slots of those who do not show up. Needless to say, it is a popular event! Voted BCSGA Event of the Year in 2017.

Mataalofa Hubbard with Channel 23 News with Alexa Reye

Mataalofa Hubbard being interviewed by Alexa Reye

The event is being organized by a team of two BCSGA Student Clubs, Student Health Wellness Advisory Committee Club president Mataalofa Hubbard, and STEM Club, president Andrea Lopez with faculty members Sarah Baron, Public Health Science; Eddie Rangel, Computer Science and Oliver Rosales, History and Coordinator, Social Justice Institute Coordinator, as well as, support from Yadira Guerrero, Engineering Program Manager and Career Technology Education too. Thanks also to Elisabeth Sundby and Allison Burch, Librarians from Digital Delano, who created the digital resource, libguide, which is packed with resources by topic areas. A great tool for students, educators and community members. It takes a team effort with strong community support. We truly appreciate our community partners, volunteers and sponsors who made this possible. See the full list of community sponsors and more at www.bcinnovates.com

Last years Hackathon tshirts

Delano Community Alliance Breakfast

On Tuesday, April 3^rd, Bakersfield College-Delano Campus hosted the Delano Community Alliance monthly breakfast. Over 30 guests representing various school districts, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and private businesses were in attendance. Bakersfield College provided a delicious traditional Mexican breakfast for the guests. As the host organization, we had the opportunity to update the group on what is happening at the college.

I began the presentation by thanking the various school partners in attendance for their support, including DJUHSD Superintendent Terri Nuckols and the entire room for supporting Measure J. In doing so, these people helped to ensure that the community of Delano would be better served by BC and I concluded by discussing new programs coming to Delano.

Romeo Agbalog

KCCD Trustee Romeo Agbalog also shared words of appreciation for the group. He noted that as a Delano native he is happy to see all of the great things happening in education for the community’s youth. He made sure to give longtime Delano Campus admissions and records technician, Helen Calip, a shout out. He stated that he was her biggest fan.

Abel Guzman proceeded to inform the group about the enrollment growth at BC Delano in recent years. Additionally, he provided data showing that BC Delano students are just as successful, if not more successful, than all students college wide.

Helen Calip and Trustee Agbalog

Bill Potter concluded the presentation by unveiling the upcoming Measure J construction projects on the BC Delano Campus. The group was excited to learn about the upcoming Learning Resource Center.

Abel Guzman

Bill Potter

The Delano Community Alliance group is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving needy families in Delano. Bakersfield College is always happy to host the breakfast.

Thank you to the Delano Community Alliance, especially Steven Kinsey, Rosalina Rivera, Linda Hinojosa, Sheryl Alexander, Dorsey Driggs, Maribel Reyna, Matthew Cauthron, Abel Guzman, Dr. Terri Nuckols, and Dave Stebbins.

Dr. Terri Nuckols and VP Liz Rozell

Liz Rozell, Gustavo Enriquez, BIll Potter

Endee Grijalva and Bill Potter

Abel Guzman and Scott Spielman, BC supporter

Was happy to see Scott Spielman at the meeting. Scott is on BC’s Pre Law Advisory committee and has done numerous presentations at the college.

Special Recognition for BC Programs

Career Technical Education (CTE) Vision Board

BC received special recognition of career education programs with outstanding workforce outcomes. Thank you to Van Ton-Quinlivan, Executive Vice Chancellor, Workforce and Digital Futures.

Multiple programs at BC have been named as Strong Workforce Stars because they have outstanding post-college outcomes in employment, earnings gains, and regional living wages, based on Strong Workforce Program LaunchBoard data. Several programs have earned the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Stars recognition because graduates attained one or more of the following thresholds for economic mobility:

An increase in earnings by 50% or more
Attainment of the regional living wage by 70% or more
90% or more are employed in a job similar to their field of study

Congratulations to all who contribute to student success in the following programs!

BRONZE STARS (attained threshold outcomes on one metric)

Automotive Technology: 113% increase in earnings
Animal Science: 111% increase in earnings
Plant Science: 90% increase in earnings
Agriculture Business, Sales and Service: 90% increase in earnings
Forestry: 101% increase in earnings
Architecture and Architectural Technology: 245% increase in earnings
Administration of Justice: 81% increase in earnings
Corrections: 73% of students attained the regional living wage
Fire Technology: 78% of students attained the regional living wage
Culinary Arts: 163% increase in earnings
Human Services: 404% increase in earnings

SILVER STARS (attained threshold outcomes on two metrics)

Vocational Nursing: 113% increase in earnings and 67% of students attained the regional living wage
Electrician Apprenticeship: 59% increase in earnings and 83% of students attained the regional living wage
Industrial Technology: Electronics: 76% of students attained the regional living wage and 100%of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

GOLD STARS (attained threshold outcomes on all three metrics)

Radiologic Technology: 329% increase in earnings, 100% of students attained the regional livingwage and 100% of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
Registered Nursing: 226% increase in earnings, 87% of students attained the regional living wage and 97% of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

One of our data coaches Elisabeth Sundby created the following bar graph to compare the threshold to achieve this award and BC’s actual performance.

Data Coaching

BC’s completion coaching teams serve students through “high touch” (emails, phone calls, texts, group meetings, faculty classroom announcements) within the Learning and Career Pathways, sometimes called meta-majors. This high touch, proactive coaching of students is dependent upon high tech information to determine WHICH students need WHAT information WHEN. Each completion coaching team has a specified data coach, that may be a faculty, classified or management volunteer, who is trained in getting the information to the completion coaching teams. Data coaches fulfill several functions within the completion coaching communities. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) provides live, regularly updated data based upon a wide array of variables and demographics, heretofore unavailable simply because their weren’t enough researchers for all the reporting necessary. BC currently has 31 data coaches that receive data training, including FERPA certification, and have a certain knack with data but also have day jobs that intersect closely with students every day.

The data coaches job is actually three-fold. First, the data coach serves as a “data clarifier.” It is the data coach’s responsibility to help their fellow team members understand the right questions to ask, interpret questions they’re not sure how to ask, and make meaning of data. Second, the data coach serves as a liaison with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. The data coach communicates and submits data requests to the OIE about the completion coaching community’s information needs, which are developed and fine-tuned in meetings with the rest of the completion team. Third, the data coach may serve as a “reconnaissance unit.” In other words, the data coach retrieves information about student populations, which activates the other completion coaches with targeted and individualized communication to students in need of particular messaging. Much of this work is aligned to the communication plan that helps keep students on track and on target to complete their educational goals with regards to expectations, deadlines and other important information.

The picture shows a data coach meeting where data is being filtered, retrieved and delivered to the completion coaching communities so that we can reach out to students registering beginning April 4. The message reminds them to register, focusing on core classes, in a timely manner while classes are available. The data and the communication helps the institution get the right students, in the right classes, at the right time. High tech guiding and facilitating, high touch!

Bakersfield Life Celebrating BC Faculty

Professor Josh Ottum with a BC Student

Professor Josh Ottum was profiled by Jennifer Olague in Bakersfield Life Magazine last Saturday, talking about his career as a songwriter and creating the Commercial Music program at BC.

After years spent touring across the US and Europe as a musician and having his music featured on television programs such as “Mad Men”, Josh decided to become a music professor and bring out his students’ full musical potential with classes on recording techniques, live performance and songwriting at BC.

I’d like to thank the Californian for profiling Josh and the Commercial Music program, and I’d like to thank Josh for teaching valuable skills to our local musicians.

BC SGA event

Cynthia Zimmer

Kern County prosecutor Cynthia Zimmer had lunch with BC students on Wednesday and discussed why she wants be the next person in charge of the District Attorney’s office.
BCSGA’s Office of Legislative Affairs hosted Zimmer as part of its Power Lunch series, which has featured prominent local politicians such as Jean Fuller, Vince Fong and KCCD Trustee Romeo Agbalog.

Zimmer grew up in Coalinga and was the first person in her family of four to graduate college. She credits her time at West Hills Community College as foundational to the rest of her career, which involved graduating from Cal State Bakersfield and Loyola Marymount Law School.

Celebrating Renegade Athletics

CCCAA Spring Convention Awards

Last week was an exciting time in Renegade sports as two of our student athletes received awards from the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). March 27-30th, the CCCAA held their Spring Convention in Concord, CA. They awarded Jasmit Thind with a position on the 2017 Men’s Honor Roll and awarded Aisha Maston with induction into the CCCAA Hall of Fame for Track & Field.

The CCCAA is authorized by State Legislature to establish rules and regulations to administer the athletic activities of CA community college athletics for nearly 25,000 men and women student athletes. Bakersfield College athletics are governed by CCCAA and is one of 18 members of the Western State Conference. You can learn all about Renegade Athletics at gogades.com.

I’d like to introduce you to Jasmit Thind. He was placed on the 2017 Men’s Scholar Athlete Honor Roll. CCCAA selects the winners and honor roll members from nominations made by CA Community Colleges. Candidates must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, participate in two seasons of sport at the college, and show outstanding leadership as an athlete, student or in college and/or community activities.

Jasmit, is a two year member of the BC football team with a cumulative 3.95 GPA. He is the Bakersfield College Men’s Athletic Scholar Athlete in 2017, as well as being selected to the California Community College Football Coaches Association All State team. Stig Jantz, Athletic Educational Advisor, accepted the award on his behalf. Congratulations Jasmit! I’m proud to call you a Renegade. See the CCCAA Scholar Athletes.

Stig Jantz

Now I’d like to introduce you to Aisha Maston, Bakersfield College Track & Field Alumna from ’96-97. Aisha was inducted into the CCCAA Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Aisha led the Renegades to the 1997 women’s track and field championship, holds four BC stadium records and still holds the CCCAA state championship record for most individual points. After Bakersfield College, Aisha earned a scholarship and transferred to the University of Nebraska where she studied and received her baccalaureate degree in psychology.

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Coach Pam Kelley was present for Aisha’s induction, along with her very proud family. Congratulations Aisha!You can read the announcement for the 2018 CCCAA Hall of Fame or see CCCAA Hall of Fame class of 2018.

Renegade Basketball Academy

Basketball coach, Paula Dahl enthusiastically shared that the Basketball Academy is starting this weekend for youth aged 10-18.

Various weekends have different areas of focus.

April 7- Footwork, agility, balance, creating a quick shot, increase your shooting percentage and post work
April 14 – Ball handling, passing, rebounding, seeing the floor and creating on offense
April 21 – Defense, defending one-on-one, taking charges, understanding help defense and dealing with screens
April 27 the complete game, mental, physical, goal setting, team defense and offense

To register, please email coach Paula at pdahl@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Loved this video that Coach Dahl posted on Facebook

Parent Institute for Quality Education

The Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) invited Bakersfield College to come speak to their participants at Arvin High School on April 5th. PIQE is a program dedicated to providing families the knowledge and skills to partner with schools and communities to ensure their children achieve their full potential. The parents take part in a nine-week long course that covers topics ranging from four systems of higher education, financial aid, and engaging with high school staff and administrators.

Gustavo Enriquez, Jesse Oropeza, and Abel Guzman had the opportunity to speak with the parents for over an hour about all things Bakersfield College related and more. Parents learned about dual and concurrent enrollment opportunities. More importantly they learned that their students can get a head start towards attaining a college education. All three BC representatives shared their own personal journeys as first-generation college students, which resonated with the parents whose children are also all first-generation students.

We’re always happy to connect with students and parents in the community of Arvin!

Renegades Keeping Busy this Summer!

I love when I hear student success stories and when faculty share their excitement with me. Congratulations to Martha D. who was accepted to The University of Virginia to do freshwater research this summer. This program is through the National Science Foundation and will last 11 weeks. We have a fabulous science faculty. #WeAreBC

Jimmy Santiago Baca

Vidal Herrera (left) and Jimmy Santiago Baca answer questions in the Levan Center.

The Levan Center kicked off April’s National Poetry Month with a presentation by Jimmy Santiago Baca, who told the story of how he overcame being abandoned by his parents at the age of two and teaching himself to read and write in prison on the path to becoming one of America’s most celebrated Chicano poets.

Baca, who grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, won the National Book Award for poetry in 1987 for his semi-autobiographical anthology “Martin & Meditations on the South Valley”. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1993 film “Blood In, Blood Out” starring Benjamin Bratt and featuring performances by Billy Bob Thornton and Danny Trejo.
Baca continues to be inspired by the struggles of other Chicanos and Mexican-Americans in his writing. Baca recited one of his poems about a hate crime he witnessed against a Mexican in his neighborhood, and he told the story of how he was able to keep a family from being deported on a train he was taking to Los Angeles for a film production by calling Michael Eisner, Disney’s CEO at the time, and putting him on the phone with immigration authorities.

Baca also invited Vidal Herrera, the subject of an upcoming book he’s writing, to talk about being one of the first Chicano forensic crime scene investigators in America, getting famous from designing the iconic “Welcome to East Los Angeles” poster, and reconnecting with his father after 60 years to put together the missing puzzle pieces of his family’s history.

Baca has 28 books in 31 languages, and he believes that all of them are still in print because he strives to portray the authentic experiences of real people through his writing. “My love for you is why I’m still here,” Baca said.

See all the photos at BC’s SmugMug.

“Lady Leaders” program by faculty of WHAM

Activist women from across the political spectrum came together at the Levan Center on Thursday night to talk about how they work every day to create the change they’d like to see in the world. This event was the last thing planned for BC’s Women’s History Month programming organized by Roza Garza, Olivia Garcia and the Women’s History and More (WHAM) committee. BC history professor Erin Miller moderated the event, which featured a short presentation by each of the three speakers and a question-and-answer portion from the audience.

Cathy Abernathy

Cathy Abernathy has worked on Republican election campaigns for over 30 years, starting with the congressional office of Gerald Ford, who was the Speaker of the House before becoming president after Richard Nixon’s resignation. She was the Chief of Staff for Bill Thomas during his time in Congress, and she’s worked on several Republican political campaigns in the California legislature. Aberathy, who is now a frequent political commentator for several local news stations, found working on election campaigns to be the most rewarding part of her career.
“In politics, you really know whether or not you accomplished something by the end of the campaign,” she said.

Jessica Flores started volunteering for non-profit causes at a young age, and as she learned more about the struggles that women, people of color and other marginalized groups face in the United States and around the world, she felt a calling to dedicate her life to raising awareness of those struggles. As a progressive political activist, Flores often feels daunted by the magnitude of work that needs to be done in order to enact change, she continues to organize and participate in marches, write letters to politicians and do anything in her power to raise awareness of the issues important to her. “Whatever small way you can contribute, do so, because the revolution needs you,” Flores said.

Kimberly Kirchmer grew up in a religious household and attended a Mennonite college in the Midwest, where she was inspired by the compassion of pacifist Christians to pursue a life of advocating for women’s rights causes. A survivor of sexual assault, Kirchmer organized several local productions of the Vagina Monologues in Bakersfield shortly after moving her 13 years ago. She is also President of the Democratic Women of Kern and organized the 2018 Kern County Women’s March, which brought together over 5,000 people and 50 speakers to march for equality. Kirchmer offered a similar message to Flores, pleading for those who want to make an impact on the world around them to go ahead and do it.

Special thank you to the WHAM committee for organizing this event and all of the Women’s History Month programming and thank you to our guests for taking the time to inspire our students.

Andrew Kamiti

Thanks to the generous support of the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities, anthropology professor Krista Moreland was able to bring renown Kenyan artist Andrew Kamiti to Bakersfield College’s Indoor Theater on April 5^th.

She’s hoping to bring more guest speakers to campus in the future, making BC a local and global nexus. Andrew paints and draws Kenya’s flora and fauna, using art to bring awareness to these beautiful and endangered plants and animals. BC students and members of the community came out to see this self-taught artist, and it was a wonderful night! Before the presentation, the Spanish club and their advisor Prof. Martiza Salgueiro-Carlisle hosted a pizza party for Andrew.

Andrew Kamiti and Renegade, Myshjuan Williams

This cultural exchange was a great experiences for BC students, who shared American and Mexican culture with Andrew, and asked him questions about the tribes and cultures of Kenya. There was a lot of laughing, lot of eating, and a lot of about family, school, food, and travel. The BC students who wish to visit Africa had lots of questions for Andrew. BC faculty were also at this multicultural event, including Sarah Palasch, David Neville, and Gilbert Ayuk. It’s great to see students and faculty together outside of the classroom!

In his presentation Andrew transported the audience to Kenya through images, videos, and personal stories. His passion for Kenya’s wildlife could be seen in his art and heard in his voice as he shared stories about his homeland. He knows his art subjects so well, like Judy the Chimp and Imani the cheetah. His favorites is Scarface the lion, who he feels represents the spirit of Kenya as he experienced many hardships before finding peace within the pride he shares with his brother Earless. One of Andrew’s favorites things about Kenya today is that it’s such a peaceful place to live, the hardships endured before Kenya’s independence are now a faded memory. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. He shared the beauty of Kenya through discussing the National Parks he regularly visits, and his current goal of drawing all the big cats at Maasai Mara National Park.

Andrew Kamiti on stage during presentation

The audience learned about the natural wonders of Kenya, and by the end everyone was discussing which was their favorite animal. Andrew also discussed his artistic process, highlighted with slides that showed photographs of animals along with the stages of the drawings of those animals. The audience was able to see how fragile Kenya’s beauty is when Andrew shared photos of Sudan, the last male Northern white rhino, whose recent passing marks the end of his species. It was an entertaining and enlightening presentation that ended with many interesting questions from the audience on the technical aspects of his work, including what media and paper he uses, how he photographs dangerous animals, how he chooses his subjects, and which animals are the most difficult to draw.

The best question of the night came from Prof. David Neville’s young daughter (and aspiring artist), who asked ‘How do you feel when you’re drawing?’ Andrew gave a big smile as he answered, ‘Happy. I feel happy when I draw’.

Here is a photo of them. Can you see why I’m the luckiest and happiest college president ever?

Andrew Kamiti and David Neville's daughter

David Neville’s daughter and Andrew Kamiti

Renegade Art Show

Art Professor, Diego Gutierrez Monterrubio and his students hold an art show each spring. This beautiful display is put on by the drawing and advanced drawing classes in front of the Fine Arts building. Enjoy these beautiful pictures.

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Can you see why I’m the luckiest and happiest college president ever?

Fun Photos

On Thursday, Sue Vaughn was spotted in the Welcome Center assisting students with registering for classes. #WeareBC!

Sue Vaughn in the Welcome Center

I also snapped this photo of the Executive Office Staff. These women are smart, hard working, and so beautiful.

BC’s Executive Office Staff Somaly, Tarina, Jennifer, June and Wendy

Attended the KCCD Leadership Academy graduation on Friday before I rushed off the Delano. Here is the group picture of the graduates thanks to John Hart and then I snapped this picture of Genevieve Graber who makes all this happen.

Liz Rozell and I had a great time making plans for an Early College Program with DJUHSD Superintendent Terri Nuckols. The energy on the room was great even though it was Friday afternoon after a long week. I snapped this picture.

Renegade Pantry

ABC23 spotlighted the Renegade Pantry this week, a student assistance program that exists to help maintain the health and welfare of students through organized college, community sponsorship, and donations of nonperishable food, clothing and hygiene items. Special thank you to Tori Cooper for visiting campus to see what we do firsthand.

View the clip here: https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/kern-county-institutions-help-battle-food-insecurity

Renegade Talks are back

See you at the Indoor Theater on March 10th. Thank you Andrea Thorson and Todd Coston.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2142196916023725/

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Sonya Christian's Blog

Monthly Archives: April 2018

Leadership Shines at BC

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, April 28, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade!

Student Leadership and Involvement Awards

Outreach Open House

Honors Celebration Dinner

BC Drumline Places 6th

Pre-Law Celebration

SGA Power Lunch with Scott Spielman

There’s a pathway for everyone at BC

Delano Community Alliance Fundraiser

Metal Fabrication Technology AS at BC

Architecture 33 Students at BC

BC Jazz Plays the Beatles

Project BEST

Leading the Nation: Building Excellence for California’s Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Students

Innovation of the Year Award from CCLC!

Renegade Softball

Veterans Summit

Lesley Bonds – Community Voices

William Velasquez

Meeting with Central Valley Regional Coordinator

Celebrating Regina Hukill

A Beautiful Garden Fest 2018

Renegade Athletics

We are Bakersfield!

Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference

Kern County Black Chamber Honors Bakersfield College

Social Justice and Health Hackathon at BC

Jess Nieto Memorial Conference: Exploring Chicano Studies at BC

Renegade Athletics

Renegade Pulse Health Fair

Revisiting Two Cultures

Seen on Facebook

College Council

Entree to Employment

CTE: Business and Computer Science Employer Panel

Noche de Cultura

BC Drum Corps

Accessibility for All

Student Success Stories

Special Delivery from Edwards Air Force Base

Bakersfield Homeless Center Fundraiser

CCCCO in Bakersfield.

Fun photos from Garden Fest:

We are the World! We are Bakersfield! We are BC!

Celebrating people — talent and dedication

Renegade Talks

Welcoming the KCCD Trustees to Campus

Student Employee Appreciation Week

Inaugural English Student Colloquium

Korean Culture Day

Faculty working on assessment of Student Learning

BC team at Banner Ellucian Conference

AAMP Open House

Congratulations 2018 KCCD Leadership Academy

KCCD in Oregon

Gearing up for Summer Bridge

Transfer Pathway Advising

We are BC Treats

Levan Humanities Review

RP Conference

UC and CCC sign agreement to boost transfers

KCMEA Jazz Day

Basketball Academy at BC!

Joint EOPS and MESA Student Educational Excursion

EOPS Priority Registration Festival

Seen on Media both social and traditional

Gadfly Cafe

Reggie opened of the conversation with a question: “What is beauty and what does it mean to you?” Thank you Reggie for providing these enriching opportunities for discussion and exploration.

Spring Fling

Central California World Language Project

Celebrating Pam Boyles

Coach Casey Goodman putting BC Softball on the map

Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference

The Powers of our Pets

Watching Dreams Blossom at BC!

Bakersfield College Southwest

Dr. Martin Luther King

We are the World!
We are Bakersfield!
We are BC!