I was struck by this post yesterday from the League for Innovation:
“The League wishes you a good weekend on this first weekend of March, which has certainly entered like a lion. Let’s hope it exits like a lamb. #WorldPeace #Understanding #March“
We see these dire images from Ukraine …..
The attacks have led to one million refugees fleeing the country in the span of just 7 days. Millions more are likely to follow in the weeks to come.
As we enter into this first weekend of March, and the first weekend of Lent, I know many of you will be joining the call… Let’s #praytogether #ukriane
I hope you all are able to find moments of peace and reflection this week – and I wanted to share one of mine. I snapped this photo of a beautiful February sunrise, while I was out walking Neo.
My moments of calm and rejuvenation are usually in the outdoors …. breathing, sensing and just being. When I returned from Oregon in 2013, I was happy to see the investments in parks and outdoor spaces in Kern County. Check out this article in The Bakersfield Californian, about more than $9 million in grants that will help upgrade three more county parks – in Bakersfield, Lost Hills, and Mojave.
5th District Supervisor and longtime BC supporter Leticia Perez, whose district includes Heritage Park in Bakersfield – which received the largest grant at nearly $4.3 million – spoke of the importance of parks to the health and well-being of a city’s residents.
I am sure that these communities will greatly enjoy the park updates for years and decades to come – I can’t wait to see the changes!
Good morning, friends…
It is March 5, 2022.
The sun shines bright over KernCCD.
This week, the Pirates, the Coyotes, and the Renegades continue to
#DareMightyThings
Porterville College
Pirates get No. 12 seed for NorCal Playoffs, earn 9 All-CVC awards
A historic season for the Porterville College men’s basketball team ended this week. The Pirates were named the No. 12 seed for the Northern California Regional Playoffs and travelled to face No. 5 Las Positas College for a Round 2 playoff game on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in Livermore.
The Pirates had a tough loss and were defeated 86-76, ending their amazing season.
Porterville put together one of its all-time best seasons in school history under first-year head coach Amaurys Fermin. The Pirates are 20-7 overall and took second place in the Central Valley Conference with a 10-4 mark. Porterville made first playoff appearance since 2003.
We are all so proud of this team for your accomplishments this season!
2021-22 ALL-CENTRAL VALLEY CONFERENCE AWARDS
Porterville Men’s Basketball earned nine All-Central Valley Conference postseason honors:
First Team – Chirrag Sidhu, Isaiah Josue
Honorable Mention – Julio Phipps
Co-Freshman of the Year – Isaiah Josue
All-Freshmen Team – Quame Smith, Chozen Amadi, Julio Phipps
Defensive Player of the Year – Isaiah Josue
All-Defensive Team – Julio Phipps
PC invites community to participate in art show
The public is invited to a new group showing of artistic works from the Porterville Art Association at the Porterville College Art Gallery.
This show brings together a diverse group of artists from the Porterville area.
Early in life, Nat Briones enjoyed drawing family and friends and found a natural affinity for cartooning. He later discovered pastel painting while working as a Merchant Marine, and says “I have visited many beautiful places and cultures [and through it all] my artwork helped me make many friends.”
Ellen Jordan says, “I have loved art in all its forms since I was a child.” And continues, “I find inspiration for my art everywhere.”
Diana Mitchell says of confronting real personal challenges, “[I] decided that art was calling out to me, not only as a great form of therapy, but also as a passion from deep within.”
Joy Collier, a self-described “California landscape artist,” who says, “I was taught, ‘Paint what smiles at you!’ and the subtle moods of the Central Valley and the Sequoias are always smiling at me.”
These artists and others in this group exhibition provide many unique perspectives through their works on display at the Porterville College Art Gallery.
The show runs through March 24, 2022. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 12 to 2 pm and 4 to 6 pm.
Overcoming Structural Barriers of Racism in Higher Education
Dr. Edward C. Bush, President of Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, spoke to the PC community on Thursday, February 24th, as a part of PC’s 2022 celebration of Black History Month.
Besides being an accomplished author of books and publications in respected journals, Dr. Bush is a founding member of the African American Male Educational Network & Development Inc. (A2MEND), which is a nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to improving the educational outcomes for African American men and other men of color enrolled in the California Community College system.
As a widely recognized leader in issues relating to equity, diversity, student success and leadership with the California Community College System, the time he spent with the PC community was impactful, inspiring, and refreshingly authentic and genuine.
Cerro Coso Community College
Cerro Coso PTK Chapter Recognized for Outstanding Growth
CC’s Beta Kappa Chi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) was recognized for their efforts to bring life changing benefits and opportunities of PTK membership to even more students on their campuses in 2021.
The recognition is part of PTK’s Reach Rewards program, which celebrates and rewards Phi Theta Kappa chapters excelling in membership development.
“As the pandemic lingered in 2021, celebrating student success became more important than ever,” PTK President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner said. “PTK membership creates higher self-efficacy, fosters a sense of belonging, and provides a supportive community for learning and self-expression. Our work leads to increased student engagement which is what causes higher rates of student success. I am so proud of our Reach Chapters—they worked exceptionally hard to create spaces where students could connect and support one another—even amid a global pandemic.”
The Cerro Coso Community College Foundation offers $10,000 in local support of PTK memberships every year.
A full 91 percent of Phi Theta Kappa members will complete an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college, compared to just 31 percent of students nationally. Members have access to millions of dollars in scholarships — $1million in competitive scholarships through the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and more than $246 million in transfer scholarships to over
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org
The New Student Registration Process & What You Need to Know – Banner 9
Cerro Coso made the transition from Banner Version 8 to Banner Version 9 Self Service. This upgrade will deliver a fresh user experience with a modern look and feel. Features include: increased efficiencies, new tools and improved capabilities. It is anticipated, the upgrade will impact everyone at the College.
The new process is more streamlined and user-friendly. Registration has been updated with intuitive registration tools and a mobile-friendly design that will show the registration impact on the student’s calendar, making it easier than ever for students, advisors, and administrators to use. Training materials will be made available and the Help Desk is prepared to assist with any questions.
Men’s Coyote Basketball Team Makes Playoffs
Congratulations to the Men’s Coyote Basketball Team and Coach Dugan for making it into the CCCAA post-season playoffs for the first-time in 23 years.
The team lost to Mira Costa 93-70 on Tuesday.
This year’s team has been remarkable to follow as Coach Dugan has assembled tremendous talent on the court this season. In record breaking fashion the Coyote’s 22 regular season wins is the most in school history and the team ranked as high as #10 in Southern California polls and #19 in the state polls, both all time highs for the program.
Congrats on a great season!
Cerro Coso is Here to Stay in Tehachapi
With the existing lease of the Tehachapi Education Center through the Tehachapi Unified School District (TUSD) coming to an end June 30, 2022, Cerro Coso has been engaged in discussions with the TUSD regarding a renewal of the lease.
Cerro Coso President Dr. Sean Hancock said “we are looking at a three-year lease renewal while we investigate opportunities for a permanent new home in Tehachapi. Our partnership with the TUSD is stronger than ever, and we look forward to increasing early college opportunities by identifying new career technical education pathways that meet the growing needs of local industry partners. Our message to the Tehachapi community – we are here to stay!”
Bakersfield College
Commencement 2022 Announcement
I’d like to share an excerpt of the announcement from BC President Zav Dadabhoy:
I am delighted to announce that Bakersfield College’s 108th Commencement Ceremony will be held as an in-person ceremony on Thursday, May 12, 2022.
We will celebrate the academic achievements of the Class of 2022, and also honor our promise to the classes of 2020 and 2021 by inviting them to join the celebrations in the recently renovated Memorial Stadium. This is our first commencement ceremony on campus since 2018, and marks the momentous occasion we have all been waiting for.
I encourage all eligible students to submit their graduation petition as soon as possible. It is available on BC’s graduation webpage. If students are unsure about their eligibility, please connect with BC’s Student Information Desk, where a staff member would be happy to assist or they may connect with any counselor or advisor.
Download the Graduation Petition
BC Selected by Amazon as an Education Partner for Career Choice Program
Amazon announced this that it is further expanding the career advancement opportunities it offers its 750,000 hourly employees in the U.S. by partnering with more than 140 national and local universities, including Bakersfield College, to provide fully-funded college tuition. The announcement is part of the company’s ongoing enhancements to Career Choice – an Amazon upskilling program designed to help frontline employees grow their skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere.
Find out more about the Amazon Career Choice Program.
BC’s Citizen Leadership Center Now Offering Free Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving Certificate
BC’s Citizen Leadership Center’s purpose is to give citizens the tools and know-how to exercise their power beyond the ballot, equipping them with the pragmatic, problem solving skills needed to work together despite their political differences. BC strives to develop new leaders who know how to work with people with whom they disagree and are skilled at identifying practical solutions.
This certificate through the Citizen Leadership Center will teach you your legal rights as a citizen leader who can bring solutions. Learn to get in the game of government decision making with a successful practitioners’ method called No-Blame Problem Solving.
Check out this preview of Power Civics:
Renegade Spotlight on Gina Herrera
BC Adjunct Art Professor Gina Herrera recently had an opportunity to showcase her art from Bakersfield to Bel Air.
She received an email from Universal Studios in November inquiring about her sculpture work. “I thought it was a hoax, but I answered with curiosity. To my surprise it was a legitimate correspondence and 3 days later I was driving down to LA to drop off my sculptures,” Gina shared.
On February 24th Gina’s sculpture was featured on Bel-Air, Episode 5: PA to LA. You can watch this TV series on Peacock TV. Gina reflected, “I am extremely fortunate to be a featured artist on Bel-Air”.
Herrera teaches Art classes at multiple locations and online for Bakersfield College. You can learn more about her work on her personal webpage or on Instagram at Instagram.com/gina.herrera1/.
Renegade Athletics Update
Women’s Basketball made it into post season, but lost a tough game against Long Beach City on Thursday at the Gil Bishop Sports Center. The Renegades were defeated, 69-59.
The Renegades wrapped up their 2021-22 season with an overall record of 19 wins and 7 losses and a first time playoff berth in seven years. Six teammates will be saying goodbye to BC but nine will hopefully be returning to the team. Congratulations on an amazing season!
Conference Awards:
- Kathleen Rodriguez (Third Team All State)
- Julie Hernandez (First Team All Conference)
- Angie Gonzalez (First Team All Conference)
- Kathleen Rodriguez (First Team All Conference)
- Elise Enriquez (Honorable-Mention)
Men’s Basketball wrapped up their season last Thursday, defeating LA Valley with a score of 59-41.
Conference Awards:
- Tyrell Coleman (First Team)
- Rahmel Davis (First Team)
- Eloy Medina (Honorable-Mention)
- Deandre Pemberton (Honorable-Mention)
Renegade Softball also had an amazing weekend and won both games. Pitcher, Talia Nielson, didn’t allow a single run in the second game over Ventura.
Getting to Know: Cathi Jacob
This week, we are Getting To Know Cathi Jacob, who is an accounting manager at the Kern CCD District Office.
“Jacob, a 21-year employee of the Kern Community College District, is an accounting manager in the district’s finance office. In fiscal year 2020-21, she oversaw reporting for 187 grants and restricted funding accounts that totaled $57 million. As the district’s grant funding has increased in recent years — last year grant funding it increased 20 percent over the previous year — Jacob’s role ensuring every dollar is accounted for and reported accurately has taken on increasing importance.”
Black History Month Breakfast
On Monday, the Kern CCD held a Black History Month Breakfast, inviting partners throughout our community to our district office.
In the News
Community Voices: Hard Fun is a Process
The Bakersfield Californian published a piece thoughtfully written by BC Academic Technology’s Matt Andrasian-Jones. Matt shares what he learned was “hard fun,” but what does this concept have to do with BC’s Academic Technology Department? You’ll have to read to find out.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
Kern CCD Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg was featured along with PCC President Erika Endrijonas in this week’s Twitter Equity Avengers:
Porterville College President Claudia Habib shared this update from the CEO Symposium:
Bakersfield College Industrial Automation shared these photos from their visit to McFarland Junior High School –
“Thank you @MJHS_of_MUSD for hosting us. We had a great time at your beautiful campus.”
I loved this video from Yellowstone National Park, celebrating the park’s 150th anniversary – just beautiful:
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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!
The future is bright at KCCD.
-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor
#KCCDDaringMightyThings
Tagged: #KCCDDaringMightyThings, Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso College, Kern Community College District, Porterville College, Sonya Christian
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