Let me introduce you to one of my bosses – The President of the Kern Community Collee District Board of Trustees Romeo Agbalog through this 2-min video segment where he was one of the panelist for the One Book event hosted by Prof. Chris Dison. He talks about the perspective with which we approach life. This is a must watch video.
What a week! Bakersfield was on display as host for the California Economic Summit on Thursday and Friday, hosted by California Forward. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Kern CCD held a Pre-Summit Institute, “Community Economic Mobility: A Focus On Energy and Climate Resilience.”
The events provided a gathering of statewide leaders working for regional approaches to economic prosperity, giving all Californians access to their California dream.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Director Martin Keller and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director Kim Budil were on hand:
Check out some of the photos ….
We are in the process of segmenting the days’ videos into individual panels. Full videos of both days, as well as the videos that have been completed, are available at https://www.kccd.edu/CommunityEconomicMobility.
On Thursday, I was honored to speak at the California Economic Summit during the Voices of Kern… Creating our Future segment. I joined speakers Traco Matthews, Emily Duran, Raji Brar, Michelle Corson, Aaron Resendez, Karen Goh, Rick Jhaj, Teresa Hitchcock, and Imelda Ceja in sharing our Kern County story.
On stage, I was joined by fabulous schoolchildren – Zachariah, Emilia, Liyu, and Noor.
Bakersfield College’s own Josh Ottum and Kris Tiner provided some entertainment:
Thank you to Emily Duran, Rosa Lopez, Connie Perez, Dee Slade, Raji Brar, Imelda Ceja, Michelle Corson, Theresa Hitchcock, Max Becerra, Sonia Kaur, Christian Clegg, Lauren Skidmore, Karen Zuber, Rick Jhaj, Traco Mathews, Dr. John Mendiburu, Jay Tamsi, David Franz, Dr. Dean McGee, Daniel Rodela, Aaron Resendez, Amanda Frank, Jonathan Dethloff, Timothy Reid, Mayor Goh, and Reyna Olaguez for your work in this important area.
Kern Community College District also had a presence on Day 2 of the summit, thanks to Norma Rojas-Mora:
Good morning, friends.
It is October 29, 2022.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD.
Porterville College
PC Hosts Leadership Porterville on Campus
This past week, the membership of Leadership Porterville spent an afternoon on campus learning about PC.
PC President Dr. Claudia Habib led a group of administrators, including Vice President of Administrative Services Maria Battisti, Vice President of Student Services Primavera Arvizu, and Dean of Instruction Michelle Miller-Galaz, to discuss our various programs and campus operations with the group.
The day started off with lunch and networking for the Leadership Porterville members, which include Director of Enrollment Services, Jonathan Miranda. The group then heard from the panel about our programs and services and how we provide pathways for the community to learn and grow.Â
PC welcomes the new Administrative Assistant to the President
Please join us in welcoming Maribel Hernandez as the new Interim Administrative Assistant to the President!
Ms. Hernandez was born and raised in the Central Valley. She joins us with five years of service in support of Administration at the Kern Community College District.
Over her 15-year career in education, she has held a wide range of positions, including Behavior Management Specialist for Lindsay Unified School District, Case Management for Tulare County Office of Education, Head Start, Department Assistant for the Inmate Scholar Program at Bakersfield College, Executive Secretary for the Office of Instruction for Porterville College and, most recently, Administrative Assistant for the Porterville College Foundation. She has developed her leadership and managerial experience by coordinating the weekly Porterville College Foundation Swap Meet.
PC Choral Wows Full House
The PC Choral group performed their opening concert this past Tuesday on the PC Campus. After long hours of rehearsal and hard work, the group, led by Music Instructor Ben Makino, held their first open recital of the semester.Â
Dual Enrollment Students Visit Campus
PC Student Ambassadors introduced our campus to a group of HS Dual enrollment students this week, giving them a tour of campus and discussing possibilities for their educational futures. They heard about student life from Student Life and Leadership Program Manager Jasmin Quinones and were accompanied by their instructor (and PC History Professor) Rebecca Baird.
The group came from PUSD’s Granite Hills High School. On their tour of campus, the group ran into PC President Dr. Habib, who took some time to visit with the group and, of course, take a few selfies!
Cerro Coso Community College
Matt Wanta, Tyrone Ledford, Vonetta Mixson, Peter Fulks, and Nicole Griffin.
CTE Team attends CCCAOE Fall 2022 Conference
Cerro Coso’s CTE team attended the annual California Community College Association for Occupational Education (CCCAOE) Fall 2022 Conference in beautiful Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs in October.
The CCCAOE is an umbrella organization representing career technical education (CTE) and economic development professionals. Many educational disciplines have their own professional organization, but CCCAOE is the only voice that speaks for all career technical education in the California community colleges.
Attending this year’s event were Vonetta Mixson, Jarrod Bowen, Melissa Bowen, Peter Fulks, Richard Garrett, Tyrone Ledford, Matt Wanta, and Nicole Griffin.
Celebrate What Is Great at the DEF
It is fall and that means the days are shorter, the mornings are cooler, and the evening sunsets are breath-taking.
It’s also the season for lemonade, laughter, and the Desert Empire Fair (DEF).
In many ways, the DEF is a lot like Christmas. It comes only once a year and requires extensive advance preparation followed by lively bursts of fun and exhilaration.
An iconic piece of Americana with a rich history stretching back over centuries, people embrace local fairs as an opportunity to set the rest of life aside and enjoy the sights, sounds, and feelings that combine to create an experience that is unquestionably unique, while at the same time timeless and familiar.
For three days, 25 hours, Cerro Coso students and employees volunteered to staff the college’s booth at this year’s fair, October 21-23.
Flight Line Tap Room owner Ross Shingledecker,
CCCC student Julianna Gorduyn, and Cerro Coso Public Relations Director Natalie Dorrell.
Flight Line Tap Room and Cerro Coso College team up to fight food insecurity
Julianna Gorduyn a student at Cerro Coso works at Flight Line Tap Room and saw an opportunity to help her fellow students.
With the approval of owner Ross Shingledecker, Julianna has coordinated a Fall Food Drive to take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022. Beer lovers can bring a non-perishable food donation for the college food pantry into the Flight Line Tap Room located at 259 North Balsam Street and receive a reduced flight price between 3 and 6 p.m.
“Cerro Coso understands that it is very hard to focus on being a successful student if you are worried about your next meal, unsure where you are going to sleep, or struggling with a lack of health care,” stated Outreach Director Katie Bachman.
The Coyote Cupboard, a food pantry for college students, was established in 2017 to address the basic food needs of students.
The Cerro Coso Coyote Cupboard accepts all food and monetary donations. For more information on how you can help, contact the Outreach Office at 760-384-6353.
Bakersfield College
BC Professor Kris Tiner Inducted into CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame
One of BC’s very best is receiving an amazing recognition from his alma mater. Performing Arts Department Chair and BC Jazz Studies Director Kris Tiner has been announced as one of four members of the 2023 class of inductees to the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame. Professor Tiner is an internationally recognized trumpet player, educator, and composer with more than 80 original recordings including contributions to film, tv, and radio.
During his tenure as a Renegade, Professor Tiner has led the BC Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos to great success, being recognized with national awards by DownBeat Magazine, the leading Jazz Music publication in the world.
We are so proud to call Kris Tiner one of our own, and congratulate him on this wonderful accomplishment.
Delano Hosts One Book Project Discussion Panel
The Delano campus hosted a discussion panel, “Walking the Path: Overcoming Barriers to Education in the Central Valley” in partnership with the Kern County One Book Project. Students and community members heard the Mayor of Delano, Bryan Osorio, and Kern Community College District Trustee President Romeo Agbalog share their experiences as first-generation college students, the sacrifices made by themselves and their families, and the perseverance and determination it took to accomplish their goals of higher education.
BC Theater Dazzles Audience at 38th Annual Shakespeare Festival
From October 5th through October 15th the BC Theater department presented the 38th annual Kern Shakespeare Festival, a cherished Bakersfield College tradition founded in 1985. For two weeks student actors, faculty, and community members brought these stories to life in the Edward Simonsen Outdoor Theater. Love’s Labour’s Lost, directed by BC Theater Professor Cody Ganger, had audiences captivated by the peculiar antics and over-the-top comedy.
BC Theater Professor Brian Sivesind, Artistic Director of the festival, styled his Romeo & Juliet with a 1980s twist, featuring a soundtrack of the biggest hits and costumes with the best and boldest styles of the decade. A hearty congratulations is due to both casts. The Kern Shakespeare Festival is a wonderful tradition that we cherish here at Bakersfield College and in our larger community.
BC Homecoming
Bakersfield College celebrated the “Renegade Fever” themed Homecoming week. The festivities started with events like Disco Dye and Groovy Glasses, giving students a break in studies to decorate outrageous accessories. The week ended with our parade of the Renegades and the Homecoming game on Saturday night. BC football took the victory over the Ventura Pirates and our Homecoming Royalty (Malcolm Jacobs, Anjel Flores, and Natalie Macias) took their crowns.
BC Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner
The second annual Bakersfield College Athletics Hall of Fame dinner was held last week on Thursday, October 22nd at Luigi’s Restaurant. Seven Renegade alumni were inducted into the second class: Stan Greene, Brandon Kurtz, Jeremy Staat, Sandi Taylor, Octavio Martinez, Duane Damron, and Dr. Romain Clerou. All were in attendance with friends, family and colleagues supporting them while Dr. Clerou had his son there to represent him.
The Bakersfield College Athletics Hall of Fame was established with the goal to annually recognize Renegade Athletics success across all sports. Inductees consist of standout former student athletes, coaches, administrators, and other community members who have rendered extraordinary service to the department.
Since its founding in 1922 the Bakersfield College Athletics Department has been synonymous with athletic success in the Bakersfield community. Rich with history and tradition the department has won a grand total of 186 conference team championships, 15 state team championships and 10 national team championships in its century of existence.
To celebrate Sandi Taylor’s induction into the BC Athletics Hall of Fame, let’s watch again the video from two years ago.
In Memoriam
It has been a difficult few weeks of losing members of the BC family and extended family.
Link to the video on twitter: https://twitter.com/BCIAutomation/status/1583531079553597440
Endee Grijalva‘s mother, Rebecca Endee Hurst, also recently passed away.
In the News
Community Voices: Revitalized campus brings welcome change
BC Journalism Professor and Renegade Rip adviser Erin Auerbach penned this piece for The Bakersfield Californian.
“After a prolonged period of deep uncertainty, a revitalized campus brings welcome change and emphasizes the sense of community that was suspended in the fray of a pandemic.”
10 Minutes With Tipton: Porterville College’s Roger Perez
Porterville College’s Roger Perez, Director of Communications and Community Relations, was featured in the latest edition of 10 Minutes With Tipton in The Porterville Recorder.
“I love that I get to do things that I’ve always loved to do. I think in a lot of professions, you’re sort of stuck to one thing. You train to do something and only do that your entire career. I get to do a little bit of everything in the creative world — video, social media, design, writing. I get to talk to big groups of people, I talk to small groups of people, and I get to represent a FANTASTIC school. There isn’t a lot I don’t like about my career and job.”
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to BC art students Kaylee DeBerti, Gianna Villafuerte, Haylie Murrie, and Emma Elenes, for this beautiful version of “The Abduction of Psyche,” at last weekend’s Via Arte. The students were awarded the “Best Rendition of a Master Work” award and the unofficial “Best Squad” award for their teamwork. The BC Foundation was a proud sponsor of the event again this year, and we are extra proud of our students and their obvious hard work!
PC President Dr. Claudia Habib shared this post about Financial Aid Night:
College and Financial Aid Night taking place right now. Students from every high school came to learn about our programs and resources. I love meeting future students and their parents, some of them also PC graduates! #PirateFamily #StartHereGoAnywhereDoAnything @Foundation_PC
Check out BC Rural Initiatives at the Delano Trunk or Treat event:
California Community Colleges Interim Chancellor Daisy Gonzales shared this photo from the ACCT conference, where I presented on Guided Pathways with Todd Coston and Kern CCD Trustees Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Yovani Jimenez:
And here’s Kern CCD Trustees Yovani Jimenez and Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg with BC President Zav Dadabhoy at last weekend’s Renegade Football Homecoming Game:
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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!
The future is bright at KernCCD.
-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor
#KernCCDDaringMightyThing
Tagged: #KernCCDDaringMightyThings, Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso College, Kern Community College District, Porterville College, Romeo Agbalog, Sonya Christian
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