200 years ago today – December 23, 1823 – one of the most famous pieces of Christmas literature was first published.
Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas” is better known today as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It was published anonymously in the Sentinel, the local newspaper of Troy, New York. Clement Clarke Moore claimed authorship in 1837.
handwritten by Clement Clarke Moore
Snapped this sunrise sequence on December 17th during my morning walk with Neo.
6:17 am
6:41 am
6:47 am
Good morning and Merry Christmas, California.
It is December 23, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
As is my tradition in my end-of-year blogs, I wanted to take some time to revisit a few of my past blog posts. Today, we’ll look at blogs from 2013-2019.
2013
June 19, 2013: BC at ATD
This week, a cadre of my colleagues from Bakersfield College, the Kern Community College District, and our two sister colleges, ventured across the country participate in the Achieving the Dream (ATD) kick off conference in Orlando. You can read more about ATD at http://www.achievingthedream.org/
*****
September 15, 2013: Summer Bridge Helps Incoming Freshmen Transition
Helping students transition to college life is the goal of a program here at Bakersfield College called Summer Bridge. This past August, many people on campus came together to help 35 incoming freshmen learn the ropes and ready themselves for college. Over four days, these students spent 18 hours on campus taking care of business.
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October 19, 2013: Talking Immigration Reform at Chamber Quarterly Breakfast
I was invited by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce CEO Cynthia Pollard to be part of a panel discussion on immigration reform in the United States. This event, held over an early-morning breakfast at the Doubletree Hotel, brought together four panelists to discuss issues in Immigration Reform.
2014
January 4, 2014: Filipino Community Gathers to Support Hurricane Victims. Nov 2013
The Delano Filipino community, under the leadership of Jay Tamsi, came together in a big way to organize support for the victims of the hurricane.
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February 9, 2014: Happy 100th Birthday
My 100th post –
This year, Bakersfield College is celebrating our 100th anniversary…but so is a special person here in Bakersfield. Marian Triplett, born in 1914 with twin sister Jeanne, turns 100 this year, and her granddaughter Cassie, emailed me to let me know the family was having a special celebration for Marian.
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August 4, 2014: BC in the News – Making it Happen
The Bakersfield Californian article about remedial education and the associated costs describes the stimulus for exciting new Bakersfield College strategies designed to help students complete their education plans more efficiently.
2015
March 10, 2015: Outreach and Arvin High School
After screening the movie First Generation last year, we came to understand exactly how important outreach is to making higher education an option for our community. Featuring a Bakersfield College student, the movie showed exactly what high school students go through as they plan the rest of their lives.
Our outreach team has been working hard in the community, at events and high schools, to take information about BC to potential students. I was able to accompany the team, led by Steve Watkin, to a visit to Arvin High School.
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May 2, 2015: A Very Thoughtful Penny
It’s not every day you get introduced to wonderful souls like our own BC student Jose Arreola.
Jose came by my office in the Admin building because he said he wanted to give me a gift.
Jose said the coin was part of a larger collection given to him by his grandfather. Considering 1913 was the monumental year that Bakersfield College first opened its doors to students, Jose said he felt it was right that BC should have the rare coin. The coin will hold an honored place here in my office as a reminder of the century that Bakersfield College has been serving this community with excellence.
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December 13, 2015: Vision for the Valley – Kern County Leaders Look to the Future at BC
Whether you’re titans of industry, learned academics or pre-schoolers on the playground, there’s a simple rule that holds true — talking through problems is usually the most effective path to workable, sustaining solutions.
BC was thrilled to host the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Vision for the Valley summit this week.
2016
Jan 5, 2016: 2016: The Force Awakens
It’s 2016, a new year, and The Force is with Bakersfield College!
BC’s key strength is its people. Faculty and staff are talented and dedicated to the students and to the institution. As such, they are motivated to do what it takes to “Make It Happen” in advancing student learning and progression towards their educational goals.
Read more: https://sonyachristianblog.com/2016/01/02/2016-the-force-awakens/
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January 23, 2016: Spring 2016 Opening Day: The Force is With…BC
Almost a month ago, on December 27th I did a blog on the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens http://bcpresidentblog.com/2015/12/27/a-holiday-blog/.
So, the Creative Team made it all happen as fluidly as J.J. Abrams himself.
Watch the Millennium Falcon take off and circle over 1801 Panorama Drive, the Imperial stormtroopers and R2-D2 strolling around campus, and the roar of Zav Dadabhoy aka Wookiee Chewbacca.
Read more at https://sonyachristianblog.com/2016/01/23/spring-2016-opening-day-the-force-is-with-bc/
*****
Feb 20, 2016: BC’s talented students….and amazing faculty
Basketball: Our Renegade Basketball team won the Western States Conference Championship on Wednesday, Feb 17th! Read more: https://sonyachristianblog.com/2016/02/20/bcs-talented-students-and-amazing-faculty/
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May 7, 2016: We are BC!
Current Renegade graduate and a little future Renegade
Read more: https://sonyachristianblog.com/2016/05/07/we-are-bc/
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June 11, 2016: Celebrating our faculty, staff, students and the community
On June 9th, Mayor Harvey Hall, as the chair of the Bakersfield College Blue Ribbon Committee briefed the Board on the work being done by the Blue Ribbon Committee.
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July 16, 2016: Building A Better BC
At approximately 1:45 p.m. on July 14, 2016 the KCCD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to have a $503 M bond measure on the November ballot. A historic moment!
Wesley Lyons, one of our student veterans, also shared his thoughts.
Wesley Lyons returns to his seat after his speech.
“A statistic some of you may have heard, is that 22 veterans commit suicide per day. Their suicides are damaging to our community and opened my eyes that we need more direct services dedicated to these brothers and sisters. And while the campus community can help to Band-Aid it together, there are still lingering effects. The new Veteran Recourse Center will have a larger dedicated space for Veterans to come together to share, support, and most importantly to decompress. The space will also have dedicated tutors for soldiers who have not been dedicated learners in four plus years, and increased administrative support such as additional advisors to cope with an increasing demand for veteran specific knowledge. As a veteran I can tell you, that sometimes I need to know there is a space I can rely on that will help me calm my nerves and where like-minded support will be there for me to relate to.”
The room was packed and the message was clear: Dream Big – our future and the future of the students who attend BC depend on it. The support thus far has been overwhelming and the excitement bursts around us.
BC’s Bond Blue Ribbon Committee came out in full force to support the Board in taking this action. I was sitting up front, so could not see everyone who was in the packed room. So let me mention a few: Mayor Harvey Hall, Congressman Bill Thomas, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jay Rosenlieb, Karen Thompson, Michael Bowers, Jay Tamsi, Keith Wolaridge, Michael O’Doherty, Michael Turnipseed and others.
Read more at https://sonyachristianblog.com/2016/07/16/building-a-better-bc/
October 30, 2016:
2017
June 3, 2017: California Comes to Bakersfield
It’s another great week to be a Renegade, especially in light of our recent “Leadership Matters: Re-Imagining Leadership to Sustain Transformative Change to Advance Student Success & Equity” summit that took place on campus last week on Wednesday May 24th. It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to be able to host this remarkable and motivating day focused on leadership. Colleges from all over California met to discuss the Guided Pathways Initiative and how we can better accommodate and serve our community and our 2.1 million students across California.
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November 11, 2017: Celebrating Veterans All Week Long
We’ve been celebrating our veterans all week, starting with a special leadership breakfast on Monday, guest speakers, and the public unveiling of our plans for the Veteran Resource Center, which wouldn’t be possible without the community of Kern County coming together to support Measure J.
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December 16, 2017: Busy Between Semesters at BC!
On Thursday morning I was honored to be a part of an event for the new CTE initiative announced by the FIELD Institute. California Community Colleges play a critical role in lifting the state’s economy, creating the workforce of the future, closing achievement gaps, and providing educational access to all. Jobs requiring only a high school education are becoming more rare, which drives an increasing need for postsecondary education and a degree as the passport to family sustaining wages, and steady employment.
2018
March 24, 2018: A Beautiful Rainy Week at BC
Many know the incredible value that Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Executive Vice President of Instruction Emeritus, has brought over the last 35 years to Bakersfield College and across the Kern Community College District. Yet her impact has been felt beyond our campus, so much that one of our partners, FIELD (Farmworker Institute for Education and Leadership Development), honored her Friday with its Cesar Chavez Legacy Award.
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May 12, 2018: A Commencement of Firsts
Last night there were many firsts: we celebrated the first Dual Enrollment class from the Wonderful Academy, graduating with their Associates Degrees before they even complete high school; and we celebrated the first graduating cohort of the Kern Promise, a select group of students who piloted a Guided Pathways model of shared responsibility
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September 29, 2018: Creativity, Talent, and Inspiration Runs Deep at Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College has been selected by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors as one of 29 community colleges to be awarded a share of $4.9 million to further expand and bolster the College’s Veterans Resource Center. These grant funds go directly to assist the hundreds of veteran students as they work to achieve their academic goals and degree completion at Bakersfield College.
» Read more!
2019
January 19, 2019: Welcome to Spring ’19
I am so excited and proud to announce that Senator Jean Fuller will be at the helm of the Early College Program at Bakersfield College. A true blessing for BC! She will lead the necessary intersegmental collaboration, relationships with business and industry, and connections with national policy organizations to scale up Early College regionally and nationally.
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Jan 29, 2017: A Busy Week at BC!
Join me in congratulating Coach Paula Dahl for her 300th game! In this picture is Sandi Taylor, Athletic Director, Coach Paula, and Keith Ford, Associate Athletic Director.
Read more: https://sonyachristianblog.com/2017/01/29/a-busy-week-at-bc/
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October 5, 2019: Live simply…so others can simply live
When Dr. Arun Gandhi took the stage at Delano High’s RFK Auditorium on Monday, he started by asking the audience to participate in a thought experiment. He had everyone pair up, asking one person to hold their fist clenched as tightly as possible, while the other person did anything they could to get it open. After a few seconds struggling to force their partner’s hand open, he asked a simple follow-up question, “Did anyone ask their partner if they would open their hand?” This simple exercise helped motivate the primary theme of Arun Gandhi’s talk, the pervasiveness of violence in our everyday lives and how by reducing the passive violence within ourselves we can reduce acts of physical violence and conflict in our larger society.
» Read more!
*****
November 17, 2019: Collaboration, Community, and Conferences!
Yesterday, leaders and educators from K12, community colleges, CSU’s, UC’s, and independent colleges together with industry leaders met in Bakersfield, working together to increase educational attainment by reducing barriers and mapping out seamless pathways for students.
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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.
That’s all for today.
See you next Saturday!
With much hope and joy,
Your Chancellor,
-sonya
#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora
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You always have a great recap of the years. Can’t believe how quick those years glide by. That poem has always been one of my favorites too. The attention to detail combined with its simplicity, charm and action make it fun to read.
Having a Merry Christmas near Indianapolis, IN visiting our newest granddaughter Madeline.
Hope you and your family have a great Holiday time as well.
God Bless You and Them