What were you up to this past week? Drop me a comment with your story while I tell you about my week.
I enjoyed a white Christmas with my daughter.
Growing up in Kerala, India, Bing Crosby’s I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas was an all-time favorite. At that time, I imagined snow to have a cotton-like soft texture even though I had sufficient experience by then to know it was frozen water. I first saw snow when I came to the United States as a foreign graduate student and my brother Roy took me for a drive to Reno. You know how some memories get etched deeply in your mind ….. Well that first snow experience was one of them.
I attended the morning Christmas service at St. Peter’s catholic church. The sermon was about how we could and should systematically keep hope alive. So here’s to 2025 filled with joy and hope!
Later in the day, we took a drive by Lake Ontario and stopped at Humber Bay. Check it out.
Back at the house, we lounged on the couch by the fireplace and the cutest Christmas tree and binge-watched the new Matlock show starring Kathy Bates as Matlock.
Roger Ebert closes out his review of the show with this:
This earnestness, combined with Bates’ performance and the show’s strong and consistent use of humor, makes for a good watch. “Matlock” isn’t exactly throwback TV, but it delivers on the comfort food of solving at least one complex problem in forty-two minutes. That it’s funny and heartfelt along the way just adds to the charm, particularly as the suspense mounts. Toying with our expectations of a recognizable persona like Matlock, CBS’s newest legal drama honors the original while creating something new entirely.
And now back home with Neo
A few more holiday greetings from our California Community Colleges –
Citrus College:
Sierra College:
Good morning California. It is December 28, 2024. A good day to be a Community College Champion
Over the last several weeks I have been featuring blogs from the past starting in 2013….. today I wrap up the “throwback series” by highlighting blog posts from 2021-2024.
2021
March 13, 2021: An evening to remember. Sterling Silver 2021.
Last Saturday’s Sterling Silver broadcast on KGET/Channel 17 was an amazing celebration of our outstanding philanthropists. I hope you were able to tune in and watch as the BC Foundation honored Margaret “Peggy” Haight, Patricia Mettler, Greg & Mary Bynum, and Becki Whitson.
The projects proposed will include expanding the college’s Rural Health Equity and Learning collaborative, the Certified Nursing Assistant and Registered Nurse programs, and the allied health programs such as the new Physical Therapy Assistant program, while also providing funding for new post-pandemic student health and wellness services, and new certification programs, such as the Mental Health Worker Certificate.
September 26, 2021: Join us in imagining and making it so
On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, Bakersfield College’s Early College Program announced a new Early College option to McFarland High School freshman to earn a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Automation in five years! This year’s class of 232 incoming ninth grade students will be able to start on a pathway toward a bachelor of science degree that begins their freshman year and is completed one year after they graduate from high school. Really appreciate the leadership of Superintendent Aaron Resendez and Trustee Romeo Agbalog.
November 6, 2021: KCCD paying attention – to a moment, to an idea, to a feeling
On Wednesday, the PC Writer & Poet Speaker Series continued with a virtual event featuring Clint Smith.
Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award.
January 29, 2022: KCCD Colleges settling into the Spring Semester
On Wednesday of this week, I was so inspired by the conversation led by the California Community Colleges Women’s Caucus, and California Competes, in a panel discussion about “student parents” in community colleges.
Dr. Su Jin Jez from California Competes shared their findings on how to best help our student parents reach their educational goals.
One message that in particular stood out for me was when Su Jin advocated for “enabling more pathways that are accessible, cost effective and portable.”
April 30, 2022: Kern CCD – No shortage of worthwhile work to be done
On, Friday, April 22nd, the Porterville College Foundation held its 53RD ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP & AWARDS CEREMONY.
The annual scholarship ceremony is a mainstay event that has long offered a personal touch that students, donors, faculty, and staff have come to look forward to each year. We were pleased that this year’s event marked the return to an in-person format – with the ceremony being held inside the Porterville College Gym.
It was an exciting week at the Kern Community College District as we welcomed some very special visitors. Tara Lynn Gray, Director of the California Office of Small Business Advocate, and the California Energy Commissioners Siva Gunda and Patty Monahan. I will add photos of the CEC visit in my next week’s blog.
Really enjoyed my visit with Director Gray who was warm and committed to entrepreneurship as being the equity solution to economic development for rural communities. And what a treat to see Linda Quinones-Vaughn after so many years. Nicole Parra and I had a delightful visit with these two wonderful women.
Last weekend, I traveled to UCLA to speak as a panelist at the California Learning Lab Inspire Convening. The incredible Lande Ajose was our moderator, and I joined Michael Drake, John Perez and Romey Sabalius to discuss “who’s really in charge in higher education.” We talked about the stakeholders and governance structure involved in higher education, and what roadblocks faculty and administrators sometimes face in advancing innovation.
January 21, 2023: Kern CCD – Together we can meet our many needs
Started my week joining a group from Kern CCD at the MLK Community Awards Breakfast Celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
March 25, 2023: Moments that take our breath away – March 2023
It was my great pleasure to bring together student athletes, coaches and faculty from across the county for a conference recognizing the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation that established equal rights for women in education and athletics. Kern CCD’s celebration of Title IX was an inspiring, joyful day of recognizing how far women have come in sports and higher education.
As summer comes to a close, I’ve had a very busy week traveling to several of our community colleges.
On Tuesday, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for student housing at Lake Tahoe Community College. It was inspirational to see so many people come out to support this fantastic project.
Thank you to Pam Haynes for joining from the Board of Governors, LTCC President Jeff DeFranco, the LTCC Board of Trustees, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, Chris Ferguson & the CA Department of Finance team, and everyone who was present and who has made this possible.
It was a week of travel for me… headed north to Fresno City College with the Undocumented Student Action Week, then south to College of the Canyons where Chancellor Dianne Van Hook hosted a wonderful event on Vision 2030 and I was inspired by the forward leaning work of the college… then to my office in Sacramento for Consultation Council… then back to Fresno Convention Center for the annual CVHEC summit. Wrapped up Friday night watching episodes of Stephen Colbert and John Oliver. The John Oliver piece was on safety of our foods and after watching it I think when travelling I will stay away from salads and other fresh produce which we eat fresh and without cooking.
February 17, 2024: CA CCs taking care of our planet
On Monday I was at a climate summit hosted by Second Nature and was on a panel with Chancellor Millie Garcia, CSU, and Executive Vice President Nathan Brostrom, UC. The panel was moderated by Lande Ajose, who is now with Waverley foundation.
I started my week at Oracle Park, at the Giants-Dodgers game dedicated to California Community Colleges. CCCCO Vice Chancellor for Communications Paul Feist planned this event as part of the ICan campaign. It was so much fun!
We had Malia Venegas, San Jose City College student athlete throw the first pitch. Venegas is a 4.0 student and a softball team standout player who is transferring to San Jose State University.
This past week, I attended the Women’s Equality Day event hosted by the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women and Delta Kappa Gamma in Kern County. Thank you Janet Tarjan for all of your efforts in making this happen.
Board of Governors President Amy Costa keynoted the event. Her speech was inspirational and brought in her personal experience while quoting stats on the disparities that still exist.
October 5, 2024: California Community Colleges highlighting Noncredit Programs
This week, I was in Anaheim for the Vision 2030: Noncredit Summit, hosted by North Orange Continuing Education.
Thank you President Valentina Purtel who put together an incredible two days of engaging conversations. From data to policy and practice. The speakers were were exceptional and the camaraderie in the room was palpable.
We had 40 of the 72 districts represented in a sold-out auditorium. If you missed this year’s event, plz mark your calendar and plan to attend in October 2025 in San Diego.
The Workforce & Economic Mobility Blog blog shares approaches to workforce and economic development, with a goal of supporting economic mobility for our community while staying committed to the health of our people and the health of our environment.
In the Bhambi & Christian blog, Dr. Brijesh Bhambi join together joined together with the goal of facilitating healing and conversation in our community.
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