This week it was from the Capitol to the Central Valley …
Earlier in the week, we participated in Assembly budget and policy hearings in Sacramento. Then headed to Fresno to speak at the CVHEC Summit
And back home to my boy Neo.
Also, check out Board of Governors member Cirian Villavicencio’s new YouTube channel – Navigating College with Dr. V.
Here’s one of his recent videos – “Meet Your College Success Team”:
Good morning California.
It is April 25, 2026.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
Cuesta College Awarded $1.2M STEM Scholarship Grant
Cuesta College has been awarded a six-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation through its Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. The grant will support low-income students pursuing degrees in computing and engineering. The project will provide scholarships alongside comprehensive academic and career support to help students persist, transfer to four-year institutions, and succeed in high-demand STEM fields.
Porterville College’s “Entree to Employment” Bridges the Gap
Between Classroom & Career
The Porterville College Transfer Center, in partnership with the Office of Instruction and the Career Education Department, recently hosted a groundbreaking event designed to redefine how students and local industries connect. Moving away from the traditional, often impersonal job fair model, the “Entree to Employment” dinner provided a high-contact, low-stress environment where students and business partners could engage in authentic dialogue over a world-class meal.
Santiago Canyon College’s New Water Sciences Lab
Will Enhance Classes in Water Technology
A new, modernized water technology classroom is in final planning stages for the Santiago Canyon College campus that will feature state-of-the-art equipment to help train students for well-paying careers in water districts throughout Orange County and beyond. The new lab will enhance SCC’s substantial Water and Wastewater Technology program.
In Case You Missed It
Why Two-Year Schools Are Higher Education’s Fastest-Growing Sector
When the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released its final enrollment data for Fall 2025 in January, the headline told a familiar story with a striking new intensity. Total postsecondary enrollment in the U.S. rose by 1.0% in fall 2025, reaching more than 19.4 million students, and growth in undergraduate enrollment was driven by a 3.0% surge in community college enrollment, compared to a 1.4% increase at public four-year colleges. Private four-year institutions, meanwhile, saw enrollment declines.
The scale of the community college resurgence is difficult to overstate. Community colleges added approximately 173,000 more students in Fall 2025, a 3% increase that drove the overall undergraduate gains across all of higher education. Over a two-year span since Fall 2023, the sector has grown by 9.6%, compared to just 4.1% at public four-year institutions.
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Insights from ‘Some College, No Credential’ learners
Approximately 43.1 million people in the United States have, at one time, enrolled in postsecondary education but did not complete their intended degree or certificate.
A new report from Trellis Strategies attempts to answer those questions. In spring 2025, researchers surveyed 3,182 former undergraduate students who had been enrolled across 58 institutions – including 33 community colleges – to get to the heart of the matter.
More than a third (36%) of survey respondents were first-generation students, 25% were parenting students and 72% were working while enrolled.
Though a majority of survey respondents said they believe in the value of higher education –73% said that re-enrolling and completing their degree would improve their career earnings and potential – there are barriers to completion.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
Check out this photo from the Designing Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways event:
If we do a BCP for FY27-28 for additional funding for ELL Healthcare Pathways, we are considering earmarking the first $25 million to expand community college pre-apprenticeships as mechanism to help scale apprenticeship.
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From Shasta College:
We’re really excited for the student-designed project by the 1100 building! Students from the landscape construction class designed and are landscaping the area into what we think will be nice place to study once it’s done. We can’t wait to see how it turns out!
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From Gavilan College:
Earth Day recap: we touched grass. Literally.
Gavilan broke ground on the Community Garden with campus partners and students.
Good turnout. Great energy. Strong start.
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From Hartnell College:
The Career and Transfer Hub hosted its annual Career and Resource Fair in the Student Center yesterday, bringing together over 85 employers and 300 students to explore careers and connect with employment opportunities. The event also served as a resource hub, where students learned about career pathways, transfer options, and in-demand skills.
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From Moorpark College:
Our final MC Day at Simi Valley High School. Thank you for having us! Great connecting with students and sharing all things Moorpark College!
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And check out this video from Cypress College’s Transfer Fair
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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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