Category Archives: Uncategorized

Keeping our community healthy. We are BC!

Uncategorized February 6, 2021 1 Comment

Today, we pass a milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic. While the first US death was announced on February 29, 2020, later studies found that the first US death from COVID-19 was on February 6, 2020. Since then, over 450,000 people in the United States have died due to COVID-19.

It has been a harrowing year, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as more and more people receive the vaccine.

This week, Bakersfield College was given official approval as a site to administer to COVID-19 vaccinations. The college is engaged in discussions with Kern County Public Health to develop plans to support the vaccination effort in Kern County. To prepare for our first shipment of the vaccine, BC staff members who will be on-site to assist members of the community at the clinic got their first doses of the vaccine. I received these photos of Zav Dadabhoy, Nicky Damania, and Steve Watkin getting vaccinated.

I also wanted to share this note from Zav:

“Nurse graduated from Bakersfield College. Said it was the best thing since sliced bread. Lots of praise for the program overall, specially for Lisa Harding. I learned something new today, don’t put hand sanitizer on a glove. It destroys the protection of the glove. Thanks BC nursing!”

Dr. Zav Dadabhoy, VP Student Affairs
Steve Watkin, Exec Dir of Outreach and School Relations

I am so excited that once again, BC can step up and offer support to a community that has always supported us. Here is a photo of Bill Kelly getting his vaccination. Thank you Prof. Deb Rosenthal for facilitating BC employees over 65 getting their vaccinations. I am collecting and sharing vaccination photos and videos so plz send me your photos/videos by emailing president@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Bill Kelly, Faculty Emeritus

Our fantastic nursing faculty and students, BC’s pandemic heroes, have already been hard at work giving vaccines at various sites throughout Kern County.

Art professor David Koeth also sent in a photo from his sister-in-law Sharon Nold, who received her vaccine from a BC nursing student at the Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Hospital drive-through last weekend:

And Nursing Department Chair Alisha Loken shared this post on her Facebook page about her nursing students giving out vaccines:

I’m so proud of our nursing students and faculty, who are continuing to work on the frontlines of this pandemic to keep our community healthy and safe!

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, February 6, 2021 … a great day to be a Renegade.

Dr. Michael Saag Breaks Down the COVID-19 Vaccine

For our first President’s Virtual Seminar of 2021, we invited special guest Dr. Michael Saag, a dean of global health at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and a prominent researcher of infectious diseases, to educate the campus about vaccines. Dr. Saag answered questions from BC students Ian Spark (Pre-med) and Kassandra Sweeney (Public Health Sciences) about the human body’s immunization process, projections of how the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will expand over the next few months, and his personal experience with contracting COVID-19 in the early weeks of the virus. Dr. Charles Daramola gave a brief introduction of Dr. Saag’s accomplishments and answered questions from students and staff in online chat about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Today, I’d like to share one of Dr. Saag’s answers from the seminar. He talks about how long he thinks the vaccine rollout might take

You can find the rest of his videos, as well as other videos from our Virtual Seminar Series, on the COVID-19 Resources page.

An Appointment

I wanted a share another poem from Jack Hernandez:

An Appointment

When death left me
 in the waiting room
I ordered my usual coffee
read the morning news
as voices blathered
on the big screen
covering the wall
adjoining the locked
door I had entered
moments before.
I was unsure
when my appointment
was scheduled,
when death would diagnose
my exit,
I had heard
he could be blunt
or sadly soft.
Either way I thought
I’d look him in the eye,
smile, then say,
“I have lived well
and like the wind
I will always swirl
in memories
beyond your door.”

Zav Dadabhoy Presents at Immigration Legal Services Webinar

In addition to receiving the vaccine, Zav Dadabhoy spoke at a Chancellor’s office webinar about services for undocumented and immigrant students. Zav focused his comments around the importance of a creative supportive environment for undocumented students, integrating support for students across disciplines and service areas across the campus, and keeping the community informed about their immigration rights and opportunities to support their success.

Watch the full presentation from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office for more details about the Immigration Legal Services Project. Zav’s comments start around 47 minutes into the Zoom video.

Early College Administrators Convene to Celebrate Success and Discuss Future Opportunities

As you may have seen on Twitter, I welcomed 150 administrators and counselors from our Early College partners at a virtual convening hosted by our Outreach & Early College team last Friday. I was so happy to see some of our longtime partners there like Wonderful College Prep Academy, Wasco High School, Kern High School District, Delano Joint Union High School District, and McFarland High School Early College, as well as some of our newer partners like Garces Memorial High School, Taft Union High School, and Monache High School from Porterville. It amazes me how many high schools now offer entrances to our guided pathways through Dual Enrollment on their campuses, and how we continue to push forward on an exponential trajectory to keep expanding opportunities and access for all high school students all across Kern County.

The data shared during this meeting showed that our enrollment numbers for Dual and Concurrent Enrollment continued to increase through Spring 2020, Summer 2020, and Fall 2020. As the group planned for next school year, several representatives from BC shared about pathways opportunities through CTE, Title V- Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Public Safety Training, and more. It is amazing to see the high school and BC staff working together to continue bridging the gap between high school and higher education for all students, and I am excited to see our plans for Early College implementation continue to progress within each of our partnering districts.

The meeting closed with a preview of a new online platform, DualEnroll.com, that will replace our current Dual/Concurrent Enrollment form. With the constant growth in enrollments through Dual Enrollment and Concurrent Enrollment, this new platform will help to streamline the enrollment process for our high school students, their parents, and the high school sites.

Umoja Community starts Employment Prep Academy for Students Interested in Nursing

Umoja students and Dr. Parks talking with Dr. Michael Williams, COO of St. Joseph’s Hospital (A Dignity Hospital)

Umoja Community is partnering with Nursing and Job Placement to offer students an opportunity to be part of the newly established Umoja Employment Preparation Academy. We are so grateful to Morgan Clayton, president of Tel-Tec Security, for funding this program for a pilot group of five students.

Over the spring semester, the Umoja students will work with Venessa Reyes, education advisor, on planning their schedule and preparing to apply to the nursing program; with Dr. Ken Robinson, leadership consultant, on identifying their strengths and growing as a leader; with Vikki Coffee, Job Placement, on preparing a resume and identifying their career interests; with Dr. Paula L. Parks, Umoja English professor, on discussing Black Man in a White Coat; and with practitioners in the medical field. Many of the speakers are associated with Dignity Hospital, where Clayton is Chairman of the Board.

Dr. Michael Williams, the first African-American COO of St. Joseph’s Hospital, spoke with students this past week. He started his career in nursing, continued his education to earn a masters and doctorate, and over a period of 14 years moved up from bedside nurse to charge nurse, chief nurse, director, then COO.

“If you really put your mind to it, you can move up. You have to take your destiny in your own hands, get out of your comfort zone, and get the necessary experiences,” explained Williams, who combines his clinical knowledge and education with experience in project management, facilities, and budgets.

“What stuck with me,” said Alexis, “was that I need to get out of my comfort zone, ask for help, and seek challenges.”

Dr. Williams acknowledged the barriers he faced in becoming the hospital’s first Black administrator and encouraged students to advocate for themselves, ask others for advice, and earn the practical experience, degrees, and overall skill set for the position they want.

Upon completing the Employment Prep Academy, students will receive a scholarship and continue the following two semesters on-site at Dignity Health. Huge thanks to Morgan Clayton, Tel-Tec; Carla Gard, Nursing; Vikki Coffee, Job Placement; Dr. Ken Robinson, Umoja Advisory Board Member; and Dr. Paula L. Parks, Umoja Coordinator for making this opportunity possible for outstanding Umoja students.

CCRC Hosts Seminar on Costs of Guided Pathways

On Wednesday, February 3, I was a featured panelist at a nationwide panel on the costs of guided pathways. The panel, which was hosted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC), featured “Redesigning America’s Community Colleges” author Davis Jenkins, as well as Anthony Culpepper, a Vice President of Administrative Services at Glendale College who was instrumental in BC’s early implementation of the guided pathways model during his time as our Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services. The moderator was CCRC Senior Research Associate Hana Lahr, and Vice Chancellor of Finance and Facilities Planning Lizette Navarette talked about the statewide trends in pathways funding.

The forum centered around a technical report from the CCRC that examined the average increased costs for implementation of guided pathways at community colleges. The report concludes that a majority of the costs around guided pathways comes from hiring more advisors to be embedded within each of the learning and career pathways. All of the colleges in the study, which includes BC, are moving forward with guided pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased retention and graduation rates and making the colleges more efficient as a business.

You can check out the video below:

Opening Day Spring 2021

Today I’d like to share two more videos from our Opening Day Spring 2021 Programming, which took place January 12-14.

BCSGA President Gian Gayatao provided the traditional BCSGA President’s welcome:

And we took a look back at previous opening days:

You can find all the videos from our Spring 2021 Opening Day programming on the BC website.

In The News

Bakersfield Californian Tours Measure J Projects

Mike Giacomini gives Emma Gallegos and Alex Horvath of the Bakersfield Californian a tour of the Measure J construction projects.

The Bakersfield Californian visited the Panorama Campus on Monday to report on the latest developments with Measure J. Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Mike Giacomini led reporter Emma Gallegos and photographer Alex Horvath on a tour of the renovations in the Campus Center, the new Science and Engineering building and Memorial Stadium while answering questions about construction timelines, infrastructure, swing space and more.

Check out the photo gallery on the Bakersfield Californian website.

For more information about Measure J, visit the A Better BC website. 

Art Professor gets recognition

Joseph Tipay, Studio Art professor, was honored in Bakersfield Life Magazine. Readers were asked to nominate area educators who have gone above and beyond for their students during the pandemic.

Community Voices: Dr. Brijesh Bhambi

Dr. Brijesh Bhambi

Dr. Brijesh Bhambi penned this piece in the Bakersfield Californian, The Solution is Inside the Box.

Dr. Bhambi discusses the need to accelerate vaccination to make sure we are safe from COVID-19. He says that the easiest and fastest way to ensure the most people are vaccinated is to allow doctors and pharmacies to give the vaccine.

“Release the vaccine to doctors and pharmacies. Relationships there are underpinned by trust and familiarity. Patient records already exist. Compliance to guidelines should be encouraged, but thrust of vaccination has to be vaccination. We should resist the temptation to overthink. Sometimes the solution is inside the box.”

Dr. Bhambi and I have been having an online conversation about COVID-19, vaccinations, and other topics at our shared blog, https://bhambiandchristian.com/.

Spotted on Social Media

EMT Program Director Brett Burton was a guest on KNZR Talk Radio, on The Law with Tony Lee:

Check out the video:

BCSGA shared this inspiring quote:

The BC Library Instagram account shared this photo of Faith Bradham and Laura Luiz (thank you to Mindy Wilmot!):

Mary Jo Pasek shared this photo in support of Go Red Day for heart disease awareness:

Isabel Castenada shared this picture of a Bridge to BC planning session with Kimberly Bligh and Ashlea Ward:

Athletics

Celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day

This last Wednesday, February 3rd was National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the day which is meant to “Inspire girls and women to play and be active, to realize their full potential” – as stated on the Women’s Sports Foundation website. The day was meant to highlight the stories and paths of student athletes, coaches, administrators and lawmakers to provide equitable access to sports for all girls and women. These pictures are just a small sample of the many Renegade women we celebrate who have come through our campus to be an example and pave the way for future women’s opportunities in sports. We are proud of these women and celebrate their achievements both on the field and in life.

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That’s all for now.
Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Kern County — Thank you for supporting BC

Uncategorized January 30, 2021 Comments: 4

As we wrap up the first month of 2021 – a month that has brought upheaval and many changes – I was grateful this week to be able to get back to campus briefly to see the progress on the construction of our new buildings. I was joined by Billie Jo Rice, and it was wonderful to spend some time together and appreciate the future of Bakersfield College as we build #ABetterBC.

Sonya Christian, Billie Jo Rice

Kern County, thank you for voting Yes on J

In addition to the in-person campus tour, I also had a great virtual budget meeting with Steven Holmes, Mike Giacomini, and Teresa McAllister.

If we have learned nothing else from the past year, it’s to truly enjoy and embrace those moments of normalcy and camaraderie. I am so excited about what the future holds and how we can best serve our students.

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, January 30, 2021 … a great day to be a Renegade.

Central Valley Takes Center Stage

While I was watching “Celebrating America,” the concert honoring President Joe Biden’s inauguration, I noticed that one of the speakers chosen to read from previous inaugural addresses was Dolores Huerta.

It was a great moment to see one of our local legends featured on a national level.

And did you notice that behind the president’s desk, he has a bust of Cesar Chavez?

NPR interviewed Dolores Huerta about the significance of featuring Cesar Chavez so prominently:

“It’s really a very strong message that the strongest person in the whole world, the president of the United States of America, would have a bust of Cesar Chavez, a very simple, humble farmworker, a leader, a person who stood up for gun violence, who dedicated his life to make life better for the poorest of the poor – to me, that was a very strong message.”

You can listen to the interview on NPR’s website.

Renegades Receive the Vaccine

As COVID-19 vaccinations continue throughout California, some of our Renegades have had the chance to receive their first immunizations.

I was pleased to see Trustee Nan-Gomez Heitzeberg and track and field coach Pam Kelly get their COVID-19 vaccines from Kern County health care workers. Nan got her vaccine at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital from a BC student – Ariana Nahjmabadi. There were a lot of nursing students there in their Renegade Red tops, working very hard and doing an exceptional job. #WeAreBC

  • Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg receives a COVID-19 vaccine
    from BC student Ariana Nahjmabadi.
  • Pam Kelly gets her COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy.

On Friday, Deborah Rosenthal set up a vaccination clinic aimed at those in our BC community who are over 65. Bill Kelly shared with me that he was getting his vaccine Friday morning.  

If you’re a BC faculty or staff member who has pictures receiving the vaccine, please send them to president@bakersfieldcollege.edu or earl.parsons@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Jack Hernandez Poem: Relevance

Jack Hernandez shared this poem with me:

When past a certain age
the question of whether
we matter descends
like a morning fog,
whether we are needed
or just an afterthought  
like those decades old
clothes hidden in a closet,
dishes given as gifts
stacked out of sight.
Once others welcomed
our routines
sought our thoughts
on practical truth,
but now we are seen
as a classic car
stored in a garage
annexed to the main house,
a book of wisdom
out of print.
Yet though alone
we do not moan,
use unruffled time
to find ourselves,
sing our stories
to the moon.

Distinguished Speaker Gordon Bellamy

On Tuesday, February 2, our first Distinguished Speaker is a Visiting Scholar of USC Games and head of an incubator program to develop designers and programmers for video games and other interactive media. Gordon Bellamy has an extensive background in the video game industry as a designer for the Madden NFL football franchise and product management roles at Tencent, a Chinese entertainment company that owns the studio behind League of Legends.

Gordon Bellamy will be giving two presentations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Visit the event listing on the BC calendar for more information, and visit the Distinguished Speaker Series website for a full listing of the speakers for this semester.

Undocumented Student Workshops in February

The AB 540/Undocumented Students Program has partnered with the United Farm Workers Foundation (UFW) to bring a series of workshops to Bakersfield College. These workshops are open to BC students, staff/faculty, and community members.

To Register for AB 540/Undocumented Students Program Workshops, visit tinyurl.com/Y53QRDQX.

Suicide Prevention: Know the Signs

From an email from College Safety:

Care for mental health is an important part of college life. Please take a moment to review our Know The Signs presentation on suicide prevention.

Bakersfield College staff, faculty, students, and community members are influential. When someone is in distress, we have an opportunity to provide care and support. Pain isn’t always obvious, but most suicidal people show some signs that they are thinking about suicide. Remember our motto: If you see something, say something, so we can do something.

If you think someone is in distress, visit our Help Someone In Distress website for some tips on how to provide help to someone quickly.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us at collegesafety@bakersfieldcollege.edu or (661) 395-4554.

Measure J: Photos From the Campus Center

Progress on our Measure J construction projects continues while we all work to build A Better BC for our students and community. Earl Parsons snapped this shot of the BC logo on the new Campus Center, slated for completion in April 2021. 

The structure of the new Science and Engineering building gets stronger every day and is on pace for completion in November 2021. From the second floor of the Math and Science building, you can see it towering over the existing Science and Engineering building.

We are also entering the mobilization phase on construction of the new gym and fieldhouse, which is now slated for a March 2023 completion due to the delay in DSA approval. Finally, we’re engaged in discussions on the design of the new Agriculture building, which is projected for an April 2024 completion.

For more information about Measure J projects, visit the A Better BC website.

Emails from BC: The Legacy of JB Teasley

I was inspired earlier this week by an email from the fabulous Jerry Ludeke currently overseeing the BC Archives looking back on the life of JB Teasley, a retired BC faculty member and member of the Delano College Center Foundation.

Here is the email below:

“When a person dies at age 94 and has been retired for around thirty years from Bakersfield College, it is not surprising that there are few who remember him in his vital, teaching days.  That does not diminish the person’s importance in the history of the BC family, and it is our honor to recognize their memory.

Fortunately, Phil Feldman recognized the notice of JB TEASLEY’s death.  Phil himself is now retired from the faculty at BC but remembers JB as “a teacher and very active Delano College Center Foundation member when I ran that Center going on forty years ago.”

 The obituary tells us that Teasley, originally from Mississippi,  taught at Buttonwillow Elementary and Wasco Junior High, becoming a teacher and counselor at Delano High School, and remaining in Delano for the rest of his life.  He became connected with BC’s Delano College Center and, as Phil mentioned, was active in the Delano College Foundation.  However, he also spent many years as a teacher, counselor, and administrator at the Delano College Center. 

One interesting tidbit in the obituary caught my eye.  It stated that JB was born in May, 1926.  It also mentioned that he was Honorably Discharged with the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class after serving in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1947.  Think about those dates.  If he was born in 1926 and entered the Navy in 1942, he must have been one of those brave young men who, at only age 16, possibly with his parents’ reluctant permission, enlisted in the months after Pearl Harbor, served for five years, and survived.  He was remembered with Military Honors on January 22 at the Bakersfield National Cemetery.

We are proud of his service to our country and to Bakersfield College.

Thank you Mindy Wilmot for finding the photo for me.

In The News

Academic Technology featured in Education Technology Insights

Bill Moseley and Alex Rockey had their article published in Education Technology Insights. The article, Reimagining Access: Leveraging Mobile Devices to Transform Education, looks at how we as educators must utilize the technology many students already have – phones and mobile devices – as we try to engage with them, especially during the pandemic. The article highlights BC’s “Person Up” program, which sees a faculty member and instructional designer work together to best address the needs of the students and reimagine how we teach online.

You should also check out the Academic Technology blog,

  • Bill Moseley
  • Alex Rockey

Community Voices: Vayron Martinez

Head BC Men’s Soccer Coach Vayron Martinez published a Community Voices piece in the Bakersfield Californian titled, “Putting Bakersfield on the map through soccer.”

“One of our core program values in our team is “community.” Our young men give back to the community with various community service events throughout the year. We want to showcase the hard work Bakersfield has when we step foot onto the field and play anyone in the state. We don’t shy away from playing the best teams even if the outcome is not the desired one.”

Fun Photos

Jennifer Serratt enjoying her time in the snow:

Todd Hansen shared these pics of the digital billboard on Oak Street/California Ave, showcasing our BC Partners:

Spotted on Social Media

Kylie Campbell‘s tweet of BC’s Early College team met with 150 high school administrators on Friday morning:

Renegade Athletics shared this throwback photo of the Renegade tradition of firing the cannon at home football games:

Nick Strobel made a delicious looking pecan pie — unfortunately there were no pies left outside my front door.

BCSGA shared this inspiring quote:

Todd Coston shared this great view from a hike he took with his daughter, Ashli:

Athletics

Ulloa Headed to Cal State Bakersfield

This last baseball season was cut short due to the pandemic, but even before that happened Renegade pitcher Gabe Ulloa’s season was cut short due to an injury to his throwing arm. Gabe has been working through rehab to get back to full strength and announced this week that he is headed to play baseball across town at Cal State Bakersfield. Ulloa will join fellow former Renegade pitcher Benji Caggienelli, who transferred to CSUB back in October. We are proud of Gabe and will be cheering on both the former ‘Gades turned ‘Runners!

Fun Photos

Enjoy these fun photos of some our Renegade Athletes who were ‘shrunk’ into bobbleheads!

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That’s all for now.
Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

BC – Building Unity, Peace, Harmony

Uncategorized January 23, 2021 Leave a comment
To heal we must remember – President Biden

This week, our country got a new president and vice-president, as Joe Biden & Kamala Harris were inaugurated on Wednesday. I enjoyed seeing how young girls were reacting with excitement at our nation’s first female vice-president.

There was a moment during Wednesday’s ceremony that I particularly enjoyed. During Garth Brooks’ performance of “Amazing Grace,” he stopped for a singalong across the country.

“Now I’m going to ask you to sing this last verse with me – not just the people here, but the people at home, at work, as one, united.“

Americans all across this great land, taking a moment to sing together regardless of political beliefs or disagreements or any of the things that have been dividing us. Americans joining together, if even just for a moment, to create music together.

How sweet the sound, indeed.

Another amazing moment was when the most remarkable young lady took the podium.

Amanda Gorman, our first National Youth Poet Laureate, recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb.” From social media this week, I know that many Americans joined me in stopping in awe at this young woman’s strong and impactful voice, and the power of her words. 

"And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division"

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, January 23, 2021 … a great day to be a Renegade.

BC Peace Project Update

During the ACCJC seminar series, “The Future of Learning,” David French, author of the book Divided We Fall, spoke on America’s polarization problem and the rising animosity between “political tribes.” This divergence paired with the events at our nation’s Capitol earlier this month, have led us to a critical moment — to the point of possibly being on the verge of destruction.

It is our sacred responsibility as leaders in higher education to develop the minds and hearts of our students. What we do, what we teach in our classrooms and the culture we create on our campuses is reflected in our community. We must then take the lead in tackling this division and creating more peaceful societies. Community colleges have a specific advantage in leading this charge as we teach the most diverse student bodies, providing fundamental knowledge and skills to be successful members of our communities.

BC Choir always building bridges — Convocation 2019. Thank you Dr. Jen Garrett.

The time is now, and we can no longer wait to start building bridges. We began the implementation of our Peace Garden Project last fall and will be working hard over the next year to further address polarization within our community and country at large. We will update you on the work we are doing and hope that as a community we can come together to create a space of learning and understanding along the way. Thank you Dr. Naina Patel for bringing this project to Bakersfield College.

Vaccinations rolling out in Kern County

I am happy to see vaccinations rolling out in Kern County. Let’s listen to Dr. Brij Bhambi on the Richard Beene Radio Show https://soundcloud.com/louis-amestoy/dr-brij-bhambi-getting-the-second-dose-of-the-vaccine-is-important-for-maximum-protection

Also, if you have not signed up for the Bhambi and Christian blog, you probably should. https://bhambiandchristian.com/

Sonya Christian and Brij Bhambi

BC Presents at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup

On Tuesday, Maria Wright was invited to speak to the mentoring subgroup of the Chancellor’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Implementation Workgroup. The group included Trustees representatives throughout the state. Maria leads our Faculty Mentoring Fellowship Program, which focuses on recruiting graduate students interested in teaching in a community college. Fellows are paired with a faculty mentor that helps them establish a rich network of support to help fellows succeed in and out of the classroom.

Stay tuned for the expansion of this program!

MLK Community Awards Celebration 

BC was honored to once again sponsor the MLK Community Awards Celebration which aired Monday on Fox 58. If you missed it, see the article from the Observer News Group: 26th Annual Rev. Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Community Awards Breakfast Held Virtually – Observer News Group (ognsc.com)

Community Voices: Jack Hernandez

On Thursday, I read this piece by Jack Hernandez in the Bakersfield Californian.

He reflects on what it’s like to grow older and realize that many of the things you do and say are becoming “out of date” – but he notes that’s not always a bad thing. While we may lament when the clothes we wear or the words we use are no longer considered cool, or when we’re no longer utilizing the latest technology – there are beliefs and policies from our collective past that we should be glad are out of date, and some things we can all appreciate will never go out of style:

“So, it so happens that all becomes out of date, except that one thing: love for others, out of date or not.“

Opening Day 2021

We just finished the first week of the Spring 2021 semester. Last week, I shared with you a sneak peak from our Opening Day celebration on January 12-14. Today, I’ll begin sharing videos from our three days of production.

On Tuesday, we opened with our traditional Photo Roll looking over the past semester:

We also had a welcome from our emcees – Todd Coston, Norma Rojas-Mora, Manny Mourtzanos, and Reggie Bolton:

I will be posting more of the videos over the coming weeks. You can also see all the videos at https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/president/opening-week-spring-2021.

Renegade Fitness

Fitness trainer Casey Babcock is hosting a Renegade Virtual Fitness clinic every weekday of the Spring 2021 semester to help students and staff keep themselves healthy during another predominately online semester.  The first session of Spring 2021 started on January 19, and Renegade Virtual Fitness will continue Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m. until May 7.

Renegade Virtual Fitness is hosted by BCSGA on Zoom, Facebook Live, Twitter, Twitch and YouTube.

Spotted on Social Media

Bill Moseley‘s kids honored our new vice-president:

Kalina Hill shared a beautiful sunrise:

The Jones Art Gallery shared this piece of artwork by Maia Pankey from Bakersfield High School. It was part of the Panorama Invitational 2020:

Sondra Keckley’s cat enjoyed a cozy nap:

Jennifer Garrett & the BC Chamber Singers had a virtual spring retreat:

Matt Andrasian-Jones continued his Discern & Draw series with a bobby pin alligator:

Athletics

Mhango Headed to Ohio Dominican Univeristy

We are proud to announce that Men’s Soccer student athlete Mubelele Mhango is moving on to play soccer and attend school at Ohio Dominican University. Mhango played for Men’s Soccer Coach Vayron Martinez for the 2019 season and scored a total of five goals.

Mhango was a fun player to watch on the pitch and we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes in the future!

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That’s all for now.
Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

“Just call me up..because you know I will be there” — BC

Uncategorized January 16, 2021 1 Comment

It has been an incredibly busy week as we prepare for the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we held our Opening Day ceremonies. As we’ve been doing since the pandemic began, we again held a virtual celebration with multiple days of video productions featuring presentations, speakers, and performances.

The video team is working on getting the pieces prepared on a website, and I will start sharing those with you next week. Today, though, I’m able to share a sneak peek – an especially poignant one while we as a nation grapple with the events of the past weeks and months, and where we will go from here.

Please enjoy our Bakersfield College Renegade Chorus’ rendition of True Colors:

“Just call me up
Because you know I’ll be there”

Friends – in this time of ongoing uncertainty and social distancing, that is such a wonderful message:

Call me up, and I will be there.

I know that even in the hardest days of social distancing, we can reach out to one another and offer support or a friendly voice. It is ever more important that we remain connected.

Thank you to Performing Arts Chair & Choral Director Jennifer Garrett for sharing this message with all of us. And thank you to our wonderful and talented Renegade Chorus!

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, January 16, 2021 … a great day to be a Renegade.

Thank you, Dr. King!

On Monday, the nation will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his vision for a better America. While many parades and celebrations for Martin Luther King day have been cancelled nationwide due to the pandemic, we still have the time to reflect on what Dr. King’s ideals and sacrifice mean to each of us, as well as how we can embed the clarity and power of Dr. King’s ideals into our daily work as we start to build a new future for our students.

The Bakersfield MLK committee has put together its usual MLK Breakfast event, except this year it is virtual. Get your scrambled eggs and bacon and tune in at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 18, 2021 ….

Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning

Susan Pinza, Director of the Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning, joined 17 News at Sunrise to share more about classes available for community members. These classes aim to help keep our community members active – both mentally and physically.

Classes are available in a variety of subjects, including art, photography, yoga, pilates – and there’s even a class about Zoom!

Check out the interview on KGET’s website, and visit the Levan Institute website to see the full list of Spring 2021 courses.

Veteran Student Success Grant

Jenny Frank

Bakersfield College was one of 16 colleges to receive $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success.

The grant will allow BC’s Veterans Services to hire a second dedicated student veteran advisor, as well as provide additional support and services.

“When a veteran transitions out of the military, there’s a sudden feeling like, ‘Where’s my place in the world, where do I belong? What we aim to do is assist them in the educational journey,” said Veterans Services Director Jenny Frank.

For more information, check out the article on the Bakersfield Californian website.

New Protocols for Coming to Campus

As we prepare for the Spring 2021 semester, I wanted to remind everyone that the overwhelming majority of our instruction and all of our student services remain in an online format, and all of our physical campus locations remain closed to the general public.

However, if you have been granted access for our very small selection of courses featuring socially-distanced instruction, or you have been approved to be on campus for essential work, then you must download the Kern Community College District app to do your daily pre-screening and receive your Campus Pass. The Kern Community College District app is available in the iOS App Store and Google Play for Android devices.

Once you download the Kern Community College District app, you can the Health Pre-Screening Questionnaire that will be required every day to get the Campus Pass for in-person attendance. Once you receive your Campus Pass, you’ll use the app to scan QR codes around the campus when entering and leaving all buildings, classrooms, offices, and physical spaces.

This app is an important contact tracing tool that will help us avoid outbreaks on the campus. For more information, visit the Campus Pass App website.

First Meeting of 2021 As ACCJC Committee Chair

In the midst of getting us prepared for the start of Opening Week, I also had a chance to chair the first ACCJC (Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges) meeting of the new year on Wednesday, January 13.

Talking about ACCJC, I am proud of the Learning Seminar Series we hosted in early december 2020 — The Future of Learning, which was highlighted in this year’s Opening Week videos.

I’ll be sharing these with you over the coming weeks, so please check back!

Opening Week Roundup

Faculty and staff got ready for the start of the Spring 2021 semester with three days of videos chock full of performances from the Renegade Choir, highlights from the ACCJC Future of Learning Seminar Series, and important updates about campus initiatives. The emcees for all three days were Manny Mourtzanos, Todd Coston, Norma Rojas-Mora, and Reggie Bolton, and we had Konrad Dahl and Zack Peters leading our stretch breaks.

On Day 1, we heard from BCSGA President Gian Gayatao and the Assessment Committee, as well as a retrospective on the life of Ruth-Bader Ginsburg from Olivia Garcia.

Day 2 featured remarks from Chancellor Tom Burke, the Manny Mourtzanos of the Management Association, the Curriculum Committee, and a heartfelt tribute to Becki Whitson.

Day 3 closed out the festivities with Liz Rozell and James McGarrah speaking about the Energy TT&WD initiative; an accessibility report from Matt Andrasian-Jones, Andrea Thorson, and John Means; remarks from Ann Tatum of CCA and Steven Holmes of the Academic Senate; and announcements from Erin Miller for the Levan Faculty Colloquium and Reggie Williams for the Levan Center for the Humanities.

It took a lot of work and intentional thought to put together this year’s presentation. I can’t wait to share the videos with you all. A special thank you to the programming team — Valerie Urso, Shannon Musser, Tarina Perry and Jennifer Serratt.

Community Voices

KCCD Board President Romeo Agbalog wrote this piece in the Bakersfield Californian: Reflections on Early College.

Romeo Agbalog

He wrote about how the program has grown since its early beginnings, and how it has been particularly successful in closing equity gaps.

“However, the success of the program extends beyond just the sheer number of students served, but also in closing equity gaps. Early College has had a 93 percent student success rate across all high school campuses in the last academic year, consistently exceeding BC’s own institution-set standard for student success by 15 to 20 percent. Most importantly, more than 85 percent of students from rural areas who were in an associate degree completion pathway went to college after high school.“

Trustee Agbalog has always been an ardent supporter of our Early College program. Talking about Early College, I must mention Senator Jean Fuller who helped up take this idea to scale; under the senator’s leadership we accomplished in one year the goals we had set for three years. Here is a fun video from March 2019 of the senator talking about Early College.

Spotted on Social Media

Alisha Loken, Nursing Department Chair, got her COVID-19 vaccine this week!

Bakersfield Heart Hospital shared this thank you to our BC Nursing Students, who helped with vaccine distribution:

And BC Nursing shared a photo of upcoming Level 4 students about to get vaccinated:

Mindy Wilmot watched Opening Day with her dog:

Olivia Garcia got a treadmill workout in while she watched:

Matt Andrasian-Jones continued his Discern and Draw series with a pasta spoon:

And the City of Bakersfield celebrated the city’s 123rd birthday on January 11:

Athletics

Throwback to 1961 Renegade Basketball

While most of our campus has laid dormant due to the pandemic, it’s interesting to look back at old photos of our Renegade athletes of many years past.

This throwback picture from the Renegade Raconteur goes all the way back to the 1961 basketball season. While the identity of the players is unknown (maybe one of you reading this know who they are??) – this image gives fantastic imagery into the environment of a BC Men’s Basketball game in the 60’s. I mean, look at that crowd filled all the way into the top bleachers! More throwbacks to come.

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That’s all for now.
Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

The dawn of a new day

Uncategorized January 9, 2021 Leave a comment

I am greatly saddened by the events of this week. The pictures and videos of violence with lives lost, have been difficult – though important – to see.

The days, weeks, and months ahead will be difficult as we move on from the deep divisiveness we are experiencing in our beloved country . But I am confident that we will get through this. As a nation we have gotten through previous times of turmoil – by joining together with our heads held high.

I wanted to share this post from our faculty librarian Mindy Wilmot:

And this photo of the sunrise over the US Capitol on January 7, from NBC News correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell:

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, January 9, 2021 … a great day to be a Renegade.

BC Website Survey

The Bakersfield College web team and the Marketing and Public Relations department are looking for student and faculty feedback about the Bakersfield College website. Your input will help the team make the right decisions as they look to improve the needs of students, faculty, staff and our community. 

Fill out the BC website survey page by Wednesday, January 13, 2021 to let the team know your thoughts about Bakersfield College’s online presence, and please join us for our series of Opening Week videos to kick off the Spring 2021 semester.

Non-Tuition Certificate Courses Offered Through LaunchPad Program

We established the Bakersfield College Launchpad a few years ago to give local entrepreneurs the tools they need to successfully launch and market their business. In Spring 2021, BC is offering three courses that teach essential information to survive in the modern workforce, starting with Basic Internet Skills in February, Customer Relations in March, and Digital Marketing for Small Business in April.
For more information, visit the BC Launchpad website or talk to a representative at the Student Information Desk to get started with enrollment at the Home of the Renegades.

Reflections from Outside

“In order to facilitate correspondence,
we make packets of instructional material, and grade homework packets. It ends up being an organizational mess. I am now working from home, so my office is my bedroom, and I have to make piles on my bed
to figure out what goes where.”
– Sara Wallace

Sara Wallace, English Professor at Bakersfield College, has published another entry on her blog about teaching English in prison facilities.

The blog is published on Medium and has been retitled from “Reflections on the Inside” to “Reflections on the Outside” for all entries related to teaching incarcerated students while being physically outside of the prison facilities. She has been working as a full-time instructor at a total of five different prisons since Fall 2019. This blog is her reflections about doing this important work.

This program is only a few years old, but it has expanded to include ten prisons and a thousand students. It is expected to grow more in the future.

For this latest blog entry, go to this link: https://sarawallace-75158.medium.com/reflections-from-outside-f8cffa70955f?sk=562852871173a06ca3c0922e849dc71b

In The News

John Means earns top marks as longtime higher ed pioneer

John Means

Last Sunday, I saw this piece in the Bakersfield Californian highlighting the career of KCCD Vice-Chancellor John Means.

John’s career in higher education and public service highlights his innovative spirit and devotion to the important causes he has championed, including dual enrollment and serving children with developmental disabilities.

I especially enjoyed this quote from KCCD Chancellor Tom Burke:

“He has a way of bringing people together for a common goal, and getting it done. He has a way of cutting through angst and conflict, and bringing it to constructive resolution.”

Dr. Bhambi on the vaccine

I appreciated Dr. Bhambi’s piece in the Californian about vaccines and vaccination. Here is an excerpt

The thrust of vaccination has to be vaccination. Algorithms drawn to vaccinate people based on age, preexisting conditions, nursing home residency, socioeconomic issues, front-line and health care work, etc. are useful guidelines. These guidelines should be adhered to. But the thrust of vaccination has to be vaccination!

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yx9rs4dj

Bakersfield Californian Highlights Inmate Education Successes

On Monday, January 4, Emma Gallegos of the Bakersfield Californian published a piece looking at the success of the Inmate Scholars program. The article highlights the story of Roberto Luca, who is being given a second chance at life through his experience with Bryan Hirayama during the pilot program at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano.

In Spring 2021, we’re offering 134 courses across the county’s five state prisons in a correspondence format. For more information about our Inmate Scholars program, which is now in its 7th year, visit the Inmate Scholars website.

Spotted on Social Media

Talita Pruett shared this photo of her kids celebrating New Year’s Eve:

Cheryl Scott shared this beautiful photo from a recent trip to the beach:

The Jones Art Gallery shared this untitled piece created by Ramon Cruz for Art B2:

BCSGA shared this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

And former BCSGA President Alex Dominguez shared some exciting news:

Congratulations, Alex!

Athletics

Marcos Austin Named New Renegade Head Wrestling Coach

This week Renegade Athletics announced the promotion of Marcos Austin to Head Wrestling Coach following the recent departure of former head coach Brett Clark. In addition to wrestling at BC as a student, Coach Austin had served as the Co-Head Coach of the wrestling program since 2010. In the last ten years he has coached, mentored and helped hundreds of Renegade wrestlers and has received numerous conference ‘Coach of the Year’ awards. We are excited for Coach Austin and want to congratulate him on the promotion!

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That’s all for now.
Until next time.
With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever