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Precious Lives and Developing Dreams at Bakersfield College

Uncategorized June 23, 2018 Leave a comment

Good morning Bakersfield.

It is Saturday, June 23, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade.

Sonya Christian and Neo in Marina Del Rey

This last week, I found my mind drifting to the passing of two celebrities, Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade and the difficult and tragic circumstances that led to their passing.

Anthony Bourdain, photo from IMDb.com

Designer Kate Spade In Boston, photo from Time.com

The world has infinite beauty, but there are millions who struggle with darkness and unable to see the world around them. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can block out life’s joys, both large and small. Those afflicted can believe they don’t deserve the things that make them happy, or believe that others cannot understand their struggles.

Anthony Bourdain brought an unpretentious, engaging and culturally respectful perspective on the world’s food and people to American television viewers. Kate Spade revolutionized New York fashion in the 1990s with her line of functional, yet sophisticated handbags. These individuals were two of the most admired professionals in their respective fields, yet each of them decided to take their own life after a lifetime battle with depression.

Someone close who passed last January after a brief bout with flu and pneumonia had an email signature that says it well: “Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”

It’s an important reminder to be kind and supportive, and even more so when we do recognize that someone might be suffering from depression. If you suffer from depression, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline has volunteers in Bakersfield working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help. Call 1-800-273-8255 to get confidential support today. If talking on the phone makes you uncomfortable, you can text HOME to 741741 to access the Crisis Text Line. Every life is precious, and there is someone who cares and is willing to help.

Today, Pope Francis tweeted

And then there is music…..

William Congreve an English playwright and poet begins The Mourning Bride in 1967 with the quote

Music has charm to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or to bend a knotted oak

I invite you to three incredible music events at Bakersfield College.

June 26, 2018 (Tuesday) at 7:00 p.m. — The US Airforce Band of the Golden West will be performing at Bakersfield College once again. Seeing this extremely talented band is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we’d love everyone in the community to be a part of it. Tue, 06/26/2018 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Location: Edward Simonsen Performing Arts Center (Indoor Theater)

June 30, 2018 — Bon Voyage Concert with BC Chamber Singers, Dr. Jennifer Garrett, Monty Byrom and Lydia Ranger. Please come out to the Bon Voyage Concert on June 30 in the Indoor Theater. The concert begins at 4:00 p.m. and doors will open at 3:30 p.m. You do not need to get tickets in advance as this is a donation only show. The concert will feature the music they will perform in Cairns and will also have special guests, Monty Byrom and Lydia Ranger.

July 20, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at the Memorial Stadium — 4th Annual Resound Drum Corps Competition

The Bakersfield College Golden Empire Drum & Bugle Corps presents the 4^th Annual “Resound” Drum Corps International (DCI) contest! The competition will take place Friday, July 20^th at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium on the Bakersfield College campus.

Get your tickets now! Costs are $20 for premium seating, $15 for general admission, and $10 for students. Tickets can be purchased at Vallitix.

Child Development Center Outdoor Classroom

On Wednesday, the Child Development Center unveiled their brand-new playground to the public, and the children in the program got the chance to play in it for the first time.

The playground was funded by the Head Start program of the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) for our two-year Early Head Start classrooms. The new facility will function as an outdoor classroom that allows the toddlers to directly engage with their learning. Six of our teachers and associate teachers have completed the first level of outdoor classroom training, with a second level of outdoor classroom workshops planned for the next few weeks.

“Young children learn through direct first-hand experience using all of their five senses,” Child Development Center Director Sue Vaughn said in announcing the new playground.

Liz Rozell, Vice President of Instruction thanked CAPK for funding the playground, and all of our staff who played a part in making outdoor learning a possibility for the children in our Early Head Start classrooms. Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg took a short break from retirement for a ribbon-cutting and to invite children to participate in their new space, which has books and toys, plants the children can water, and musical instruments.

“When people come together for the benefit of children, great things happen,” Nan said.

Yolanda Gonzales, the Director of Head Start and State Child Development for CAPK, thanked the child development staff at Bakersfield College for their dedication to getting children started on the right path to a successful education.

“This would not be possible without the staff who have made a commitment,” Gonzales said. “It takes a team to achieve the outcomes that are so evident here.”

Thanks to Sue Vaughn and the staff at BC’s Child Development Center, as well as CAPK, for making children’s dreams come true with this new playground. During the celebration, Sue also gave recognition to BC’s Bill Potter and Jim Coggins for all that they contributed to making this project a reality.

Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tony Cordova

STEM Camps at BC with partners Chevron and Project Lead the Way

Joseph Luiz, Henry Barrios and Diana Olivares highlighted our Summer STEM Camps in the Bakersfield Californian on Wednesday, which is providing hands-on experience in STEM for over 100 middle and high school students.

The Californian highlighted the guitar building and electrical engineering workshops with photos and video, in addition to workshops that have already taken place on 3D printing and mobile app development. Over the coming weeks, students will be attending workshops on architecture and design and automation technology. The classes are offered free of charge with funding from Chevron and Project Lead the Way.

Yadira Guerrero, the Program Manager of Engineering at Bakersfield College, organized the camps and is quoted in the article speaking about her passion for bringing hands-on STEM education to young people. “We’re hoping to inspire students and ignite a love for hands-on learning that maybe they don’t get the chance to do a lot of in school,” she said. “We’re hoping the academy will inspire them to want to go to college.”

I’d like to thank the Bakersfield Californian for featuring our Summer STEM Camps on their Wednesday front page, and I’d like to thank Yadira Guerrero, Chevron and Project Lead the Way for making the camps a reality. Thank you Adam Alvidrez and Carla Musser of Chevron for supporting Stem education and Bakersfield College.

Don’t forget to check out the media piece created by Joseph and Diana. It’s a #MustSee!

Wonderful Summer Camps Continue

Last week we shared with you some information and pictures from the first of two Summer Agriculture Camps coordinated by BC Staff and funded by Wonderful Company. These students are exposed to all the exciting things that Bakersfield College has to offer and have the opportunity to connect with industry professionals discovering the many opportunities that exist in our community.

If you remember back to our most recent graduation ceremony, one of the most special things we experienced was the graduation of over 30 Wonderful Prep students with their Associates Degree for Transfer.

The students for the second camp are recruited from Wonderful Prep Academy in Delano, and, like our recent Wonderful graduates will have the opportunity to enroll in Dual Enrollment courses, allowing them to graduate high school with an Associates degree even before receiving their high school diploma.

A highlight of this week’s activities was researching, designing, and creating the marketing for various products. It all begins with research!

And then perfect product development. This part looks tasty. 🙂

Then for the creative design and implementation!

Mentor explaning to students final steps during branding and marketing session

Summer Ag Camp students creating product for branding and marketing

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There were also sessions to learn about water pumps and welding. Check out these hands on activities!

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This is a crucial moment for them as many will be starting high school in a year, and the exposure to agriculture and the careers within the industry can open their eyes to fields of study they may not have thought of otherwise. It’s also crucial for their families.

Here are some photos of Wonderful College Prep Academy students presenting to family and friends during the week’s culminating event.

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During the event, we take wellness seriously. Here are some photos of the physical exercise activities!

Again a shout out to our dedicated staff in charge of making this opportunity happen, starting with Raquel Lopez, Program Manager, who oversees and coordinates the camp with the support of Jaime Lopez, Program Manager. Thanks also to our Lead Agriculture faculty Heather Baltis and Jim Selgrath, with support from, Jesse Oropeza as the lead mentor, Christopher McCraw and his leadership class, as well as the peer mentors. None of this could be possible without the support of our Delano Campus Support Staff and Director, Abel Guzman.

Summer Bridge

Isabel Castaneda and Kimberly Bligh

Summer Bridge to BC is a fun, intensive freshmen orientation day where students engage with faculty and staff, tour the BC campus with experienced and knowledgeable mentors, and participate in activities that orient them to the freshman experience. They also learn practical skills that enable college success such as effective communication, time management, GRIT, and more. By the end of the day, participants become knowledgeable in campus student/academic services and other resources available for FREE to ultimately clarify and facilitate their Career and Learning Pathway success.

Summer Bridge has educational advisors on call each day from Outreach, Career and Technical Education, Financial Aid, STEM, General Counseling, and more! The Bridge advising team is led by the Title V Grant lead advisor, Isabel Castaneda. Advisors not only carefully pre-screen schedules for each and every student who enrolls in Summer Bridge, they also pair up on the day of each Bridge and work side-by-side with every student along with our outstanding Bridge peer mentors to ensure students leave the same day with the correct courses, locations, and units for their Learning and Career pathways success. Students also receive one -on-one time with our fabulous Financial Aid staff to make sure their financial aid forms are all in order.

Numerous engaging, hands-on activities and discussions make the day fun and memorable, and provide students opportunities to bond with fellow students, staff, and faculty before classes start for fall! It should be no surprise that our BC Summer Bridge students have higher success and retention rates, PLUS complete more units in their first year, AND are more likely to enroll in college level math and English than students who do not attend this one-of-a -kind Freshmen Orientation Day. There are sections still open in the Summer 2018 schedule. See Academic Development B55.

On August 14th, 5-8 PM, Summer Bridge is hosting a FAMILY Bridge to BC Night that will be a Career and Learning Pathways Open House Showcase and will close with our annual New Student Convocation. The Convocation is a spectacular family and BC Staff celebration that welcomes new students to BC! Watch the BC website for more information about how to sign up for this event soon!

Express Enrollment

The Outreach Department supported and registered 135 students for classes in one day during Tuesday’s express enrollment event. On Tuesday morning, Scott Sheahen of KERO Channel 23 highlighted the event, which handles application, placement and enrollment in one five-hour session. Tuesday’s enrollment also had a special component to get home-schooled students ready for classes at BC.

The next One-Day Express Enrollment event is on July 10th starting at 8 a.m. in the Welcome Center, so if you or someone you know needs help with the enrollment and registration process, then come by and we’ll make you a Renegade in one day!

Norma Rojas-Mora

BC welcomed Norma Rojas-Mora to campus as Director of Communications and Community Relations on Monday.

Telemundo invited Norma on air to share about her new role at BC. Norma emphasized her continued commitment to the community through her transition and in the importance of education both on a personal and community level. She spoke about how Bakersfield College is committed to opening its doors and access to the entire community, which can be seen in our rural outreach. Check it out at Telemundo online.

Norma Rojas-Mora

A Better BC Update

Pardon the pun, but we are trucking right along on the parking lot renovations! The parking lot on Mount Vernon and Panorama, and Parking Lot 4 on Mount Vernon and Church Avenue is scheduled to be opened on July 2. Following the opening, renovations will continue on other lots and roads throughout campus.

Starting July 2nd, closures include Red and White Way, Haley St. Entrance and staff/guest parking outside of the Administration building.

As always, please visit the A Better BC website for all construction updates.

Summer Soccer Camp at BC

It’s exciting to watch the World Cup action, and a good reminder of the upcoming Summer Soccer Camps at BC!

The BC Men’s and Women’s soccer programs are hosting a summer soccer camp for boys and girls ages 7-17. Sessions will run from Monday July 16 through Thursday July 19, 9am-12pm.

The cost is only $145 per participant for the week, and even better, there are group discounts available. To learn more or sign up, contact Scott Dameron at sdameron@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Fun Renegade Photos — #Summer2018

BC Team at eLumen Conference

Craig Hayward’s tweet

Tweet at the same conference from Wayne Skipper of Concentric Sky

Spotted on Facebook. Coach Casey Goodman being inducted to the 2018 University of Louisiana at Monroe Hall of Fame Class. #GoGades #WeAreBC

I want to remember to give special thanks to the BC Food Service team. Every day during our BC Summer Camps, and as always(!), they are on it! Thank you Chef Stephanie and crew for such attention to all who come to the Home of the Renegades.

A great photo of Grace Commiso’s Rocky on Facebook: While studying looked over and saw Rocky sprawled out on the floor…..How’s your Friday? Apparently his has been rough. #thelifeofpets.

Neo on the beach in Marina Del Rey #Summer2018

June 20 2018 Sonya Christian and Neo on the beach in Marina Del Rey

Neo Beach in Marina Del Rey June 20 2018

Heather Penella in Utah

Found on Facebook that Paul Beckworth and family are heading to the beach.

Tweet from Tamara Baker our new Manager for Community Relations

It is a great time to be at BC!

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Strengthening Kern County One Degree at a Time

Uncategorized April 29, 2017 Comments: 7

Good morning Bakersfield, it is Saturday, April 29, 2017 and such a fabulous day to be a Renegade.

Yesterday was the culmination of an incredible day after an incredible week. So much activity at BC that I will need to punt some of the events to next week’s blog. Let me start my blog with The Kern Promise.

Bryon Schaefer, Sonya Christian, Horace Mitchell

Imagine: Over the next 10 years, Kern County will advance our education attainment rates, increase the health of our community, engage our youth, and decrease poverty.

In Kern County, one in four residents live in poverty, with just 22% of Kern County residents 25 years of age and older holding an Associate’s Degree or higher, compared with California’s average of 39%. In the next ten years, more than six out of ten jobs will require employees to have more than a high school diploma. Today, only 40% of U.S. adults ages 25–64 are adequately prepared for the workforce.

Bryon Schaefer signing The Kern Promise

Sonya Christian signing The Kern Promise

Horace Mitchell signing The Kern Promise

Education is the key to equity, social mobility, and economic prosperity. This drives the work of educators throughout Kern County, and been the foundation for envisioned and implemented institutional, instructional, and student service policy changes locally and statewide in recent years.

KernPromiseEvent Horace Mitchell Sonya Christian Bryon Schafer.jpg

Horace Mitchell, Sonya Christian, Bryon Schaefer

With a critical lens on issues of equitable educational attainment, Kern County educators and industry leaders have been working to provide opportunities for applied learning through internships with business and industry partners, to embed academic support services for first generation and low- income students throughout the students’ pathways, and create pathways for success. Albeit a grand vision, the community is committed and inspired to usher in this vision, the promise of a college opportunity: The Kern Promise.

Yesterday was an incredible day. It was one of hope, laughter, excitement, enthusiasm, but most of all – a promise. In front of almost 1,000 Kern County High School students, I was joined on stage by community leaders, political representatives, and industry partners to pledge our commitment to The Kern Promise.

By working together with Kern High School District and CSUB, the Kern Promise is a commitment in action at Bakersfield College to help students complete their Associate Degree for Transfer within two instructional years through structured support, priority access to courses, and financial assistance to those who qualify. The Kern Promise focuses on a shared responsibility model where students will work with Completion Coaches and follow a clear path to success. In return, each promise student is required to maintain good academic standing and commit to their studies.

Bree Parks

It was bright and sunny morning yesterday and as each school filled the stands at the Outdoor Theater, our student emcee, Bree Parks, shouted their school names and a roar spread across the auditorium. While they waited for the event to begin, students were engaged in games, videos, group selfies, and activities chanting, “We are BC!”

When our program began, Chancellor Tom Burke, gave his remarks exclaiming that the Kern Promise would be one of the best ways our future Renegades can contribute to the future of our city, state, community, and their own personal lives as well.

Chancellor Tom Burke with dignitaries

I was joined by the initiative’s founding partnering institutions – Kern High School District Superintendent, Bryon Schaefer, and CSUB President, Horace Mitchell who also shared their excitement of the program. I remember specifically seeing the faces of the many students in the audience when Dr. Mitchell said that promise students who make it through that program, would be guaranteed acceptance into CSUB. Dr. Schaefer said that KHSD would work toward getting more high school students enrolled in college preparatory classes and promoting dual enrollment programs that allow students to complete college courses through BC while still being enrolled in high school.

Horace Mitchell, Sonya Christian, Bryon Schaefer

The mornings dignitaries and guests even took a moment to share some words with the students before signing a commitment document. Mayor Goh touched on the ways education “transforms and advances communities.” Check out this video!

KCCD Trustee, Bill Thomas urged the crowd to look into the program and said, “Dr. Mitchell would like many of you here today to graduate as Roadrunners, but before you run, you have to walk. If you follow the Promise, everyone here will deliver.”

Retired Congressman and Trustee Bill Thomas

Supervisor Leticia Perez a strong supporter of Bakersfield College and a believer in the tranformative power of education said that she was proudly representing the Fifth District of Kern County.

Supervisor Leticia Perez

Kern Taxpayers’ Association CEO, Michael Turnipseed described The Kern Promise as “instrumental in closing the education gap in Kern County”, while Michael Bowers, speaking for state Senator Andy Vidak, said that the program is “certain to create a pathway to success.”

Michael Turnipseed at The Kern Promise April 28 2017

Michael Turnipseed, CEO Kern Taxpayer’s Association

Michael Bowers representing Senator Andy Vidak

This kind of monumental promise is the kind of promise that only a community, working together can make. Thank you to BC’s educational partners and the KCCD Board of Trustees for providing such a powerful initiative for the students. Thank you to all of these community and industry leaders for supporting education in Kern County. Thank you to the elementary, middle, and high school educators in Bakersfield and in Kern County for preparing students before they begin college.

Mary Barlow Superintendent of Schools April 28 2017

Mary Barlow, Superintendent of Schools, Kern County

Mayor Jose Gurrola a Renegade and a Runner spoke in support of The Kern Promise and shared the vision of having a Bakersfield College satellite campus co-located with Arvin High School.

Mayor Jose Gurrola

Mayor Jose Gurrola signing The Kern Promise

Keenan Hochschild stopped by with a message from Congressman Kevin McCarthy

Keenan Hochschild representing Congressman Kevin McCarthy

Michael Herrera representing Senator Jean Fuller.

Michael Herrera at The Kern Promise April 28 2017

Michael Herrera representing Senator Jean Fuller at The Kern Promise

Lauren Skidmore represented Assembly Member Vince Fong at the event.

Amanda Sampson represented Assembly Member Rudy Salas

Andrea Sampson representing Rudy Salas at The Kern Promise

Amanda Sampson representing Assembly Member Rudy Salas

The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a great partner of BC. Here is Jay Tamsi, CEO of the KCHCC

Jay Tamsi at The Kern Promise April 28 2017

Jay Tamsi, CEO KCHCC

Nick Ortiz, CEO of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce pledged his support for The Kern Promise

Nick Ortiz, CEO Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce

Kristen Barnes, CEO of the Kern Community Foundation pledged scholarship dollars to support The Kern Promise students.

Kristen Barnes at The Kern Promise April 28 2017

Kristen Barnes, CEO, Kern Community Foundation

Here is Adam Alvidrez pledging Chevron’s support to advancing educational attainment. Chevron has supported CSUB, BC, Taft College consistently over the years. Adam, in his truly Adam way, then slaps on a BC baseball cap before he signs The Kern Promise.

Adam Alvidrez of Chevron at The Kern Promise

Adam Alvidrez, Chevron

Adam Alvidrez

It was great to have Wonderful Company represented by Rebecca Farley. BC has partnered with Wonderful to provide Pathways that start in the 9th grade.

Rebecca Farley for Wonderful Academy at The Kern Promise

Rebecca Farley representing Wonderful

Richard Chapman, CEO of the Kern Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) wholeheartedly supporting The Kern Promise.

Richard Chapman at The Kern Promise April 28 2017

Richard Chapman, CEO, KEDC

But perhaps most importantly – thank you to our future students for believing that you can, knowing that you can, and pushing yourself to excel. You are the future of Kern County and you are the reason for the promise and the inspiration for all that we do. And thank you for using ASL to sign PROMISE every time the word Promise was mentioned by a speaker. Thank you Rayven Webb for stopping by my office in the morning and teaching me how to sign PROMISE. Here I am demonstrating the second half of the word.

Sonya Christian

This is a promise where our young people can define their own future and I’m so pleased to invite them to take the first step at Bakersfield College with The Kern Promise.

I can’t thank enough my fellow speakers, leaders, and friends who joined me yesterday to sign The Kern Promise –

Tom Burke – KCCD Chancellor
Superintendent Bryon Schaefer – KHSD
President Horace Mitchell – CSUB
Trustee Bill Thomas – KCCD Board of Trustees
Karen Goh – Mayor of Bakersfield
Leticia Perez – Supervisor, County of Kern
Michael Turnipseed – CEO, Kern Taxpayers Association
Michael Herrera – Senator Jean Fuller’s Office
Amanda Sampson – Assembly Member Rudy Salas’ Office
Michael Bowers – Senator Andy Vidak’s Office
Lauren Skidmore – Assembly Member Vince Fong
Nick Ortiz – Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
Jay Tamsi – KC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Arleana Waller – KC Black Chamber of Commerce
Jose Gurrola – Mayor of Arvin
Rebecca Farley – Wonderful Academy
Adam Alvidrez – Chevron
Kristen Barnes – Kern Community Foundation
Richard Chapman — Kern Economic Development Corporation

Here are some fun pictures before and after the event

BC Cheer Team

BC Drumline Students

Sonya Christian with BC Students

Mayor Karen Goh, Jay Tamsi, and Michael Bowers having fun

KernPromiseEven-042817s Karen Goh Sonya Christian Horace Mitchell

Mayor Karen Goh, President Sonya Christian, President Horace Mitchell

After the program, our high school visitors were treated to a resource fair, workshops, and activities on campus. Thank you to Steve Watkin and the Outreach Team!

Here is a We Are BC pump up video from Chris Glaser prior to The Kern Promise event.

Thank you to those who worked behind the scenes to make The Kern Promise a reality.

Jennifer Marden, Lesley Bonds, Shannel Tyus, Tom Gelder, Janet Fulks, Chris Glaser, Mary Jo Pasek, Dylan Wang, Monika Scott, Keri Kennedy and many others.

I don’t have pictures of many of these individuals, but here are pictures of few of them.

Jennifer Marden

Lesley Bonds

2016 President’s Scholars Reception Summary

GardenFest on Earth Day

Last Saturday was Earth Day and the BC campus was buzzing for GardenFest 2017. The open house featured the Environmental Horticulture and Agriculture programs for a day of family fun. With over 150 vendor booths featuring gardening, pets, farmer’s market, cooking, arts and crafts, and more… there is something for everyone. The Bakersfield Californian had a nice piece this week highlighting this year’s Gardenfest – check it out here!

The official website for Earth Day says in its history, “On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment.”

Today on the site, it says “Education is the foundation for progress” and they offer suggestions for how you can take action in becoming more green. Check out http://www.earthday.org/take-action/ to learn more.

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Renegade Health Fair

On Wednesday April 19, 2017, BC hosted the Renegade Pulse Health Fair on the lawn between the Student Services building and the Library. The local organizations who attended this Health Fair gave students an opportunity to peruse, discuss, and obtain pertinent information that could aid them and their loved ones in a variety of ways. Some of the local businesses that attended this year’s Health Fair were; Kern Public Health, US Army, Bakersfield Police Department, Blue Shield of California, Child Support Services, WIC, Behavioral Health and Recovery, Covered California, Community Connections for Childcare, Overeaters Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, The Dolores Huerta Foundation, Bakersfield College’s own DSPS and student nursing program who were doing free health screenings, and many more.

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The Bakersfield Pregnancy Center or BPS who was on site with their mobile health van, which allows individuals to obtain free screenings along with free ultrasounds. The Milan Institute booth was one of the biggest attractions, giving much needed neck and back massages to those students who visited and the constant line that was present seemed to speak to the need for some stress relief in this upcoming finals preparation. Another booth that seemed to have captured the attention of many in attendance was the booth on Community Needs Survey.. The individual at the booth was asking everyone to have a voice in Kern County concerning areas they feel are of greatest concern and could use attention. Each person was given five stickers and asked to place them on a chart of local needs.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, which was located directly behind the Community Needs Survey brought attention to the growing need for adequate Mental Illness facilities and care in Kern County as well as passing out green ribbons to commemorate that May is Mental Health Illness month. Throughout the morning and afternoon, a multitude of students frequented the Health Fair, listening to music, walking from booth to booth, obtaining healthy and helpful information and hopefully took away knowledge, and resources that will better their lives. I loved our photo on BC’s instagram of Terri Goldstein out at the Health Fair. If you’re not following BC on Instagram, check us out at https://www.instagram.com/bakersfieldcollege/ for most up to date snaps and photos.

Retail Management Showcase

The Retail Management and Hospitality Showcase sponsored by Deputy Sector Navigator, Shelley Attix (Retail, Hospitality & Tourism Programs) and CTE Transitions took place on Monday. ROC students learned about the sector and received valuable insight about industry trends, employment opportunities, and HS to College pathways and certifications. Thank you BC Faculty and staff including, Mike Ivey, Alex Gomez, Beth Harrison, Lupe Aguilera, Antonio Alfaro and Pam Gomez.

Guided Pathways in April 2017 Rostrum

The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has a quarterly newsletter titled Senate Rostrum and it was great to see two special BC Faculty had an article published in April’s edition. The article, Guided Pathways: Two Professors’ Perspective on Why We Need the College GPS by Nick Strobel and Jessica Wojtysiak is a piece worth reading if you’re not familiar with the Guided Pathways project.

Jessica Wojtysiak

Nick Strobel

Talking about Guided Pathways, we had our statewide CA Guided Pathways Advisory Committee meeting in LA on Thursday, April 27, 2017. The one-day meeting funded by College Futures and hosted by Bakersfield College was successful. We made progress on a few difficult issues which makes the hardship of travel and and other work associated with the meeting, well worth it. Lesley Bonds and Jessica Wojtsiak are amazing!

Here are some photos:

Lesley Bonds and Jessica Wojtsiak CA Guided Pathways Advisory Committee April 27 2017

Lesley Bonds, Jessica Wojtsiak

Sonya Christian Janet Fulks and Craig Hayward at CA Guided Pathways Advisory Committee

Sonya Christian, Janet Fulks, Craig Hayward

Sonya Christian and Craig Hayward April 27 2017 at Manhatten Beach

Sonya Christian, Craig Hayward

The Joy and Enchantment of Life

Sonya Christian Manhatten Beach day before CA Guided Pathways Advisory Committee

CCCApply Annual Meeting

Every year, the CCCApply and eTranscript California steering committees meet to connect with colleagues at other institutions and discuss the issues unique to the online application to the California Community Colleges (CCCApply) and electronic transcript exchange across California, including CSU, UC, and private universities. This year, it was held on April 12th and 13th at Sacramento City College. As the Vice Chair, Michelle Pena, BC’s Assistant Director of A&R, helped coordinated the conference, sessions and meals. She provided the introductions for each speaker including Dr. Walker and gave an overall orientation of what the day, the closing, and the raffles. She ran a session on Residency Algorithm 101 with Michael Quiaoit and Natalie Wagner with the CCCCO, in conjunction with Los Medanos.

Veterans Club Giving Back

On Friday April 21st the Bakersfield College Veterans Club went to the Bakersfield homeless shelter to serve dinner to the community as well as the people living at the center. They took a tour of all the facilities to better understand where their help may be needed.

BC’s Korean Culture Festival

The first annual Korean Culture Festival took place at BC this week on April 25th. Students of the Korean Club put together a great event including Korean karaoke, information on the culture and history, a language table to have your name written in Korean script, known as Hangeul, food and snacks, and a table on tourism and UC/CSU study abroad opportunities. Check out the fun photos taken by Belen Martinez at https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/Korean-Culture-Festival

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Civic Engagement covered by CHAP in Delano

The Bakersfield College Delano Campus Cultural Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) hosted its final event for the spring semester. Political Science Professor Charles Kim did a wonderful job moderating an informative panel about civic engagement and the political process with staff members from Congressman David Valadao’s office and State Senator Andy Vidak. Following a 45-minute discussion about their entrance into local politics, political staffers Ariana Joven (Valadao) and Rogelio Caudillo (Vidak) fielded questions from the audience ranging from immigration reform, human trafficking, water policy, and what prompted their interest in pursuing a career in politics. This was a fun and lively session and connected local issues to the lives of our rural students. We hope this is the first of many future policy-oriented community dialogues our campus can host in the spirit of promoting civic education and participation in the political process.

Penelope Project

I’m always impressed when hear incredible stories about what our BC students are doing with their lives. A recent article on BakersfieldNow.com featured one of our BCSGA students and her incredible story. The article titled, “Local dog owner turns fundraiser into business venture” begins by highlighting Diana Martinez as a BC student studying architecture and photography. She is the founder of the Penelope Project which she started as a way to afford her dog’s medical care after her pet was hit by a car. In the article, Diana says, “I wanted to create a win-win situation, where the people would receive something in return and I did not want it to be an unequal service, I wanted to give the community a service.”

Congratulations to Sue Vaughn

Sue Vaughn was recently honored with the Robert Brown Award for distinguished leadership at CAACRAO. The website describes the award by saying, “The Robert Brown Award is given to a CACCRAO member who has distinguished him or herself within the Admissions and Records profession. CACCRAO presents this award to recognize the outstanding contributions of individual CACCRAO members and to further the profession of Admissions and Records Officers within the California Community College system. It is a symbol of commitment to leadership, innovation and professional standards.” From everyone at BC, Congratulations Sue!!!

Jerry Ludeke, a BC Treasure

A beautiful piece about Jerry Ludeke by KGET, Tabatha Mills did a great job capturing the spirit and person of Jerry Ludeke.

http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/local-news/jerry-ludeke-a-true-bakersfield-college-treasure/700757000

I went back to my photo archives and found these two pictures of me with Jerry. One from 2014 when Jerry received one of the 100 stars and the second from the 2016 Sterling Silver event.

Sonya Christian, Jerry Ludeke receiving one of the 100 BC stars

Sonya Christian - BCF-SterlingSilverDinner_09

Jerry Ludeke, Sonya Christian. 2016 Sterling Silver

Bakersfield College transforming our community one degree at a time.

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Catching the Olympic Spirit

Uncategorized August 13, 2016 Comments: 5

Sonya Christian, Paula Dahl, Jen Garrett

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, August 13, 2016 following a week of Olympics and a week of great activity at BC….a great week to be a Renegade.

On Friday, after my Land Rover was broken into (yes…..quite bummed about that) I spent a few brief moments with Jen Garrett and Paula Dahl at the Starbucks on 24th. I just sat back watching these two incredible women talk about what they did this summer and all I can say dear community members, is that we are so fortunate to have such incredible faculty members at BC taking care of our students, taking care of our community. No wonder I always repeat over and over and over again that I am the luckiest and happiest college president ever. These two women inspire me!

Let’s start with Rio or should I say #Rio2016…..

The Olympic spirit is contagious and it’s hard to not get caught up in the highlights of terrific athletic merit and examples of superb sportsmanship. It’s easy to sit back and enjoy the thrilling Olympics, but sitting back also makes me truly appreciate the hard work, dedication, training, resilience and sheer talent of these athletes and their preparation for these few weeks in Rio. Anticipation and preparation are two ingredients to success….BC has done this over the last 100 years and now it is our turn to anticipate and prepare for future generations. And that we are doing through our facilities planning as we build, together, A Better BC!

Every unique story stemming from Rio has struck me as particularly moving, but one article caught my attention specifically. U.S. Women Jump, Spin, and Soar to Gymnastics Gold from the New York Times explains just how these girls earned gold. The author explains – It started with “A strong start on the vault” followed by Gabby Douglas getting “her moment.” These young women maneuvered the trials by “avoiding trouble on the balance beam” and closing the victory with “great performances.”

The charismatic U.S. women’s gymnastics team is a shining example of what makes America great –dedication, the opportunity to explore our talents and passions, the ability to freely pursue them, tough training, incredible grace, and banding together to accomplish great things. Our biggest advantage as a nation also stems from our diversity as displayed on the roster by these fantastic women. Laurie Hernandez is Latina, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas are black, and Aly Raisman and Madison Kocian are white. Together, they offer a glimpse into the beautiful mosaic of American diversity. A single “i” in the collective “we”. i-BC….and yes, We are BC!

Our world is full of perils and challenges, but the camaraderie on display at Rio 2016 offers a view of our increasingly diverse future; one that we can all take pride in being a part of. Let us continue to be inspired as we witness the beauty in diversity of people working together and striving for excellence.

The track and field competitions have just begun on Rio’s schedule, which reminds me of Jim Ryun (yes, spelled “Ryun”) and his record setting accomplishment at our own Memorial Stadium. A side note: I recently learned that Jim Ryun went on to serve in Congress with our very own Bill Thomas. On June 23rd of 1967, a world record time was set by Ryun of 3:51.1 running the mile during the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. A video, uploaded to Youtube, shows this unbelievable feat. (Thank you Shannon Musser for finding this in the archives for us. And thank you Jerry Ludeke for all that you do for the archives, a true treasure of Bakersfield College.)

That year was the first of five times Memorial Stadium would be home to the championship event. It is my hope that moving forward, BC can continue providing adequate spaces as more records are set at The Home of the Renegades. Together, let’s build A Better BC for generations to come.

Talking about building A Better BC, Tom Burke and I were on the Jim Scott show on KGET this past Saturday, August 6th sharing information about the KCCD Bond that will be on the November ballot. If you are interested in this 30-minute video segment check it out on the KGET website at http://tinyurl.com/z7eoxue.

On Thursday evening, after the Board meeting, I attended the graduation ceremony of the Energy Academy which started on May 21st. Check out my previous blog post at https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/05/21/so-much-diversity-and-we-are-bc/

It was such a great event. Besides celebrating our BC students going through this intense Saturday program I enjoyed the friendship of different community groups coming together to make meaningful and transformative opportunities happen for this community. The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce puts this program together with funding from Chevron.

The student speaker Larry Dano was just phenomenal. He shared his story in the oil industry going through the ups and down of the cyclical economic climate. He is a BC student who is in the Fire Technology program while he is working towards a baccalaureate degree in Industrial Safety. Larry is also a student veteran. Armando Trullijo, BC’s Ed Adviser for student vets was present at the graduation beaming with pride as he introduced Larry to me. Here is a selfie with Larry right after I gave him his certificate. The second picture is with David Alanis, a KCHCC member who was at my table and a lot of fun to hang out with.

Lauren Skidmore did a fabulous job facilitating the entire academy and giving up her Saturday mornings to be with this cohort of students. Thank you Adam Alvidrez and Jay Tamsi for your leadership. It was great fun sitting at the same table with Norma Rojas-Mora, Michael Bowers and others. The final word on the Energy Academy must be about Lisa Kent. This beautiful and talented young woman is so committed to BC and our community. Thank you Lisa for all that you do!

The BC Team came out in full force to support the Energy Academy graduates. See below –Armando Trujillo, Connie Gonzales, myself, Jay Tamsi, Lisa Kent, Lesley Bond. Also, a quick shout out to two more students, Andrea Hernandez and Jose Chavez, with Skidmore, Gonzales, and Kent.

Lauren Skidmore, Jose Chavez, Connie Gonzales, Lisa Kent

Lauren Skidmore, Andrea Hernandez, Connie Gonzales, Lisa Kent

Armando Trujillo, Connie Gonzales, Sonya Christian, Jay Tamsi, Lisa Kent, Lesley Bonds

Our Staff is a Great Team

All this focus on Rio and team work reminds me of the great staff and faculty I’m lucky to be working with at BC. Taking care of our current facilities and campus is a constant and growing challenge for a team of truly awesome people.

These efforts wouldn’t be possible without the leadership and dedication of our Facilities and Operations staff. I’d like to mention Ramon Puga and Andrea Watson, who have stepped up and taken on additional responsibilities without being asked. Their attitude is commendable because these two will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

These two, however, are part of a much larger team – everyone at BC plays a unique role in what we do. Thank you Ramon and Andrea for your example of leadership and dedication! And thank you Bill Potter, Director of Facilities, for your commitment to BC. Together we will modernize our buildings and infrastructure for future generations….together we will upgrade our learning spaces from the 1950s to accommodate new technologies….together we will build A Better BC!

Another example of quality at BC is the Peer Mentor program, led by Maria Wright. This last week, the PMLA (Peer Mentor Leadership Academy) trained 50 new student employees over a four-day period.

These students will begin doing student success work in the tutoring center, counseling department, supplemental instruction, and outreach. The training they received focused on students helping students and enhancing their role as Peer Mentors as a means to increase students success campus wide. These great young people are going to make a great difference in the lives of their fellow students! Each student seen individually…. It is all about customizing for the individual and scaling up for the collective. i-BC! and We are BC!

This week was also MESA Week Zero. MESA workshops started off in helping students interested in STEM classes.

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This marks year nine for the program, where various workshops – including organic chemistry camp, biology, and engineering are taught. The main goal in providing workshops all week was to get students ready for STEM classes and give insider knowledge specified for each major. BC professors assisted in providing different curriculum projects, which showed students what they would be learning and how they could apply it on the job. Seeing each individual student within the whole group. Yes, i-BC! and We are BC!

Consuelo Gonzalez, MESA director, said she believes that “in order to be successful in science and engineering you need to have life coaching and the right discipline.” These five-day workshops going on all week are sponsored by Chevron and MESA.

Introducing the new GoGades.com

A wave of updates has washed over our campus this past summer. Have you seen the new signs around campus, the newly poured walkways, and fresh coat of paint in the parking lot? In addition to those and many more, BC Athletics has a new website! You can’t miss the pop of Renegade Red, while checking out the accomplishments of our fantastic student athletes.

GoGades.com features a slideshow highlighting the most recent news and photos about Renegade sports. You’ll find news, photos, videos and a schedule for every BC sports department, as well as information about tickets, recruiting, athletic facilities, sponsorships, directions around campus and more. The redesign couldn’t have come at a better time, with the fall 2016 semester right around the corner.

Football is a proud staple at BC and I hope you’ll join me at our first home game against Chaffey College at BC’s Memorial Stadium on September 10th. This fall also marks the return of Men’s Soccer to BC after a 30-year absence. Along with head coach Vayron Martinez, I’m excited for the future as this program builds from the ground up into a legitimate competitor in the Western State Conference.

Thank you to our Sports Information Director, Francis Mayer, for his work on this site, everyone who works to cast a spotlight on our student athletes, and everyone at BC and in the community who supports them! Go Gades!

For more info about Renegade athletics, including former BC quarterback Logan Kilgore making his first professional start in the Canadian Football League, I hope you’ll be sure to visit Gogades.com.

Howard Swan Award

Another staple at BC is our talented music faculty. Since 1985, every summer, at the CACDA (California American Choral Directors Association) conference near Yosemite, a director is awarded the Howard Swan Lifetime Achievement award. This award recognizes an outstanding retired choral director in our state and candidates are nominated by the California ACDA Board of Directors and voted upon by past Presidents.

This year it was awarded to our own Ron Kean! Many well respected choral directors in California spoke about Ron’s dedication to the choral art. The speakers focused on the way he brought multicultural music to the forefront of choral music and made it accessible and something choral directors did not have to be afraid to try. They talked about his quiet and humble dedication as he served as President of the ACDA Western Division, President of the Music Association of California Community Colleges (MACCC), 6 years as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives, and more.

The “Lifetime” Achievement Award seemed insufficient as Ron’s dreams and support go well beyond his tenure at any institution or office. He continues to support ACDA through workshops and sharing of his years of experience. And he wholeheartedly supports Bakersfield College in his so called “retirement,” still teaching the World Music class he created. He also conducted the BC Choirs and BSO in an unforgettable opening of our Outdoor Theater, and supports the choral program in any way he can.

Jen Garrett and many others also talked about the way his compositions will live on beyond any of us. He has made a personal difference in so many lives–as a professor, choral conductor, leader, composer, and most importantly, as a friend and colleague. Many lives have been greatly enriched and blessed because of Ron. Congratulations!!

In an email last week, Ron told me “retirement can open the doors to creativity.” “The White Birds” is one of 5 commissions he’s done in the past two years. He has judged choral music festivals at Bakersfield High School, Fresno State, USC, Santa Rosa Community College, and this Fall at Cal State Long Beach and guest conducted in Hawaii, Bali, and for the Santa Monica/Malibu School District Honor Choirs. The photo was taken at St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland just after the premiere of “The White Birds,” with poetry by William Butler Yeats. It was co-commissioned by the two conductors in the photo, Lou De La Rosa from West Valley College in San Jose, and Dr. Jeffrey Benson from San Jose State University. “The White Birds” was performed for the opening of the first ever Limerick Choral Music Festival, for the mayors of Limerick and Dublin, and at the end of each concert. I’m told each performance was followed by a standing ovation – I believe it too!

Renegades in the Community

BC is connecting our community in both simple and meaningful ways.

Sometimes, all it takes is a 35 mile drive and the need for a diet coke to connect staff and students! Tracy Lovelace from our Educational Media department sent me this video – I hope it’ll make you smile, just like it did for me.

Janelly, we’re proud that you’re a Renegade! Thanks for sharing Tracy.

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya

(This picture, posted by Karen Goh one year ago at the African American Leaders breakfast, popped up on Facebook after a year.)

We are Bakersfield….and We are BC!

Uncategorized June 19, 2016 Comments: 10

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Sunday, June 19, 2016 and Father’s Day.

Happy Father’s Day Dad. I miss you.

Paul Christian, Sonya Christian

Here’s to all the great father’s I know….and to all the fathers in this community, today is your day! Happy Father’s Day!

Alex Tuckman, Eisha Christian, Frank Atenello. Photo: Dr. Weiss

On Friday, June 17th, my daughter Eisha graduated from her 7-year residency in Neurosurgery from USC. Wow, neurosurgery. I attended the graduation event along with my mom. The event started with a cocktail reception followed by dinner and speeches from the faculty and the three graduating students. Yes, three. There were a lot of tears as faculty talked about these three amazing surgeons — Alex Tuckman, Eisha Christian, and Frank Atenello. Thank you Dr. Martin Weiss for the photos on Facebook. Here is one of them.

Eisha Christian, the little girl who was at OLPH, then Highland High, who took math classes at BC from Rafael Espericueta, Mike Moretti and others in the math department. Eisha, I love you!

Wow…..life……

So, do you know Clifford Evans? Well, I got to meet him on Thursday, June 16th as I was rushing back from a a presentation at the Kern County Hispanic Chamber meeting (more on that later.)

Clifford Evans, Sonya Christian

Clifford called out to me as I was hurrying from the parking lot to the Levan Center where the Executive Office was having a retreat. As I paused to say hello he went on to say that BC has the best staff ever and that if the world had the staff at BC it would be a much better and much happier place. Of course I was thrilled and immediately requested a selfie with him for my Saturday blog. You see Bakersfield, faculty and staff at BC don’t consider this a job…but rather a calling. So they do give their minds and hearts to this college, to the students. Just amazing. It is a good time to be at BC!

Earlier that day, I did two back-to-back presentations about BC’s facilities needs and the potential bond. The first presentation was with Tom Burke to Kern Tax at the Bell Tower Club after which I rushed to the Double Tree Inn to present to the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I am happy to report that KernTax voted to endorse the potential bond. Of course, the presentation was all about the numbers, including how the bond sequencing would happen and the precise management of the interest paid as a result of the pacing of the bond sequence. Thank you Michael Turnipseed, CEO Kern Tax, and Jay Tamsi, CEO KCHCC, for inviting us to make these presentations. For more information about the potential bond and the work of the Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Harvey Hall with Bill Thomas as the Senioir Advisor, check out http://www.abetterbc.com/.

Bond presentation to KernTax June 16 2016

You can’t see everyone in the KCHCC picture, but here are the names: Jay Tamsi, Carlos Navarro, Blodgie Rodríguez, Robin Mangarin-Scott, Adam Alvidrez, Colleen Dillaway, Olivia Garcia, David Alanis, Donna Herman, Eva Ramirez, Victor Martin, Ed Herrera, Dr. Stuart Tatsuno, Denise Ornelas, Ken Ouellete, Sal Brito.

Executive Office Retreat:

Back to the story of Clifford Evans…..At the Exec Office retreat, I shared the photos and the Evans story with our team, and as it turns out Tracy Hall has regularly interacted with Clifford and helped him. So Tracy is one of those “amazing individuals at BC” that Clifford was describing to me. Talking about Tracy, she did a wonderful reflection about our work together in 2015-2016. Here it is. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as me.

Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Tracy Hall, June Charles, Zav Dadabhoy, Tarina Perry, Sonya Christian, Anthony Culpepper, Somaly Boles, Jennifer Marden

This last year has been amazing. It is hard to believe it has been a whole year since our last retreat. I love coming to work, and I’m privileged to work with this group of professionals who are bright, kind, funny, and committed to our students, to BC, and to each other.

When we met last year, we had just been inspired by Michael Wesch’s presentation about the Age of Wonder. Sonya had asked us to share our impressions. Each of us shared something that spoke to us…that resonated. It was great to see how each of us, with our differences and deficiencies, took away something that caused us to pause and think differently about the way we may view or approach something.

We reviewed 2014’s commitment to Celebrate our Differences, Respect Each Other, Provide Accurate and Consistent Information, and Streamline Paperwork and Signatures Within 24 Hours. I am pleased to say that the commitments we made in 2014 are still a practiced priority in our office today.

Among the themes we discussed last year, a new phrase emerged, “May the Disruptive Force Be With You.” The Administrative Team has been Empowered to be a “Disruptive Force”, to take necessary and appropriate action on behalf of the Executive Team, and to:

Be Gatekeepers

Protect the time and energy of the Executive Team members

Ask questions

Solve problems before they escalate

Manage the flow of information in the office

All members of the Executive and Administrative Team will participate in:

Active Listening

Sharing Stories and Intel

Fingers on the Pulse of the Campus

Being Transparent and Authentic

Cultivate and Maintain a Sense of Trust

2016-17 is going to be busy, challenging, and exciting. The hard work the team is putting into educating the public about BC’s facility needs will hopefully come to fruition in November. The work doesn’t stop, and neither will our commitments to each other. We Are, BC.

Helen Chavez

Monday, June 13th morning, hundreds of people paid respects to a revolutionary woman, Helen Chavez. I had the honor of attending her funeral services at St. Malachy Catholic Church in Tehachapi. The church was packed with two overflow venues — a tent as well as an adjacent hall where there were large TVs with live feed from the church. The ceremony was inspiring with the priest drawing comparisons between her life’s work and the bible. He spotlighted the Beatitudes that are such a beautiful part of scripture. Again, whether you are a believer or not, I think you will appreciate the beauty in the language and the calling for the best in the human spirit. Here are two of the eight Beatitudes:

Blessed are those who mourn: for they shall be comforted
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy

The liturgical music was wonderful and Amazing Grace which was sung in Spanish and English intermingled was hauntingly beautiful. Here is the Spanish version on youtube

President Obama issued a statement last Tuesday calling Mrs. Chavez “a force of quiet strength” who “left a legacy that will echo for generations.’’ A nice article about this woman and her life can be found at http://tinyurl.com/j2lelk2.

Thank you David Villarino for getting this event on my radar and making arrangements for VIP parking. With my crazy schedule on Monday, it really helped. David Villarino does amazing work through his organization FIELD that focuses on educating adults with English as a Second Language.

Champion of Bakersfield College — Michael O’Doherty

Michael ODoherty Sonya Christian June 14 2016

Sonya Christian, Michael O’Doherty

Last week, I forgot to mention that Michael O’Doherty presented an update of Measure G to the KCCD trustees. O’Doherty is the past president of the Bakersfield College Foundation Board of Directors.

As a member of Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee for Measure G, Michael O’Doherty described the diligence of the committee; and the onsite visual compliance efforts.

According to Michael, the visual compliance review resulted in an opinion that Bakersfield College is in full compliance of the 2002 Measure G Bond requirements.

The KCCD Board of Trustees received Michael’s report that effectively supported the overall presentation made by the KCCD CBO, Tom Burke.

Thank you Michael O’Doherty for all that you do for Bakersfield College. You are a true champion for BC!

Christina Sistrunk

The Kern Business Journal recently published an article crediting Christina Sistrunk as being one of the most powerful women in the oil and gas industry and I’m proud to say that we are so lucky to have strong and influential women doing great things for our community.

To support the educational experience of our students, Aera made a valuable gift for the Aera STEM Success Center which will benefit our students for generations to come. BC is so fortunate to have such a fantastic industry and community partner like Aera, lead by their president and CEO, Christina Sistrunk and prior to Chrstina, Guardie Banister. I had the pleasure of hosting Christina, Cindy Pollard, Lynne Carrithers, and others from Aera during our groundbreaking press conference last year. Here are some photos.

The Californian states, “Sistrunk’s selection was based, in part, on being a top leader in her organization and profession; directly contributing to business growth and strategic direction of the organization; being an effective role model who inspires other women; and operating with the highest integrity and ethical behavior.”

Read the entire article online at http://tinyurl.com/jr2uq8j

Louis Amestoy

Richard Beene, Louis Amestoy

Check out Louis Amestoy’s piece in The Bakersfield Californian
http://tinyurl.com/jcb8y5b.
Did you know Richard Beene is retiring, but thankfully, he will still continue writing for TBC.

Thank you Louis Amestoy for your shout out in the Californian:

On an equally impressive note, in her blog Bakersfield College President Sonya Christian highlighted the celebration of the college’s commencement ceremonies. Christian’s blog is a fascinating read about the workings of BC, and I recommend it.

Track & Field Banquet

The Bakersfield College Track and Field team held their annual banquet last week at Hodel’s.

Marilyn Quintero, Kyra Saunders, Tyra Saunders, Jacob Bookout, Dillen Littles, and Christopher Moreno received their conference honors at the Track & Field Banquet.

The following athletes took home MVP honors:

Men’s Track MVP: Christopher Moreno
Men’s Field MVP: Dillen Littles.
Women’s track MVP: Tyra Saunders
Women’s Field MVP: Marilyn Quintero

Saunders had a breakthrough season that culminated with the shattering of a 29-year-old school record in the 100 meters with a blistering 11.91 second run at the SoCal Finals in Antelope Valley this season. The original record was set by Aisha Harrison in 1997 with a time of 11.98.

Coach Pam Kelley said she expects half a dozen athletes to commit to four-year schools in the coming weeks.

Let’s hear it for our amazing athletes!

IEPI Inmate Education Training Workshop

The Bakersfield College, Delano Campus hosted the Institutional Effectiveness and Partnership Initiative (IEPI) Inmate Education Training Workshop.

BJ Snowden, Director of Inmate and Re-Entry Education in the CCCCO’s office, asked our campus to host the training and to present to community colleges throughout California as we are offering courses in multiple state prisons. During the training, College of the Canyons and Chaffey College provided insight on their inmate education programs. The sharing of information resulted in all colleges furthering the ability to serve students.

Chelsea Esquibias led the training on behalf of Bakersfield College, providing insight on our ability to assist students with admissions and records while overcoming obstacles associated with being incarcerated. Bryan Hirayama presented Bakersfield College’s evaluation of curriculum and course selection.

The two-day training wrapped up with a tour of Kern Valley State Prison. Attendees from the different colleges were able to witness Bakersfield College’s partnership with the prison firsthand. The knowledge gained by all involved, including BC, will lend additional support to all of the Inmate Education Programs and ensure students receive the necessary skills for employability as well as navigating society as they transition out of the prison environment.

Thank you to the CCCCO’s office for the continued support and partnership and thank you to the numerous colleges in attendance.

Summer Bridge:

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BC is ramping up our Summer Bridge efforts as a focused student success strategy for students transitioning from high school to college.The goal of this program is to make students more aware of what is expected of them in college and what programs, services, resources, and assistance are available to them as a BC student. A team of faculty across areas led by Dr. Kimberly Bligh developed the content for the curriculum. Thank you Kimberly!

In 2014, BC offered 4 sections of the bridge class for 140 incoming freshmen during mid-summer over a two week time frame. We had 100% retention! We also held a family luncheon at the end of the bridge sessions so that students could spend some time on campus with their friends and family and share their experiences from the bridge.

Eighty-nine percent of the students successfully completed their Comprehensive Student Educational plan that summer during Bridge.

In 2015, the Bridge scaled up significantly and even more faculty and staff became involved in co-teaching and assisting.

Dr. Bligh wrote an online text for the Bridge that includes discussions about transitions to college, team and leadership building activities, career interest surveys, links to campus, academic, and personal resources, self-inventories, and information about BC’s history, programs, processes. The book includes student testimonial videos and videos and PowerPoint access to topics like Plagiarism, Mindsets, Learning Styles, Email Etiquette, and more.

In 2015, we scaled up from 4 to 18 sections and also held some non-credit sessions for incoming freshmen at the Wasco and Delano high schools. Those sessions included field trips to BC’s Panorama and Delano campuses. Over 400 students completed the bridge program in 2015. The overall success rate for this cohort during their 2015-2016 term was 12% higher than those first time freshmen who did not attend the bridge!

In 2016, our target was to scale up sessions again, but we planned to do it with a unique approach to recruitment. We developed the themed sessions based on students’ majors and career interests and included several sessions for career exploration for those students who are still undecided. The students signed up for their week of preference so they could meet other students with similar interests and meet faculty from those areas.

Since April, we have already held 8 sessions of BC Bridge 2016 for over 200 incoming freshmen! We have 15 + sessions still open. Students can attend any of the sessions. The curriculum covers the same topics throughout all sessions.

Go to https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/sssp/summer-bridge today to get directions for signing up for the Bridge, which runs through August 11th. You’ll need to sign up for the Remind App associated with your option so that we can contact them about details for their Bridge session – and check your BC email account and personal accounts often all summer for alerts and updates!

Let’s check out what faculty have to say about Summer Bridge program:

Paul Beckworth

Matt Garrett

“I enjoyed seeing incoming students being proactive, taking the initiative to get themselves prepared for college. I heard more than a few students whisper, ‘I didn’t know that,’ when particular topics were discussed. But, now they do know thanks to Summer Bridge!” — Paul Beckworth

“Summer Bridge is a great experience for everyone. The incoming students get eased into the college life as we walk them through everything from financial aid to email etiquette. It also benefits faculty who are reminded of BC services and the needs of our incoming students that might otherwise be ignored. Teaching Bridge puts me in tune with our students and makes me a better overall instructor.” — Matthew Garrett

Two concluding spotlights:

When I was rushing across town on Thursday for one of my presentations, I saw our drumline trailer carrying all the musical instruments. I hurried to catch up (safely as Greg Williamson and Donny Youngblood would have been happy to see), and at the next traffic light could not help but take this picture.

Greg Gallion in The Bakersfield Californian:

Here is a great Community Voices piece by Greg Gallion in TBC about the importance of donating blood. http://tinyurl.com/gs2nc7b. A good friend of mine did so on Thursday.

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya ….. the luckiest and happiest college president in the whole world.

So much Diversity and We are BC

Uncategorized May 21, 2016 Comments: 5

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, May 21st…and another wonderful day to be a Renegade.

The weeks leading up to graduation I kept telling everyone, just wait till after May 13th and I am going to have plenty of time. Well “after May 13th” came, and went ….wow …it was one crazy week.

I, and others at BC, had a number of speaking engagements that gave me the opportunity to get connected or reconnected with some wonderful Bakersfield organizations: the Boys and Girls Club, Bakersfield City School District Foundation (thank you Dee Slade), The Boy Scouts annual dinner at Tejon, and the Dong Hae Lions Club.

This morning, BC hosted the first class for the Energy Academy, a project of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Chevron.

This is the second year of the program and is being facilitated by Lauren Skidmore, Director of Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government whose mission is to promote economic, fiscal, and public policies that keep Kern County on a sustainable path to prosperity. For more see www.kerncitizens.org. The Academy has a great list of speakers that include Richard Chapman, CEO KEDC; Christina Sistrunk, CEO Aera; Robin Fleming, Chevron and many others. The Academy will end with a tour of the San Joaquin Refinery and the Mt. Poso Biomass Cogeneration Plant. The students are BC students many of whom are from our MESA program. Thank you Jay Tamsi and Adam Alvidrez and BC’s Lisa Kent for making this happen.

Honor’s Celebration

Sonya Christian. Photo by Tom Moran

Steven Holmes, Clayton Fowler. Photo by Cara Jackson

On May 6, 2016, in the BC gym, the Honor’s Celebration was held to recognize student’s scholarships and achievements. Each year, businesses, organizations, individuals in the community, and the Bakersfield College Foundation, sponsor students to go out and achieve their dreams.Recipients and their families lined up outside the doors, eagerly waiting for the program to start. Once inside the doors participants found their name tags and sampled the refreshments. It was so nice to hear a reflection speech from outgoing BCSGA President Clayton Fowler.

Sonya Christian, Roberta Ayala

Many students were singled out and introduced by BC professor’s to highlight their particular scholarships, GPA achievements, and future education goals.

A quick shout out to Roberta Ayala, Financial Aid Tech, with whom I had the pleasure of working the check-in table to expedite the long line of students. It was also a treat to sit by Michael O’Doherty, chair of the BC Foundation and a big supporter of the college.

Thank you Tom Gelder for making this happen.

Delano Campus Pre-Commencement Celebration

“Magtiis ka muna”

“All your sacrifice will be worth it”

Emmanuel Espanola recalled how his family encouraged him with these words when his studies interfered with his attendance at family functions during his brief acceptance speech at the BC Delano Campus Pre-Commencement Celebration hosted on Friday, May 13.

This theme—loving and supportive faculty, friends, and family as being vital to success—was echoed by fellow graduates who each took a couple of minutes to address attendees. I am continuously impressed by students’ deep appreciation.

This is Delano campus’s second pre-commencement ceremony, and it was a success. The complementary luncheon catered by Janitzio was plentiful and delicious; the Delano High School drum line rousingly entertained the crowd before the formal ceremony; keynote speaker Danny Ordiz shared experiences from his life and offered practical advice for the new graduates; student guest speaker Yanelie Ponce spoke convincingly of the transformative effect that her involvement with other students and with WECOMM, a communication and service organization, have had upon her life. Program Manager Raquel Lopez offered inspiring opening and closing remarks. Many proud students gathered after the ceremony for a group picture. The cameraman prodded, “Smile!” After the many years of hard work, that was the easy part.

Lost Hills Article

Sonya Christian, Lynda Resnick Jan 2015

On Tuesday morning, Trustee Agbalog sent me an article by David Brooks in the New York Times. Those of you who know me know that I am a fan of Brooks. This particular piece, One Neighborhood at a Time, calls for recognition to the wonderful things happening in the close by community of Lost Hills, CA. Brooks says that, “we’re beginning to see the rise of intentional community instigators” on the heels of a statement that generally says, social isolation is…. well, scary.

He states that social isolation is a catalyst for trends like rising suicide rates, drug addiction, inequality, and depression, among many other things. To put this simply, people need other people – which brings us to what’s going on in the small nearby community of Lost Hills.

“In Lost Hills there are new health centers, new pre-K facilities, new housing projects, new gardens, new sidewalks and lights, a new community center and a new soccer field. Through the day, people have more places to meet, play and cooperate with their neighbors.”

These improvements are all because of the philanthropic efforts of Lynda Resnick, owner of The Wonderful Company, whose efforts are not going unnoticed. I encourage you to read the article in its entirety, located at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/opinion/one-neighborhood-at-a-time.html

Black Graduates Recognition Ceremony

On May 10th, the Black Graduates Recognition Ceremony was held in the Indoor Theater. It was a fabulous event with students and families celebrating education.

Manny de Los Santos has put together this overview of the event in a very Manny style. I love the singing voice of our student Austyn Williams in the background. Check it out at https://youtu.be/uX4SVBOo9hI.

Gwendolyn Turner the student speaker was phenomenal. She started in 1980, graduating in 2016. A Theater Arts major and veteran, she overcame many obstacles. BC improved over the years she said. They knew they had to do better to be better. She gave a special thanks to Paul Beckworth, Joyce Kirst and Kimberly Chin. All went the extra mile to be supportive.

Dr. Oscar Anthony was the keynote and was inspiring in his remarks. Pastor Anthony is someone who says it as he sees it. He is a former former Renegade who graduated in 1974 after coming back from the service. He is a good friend of Bakersfield College. He said: We are turning a chapter in your book. Be the best you can be and better than everyone else. God has a plan for you. Follow your passion.

Paula Parks emceed the event with the consistent message ……you didn’t come this far, just to come this far.

We also have a photo gallery at
https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/Black-graduation-2016.

Latino Celebration

Drum roll! Here comes the twenty-second Latino Celebration on Thursday, May 5, 2016! Guests not only enjoyed receiving their awards, but also seeing the festive and colorful entertainment. The car show, mariachi band and cultural dance performances kicked the event off to a great start. Despite a thunderstorm, which darkened the gym for a short few seconds, the ceremony began.

Dolores Huerta (photo by Cara Jackson)

Key Speaker Dolores Huerta, one of the leaders in founding the National Farm Worker’s Association, congratulated the students on their achievements so far and encouraged all “to pursue a passion each person loves.” She in turn said that she quit teaching grammar school after she “couldn’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes,” and thought she “could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children.” She said that she pursues her passion of changing laws and standing up for the rights of her people and that everyone should pursue their dream.

The crowd responded to her speech with applause and then the students were invited to step up on stage to receive their diploma. Everyone had the opportunity to voice their appreciation to family and teachers for helping make their goals a reality.

I want to thank Victor Diaz, Lisa Kent, Vanessa Bell, Jo Ann Acosta, Isabel Castaneda and Corny Rodriguez for all their efforts in organizing such a great event to celebrate our students.

Check out our 4:49-minute overview video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPm_UIud3Hc.

Also, I briefly introduced this event in a previous blog. http://tinyurl.com/heu6mmk

Photo by Cara Jackson

Radiologic Technology Certification & Pinning Ceremony

On May 12, in BC’s Indoor Theatre, family and friends gathered to watch the

graduates of the Radiologic Technology program walk up on stage with their heads high and faces beaming as they accepted awards and certificates.

Kathy was honored for her 26 years of service. She was described by a former student as someone you want to keep in your life. She was an alumni of the program who always embodied engagement. She was described a collaborator, a mentor and a friend. I knew Kathy in my previous life at BC as a Math faculty. I have always loved her big beautiful smile.

These students put many hours of hard work and effort in earning their

certificate. In the beginning, they first attended an orientation, were placed on a 1-to-3

year waitlist, and now have finally completed 2 years of training!

In addition, on average for the first year, in addition to schoolwork, each person works 16 hours a week on-the-job, and the second year, about 24 hours a week!

Radiology technicians help peform general x-rays, CT and MRI scans, radiation

therapy and other diagnostic imaging. One graduate, Gregory Jason McGee stated,

“It is something I always wanted to do because I have a love of people and this will help

find out what is wrong with someone.”

A special feature this year was a song written and performed by LaTierra Rumph that described the graduates’ journey.

I am so thankful that Cindy Randal from Kern Radiology was able to attend and congratulate each of our deserving, hard-working graduates. Nancy Perkins, you do a phenomenal job directing this excellent program.

Also, thank you to Cara Jackson for taking great photos of the event!

ASTEP

Thursday night’s (May 19th) African-American Success Through Excellence and Persistence (ASTEP) end-of-the-year celebration was a festive evening acknowledging student achievement and recognizing those who lent support. Students Darlene Williams and Mariah Bagsby spoke about their growth as writers and researchers as well as how much they depended on the ASTEP community of faculty, students, and mentors to make it through their coursework. The evening was full of creativity, humor, and love – expressed through words, poetry, song, and ritual.

The first year of ASTEP includes two English courses (53 and 1a) and two student development courses (2 and 6) – all offered with an African-American focus. Students also studied together, enjoyed cultural and academic trips, met with their mentors, and attended community events.

ASTEP2 continues the support and includes a 1-unit class with readings and community involvement. Paula Parks is our lead faculty for this program and does a phenomenal job.

Check out my blog post on Paula Parks receiving the Alpha Alpha Phi award: http://tinyurl.com/jm2fgjw

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Physical Science Student Recognition Dinner

Photo by Cara Jackson

Also on May 12th, in the Fireside Room a dinner was provided by MESA and was held in honor of students who were recognized for their outstanding work and effort in Physical Science.

Many of our faulty had the chance to speak about how diligent students were and why they deserved to be honored at the dinner. Overall, students

enjoyed an elegant dinner, while celebrating their accomplishments for the year.

MESA Program

Photo by Cara Jackson

The 12^th Annual Awards Banquet for MESA was held on May 5^th in the Renegade Room. The MESA program is dedicated to providing academic support to educationally disadvantaged students so they can pursue higher education.

Students who are enrolled in the program have the goal to graduate with degrees in engineering, science and technology.

The night began with a delicious dinner, followed by humorous speeches given by keynote speakers Skylar Pane, Alex Marquez and Javier Flores.

Skylar Pane, a Software Engineer at Google, highlighted that one thing he wants future students to know is that, “failure is a pre-requisite for success.” He mentioned the reason he has come this far in life is simply because he kept trying and that everyone can achieve their goal if they work hard for it.

Bakersfield City School District Foundation meeting

Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and the hard working people at the BCSD Education Foundation are doing the groundwork to see this positive change through.

Bakersfield City School District’s vision is to create a collaborative and supportive learning community that ensures all students are inspired to achieve academic excellence and become life-long learners and productive citizens. I had the delightful opportunity on Monday to present our BC Facility Needs to the BCSD Foundation and was overwhelmed by the positive response. Thank you Dee Slade for opening up the door for BC. You are such a powerhouse and you just make things happen.

Delano High School District–a great partner.

Have I mentioned recently that I love BC’s campus at Delano….I love the Delano community. This is a community of passinate people who are willing to do what it takes to make their community better. Dr. Terri Nuckols, Superintendent of the Delano High School District is one such individual. Terri visited our campus this week to discuss the planning for dual enrollment at Delano High Schools. Thank you Terri. You are a fabulous partner of Bakersfield College

Check out my previous post on the Delano Prayer Breakfast http://tinyurl.com/heu6mmk

WESTEC Partnership

Corny Rodriguez, Sonya Christian, Bill Rector

I had the opportunity to spend Wednesday afternoon speaking with previous Bakersfield Police Chief, Bill Rector, who now serves as the executive director at WESTEC. This fantastic program works together, with BC and Taft College, to provide specialized training for those interested in certain careers.

These programs are giving our students the necessary skills to succeed in an ever changing and evolving workplace. Some of the training areas are as follows: oilfield/agricultural safety, general industrial safety, corrections/law enforcement training, court report writing classes and a program that prepares people for general industry jobs. For more about WESTEC and their program offerings, visit www.westec.org.

American Lung Association Luncheon

Recently BC was a sponsor of the American Lung Association Luncheon. BC Nursing students were present taking blood pressure and basic vital signs. We received a lot of positive feedback about their presence at the luncheon. Everyone loved them! Thank you Pearl Urena for making this happen. Pearl is the educational advisor for BC’s Pre-Law Program. You may enjoy my April 30th blog that included our Pre-Law program at http://tinyurl.com/gldggc5

Korean Cultural Club:

Thank you Andrew Bond, first year English faculty in starting a Korean Cultural Club. Here is a picture of them at the end of the semester celebration at Tofu House.

So much diversity….and We Are BC!

Sonya Christian's Blog

Tag Archives: Adam Alvidrez

Precious Lives and Developing Dreams at Bakersfield College

Good morning Bakersfield.

It is Saturday, June 23, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade.

And then there is music…..

Child Development Center Outdoor Classroom

STEM Camps at BC with partners Chevron and Project Lead the Way

Wonderful Summer Camps Continue

Summer Bridge

Express Enrollment

Norma Rojas-Mora

A Better BC Update

Summer Soccer Camp at BC

Fun Renegade Photos — #Summer2018

It is a great time to be at BC!

Strengthening Kern County One Degree at a Time

Good morning Bakersfield, it is Saturday, April 29, 2017 and such a fabulous day to be a Renegade.

GardenFest on Earth Day

Renegade Health Fair

Retail Management Showcase

Guided Pathways in April 2017 Rostrum

CCCApply Annual Meeting

Veterans Club Giving Back

BC’s Korean Culture Festival

Civic Engagement covered by CHAP in Delano

Penelope Project

Congratulations to Sue Vaughn

Jerry Ludeke, a BC Treasure

Bakersfield College transforming our community one degree at a time.

Catching the Olympic Spirit

Our Staff is a Great Team

Introducing the new GoGades.com

Howard Swan Award

Renegades in the Community

We are Bakersfield….and We are BC!

Champion of Bakersfield College — Michael O’Doherty

Track & Field Banquet

IEPI Inmate Education Training Workshop

Summer Bridge:

So much Diversity and We are BC

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, May 21st…and another wonderful day to be a Renegade.

Lost Hills Article

Bakersfield City School District Foundation meeting

Delano High School District–a great partner.

WESTEC Partnership

American Lung Association Luncheon

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