Tag Archives: Bakersfield College

KCCD – Districtwide collaboration and fellowship

Uncategorized February 18, 2023 Leave a comment

Like many of you, last Sunday I tuned in for Super Bowl LVII. What a game. I particularly tune in for the performances …. so here they are for you once again ….. sit back and enjoy!

Check out these videos on the NFL’s YouTube channel:

Lift Every Voice and Sing

performed by Sheryl Lee Ralph

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Babyface sings America the Beautiful

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National Anthem – Chris Stapleton

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And of course, the Halftime show with Rihanna

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What amazing talent!

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This week, Kern CCD hosted the first-ever Kern Community College Districtwide Conference. Born out of the KCCD Leadership Academy, this conference will provide universal sessions that promote district collaboration and innovation between classified, management, faculty, and adjunct staff.

Colleagues from across the district met at Bakersfield College for a day of meaningful engagement.

Check out the welcome remarks – special thanks to Roger Perez from Porterville College for serving as emcee!

Good morning friends.
It is February 18, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

PC Athletics has 79 student-athletes named to fall honor roll

Porterville College athletics is proud to announce that 79 student-athletes were named to the fall honor roll by earning a 3.0 grade point average or higher.

Porterville College Director of Athletic Joe Cascio is excited for the success of his student-athletes off the field.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our student-athletes for their hard work and dedication in the classroom,” said Cascio. “Our entire staff has created a culture where academic success is encouraged, supported, and celebrated. All of our student-athletes have fully embraced that culture.”

Of the 79 student-athletes, 26 earned Dean’s List honors with a GPA of 3.0-3.49 while 53 achieved President’s Honor with a 3.5-4.0 GPA.

A complete list of student-athlete recognized on the honor roll is below:

PC Welcomes New Executive Director of Maintenance and Operations

Please join Porterville College in welcoming the new Executive Director of Maintenance and Operations, Fernando Jimenez!

Fernando Jimenez joins the PC team with over 13 years of experience at a community college campus, supporting maintenance and operations with expertise in custodial management. Prior to PC, Fernando worked at State Center Community College District as part of the administrative team, serving as the on-site district liaison for construction, and maintenance & operations. Fernando has participated in the planning and development of bond projects including academic and Career Technical Education (CTE) buildings.

Additionally, Fernando has coordinated and supported the arrangements of many college-related events such as commencement, extreme registration week, convocation, and other student-related events. Fernando is proud of his role in creating avenues for student success and was involved in Guided Pathways implementation at his previous campus. He worked closely with the Financial Aid department in developing a student worker mentoring program.

Fernando has managed teams of multiple sizes and focuses on a student-centered approach with proactive communication and collegiality. Prior to his years working in higher education, he served on a K-12 campus for 4 years providing leadership and guidance to a custodial department. Fernando has worked in sales in the private industry, including 12 years at Pepsi Co. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to the formation and management of a successful distributing business for over a decade.

For many years, Fernando has coached and volunteered in numerous roles, including board member and president, of various Youth Softball organizations.

Fernando joins us with much enthusiasm and a desire to be a resourceful member of the team.

Cerro Coso Community College

CORE Ensemble: Of Ebony Embers – Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance

A chamber music theatre work for actor and trio celebrating the lives of the great African American poets, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay as seen through the eyes of the great muralist and painter Aaron Douglas. The musical score includes works by jazz giants Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Strayhorn, Thelonius Monk, and Charles Mingus as well as concert music by Jeffrey Mumford and George Walker.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 | 6pm to 8pm (Virtual)

Please sign up for this virtual performance today! » www.cerrocoso.edu/ofebonyembers

(You will receive the performance link a few hours before the event at the email used to sign-up.)

Visit the Core Ensemble website to learn more about this performance group.

Work with Naval Security Forces or Ridgecrest Police Department!

Naval Security Forces are doing on the spot interviews during this event, and Ridgecrest Police Department will be taking applications!

Cerro Coso will be there with information about our Module 3 Academy course which starts March 3rd in Ridgecrest.

Where: Kerr McGee Center, Ridgecrest

When: Saturday, February 25th, 10am-2pm

Don’t miss it!

Bakersfield College

Umoja Hosts Step Afrika! 

Umoja Community ASTEP at Bakersfield College hosted a Black History Month kick-off event featuring the internationally renowned Step Afrika! The dance troupe traced the history of stepping from Africa to the present day. 

Stepping is a percussive dance form that uses the body, such as clapping one’s hands, hitting one’s thigh, and stomping one’s feet to create a beat. It was used by South African mine workers to communicate and by today’s Black sororities and fraternities to demonstrate unity and pride. The full house of faculty, staff, students, and community members were educated about African-American culture and amazed by the jumps, splits, and energetic routines. 

Professor Bryan Hirayama’s Commitment to Justice-Impacted Students

Professor Bryan Hirayama is the Faculty Lead for the Rising Scholars Program for Justice-Impacted Students. Recently released students often face a range of challenges in the classroom and college environment, including difficulty adjusting to a new environment, lack of access to resources, and stigma from their past experiences. Professor Hirayama’s leadership in the Rising Scholars Program aims to address these challenges.

Justice-impacted individuals include those who have been incarcerated, detained, convicted, charged, or arrested. To support these students, Professor Hirayama is partnering with the CityServ Network and the Unite Us Network, both of which offer job skills certifications and life skills training to help individuals reach their full potential. In addition to these partnerships, Professor Hirayama is also the advisor for the Free On The Outside (FOTO) student club, which was specifically founded to assist justice-involved students. FOTO provides a supportive and inclusive community for these students, offering them a place to connect with others who have faced similar challenges.

The justice-involved population in Kern County, California is a growing concern, with over 7,000 individuals on probation and many more incarcerated in local jails and state prisons. The support provided by the Rising Scholars Program and Professor Hirayama’s partnerships with community organizations have the potential to make a significant impact on this population, helping to reduce recidivism and provide individuals with the resources they need to succeed outside of the criminal justice system.

BC Manufacturing Technologies Receives Gift

BC’s INDA program has formed a wonderful relationship with the Haas Automation and the Gene Haas Foundation. Students are familiar with Haas Automation name as featured on campus, at Manufacturing Day, and in local facilities our students have toured. 

The Gene Haas Foundation has generously given the program a $15,000 donation to support students through course completion and skill development, making it possible for students to enter the workforce with fewer barriers and more confidence. Our partnership with Haas and their monetary support aids us in the fulfillment of the College’s Mission to bring opportunity to every student.

In the News

College district approves $5M contract for planning regional economic roadmap

The Bakersfield Californian reported on the $5 million contract between the Kern Community College District and the state Economic Development Department to develop a plan for diversifying the local economy in a way that promotes sustainable industries while creating quality jobs.

“For many of the residents we serve through our district, this economic and workforce development initiative will have generational impacts on communities that we strive to uplift in all our work,” said Kern CCD Board of Trustees President Romeo Agbalog.

Four Kern schools top in state for dual enrollment

The Bakersfield Californian also reported on our Kern schools that received honors as 2022-23 Exemplary Dual Enrollment Schools. Arvin, Delano, Robert F. Kennedy and McFarland Early College were all honored.

“I am very grateful for the tireless efforts of the comprehensive teams at both Bakersfield College and Kern High School District in helping tackle the challenges of building such a robust and innovative program that allows our students to leave in a position to realize their dreams,” Arvin High principal Ed Watts said.

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Porterville College’s Ricardo Marmolejo shared this snap with Davis Jenkins at Achieving the Dream’s DREAM 2023 event:

And Kern CCD Early College Director Kylie Campbell at Linked Learning Conference 2023:

Cerro Coso Community College posted these photos from their Student Government Valentine’s Day Event on their Instagram page:

From the PC Twitter Account (@PCollegePirates):

“February is “Boost Your Self-Esteem” Month, and these Wellness Wednesday tips will help you build better mental health habits in your life. Learn more about Student Health and Wellness here: https://www.portervillecollege.edu/student-health-wellness“

From BC Financial Aid:

Thank you to everyone who made our Financial Aid Fest 2023 a huge success! We hope you enjoyed the festivities, food, & community resources. Remember, Beat the Clock, Get the Money! 2023-2024 applications for Financial Aid are being accepted through March 2nd, 2023.

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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Needing to build peace and humanity through compassion

Uncategorized February 11, 2023 Leave a comment

On Monday, the world was once again thrown into grief as a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, near the Syrian border. The quake occurred shortly before sunrise, killing more than 23,000 people in Turkey and Syria, and injuring tens of thousands more. It was followed by a 7.5 magnitude aftershock nine hours later.

The epicenter was near Gaziantep, known for its pistachio production and carpets. The city has more than 2.1 million peoples. It is located about 60 miles north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, and has a large population of Syrian refugees. Aleppo itself was one of the worst-hit areas in Syria.

Millions have been left homeless in the frigid winter – the Syrian city of Aleppo is forecast to have lows of 27-28 degrees through this weekend.

Glimmers of hope for survivors remain – on the fifth day since the earthquake, teams rescued a mother and her two daughters; another family of six; and a 16 year old boy who was pulled alive from the rubble in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras 119 hours after the devastation hit.

The humanitarian crisis is complicated by a long-running civil war between opposition forces and the Syrian government, which is under US and EU sanctions. Aid groups like the Red Cross are calling for access to rebel-held parts of northern Syria. In a statement Friday, International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric said, “Impartial humanitarian assistance should never be hindered, nor politicized.”

Let us pray.

Good morning friends.
It is February 11, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

PC gets BIG hand from PTK to start honors program

Dr. Sherie Burgess, Kendra Haney, Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner

Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, the President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK), made a special visit to Porterville College earlier this month to help celebrate the local Phi Theta Kappa chapter’s work on campus. She was joined by a group of faculty, staff, administrators, and former student members of the program to share in this celebration.

PTK is a non-profit organization whose mission is to recognize the academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as leaders. Porterville College has had a PTK chapter for more than 20 years.

Dr. Sherie Burgess and Kendra Haney are the on-campus advisors to the program. At the event, they shared stories of the activities they have been able to share with students over the years.

They discussed several of the program’s distinguished alumni including Arnold Trevino who overcame a prison sentence early in life to complete his education and run a program at Fresno State to help formerly incarcerated students like himself. They shared a photo of state assemblyman Devin Mathis during his time at PC, then Jacob Sandoval, a former PTK student, and current Educational Advisor at PC recounted his journey here at Porterville College.

Following the presentations, Dr. Tincher-Ladner went to the podium to share some great news with the attendees. The Phi Theta Kappa society has pledged a sizeable grant to help Burgess and Haney create a new honors program here are Porterville College.

Former Cerro Coso President Jill Board works on behalf of PTK

Through this sizeable three-year donation, they will allow PC to provide increased access to honors programming, leadership development, peer networking, travel opportunities, scholarships, and transfer and career coaching to Black and Latinx students in Porterville. PC President Dr. Claudia Habib said of the generous gift, “[Building an Honors Program] is something several faculty members have been trying to develop for some time. I’m happy that now, we have a way to perhaps make that dream a reality.”

Michael Garcia: “Waste No Time” Exhibition Now Showing at the PC Art Gallery

The public is invited to see the exhibition, Michael Garcia: “Waste No Time”, at the Porterville College Art Gallery. The public is also invited to meet the artist at the artist’s Closing Reception on Thursday, February 23rd, 5 to 7 pm, also at the PC Art Gallery. Refreshments will be served at the reception and the event is FREE to everyone.

Over the years, Fresno artist Michael Garcia has had solo art exhibitions at Shin Sakae Gallery of Art in Nagoya, Japan, Toyota City Municipal Gallery in Toyota City, Japan, and, in Fresno, California at Gallery 25, Artes Americas, 1821 Gallery, Fresno Art Museum, and Downtown Artist Gallery.

Garcia earned his BFA from California Institute of the Arts in 1979. After working as a commercial fisherman and for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska, he moved to Asia and made his home in Toyota City, Japan. As he worked the next ten years as an ESL teacher, he was able to use the inspiration of his surroundings to produce a body of work that he would show annually in group and solo shows in Nagoya and Toyota.

An interest in Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy moved him into a study of Shodo, which he incorporates into his own artwork. His most recent work has been a combination of mixed media on wood and wood panels.

Donald Munro, an art critic for the Fresno Bee, wrote this about Michael Garcia’s solo show last year at Downtown Artist Gallery in Fresno,

A new show by Michael Garcia is always a major event on the Fresno art scene. [In this show] he continues with his well-known esthetic, which is heavily influenced by the time he spent in Asia, particularly 10 years living in Japan. The artist’s process involves building up richly layered paint on panels, then tearing them down by scraping, sanding, and burning. Garcia enjoys delving deeply into one of his favorite shapes, the circle, exploring the philosophical and psychological connections, [as he says], ‘I still have the same maru (Japanese for circle) recipe, working on wood and the basic materials—house paint to oil and wax, some enamel paint.’ [He continues], ‘When I first had a show in Fresno, all the work had calligraphy on it. Now I think there are three pieces that have calligraphy. I’m moving away from it. I’m trying other things.’

The show will run from February 6 – 23, 2023. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 12 to 2 pm and 4 to 6 pm. Parking is free. Please contact Jim Entz at 559-791-2257 with any questions.

Career Education Celebrates CTE Month

During the month of February, we celebrate CTE programs, and all that Career and Technical Education does to prepare students for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers.

This week, as part of CTE Month, the CTE Division hosted a meet and greet and lunch for students, faculty, and staff on campus. Faculty from our various Career and Technical Education programs met with students, shared program swag, and provided a lunch prepared by the program faculty and staff.  A large group could be seen gathered in the parking lot between the Career Tech and Trade and Industry buildings. All who gathered enjoyed each other’s company along with the beautiful weather that the day had to offer. 

For more information on CTE programs, visit tinyurl.com/PCCTEinfo

Cerro Coso Community College

I’m Going To College Day!

This past week has been a BLAST at the IWV Cerro Coso campus celebrating “I’m Going to College Day” with the local 5th graders. This day provides opportunities for 5th graders to learn about the educational options available to them at Cerro Coso. They experience college in a playful, collaborative, and creative way that inspires them to pursue higher education. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible!

Throughout the day 5th graders toured the Ridgecrest campus, interacted with college students, took interesting and fun classes taught by college professors, did a Q&A with Cerro Coso student ambassadors, and participated in the game “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” Many of these 5th graders had never been to a college campus before.

The experience is one they will never forget and stresses the importance of going to college long before they are ready to go. “You have BRAINS in your HEAD. You have FEET in your SHOES. You can STEER yourself any DIRECTION you CHOOSE.” – Dr. Seuss

Bakersfield College

Ballet Folklorico Ritmo y Sabor

When Ballet Folklorico Ritmo y Sabor was created at Bakersfield College back in September of this academic year, Counselor and Director Cynthia Zamora and Artistic Director Brenda Ruiz had big plans for Bakersfield College students. After months of hard work, BFRS hosted their first ever show, Arriba Norte. Over 80 dancers took to the stage to perform traditional dances from the regions of Northern Mexico.

This sold-out show raised funds that will aid our BC dancers enroll in several dance workshops, help pay for attire, and allow the group to compete in Los Angeles at a yearly dance competition for Ballet Folklorico. The group is performing at tonight’s Bakersfield Condors game as they continue to raise funds for several upcoming events, so be sure to show your support and Renegade pride! 

Check out this video about the group:

Dr. Kwame Anthony Appiah to Lecture at Levan Center

Dr. Kwame Anthony Appiah will be presented as the Levan Center’s Annual Lecture and as part of BC’s celebration of Black History Month on February 23rd at 6:00PM. Dr. Appiah is a Distinguished Professor of Law and Philosophy at NYU, with numerous books in print on cultural studies, race, social issues, and more. Dr. Appiah will be speaking for us on his newest work titled The Lies that Bind.

The event will be held in the BC Conference Room, (3rd floor, Campus Center). The event is free and open to the public. The talk will start at 6:00PM and conclude at 7:30PM.

Renegade Nexus Hosts Spring Farmer’s Market

On Tuesday, January 24th, 2023, the Renegade Nexus in partnership with the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK), hosted the first spring Farmer’s Market.

Students, staff, and faculty stopped by the free market to pick up fresh vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, and more. In a few short hours, 370 individuals were served. Future farmer’s markets are currently being planned and details will be shared soon.

We are so proud to see the Renegade Nexus connecting students to vital resources both on campus and in the community. 

TALE Blog

PC Anthropology Professor Robert Simpkins penned the latest entry in the Kern CCD TALE Blog, “The Long View of Teaching’s Impact: A Tale of Film School and Pandemic Survival.”

He reflects on an experience from the early days of the pandemic:

“A few decades later, in a household full of uncertainty about the future under COVID-19, I was busy learning how to transition my classes to online instruction while my wife and I waited for news from our children’s school about their plans for assignments, technology, etc.  With all of us being home all day every day, and with watching television as something we could all do together, I had an idea: I would create a film school curriculum, and teach our children about film history and improve their cultural literacy.”   

In the News

BC Culinary Arts Students Featured in the Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield Californian wrote about BC’s Culinary Arts program in an article on February 1st, highlighting how much experience students get from their classes, lunch and dinner service in the Renegade Room, and cross-training for all of the different roles in the kitchen. Culinary students routinely run the kitchen to mirror the way professional kitchens are run. Chef Alex and Chef Marcia Overturf aim to prepare their students for the fast-paced culinary industry. 

Educators and aerospace join forces to prepare workforce of the future

The Daily Independent of Ridgecrest published an article about the Feb. 1 Aerospace Workforce Coalition meeting at the Mojave Air and Space Port.

The meeting was hosted by Cerro Coso Community College President Dr. Sean Hancock and MASP CEO Tim Reid. It was coordinated by KCCD In partnership with CCCC and MASP.

Hancock said the hope is the ongoing interaction between educators and employers can reap big dividends for all involved. “We want to be able to provide the training necessary to support their future workforce,” he said.

“[Area employers] are constantly battling [workplace] attraction and retention issues. If we can upskill or reskill people in our area we can help address those issues that all of us are facing.”

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Check out these photos of Kern CCD at the Kern Hispanic Chamber of Commerce event. Bakersfield College Professor Olivia Garcia was installed a second year in a row as President of the Board.

Our Kern CCD team was also representing the district at the NAACP Awards Extravaganza:

Corny Rodriguez shared this post of his family supporting the LA Dodgers:

So fun seeing Bailey in a post from Nicole Parra:

And I wanted to share this post from Kern CCD Trustee Yovani Jimenez:

It was an honor to attend the Community College National Legislative Summit to advocate for our Community Colleges system. There were several topics discussed that are important to our system.

It was great to be surrounded by National Community College leaders.


Thank you to the Association of Community College Trustees for putting this event together and to all speakers for their valuable insights. I took away several key points.

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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Kern CCD starting February on the move

Uncategorized February 4, 2023 Comments: 2

I started my week up in Sacramento at the 2023 CCLC Legislative Conference, and was thrilled to meet with Kern CCD Leadership Academy participants from all three colleges.

On Tuesday, I joined Kern Community College District colleagues and others in our community at the Kern County State of the County. Thank you to newly-elected Kern County Chairman Jeff Flores, who delivered the address, and to the entire Kern County team for an excellent event.

Kern CCD starting February on the move.

Good morning friends.
It is February 4, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

Porterville College CHAP Announces the First Event of the Semester

The Porterville College Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) continues its celebration of 20 years with another enlightening event, this time from Porterville College (PC) History Instructor Dr. Ben Nelson.

If one were to widen the scope of religious analysis, it may become clear that humans not only remain “political animals,” as Aristotle insisted, but they remain spiritual ones as well.

Join us on the Porterville College Campus on the 10th of February at 7:00 pm for a lecture by Dr. Ben Nelson entitled “The Triumph of Secularism or a Great Awakening: Belief and Spirituality in the Anthropocene”. In it, he will take a close look at religion and religious institutions and explore the implications of belief and spirituality in our modern world. 

Dr. Ben Nelson is an Adjunct Instructor of History at Porterville College, a Valley native, a product of Porterville area schools, and a proud graduate of PC. 

After PC he received his B.A. in History from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Ph.D. in History from UCLA. He specializes in popular religious expressions in early American society and culture.  While in graduate school he felt a powerful pull to teach and in 2009 returned to Porterville to begin his teaching career at Harmony Magnet Academy.  He has also taught as an adjunct in the History Department at PC since 2015.

For more information on this event or the PC CHAP, contact Jim Entz at 559-791-2257.

For more information on CHAP you can also view this video, produced by PC’s Multimedia Production Certificate Program Students:

Pirate Baseball beats Barstow 11-9, split opening games of the season

Playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this season, the Porterville College offense showed its fans what it is capable of this year. The Pirates totaled 14 hits on their way to an 11-9 non-conference win over visiting Barstow Community College on Tuesday.

PC scored early and often. Porterville put up four runs in the bottom of the first inning and added four more in the third to take a commanding 8-2 lead that they wouldn’t give up.

Catcher Daniel Clancy led the charge, driving in three runs while going 3 for 4 at the plate. Dylan Novotny also had three hits (3 for 4) and had 2 RBI. Ayden Markovich (2 for 4, 2B) scored a pair of runs and also drove in two.

Jason Kramlich went a solid three innings for the Pirates in the start. He allowed 2 unearned runs and 2 hits while striking out 7.

The victory came after a tough 12-3 loss on Friday in Porterville’s 2023 season opener against Feather River College in a game played in Taft. Feather River totaled just four hits but took advantage of five PC errors to score six unearned runs.

Chris Ortega smacked a two-run home run for the Pirates in the sixth and Koda Larsen hit a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth.

Porterville, now 1-1 on the season, returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 4) at 11 a.m. when the Pirates travel to Barstow for a doubleheader.

Cerro Coso Community College

Student Spotlight: Mikailey

Mikailey is a recent graduate of Cerro Coso who was accepted at California State University Northridge, class of 2025, where she is a Kinesiology Major! While at Cerro Coso Tehachapi, Mikailey received two AA degrees: one AA-T in Art History and one AA in Liberal Arts and Humanities. While a student at CC, she worked as an English tutor. We caught up with Mikailey to ask about her time as a student at Cerro Coso and what her future holds: a career in medicine.

“I started Cerro Coso classes when I was 14. I actually started the summer before I began high school. My first class was an ASL C101 class, and I fell in love with learning at the college level. Being surrounded by adults who were working jobs and managing families gave me a huge appreciation for education. I grew not only as a student but as a person as well. Trying to juggle high school, college, extracurriculars, family, and friends wasn’t easy, but it taught me grit and determination.”

Read more online!

Scholarship Application Workshop

Cerro Coso Community College is hosting a scholarship application workshop on Wednesday, February 8, at 12:30 pm. Get information about Cerro Coso Foundation Scholarships, outside scholarships and more! We will also be providing step-by step information, and provide support while you finish and submit your application.

The workshop will be held in LRC 709 at the Ridgecrest campus from 12:30-1:30 pm. Sign up online!

Bakersfield College

Delano Library Open House

The Delano Library, Writing Center, and Tutoring Center invite staff, faculty, and students to an Open House event on February 7th from 2PM-6PM. Grab some snacks and meet with Delano librarians, writing center staff, and tutoring center staff to discover valuable services readily available to students.

HBCU Caravan 2023

BC hosted another successful HBCU Caravan! Several students left the event with scholarships and acceptance letters in-hand! We are always so overjoyed to see students take control of their futures, and this HBCU Caravan was full of hard-working and motivated students ready to jump into the next phase of their education.

BC Library Workshop Week

BC held 16 different Zoom workshops on Library Research Skills from January 30th to February 2nd. Students were able to learn about strategies for effective research, looking up articles in databases, and evaluating news sources.

Kern CCD hosts food policy summit

KernCCD was happy to host Adventist Health Blue Zones Food Policy Summit on Friday, February 3 at the Bakersfield College Conference Center.  We are a proud partner of Blue Zones Project which uses the secrets discovered in the original Blue Zones to help people live longer and better through community transformation programs. 

The partnership is working towards making Bakersfield an even greater place to live, learn, work, play, and worship by engaging the three main components of community: people, policy and places. The efforts will result in making it easier to make healthier choices and improve the quality of life for everyone in the Bakersfield area.

In the News

BC’s Kris Tiner Shares His Story

The Bakersfield Californian published a piece highlighting one of BC’s best, Kris Tiner. In the article, Professor Tiner talks about his musical story beginning in elementary school all the way through his professional career. He gives readers a glimpse of where his musical influence came from, his struggles along the way, and how his family and students inspire him to continue sharing his gifts. We know how lucky we are to have him as a department chair and faculty member as he continues to work tirelessly to inspire students. Kris says in the article, “If I hadn’t had music, I wouldn’t have had confidence that I had something to say that anybody was going to pay attention to. It’s kind of a small-town syndrome, too: ‘I’m nobody from no place and nobody is going to listen to what I have to say.’ … But on a deeper level, what we’re doing when we teach the arts is give kids confidence to know who they are and to have the courage to express that and to understand they’re a viable part of a bigger community. Kids from small communities need that.”

Professor Tiner is being inducted into the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame on March 3 at the Doré Theatre on campus.

Educators and aerospace join forces to prepare workforce of the future

The Daily Independent of Ridgecrest published this piece about Wednesday’s Aeropsace Working Coalition meeting at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The meeting was hosted by Cerro Coso Community College President Dr. Sean Hancock and MASP CEO Tim Reid.

Hancock said the hope is the ongoing interaction between educators and employers can reap big dividends for all involved. “We want to be able to provide the training necessary to support their future workforce,” he said.

Kern Community College District hosts USDA Rural Development meeting

BakersfieldNow covered the recent USDA Rural Development meeting, held January 26th at the BC Delano Campus.

Fun Photos and Spotted on Social Media

Check out these photos from the Kern CCD team at a Job Fair in Oakland – thank you to Laci Beyes, Nicole Griffin, Michelle Miller- Galaz, Dustin Acres and Nikita Lowe!

From Cerro Coso Outreach:

Yotes supportin’ Yotes!
Love to see it. Students, family, friends, and fans came out and packed the stands today to watch the Women’s Softball team take on San Diego City for their home opener.
Check the schedule and join us for an upcoming game!
www.cosocoyotes.com/sports/sball/2022-23/schedule

From PC President Dr. Claudia Habib:

Visiting our legislators was the highlight #LeadershipAcademy @KernCCD attending the 2023 Legislative Conference @ccleague #cclcLC23 Thank you @Senator_Hurtado @DrJasmeetBains for supporting #HigherEd #Students @PCollegePirates @cerrocoso @BAKcollege @CalCommColleges #Advocacy

And I loved this note from Mindy Wilmot at BC:

We wanted to share this amazing picture of a delicious partnership!
Within 24 hours, collard greens were in the BC Edible Education Garden, harvested, and prepared by Culinary Arts students.
Yummy! There is much more to come!!

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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Why save the good stuff for later?

Uncategorized January 29, 2023 Leave a comment

Have you seen the latest Julia Roberts/George Clooney movie, “Ticket to Paradise?”

In the movie, there is a recurring phrase – “why save the good stuff for later.” 100% agreed….

And with everything going on at Kern CCD we are certainly NOT saving the good stuff for later.

Good morning friends.
It is January 28, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

Pirates snap losing streak with wins over Reedley and Taft

In their most recent outing, the PC Women’s Basketball team was able to turn their luck around in a nice performance against Reedley College.

Jazlynne (Jaz) Medrano scored a team high 19 points while Jenna Holder posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Porterville College to a 78-58 Central Valley Conference victory over the visiting team on Saturday.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak and improved the Pirates to 6-14 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

PC led 37-25 at halftime and blew the game open by scoring 27 points in the third quarter. Porterville got numerous contributions in the win.

Medrano added 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks to her impressive all-around night. Mariah Castanon totaled 15 points, and Kaija Ambriz had 7 points and 10 rebounds.

Off the bench, Assyria Murrietta chipped in with 13 points and 5 rebounds and Davina Lopez contributed 6 points and 9 boards.

The Pirates looked to keep the momentum going on Wednesday as they traveled to Taft for more conference play.  They returned victorious from the night with an 86-70 victory over Taft College. The Pirates were led by Jaz Medrano with another impressive 19-point total and Kaija Abriz with a posting of 18.

Meet PC History Instructor, Leslie Pelon

This week, we sat down with PC History Instructor Leslie Pelon to talk about her love of teaching, her approach to teaching in today’s classroom, and how a recent professional development opportunity took her all the way to Philadelphia.

Meet her in our latest Pirate Profile:

Cerro Coso Community College

SGCC Hosts Back-to-School Lunch for Students and Employees

Cheers to new beginnings! A new year and a new semester starting!

The Student Government of Cerro Coso (SGCC) hosted a Back-to-School lunch for fellow students and employees on Thursday, January 26th in the LRC at the Ridgecrest Campus.

It was a great chance for students, faculty, and colleagues to meet and great… and eat! Student Julianna Gorduyn, event coordinator and communications officer for the SGCC, coordinated the lunch that included tasty food from the local restaurant Casa Corona. 

Bakersfield College

BC Philosophy Department Welcomes Dr. Kelly

Dr. Kelly is a new faculty in the Philosophy department at Bakersfield College, returning to his Renegade roots as a 22-23 new tenure track faculty member. Some of Dr. Kelly’s prominent achievements include: 

1. He is first author on a chapter in the forthcoming anthology Evaluating the Brain Disease Model of Addiction from Routledge (2022). View the anthology information. His co-authors are addiction researchers at the University College London in the UK, and during some independent work on which they were collaborating, they asked Dr. Kelly to adapt some of his dissertation work into the piece that became their chapter. Side note: two of the anthology editors (Nick Heather and Sally Satel) are significant names in addiction research. Dr. Kelly notes these were scholars he was reading during grad school, “so it was a proud and somewhat surreal experience to contribute to their volume”.

2. Dr. Kelly also just recently had a separate single-author paper on the nature of addiction, “Towards a Dispositionalist (and Unifying) Account of Addiction,” accepted for publication to the peer-reviewed journal Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, a top journal in philosophy of medicine. You can read the journal here.

3. Dr. Kelly is also an avid tennis player. In October he and his girlfriend took second place in the open division of the mixed doubles in the Kern County Tennis Championships.

We appreciate Dr. Kelly’s numerous contributions to Bakersfield College and look forward to his continued success.

BC Office of Student Life Begins Spring Distinguished Speaker Series

Last Thursday, the Office of Student Life held their first Distinguished Speaker for the Spring 2023 semester. Students, staff, and community members got to hear from Paralympic Gold medalist, Evan Austin the “practice of getting up” and “living life without limits no matter the adversity faced.” Evan connected with audiences by discussing the struggles he had faced growing up with a familial spastic paraparesis and the resilience he showed to become a world champion swimmer and Paralympic gold and bronze medalist.

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

The Kern CCD team was well-represented last weekend at a job fair in Los Angeles:

Our team included Gina Duran, Osvaldo Del Valle (PC), John McHenry (CC) Laci Beyes (CC), James McGarrah (BC) and Kim Bergens (PC).

Cerro Coso Community College President Sean Hancock shared this from an event last weekend:

Cerro Coso went “Plane Crazy” at Mojave Air and Space Port! Thanks to Devin Daugherty for representing KCCD as today’s speaker – great job

Check out this video from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, featuring Joseph Sickler – a graduate of BC’s Inmate Education Program with Kern Valley Prison.

And here’s a great picture of Todd Coston and Manny Mourtzanos!

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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Kern CCD – Together we can meet our many needs

Uncategorized January 21, 2023 1 Comment

Started my week joining a group from Kern CCD at the MLK Community Awards Breakfast Celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bishop Broderick A. Huggins’ gave a powerful keynote address.

Here are a few excerpts:

“Too many needs, together we can meet.
Too many prisons that need to be emptied.
Too much poverty.
Too much sickness.
Too much violence.
Too much political gridlock.
Too much social upheaval.
Too much racism.
Too much hatred.

The problems of our humanity are too complex and convoluted not to be active in the Freedom movement.
Freedom is not an event, document, or a piece of legislation, but Freedom is a lifestyle.”

Nothing essential should be circumstantial….Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness should not rest upon chance, circumstance, color, contingency, site,

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Those assembled gathered to celebrate with local community leaders and to offer support in striving for equity and justice. 

Two individuals connected to our Kern CCD community were also recognized with awards – including Dr. Jessica Grimes, and Steve Watkin‘s son, BDP Detective Aaron Watkin.

An excerpt from the program about Dr. Jessica Grimes:

“Dr. Jessica Grimes has a heart for students – guiding them to achieve their short-term or long-term goals in higher education. A dynamic mentor and gifted administrator, Jessica prioritizes collaborating with academic and corporate communities to enhance career pathways, especially among disproportionately impacted students. Jessica brings her positive leadership skills to broaden the minds and expand opportunities for collegiate students from diverse backgrounds both in her hom of Kern County and across the Central Valley/Mother Lode.”

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Here are some photos from the event:

Check out Steve Watkin rocking out:

Good morning friends.
It is January 21, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

PC Welcomes Students Back to Start the Spring Semester

After our latest bout of California storms, it’s great to see students back on campus again in numbers rivaling, and even beating, pre-pandemic enrollment numbers.  It seems that students are once again eager to continue their on-campus educational journeys at Porterville College. 

Faculty, Staff, and Students celebrated the return to classes with a week of welcome events hosted by student services and several academic divisions. As part of the celebration, the center of the Quad became a “tent city” – with pop-up tents from various programs and departments featuring information, PC Swag, services, and lining the inner circle.

Here are some photos from the welcome week activities: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mjhAeiXH3P8YP5Tp7

Men’s Basketball wins a tight one in overtime

This past Wednesday, the Porterville College men’s basketball team returned to PC for a real nail biter against the Columbia College Claim Jumpers. The game kept fans on the edge of their seats and didn’t let up until the final buzzer in overtime. At that final buzzer, the Pirates took the game 62-55.

The Pirates had a fierce back-and-forth with the Claim Jumpers during the first half with the game remaining scoreless for some time. Both teams tried to get the upper hand and the Pirates won out, scoring the first basket almost 4 minutes into the game.

Some great defensive play by the Pirates kept the Claim Jumpers to 7 until the Pirates took the lead nearly 10 minutes into the game with a rebound and full-court return by Kiya McQueen.  The teams would spend much of the game exchanging the lead until a jumper by Jake Abrams brought the game to a 14-14 tie.

The first half ended with the Pirate’s Quincy White sinking a 3-pointer and securing a nine-point lead on the Claim Jumpers going into halftime.

The second half was just as exciting as the first with impressive offensive and defensive displays from both teams.  The teams were tied multiple times throughout the half at 36-36, 40-40, and 43-43.  The teams were tied at 51 to end the half. 

Now, with five minutes left on the clock and a gym full of screaming fans, the teams played out the overtime.

The Pirates didn’t let up and seemed to tire out the Claim Jumpers as they started taking control. After ties at 53-53 and again at 55-55, the Pirates earned the upper hand thanks to Quincy White who snagged the rebound and made the layup as the buzzer blared for the final Pirate win!

Rethinking the College Experience

Faculty and staff gathered in the PC cafeteria on Friday, January 13th to reconnect and prepare for the coming semester at PC’s Spring Flex Opening Day event. 

Flex events are traditionally held before our Fall and Spring semesters as a professional development opportunity for faculty and staff on campus. We use this time to welcome the PC family back to campus and prepare for the return of students for the next semester of classes.

This year much of our time was spent focusing on how we can make the student experience better by rethinking the college experience for different student populations.

It was wonderful to be part of such creative and collegiate discussions on redesigning the student experience to increase access to educational and career opportunities for all. Witnessing discussions like these and those about improving our onboarding experience make it clear that our faculty and staff are incredibly dedicated to our student’s success.

“Guided Pathways Guru” Dr. Davis Jenkins was the keynote speaker for the day. He started the day with an address and some coaching for the group on building clear pathways to student success. PC Academic Senate President and Guided Pathways Faculty Lead Dr. Robert Simpkins then lead the group through several tabletop exercises to discuss rethinking the onboarding experience and ensuring learning for different student populations here at Porterville College.

Winning in the classroom as well as on the court

On another sports-related note, we are EXTREMELY excited to report that the 2022/2023 Basketball Team recorded its highest team GPA in the last eight years!  This is an amazing accomplishment, and proof that along with their fantastic work ethic and play on the court, these fine young men are great students as well.

Great job Pirates!

Cerro Coso Community College

Welcome Back Coyotes!

On Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, the Cerro Coso campus was full of action! With spring 2023 semester starting brings flurries of student activity back to campus.

The Outreach department, along with student ambassadors, were ready to welcome students back. They were equipped with class schedules, campus maps, and snacks to ensure students were set up for success.

Ivan Ibarra, a program mentor in the Outreach department, remarked, “Seeing the students fill up the campus once again was amazing to see! From new students stepping foot on campus for the first time, to former students returning to campus and walking the halls once again, to lifelong learners exploring new skills, everyone had a place here at Cerro Coso. The college was running like a well-oiled machine with the commitment of staff, faculty, and admin who all rejoiced in seeing students back on campus. Let the Spring Semester begin!”

We are so excited to see what Spring 2023 holds in store for Cerro Coso Coyotes! Good luck to all!

Student Spotlight: Jocelyn

Meet an enthusiastic and friendly member of the Cerro Coso Tehachapi campus: Jocelyn! She will graduate in the Spring of 2023 with three degrees: an AA-T in Psychology, an AA in Liberal Arts: Arts and Humanities, and an AA in Liberal Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences. She recently applied to a few colleges and hopes to transfer to her #1 choice: California State University, Monterey Bay as a Psychology Major! Jocelyn earns money as a student worker at Cerro Coso, and also volunteers in the Promise Program, a scholarship program at Cerro Coso. Jocelyn has this to say about her Cerro Coso experience:

“Cerro Coso allowed me to explore my career options without financial pressure or racking up debt. At first, I wanted to do Early Childhood Education, but after taking some classes, I realized it wasn’t for me. I went on and tried different subjects, but when I took my first Psychology class, it really clicked for me! I realized I still wanted to be in a school environment, but not necessarily teaching.”

…

“I’d like to give a shout-out to Karee Hamilton, my counselor, and Heather Bopp for helping me get into the Promise Program. They’ve been very helpful to me and my classmates. I’d also like to show appreciation to my Mom! She’s very understanding and supportive of my education. I’m really hard on myself, and she always assures me that I’m doing the best I can.”

Full-time Faculty Hiring Seminar Set

Cerro Coso Community College’s Human Resources department is holding a Full-Time Faculty Hiring Seminar on Tuesday, January 24, from 6-8 pm. During the webinar, faculty will share information about preparing your resume, writing your philosophy of education, creating your teaching demo and of course – nailing the interview.

Faculty will also be available to answer questions and meet and breakout rooms.

Register for the virtual webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlcOCgqDgtGtKbGGNBrD1UrwZOloFlxqfJ.

Bakersfield College

Opening Day at Bakersfield College was a success! Staff and faculty came together to celebrate the start of the spring semester and unite around our collective goal to support and encourage our students.

Vice President of Instruction Billie Jo Rice gave an inspirational presentation about how connected we all are at BC, and many other staff and faculty offered invaluable information to help meet the students’ needs. What a great way to kick off the semester! 

Miracle Mutts at BC

BC was fortunate enough to host four of Marley’s Mutts therapy dogs on Thursday the 19th! Students and staff spent time in the Library lobby petting and visiting with the dogs. Therapy dogs are trained to help lift spirits and alleviate stress in many different settings, including higher ed! 

First Day of Spring Semester

BC students are back on campus, ready to dive into their classes! Student Life and other campus organizations set up tents around campus to welcome students with hot coffee and muffins on their first day. After a long break and gloomy weather, it was wonderful to see the campus come alive again with students socializing and the BC team ready to support them.

Kern CCD at Chamber of Commerce

On Thursday, Jan. 19 the Kern CCD and Bakersfield College teams joined the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce for the Annual Board Installation & Awards Luncheon.  The luncheon was a celebration of accomplishments made in 2022 and an opportunity to honor the volunteers who helped make the Chamber successful.  The luncheon highlighted the tremendous success of the California Forward Summit. Congratulations to the 2023 Chairman of the Board of Directors Ken Keller, President/CEO of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital – Dignity Health.

Kern CCD TALE Blog

Check out this week’s post in the Teaching-and-Learning-Exchange Blog (https://kernccdtaleblog.org/).

Oliver Rosales wrote about “Culturally Responsive Teaching, Innovation, and Public Humanities” and shared his experience with the Digital Delano archive, and how it led to other opportunities.

I find my own learning is continuously advanced by embracing culturally responsive teaching in Delano.  I’ve become fascinated by the use of ArcGIS and geospatial technologies and its capacity not only to create new forms of digital archives, but also how technology can be used to visually map communities in new ways.  The intersection of the work I’ve done in Delano and ArcGIS technologies informs my approach to the Whiting Foundation’s Public Engagement fellowship.  

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

I enjoyed receiving this photo of the Chemistry faculty at BC celebrating the new department chair. It is so wonderful to see all the smiling faces.

Lotus Communications and the Spanish Radio Group held the 1st Annual Tu Voz Tu Héroe dinner Thursday night – 25 community leaders received the Hispanic Hero Award, many of them friends of Kern CCD and Bakersfield College.  Our own Norma Rojas-Mora was one of the individuals honored. 

Bill Moseley shared this image of Memorial Stadium:

Beautiful morning at the home of the Renegades. #WeAreBC

PC President Claudia Habib shared this post about Dual Enrollment students from Granite High

Today we welcomed Junior students from @granite_high @PortervilleUSD for a tour of the campus and library. They were proud to receive their PC student I.D. #DualEnrollment students are #CollegeStudents @PCollegePirates #Onboarding #FacultyChampion #HistoryClass #StudentSuccess

And check out this great video promoting Cerro Coso Community College:

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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Sonya Christian's Blog