I had a wonderful time at the C3CONVERGE: The Community College Climate Summit this week in Anaheim. It was a great discussion on climate leadership and workforce innovation with Josh Fryday, GO-Serve Director.
Check out these pictures from BOG member Dr. Cirian Villavicencio:
We also visited Feather River College this week.
We got a look at their student housing, as well as fire management and equine programs.
Thank you to BOG member Joseph Williams, who shared this video:
As Joseph said, “Feather River College is proof that rural colleges are anchors of opportunity — preparing students, protecting communities, and shaping California’s future.”
Good morning California.
It is October 4, 2025.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
Golden Globe Foundation Awards Grants to Santa Monica College
Journalism & Film Programs
The Golden Globe Foundation has given the Santa Monica College Foundation two grant awards to support the award-winning Santa Monica College film production and journalism programs. The Foundation provided a renewed grant award of $17,000 for SMC journalism students who work for/intern on the award-winning student-run media outlet The Corsair and $43,000 to help fund the film production program’s capstone class, “Making the Short Film.”
College of the Canyons Faculty Member Honored with NEA Award
Wendy Brill-Wynkoop, chair of the College of the Canyons photography department, has been named a 2026 National Education Association (NEA) Foundation Global Learning Fellowship Traveler’s Award recipient for California, joining a distinguished cohort of just 48 educators nationwide. Wendy Brill-Wynkoop, chair of the College of the Canyons photography department, has been named a 2026 National Education Association (NEA) Foundation Global Learning Fellowship Traveler’s Award recipient for California, joining a distinguished cohort of just 48 educators nationwide.
Cerritos College Secures $1.25 Million Grant
to Break Barriers for Women in Construction
Cerritos College is breaking new ground for women in construction. The college has secured a transformative $1.25 million Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeship (ERiCA) grant from the California Department of Industrial Relations to expand pathways into one of the region’s highest-paying and fastest-growing industries. This funding will help women and underrepresented populations access stable, high-wage careers, uplifting families and communities across Southeast Los Angeles.
Riverside City College Donates Backpacks to Central Middle School Students
On Thursday, September 25, the Riverside City College (RCC) Black Faculty & Staff Association (BFSA), in partnership with Umoja, donated backpacks filled with school supplies to students at Central Middle School in the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD). The event highlighted RCC’s ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion, and community connection.
In Case You Missed It
Contextualizing Completion Gaps for First-Generation Students
irst-generation students are twice as likely to leave college without completing a bachelor’s degree than their peers, even if they come from higher-income backgrounds and come to college academically prepared, according to a new report from the Common App. The findings suggest these factors do make a difference for student success outcomes but don’t erase other barriers first-generation students might face.
The report, released Thursday and the fourth in a series on first-generation students, used data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center to track enrollment, persistence and completion rates for 785,300 Common App applicants in the 2016–17 application cycle. (Students whose parents didn’t complete bachelor’s degrees made up 32 percent of the sample.) The report also took into account how a range of factors could affect student outcomes, including students’ incomes, their levels of academic preparation and how well-resourced their colleges are.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
From Cabrillo College:
What a celebratory morning! Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz broke ground on their 624-bed, affordable student housing project! Special thanks to State Senator John Laird, UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive, and all of our project partners and members of the Cabrillo and UCSC housing teams! Leases will be available in Summer 2026 for move-in Summer 2027!
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From San Jose City College:
Yesterday, the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) hosted its Mid-Autumn Festival! The event featured music, tasty food, and even lantern decorating!
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From Cerro Coso Community College:
What a Night Under the Stars! A huge thank-you to everyone who came out and made the Cerro Coso Foundation’s Astronomical Star Party & Barbecue such a success!
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From Columbia College:
Columbia College is happy to welcome over 1,000 High School Juniors and Seniors from 26 different High Schools to Claim Jumper Day! This annual preview day gives prospective students a glimpse of everything Columbia College has to offer with special presentations and tour stops all over campus.
And From the Home of the Renegades
BC Hosting Series of Events to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Bakersfield College is hosting a series of exciting events and activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The festivities began on September 15th with the Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off and will continue through October 15th. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are coming together to enjoy a variety of Hispanic-themed games, crafts, food, and more.
There will be a Noche de Familia at BC’s Arvin Campus, another Talavera Tile Painting at BC’s Delano Campus, a community mural project celebrating the life of Frida Kahlo at the Panorama Campus, and more!
Please visit the BC online events calendar for a full list of activities and events. We hope you can join us! Somos BC!
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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.
That’s all for today.
See you next Saturday!
With much hope and joy,
Your Chancellor,
-sonya
#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora
A special thank you to our DVC student veterans for leading this meaningful tribute and reminding us of the values of unity, resilience, and service.
