Bill Thomas

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Transforming Environments, Transforming Lives

Uncategorized September 10, 2016 Comments: 9

Let’s all be Hiromasa today, tomorrow and the next day — open hearted and going to the right path. Did that get your attention? Read to the very end for the context!

Good Morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, Sep 10th …..another great day to be a Renegade! … topping off a great week to be a Renegade.

It was a great week because I woke up to Nick Strobel‘s smiling face in the Californian today discussing the recently discovered exoplanet at our closest star neighbor.
It was a great week because Chairman Bill Thomas, Congressman Bill became Trustee Bill Thomas. Yes, dear friends, on Thursday Bill Thomas was appointed to the Board to finish out Rick Wright’s term.
It was a great week because we had the community come out to the College to watch Mayor Harvey Hall cut the red ribbon to the new Aera STEM Student Success Center.
It was a good week because of these two community voices pieces in the Californian

Community Voices piece by Cheryl Scott, VP of Kern EDC

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/opinion/2016/09/07/yes-vote-on-measure-j-a-vote-for-economy.html

Community Voices piece by retired faculty Randy Beeman.

http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2016/09/07/Measure-J-can-solve-BC-s-infrastructure-woes.html

It was the week of opening the doors to the Measure J Campaign Head Quarters on 1675 Chester Avenue. Thank you Greg Bynum for donating this space to us.
It was a week of laughter and tears, exhaustion and exuberance….in other words, life, full, vibrant with all the colors of the palette visible.
For me it was also a week of continuing to read poetry from my high school book. Thanks to a friend who brought poetry back to my life. Here is an excerpt from my blog two weeks ago. You can find the blog at:https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/08/27/the-end-of-the-first-week-fall-2016/

Out of the blue, one of my friends this week quoted Rudyard Kipling. “But to stand an’ be still to the Birken’ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew” …a line from Soldier an’ Sailor too. That got me digging out my poetry book, Panorama, from high school and spending nostalgic evenings reading some of my favorite poems. I thought about the late and absolutely genius Robin Williams as his role in The Dead Poets Society saying “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry… beauty, romance, love, these… are what we stay alive for.”

This particular blog had the most number of comments as indicated by the data analytics.

Here is Michael O’Doherty’s comment: “Both are great Kipling works but I still like Gunga Din the best.”

Here is Peter Reyes’ comment from Texas: “Hey B C. Greetings from Dallas Texas where I am visiting my daughter and family anticipating – actually counting the hours until the big game: USC vs Alabama …and thinking about the upcoming B C football season. I won’t stay away and will be at no less than 5 Renegade games. B C and the community is awesome..Go Gades Go! PeterRenegade!!”

Here is the most recent of my poetry readings

The Soldier’s Dream
by Thomas Campbell

Our bugles sung truce – for the night-cloud had lowered.
And the sentinel stars set their watch in the sky;
And thousands had sunk on the ground, overpowered,
The weary to sleep, and the wounded to die.

When reposing that night on my pallet of straw,
By the wolf-scaring faggot that guarded the slain,
At the dead of the night a sweet vision I saw;
And thrice ere the cock-crow I dreamt it again.

Methought from the battlefield’s dreadful array,
Far, far I had roam’d on a desolate track;
‘Twas autumn – and sunshine arose on the way
To the home of my fathers, that welcomed me back.

I flew to the pleasant fields, traversed so oft
In life’s morning march, when my bosom was young;
I heard my own mountain-goats bleating aloft,
And knew the sweet strain the cornreapers sung.

Then pledged we the wine-cup, and fondly I swore.
From my home and my weeping friends never to part;
My little ones kiss’d me a thousand times o’er,
And my wife sobbed aloud in her fullness of heart.

“Stay – stay with us! – rest! – thou art weary and worn;”
(And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay;)
But sorrow returned with the dawning of morn,
And the voice in my dreaming ear melted away.

Saturday, September 3rd:

Many of us headed out to Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria to watch the first Renegade Football game of the season. Although it was 64 degrees with a breeze, the Renegades were on fire. Here is my end of the game tweet!

For more information on the game check out the gogades website at http://www.gogades.com/sports/fball/2016-17/releases/20160903xl2eoz

Sunday, September 4th:

The week started with Mother Teresa being canonized saint. Here is the song sung by Usha Uthup at her canonization. Beautiful!

My cousin Daphne, posted a picture of my Aunt Dorothy with Mother Teresa. Aunt Doro was my dad’s oldest sister and we used to call her Mother Teresa for her kindness and gentleness.

You may know of Mother Teresa as simply a well-known Catholic nun who dedicated her life to humanitarian work, but last Sunday, September 4^th, Pope Francis declared this amazing and beloved woman Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Here are two articles in case you missed the news, from KGET and The New York Times.

Saint Teresa, known as one of our greatest humanitarians of all time largely dedicated her life to serving the people of India – but specifically, the poor, destitute, and dying people. At a young age, she learned piety and compassion from her mother, who always taught her to give to others by saying, “My child, never eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others.”

But, regardless of your creed or beliefs … Saint Mother Teresa’s message was and still is universal today. She demonstrated a life worth living; one of finding deep purpose by serving those in need. She taught the world to embrace the suffering, rather than shun them. Hardships are worldwide and pain is experienced by all people. She taught that we should not compare our pains… but, instead bond and support each other because we can understand each other’s hurt. She taught us that suffering is often intensified by solitude and reaching out in kindness can have a tremendously positive effect. People have abandoned suicides, changed faiths, pursued life goals, and have done incredible things because of small acts of kindness.

Saint Mother Teresa is an inspiration of generosity, persistence, resilience, compassion, and love – love with no boundaries.

Today, Saturday, September 10^th is World Suicide Prevention Day. This week our Bakersfield College Student Health and Wellness has partnered with Kern County Mental Health to continue conversation about the increasing national trend on suicide and offer depression screenings for students. There are so many ways to get involved from practicing self-care, to reaching out and checking on others, caring for friends in need, and getting involved with organizations that help.

Today is an opportunity to open up the conversation about a topic that often is neglected, ignored, and stigmatized in our world. To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit that hopes to share the message that hope and help are real. A blog entry on their website from a few years ago reads, “The more we walk through our struggles in silence, the more we deprive others of the benefit of knowing they are not alone. Knowing the truth about the issues is vital, but we can get it from a textbook or Google in just a moment. Unless it is connected with real people, it lacks the power needed to combat stigma. We have to move beyond an awareness of the issues and become truly aware of each other. Real relationships are the true antidote to the separation that stigma breeds between “healthy” and “sick.” Relationships require us to see the real person who is suffering, struggling, recovering, and healing. They are the place in which we find hope and encouragement to keep fighting, and the place where lies are defeated with truth and compassion. This is the path toward hope and healing—for ourselves and each other—and ultimately, toward a society where stigma, shame, and suicide are struggles of the past.”

Today, it is my hope that we take some time to learn about the warning signs, talk to friends we may be worried about, take the time to love ourselves, and if needed work towards or accomplish the victory of reaching out for help. Let us not stop at being aware of the issue and really, reach out to support one another.

Tuesday, September 6th: BC AERA STEM Success Center!

Tuesday morning kicked-off the celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony for BC’s new AERA STEM Success Center. As I begin writing about the event, I can’t help but think back to our press event when we stood inside this empty shell of a building, excited for the future possibilities this transformable learning space could offer.

The celebration included a program of speakers and dignitaries, including Mayor Harvey Hall, trustees Kyle Carter and Romeo Agbalog, and AERA President and CEO, Christina Sistrunk. Thank you AERA for this worthy gift to our college, community, and students. Christina Sistrunk is am amazing leader during very difficult times. Her calmness, fearlessness, and compassion sets her apart.

Check out KERO’s news clip on the ribbon cutting http://tinyurl.com/go4rmsz

The AERA Success Center by its very name tells a story for the students. It says that we have an industry partner dedicated to education, building a community, and one that is willing to commit its name to support this effort. And as a success center, it tells the students that this is the place to find faculty, peer mentors, advising, resources, and the inspiration they need to succeed. Our goal for this facility and our dream for the whole campus is to give students a home away from home, where learning is the focus and distractions can be set aside.

The space where the Success Center stands today was basically a supply closet for Maintenance and Operations for decades, but it was located in a prime spot—flanked by the Math, Science, Engineering and Industrial Technology buildings, right smack in the middle of the STEM neighborhood. With AERA’s gift and the hard work of our faculty, the Success Center will help reverse Southern Kern County’s double-digit unemployment rates and low attainment rates for higher education by empowering a new generation of non-traditional students to pursue degrees in STEM.

Klint Rogby, Lynn Carithers, Christina Sistrunk, Liz Rozell

As a token of appreciation to AERA, Klint Rigby professor of Industrial Drawing and one of our upper division Industrial Automation faculty for the Baccalaureate degree, designed and built a plaque using a laser cutter and expert woodworking skills. Attendees at the event had the opportunity to sign the letters as a reminder of this momentous day!

At BC, there was a team that came together to work on this project including Dean Liz Rozell, MESA director Connie Gonzales, our STEM faculty and staff, Dean for Math and Science Steve Waller, the facilities department, and our district office. Thank you all for your work and dedication to this project!

I’d also like to thank our STEM students for their interest in this project. Our students are the inspiration for everything we accomplish at Bakersfield College. Jose Chavez, one of our STEM students and a member of the MESA program supporting diversity in math and engineering, spoke candidly about how the STEM programs at BC were an important part of his educational development. A copy of his speech is available online here. https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/download/17554

We had a great turnout from the community. Here are some names I remember after my first cup of coffee this Saturday morning: Richard Chapman, Bob Meadows, Vince Fong, Kristen Barnes, ….. Thank you community for coming out. Thank you faculty, staff and students for coming out.

I’d also like to thank all the media who came out to support BC and share the exciting new things happening on campus. Check out the article from KGET on the AERA STEM Success Center here. Check out Harold Pierce‘s piece on the event at http://tinyurl.com/hjfgowg. And here is my tweet on his article 🙂

The work on this project started in March of 2013 under the leadership of Susan Hersberger and CEO Guardie Banister. Thanks Susan and Guardie for your partnership with BC! Here is a tweet from Guardie after the ribbon cutting.

guardie-banister-and-sonya-christian-january-2015

With the opening of the AERA STEM Success Center at Bakersfield College, we’ll be able to change the lives of more people like Jose, and this facility will be a birthplace of transformation for our entire community. Next time you come to BC or drive by on Mt. Vernon and glance over to BC, the sign that says AERA STEM Success Center will be a reminder that this industry giant believes in the transformational power of education and is willing to generously invest in our community and to the education of future generations.

Getting Connected to Service Learning Community Panel

Our Public Health Science students were also in for a treat this week when community leaders from all around town came to speak and discuss topics in the classroom. Coordinated as part of Professor Sarah Baron’s Public Health Science course PBHS21, the goal was to open the minds of students to the world of public health issues.

Thank you to Annalisa Robles, California Endowment; Mariel Mehdipour, Kern County Public Health Services; Adrienne Buckle, Kern County Mental Health; Shelley Northrop, American Lung Association; Maria Jaime, Kern Family Health Care; and Chris Romo, youth journalist with South Kern Sol.

The course focuses on community wellness and behavioral change, so Professor Baron invited leaders so they could share their role in the community as well as orient the students to providing service projects at these agencies. Topics discussed were methamphetamine use in our community, promoting tobacco free environments, changing people’s health behavior, Building healthy communities and the effects of health inequities – “a zip code shouldn’t determine how long a person lives but it does. In fact, health has more to do with the place you live than doctor’s visits. The odds are stacked against low-income communities and communities of color.”

After the event, Professor Sarah Baron received an email from a student saying, “I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed listening to the speakers today. This was a very interesting and informative day for all of us.”

The big news that hit on Wednesday was that Bill Thomas was being recommended to be the next KCCD trustee. An article detailed this news in the Bakersfield Californian. You can check it out here.

Bill Thomas has roots with Bakersfield College from his time as a BC professor, and understands from experience the benefit of attending community college. After high school, Bill attended Santa Ana Community College before transferring to San Francisco State University, where he earned his bachelors and master’s degrees in political science in 1963 and 1965 respectively. Mr. Thomas has spoken about his appreciation for community colleges and notes that it’s where he got his foundation for higher education. He said, “Too many successful people hide the fact that they started in a junior college and only mention the university they transferred to. I have always been proud of the role community colleges have played in helping thousands of people, like me, who would not have been able to go to college at all without a tuition-free local college. Of course, there are tuitions charged now, but they are a fraction of the costs of four-year schools.”

Do you recognize this little boy to the left?

I love this picture.

It was in 1965 that Bill moved to Bakersfield where he joined the BC Renegade family as a political science professor. In 1974, Bill was elected as California State Assemblyman and in 1978 was elected to Congress representing the 18^th Congressional District. Even though he was in Washington, Bill always kept in touch with Bakersfield College and BC and the needs of the college remained on his mind.

Mr. Thomas secured $1 million for the remodeling of the planetarium thru bill HR3061. Here is a picture of Bill at the Planetarium unveiling in November 2006 when it was named in his honor along with his two grandsons. I was here at BC at the time as a Dean of the STEM area when Nick Strobel and I and many others worked on the proposal for this major Planetarium upgrade. However, I was in Oregon at the completion of the work in 2006. Also, Nov 2006 was three months after my dad Paul Christian passed away. It is definitely a time in my life that I have vivid memories.

Bill has done great work not only for our country as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, but for our campus and the city of Bakersfield as well. We continue to see and look forward to the improvements brought on by the Thomas Roads Improvement Project and have the terminal at Meadows Field airport that shares his name. Bill, just simply …thank you!

There’s a new baby Renegade in Bakersfield

It’s my joy to announce that we have a new baby Renegade as part of the BC family. Foreign Language faculty, Tom Moran forwarded an email to me earlier this week from Foreign Language adjunct, Yuki Takeuchi announcing the birth of her baby boy.

The email read, “Thank you all for being very supportive for my pregnancy. I would like to announce that my baby boy, Hiromasa Henry Chan, came to this world in the morning of September 4, just one day before due date. Hiromasa means “open hearted and going to the right path” and Henry came from my husband’s childhood English name. He is big!! 7 lb 11 oz, 19.5 inches.”

I know that all of BC is overjoyed that both baby Hiromasa Henry Chan and Mom are healthy and doing well. I just love his name and the meaning behind it. Rest well and enjoy your time together. We can’t wait to see you both on campus!

Dual Enrollment Changing Lives

Catching up on my inbox this week brought a few more pictures from last week’s Renegade Signing events. Make sure you read last weeks blog to catch all the great info about these events.

Besides the pics, Gusatavo Enriquez recounted his favorite highlight of the events. He says, “The highlight of my night… When we told the students ‘you are a college student and welcome to the BC family’ a parent turned around and hugged her daughter with teary but very proud eyes.” We are BC! And our students are the inspiration for all we do.

IBM Watson at the US Open

I have been watching the promotion of IBM Watson at the US Tennis Open that will be culminating tomorrow. An article titled, “Watson Makes its Debut in the U.S. Open Mobile App, Making Tennis Fans Smarter Than Ever” really peaked my interest. Artificial intelligence is evolving exponentially every day—self-driving cars are only a few years away from becoming a consumer reality, digital personal assistants such as Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana get smarter with each information request, and Google designed an AI that was able to beat a Korean grandmaster at the ancient, extremely complex board game Go.

But for the first time this year, attendees at the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York are able to utilize the power of a supercomputer for unprecedented access to information. The US Open’s companion mobile app Guest Services is integrated with IBM Watson, a question-answering system capable of interpreting natural, conversational language. Originally designed to beat game show contestants at Jeopardy!, Watson is serving as a digital concierge for the US Open, providing audience members at Flushing Meadows with information about transportation, on-site facilities, nearby food-and-drink options and more, as well as updated, moment-to-moment statistics and advanced analytics data about every match on the court.

As artificial super-intelligences like IBM Watson become a reality and part of everyday life, human civilization will change in ways we can’t possibly conceive. On the threshold of the technological singularity, I suspect there will always be the desire to watch a few sets Grand Slam tennis. Now, how will Watson impact education of the future!

In conclusion let’s all be Hiromasa today, tomorrow and the next day — open hearted and going to the right path”

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya

July 9 Blog

Uncategorized July 9, 2016 Comments: 2

Jack Brigham. Photo from The Bakersfield Californian website

Professor Jack Brigham passed away on Thursday at 10:11 p.m. A man who has left a deep legacy at Bakersfield College and in our community. James Burger in his article says: “Brigham’s generosity extended to his wit, spirit and time.” For more read his piece Beloved Professor Philanthropist Jack Brigham Dies http://tinyurl.com/zr643qv

Yesterday I felt the whole city was mourning. Social media was buzzing with tributes to Jack. Here are some:

Daniela Miramontes:

Your endless wisdom brought light to us all. Thank you for being our mentor at PEAK and for your endless support, we will always love and remember you, Jack Brigham.

Saw Kapi

My heart hurts as I heard early this morning that my foremost professor of history and political science passed away in California. Professor Jack Brigham is an exemplary humanist, educator and mentor. Through his actions and encouragement, he showed us how to be a good citizen of the world. He embraced me and my sisters at Bakersfield College and helped us navigate complicated US education system. He encouraged us to read and be a life-long learner. He was the one who introduced us to the works of Ernesto Che Guevara, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said and Howard Zinn. He lived his best and we will miss him dearly. Professor Jack Brigham, may your soul rest in peace.

Sandy Woo:

My heart hurts and I still don’t want to believe that last night happened, but I’m comforted in knowing that Jack is now resting in peace. I’m so grateful that God led me back here. I got to spend the last year of Jack’s life with him, and got to share that time with so many others who also held him close to their hearts. I will always think of him, especially on Sunday afternoons… I’ll miss admiring those bright roses in the garden and barging through that front door like that house was my own home.

Jack, you were more than a teacher. You were my family. You were the reason I believed I could reach for the stars. You have touched so many lives with your love for humanity. Thank you for all that you have taught me these last 13 years. I hope to make you proud. Until we meet again, dear friend…

Shawn Taro Newsom:

RIP Jack Brigham. You made me believe in myself and to reach for the stars. You were a force of nature in my life with your quiet demeanor. You will be missed my friend.

Misa Ingles:

Last night, we all lost one of the foremost philanthropists that has ever set foot on kern county soil. A man of immeasurable wisdom and a heart of gold. He was an inspiration to many, including myself.

He had a knack for finding undeveloped talent and bringing out the true potential in everyone.
He believed wholeheartedly in the importance of encouraging the youth to take control of their future. He knew how to build a better world.

He was truthful and his values unwavering.

Professor Jack Brigham
1946-2016

Tassos Frangou:

Wisdom, humility, love, integrity, catalyst for greatness, a silent leader that guided everyone to audacious self exporation in exceeding their potential…… as far as my concern Jack is alive in my heart, in my thoughts, in my contribution to humanity, in my every actions, in what I am and what I will pass to my children. I am celebrating the opportunity to know him, to guide me, and his contribution in shaping me for who I am. Thank you Jack, thank you for being there, thank you ! Till we meet again!

Oliver Rosales:

A great tribute to a wonderful man, educator, and model of social justice activism over decades…he will be missed but his work and legacy continue…!!!

Randy Beeman and I were writing back and forth about Jack and here is an excerpt from Randy:

I would cone in the office and if he is clicking the keyboard at rocket speed I knew an injustice was being righted! He’s in heaven now forming a committee on something!

Jack Brigham (2nd from left) with the BC Leadership and Equity Academy

Chains of Suffering

This week was hard for many reasons. After reading my comments about Elie Wiesel last week, Jack Hernandez txted me a quote by Wiesel that said

Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere

This week saw the devastating news from Dallas that followed public anger and sorrow over shootings, which were preceded by bombings and more in what felt like chains of suffering. There is so much suffering that concerns us all – I take solace in what we do, our community, our learning, our values of tolerance and diversity.

BC Hosts Black Caucus Annual Leadership Conference

I discovered this draft blog post from earlier in the spring term and felt it was the right time to include it in today’s blog.

Dating back to 1976, every U.S president has designated February as Black History Month to celebrate the achievements of black Americans and recognize the central role of African Americans in U.S history.

Sonya Christian, Clayton Fowler

Prior to that, dating back to 1926, this recognition was celebrated only during the second week of February, during the birthday week of both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. This “Negro History Week” event gave schools and communities an inspiration to organize local celebrations. But in 1976, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized and lengthened the commemoration to Black History Month, calling on all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history.”

On February 19th, Bakersfield College was honored to become the first community college to host the Black Caucus Annual Leadership Conference with a massive event that sprawled across the entire campus. From the Simonsen Performing Arts Center to the cafeteria to the Fireside Room to spaces in the Math/Science and Language Arts buildings, attendees to the three-day conference converged on BC to take in scores of speeches, seminars and training sessions.

Students from throughout the state convened at the 15th annual convention to discuss local issues, share best practices, and take action locally, regionally and nationally.

The Black Caucus of the California Community Colleges began in 1998 as an affiliated Caucus of the then California Student Association of Community Colleges (CalSACC). Since then, the Black Caucus has worked to build coalitions and alliances for the purpose of leadership, advocacy and equity with other student leaders and organizations.

This conference and the Black Caucus organization were great additions to Bakersfield College and thanks to BC’s own Fitzgerald Graves for helping to pave the way to bring such an amazing event to our campus.

Meeting with the VFW

On Wednesday, I gave a presentation with Paul Beckworth and Jenny Frank to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #97 about “A Better BC,” which highlights our plans to improve our facilities for the future with a potential November 8th ballot measure.

I read up about the VFW, a very prestigious organization and here is an excerpt from their website http://www.vfw.org/:

The VFW traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service: Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans’ pension for them, and they were left to care for themselves.

In their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations with what would become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum. By 1915, membership grew to 5,000; by 1936, membership was almost 200,000.

Since then, the VFW’s voice had been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, creating a GI Bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system and the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. In 2008, VFW won a long-fought victory with the passing of a GI Bill for the 21st Century, giving expanded educational benefits to America’s active-duty service members, and members of the Guard and Reserves, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The VFW also has fought for improving VA medical centers services for women veterans.

Besides helping fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II and Women in Military Service memorials, the VFW in 2005 became the first veterans’ organization to contribute to building the new Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial, which opened in November 2010.

Annually, the nearly 1.7 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliaries contribute more than 8.6 million hours of volunteerism in the community, including participation in Make A Difference Day and National Volunteer Week.

From providing over $3 million in college scholarships and savings bonds to students every year, to encouraging elevation of the Department of Veterans Affairs to the president’s cabinet, the VFW is there.

We were honored to meet the California VFW State Commander, Dale Smith, who happened to be on the grounds at the time.

District Commander, Deb Johnson, who is also the President/CEO of the California Veterans Assistance Foundation, invited us to repeat our presentation on August 27 at their district wide meeting, which consists of thirteen different VFWs in the area. Jenny did a great job as our community lead and took the reins when the time came.

Good job team!

AG Ventures Camp

For the past 3 years, Bakersfield College has partnered with Wonderful Education and put on our “Ag Ventures Camps.”

Photo: http://www.substancenews.et

Talking about Wonderful, here is a shout out to Noemi Donoso a great leader who believes in the transformational power of education and is in charge of the Wonderful Academy.

Also a shout out to the fabulous Lynda Resnick who has the heart for communities like Delano and Lost Hills. Check out a piece I did on the work of Lynda in my May 21, 2016 blog at https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/05/21/so-much-diversity-and-we-are-bc/

The purpose of the Ag Ventures Camps is to paint a vivid and complete picture of agriculture for young students (8th graders) in the Wasco and Delano areas. Although many of the students’ parents may be involved in agriculture, ofttimes they are active in the crucial and challenging areas of the industry that bring the product to market (field work, product sorting…), and exposure to just this experience can paint a limited picture of the opportunities available in agriculture.

Ag Ventures provides a hands-on, active curriculum that focuses on careers in our industry that require the additional education of a certificate, 2-year or 4-year degree (water engineering, product fabrication, new product development, marketing…).

This is accomplished in a 6 days and 5 nights fast-paced, energetic “camp like” environment that the students love. The camp culminates with a Friday evening, family dinner presentation where they demonstrate what they have engaged in during their week in camp experience. Thank you Rich McCrow and entire Rural Kern Team as well as Chris McCraw and the Ag faculty for putting in countless hours to make this happen.

Check out this 7-minute video by Manny De Los Santos

Celebrating our neighbor Shafter

There was a recent article in The Californian by Pete Tittl about a little downtown restaurant in our neighboring city of Shafter which caught my attention. A triple-decker enchilada Shafter has been keeping to itself, until now.

Wait a second… A triple-decker enchilada? I knew I had to read the whole article.

El Michoacano, located in downtown Shafter is described by Tittl as what you’d expect when you see the description of a “little hole in the wall restaurant,” but raves that the food is absolutely delicious.

Scot Hurlbert Sonya Christian July 5 2016

Sonya Christian, Scot Hurlbert

Well, I got to try the street tacos at El Michoacano this Tuesday along with Scot Hurlbert, Shafter City Manager, David Franz, Director of the Learning Center, and Rich McCrow, Director of the BC Delano Campus. The food was awesome and the conversation was so engaging that I was terribly late for my next meeting.

The folks in Shafter have a big vision and they pursue that vision in a collaborative manner and put in the resources necessary to make that vision happen. What’s not to like about that? It got me thinking about our neighboring city and all that has happened there over the past few years.

In 2013, the city of Shafter celebrated 100 years with their centennial anniversary. This exciting milestone brought renovations and projects to beautify the city, which is described on the city website as “plans to honor the city’s heritage while embracing its future.”

The city continues to grow in population and size.

Photo credit: http://www.desertartstudio.com/Murals/Shafter2013/shafter2013.html

Ask almost anyone who lives in Shafter, and I bet they will tell you they love it because there’s little to no traffic, but Shafter is home to many amazing things – Paramount Logistics Park (PLP) (formerly known as the International Trade and Transportation Center (ITTC)) was built to facilitate Central Valley access to ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles via the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway.

And then there’s Minter Field, which began operations in 1941 and saw heavy use during World War II. It’s incredible how much history is in the area.

In the last two years, Bakersfield College has been working closely with David Franz and the High School to expand college courses in Shafter. I suspect that we are going to be doing way more in the future.

Bakersfield Chamber Government Review Committee:

Friday, July 8th, at 7:30 a.m., Tom Burke, CFO of KCCD, and I presented to the Chamber Government Relations Committee (GRC) about the potential bond measure being considered by the KCCD Board of Trustees for the November 8th ballot.

Tom Burke, Jeff Green, Kyle Carter, Sonya Christian, Bill Thomas, Jennifer Pritcher, Gene Tackett, Harvey Hall

The presentation was well received and GRC members unanimously voted to recommend endorsement of the bond to the Greater Bakersfield Chamber Board. This was great news and Tom and I were absolutely elated. What was particularly enjoyable was the conversation. Let me start by saying that Mayor Harvey Hall, Chair of the BC Bond Blue Ribbon Committee, took the time out of his crazy busy schedule to be there. Just his presence in the audience set the tone for the conversation. Then, Congressman Bill Thomas, Senior Advisor to the BC Bond Blue Ribbon Committee spontaneously addressed the GRC as well as responding during Q&A.

It was wonderful seeing our community so engaged and the stories they brought up from the past. I was just sitting back and enjoying the leadership of Bakersfield at its very best. Leadership that has been with us with the likes of Gene Tackett, Peter Pankey, Michael Turnipseed, John Mcquiston etc. Jennifer Pitcher, Chair of GRC did a masterful job managing this group of, at times rowdy individuals 🙂 I guess, when you get Tackett, Pankey, and Thomas in a room, the discussions are quite vibrant 🙂 I was happy to see Trustee Kyle Carter at the meeting. Also, thank you Nick Ortiz for your leadership as the CEO of the Chamber.

Coming Soon: New Student IDs

It’s such a delight to see college employees engaged and excited about the work we do at BC. Thursday afternoon was no different as 20 or more employees from Bakersfield College and the other district colleges, Porterville and Cerro Coso, gathered to learn about the new Student ID printing process.

It has been almost 2 years since our student ID’s have had actual student photos on them, so I know these new cards will be anticipated by all.

Jimmy, the technician we had on campus, demonstrated all kinds of useful things, such as how to use the printer, loading the ID cards, and even a trick for when you have to print a large volume of cards.

We’re not ready to start printing just yet, but I look forward to seeing all our eager students picking up their IDs in the Welcome Center within a few short weeks.

Wrapping up…..

I did not actually feel too well this week but have finally turned the corner. This week was intense with work. However, I was able to check out the music performance Thursday evening by the Fountain at the Market Place. This is my first time at this event this season. Usually the Summer Music at the Fountain has been a regular activity for me.

Also, I through I would sign off by mentioning two movies — The Jungle Book and The Legend of Tarzan. Although both movies did not get rave reviews, I enjoyed them very much. But for that matter, I am told it is just part of my personality — enjoying everything that is. Never sure if it is a compliment or not…….

Growing up I read a lot of comics and the four of us children had a library that was filled with comic books with about 10 bound together so that it would not get tattered. Tarzan, the King of the Jungle, along with Phantom, the ghost who walks, were some of my all time favorites. Of course when the animated Tarzan came out in 1999, I think I watched it on opening night. I loved the soundtrack of that movie with Phil Collins doing two beautiful pieces. Check out this love song You’ll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins.

The other movie Jungle Book came out in 1967 capturing Rudyard Kipling’s characters in all their glory. I have lost track of how many times I have watched the movie. And although this year’s release did not stack up against the original, I still enjoyed it very much. I wish they had included the songs in it. In any event, here is my favorite Jungle Book song on youtube which I watch when I am feeling low and Balu, the bear, always cheers me up. Not only is the video so much fun (it is a must see), but there is definitely some wisdom in the lyrics. How about this:

‘Cause let me tell you something little britches

If you act like that bee acts, uh uh

You’re working too hard

And don’t spend your time lookin’ around

For something you want that can’t be found

When you find out you can live without it

And go along not thinkin’ about it

I’ll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

And, btw, good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, July 9th. A wonderful day to be a Renegade.

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya ….. from the Firestone at 7:00 a.m. Friday morning, assuring a friend that I would do a good job at the GRC presentation and there was nothing to worry.

and of course, the luckiest and happiest college president in the whole world

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.

Celebrating our faculty, staff, students and the community

Uncategorized June 11, 2016 Comments: 4

Good morning Bakersfield. It is June 11, 2016….A good day to be a Renegade!

Sonya Christian

And I am so very happy to be the President of Bakersfield College! Can’t you tell…..

Woke up relatively late this morning, 6:30 a.m. I was gone for most of the week attending the Accreditation Commission meeting. The days were long and intense but I must say that the quality of the discussions were excellent, the dedication of commissioners, the president of the commission and other staff is truly extraordinary. Quality assurance in this country is monitored by a peer review process. How cool is that!

Larry Braskamp wrote about the peer evaluation process in his essay, on Being Responsive and Responsible in the CHEA publication.

“Faculty (Academics) have had a remarkable history of being able to run their own affairs, i.e., the academic community itself has determined the standards held for the faculty and has judged the quality of their work. Accreditation is one manifestation of this position, since it serves as a mechanism for peers, mostly within the academy, to judge the worth, value and merit of academe. Despite this, the work of the faculty (academics) has never been totally isolated from the larger society. Being accountable-responsive and responsible-has always been embedded in the social contract between society and higher education.”

Accreditation builds on this idea of peer review—the reviewers are colleagues and peers with comparable jobs as vice presidents, deans, faculty and directors at other colleges. These reviewers (evaluators) then submit their report to the commission that meets to take action on cases twice a year–in june and again in janaury. The work, as I mentioned earlier is intense and rewarding at the same time. Each commissioner can be elected for a total of six years broken up into two terms. This is my first year on the commission and I thank the region (California, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia) for electing me last spring.

On June 9th, Mayor Harvey Hall, as the chair of the Bakersfield College Blue Ribbon Committee briefed the Board on the work being done by the Blue Ribbon Committee. In addition to Mayor Hall, the following members of the Blue Ribbon Committee were also in attendance: Jay Rosenlieb, Pastor Hayward Cox, Jay Tamsi, and Michael Bowers.

Mayor Hall opened by saying how much BC means to him. He could not but say “yes” when I asked him to chair this major initiative for the college because of his deep commitment to the college that has served this community for over 100 years.. The college moved up to the Panorama campus in the 1950s from the Bakersfield High School (then Kern High) campus. The community leaders who planned the new campus were visionaries who planned the facilities on this 153-acre parcel. Now the campus is over 60 years old and it is our turn to take care of the facilities for next generations of Kern County. In 2016 planning for the next 50 years. 2016 to 2066. Check out the website at http://www.abetterbc.com/.

In addition to Mayor Hall, we have an incredible Blue Ribbon Committee. Former Congressman Bill Thomas serves as the senior advisor of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

Here are the remaining members of the Blue Ribbon Committee

Karen Thompson, Vice President of Chevron and Vice Chair of the BC Foundation
Michael O’Doherty, COO Cushman and Wakefield and Chair of the BC Foundation
Keith Wolaridge, Owner Wolaridge Consulting.
Benjamin Stark, Office of Senator Jean Fuller
Malcolm Johnson, Office of Assemblymember Rudy Salas

Let me go back several weeks and tell you about the fabulous faculty, staff and students we have at BC.

Celebrating our students

Congratulations to the Renegade Class of 2016! I was so proud to see so many students participating in our 102nd Commencement on May 13th.

I am so proud of our graduates and was excited to see the smiles and tears of their families and they cheered their loved ones.

It was an honor to have two trustees at this years graduation –Trustees Romeo Agbalog and Kyle Carter. Thank you trustees for making this a priority and taking the time to celebrate with us. It means a lot to our faculty and staff to have you as part of our BC community. And thank you Trustee Agbalog for your inspiring remarks about a veteran who risked his life for his comrades and using this as a call to action for our graduating class to step up for others.

Thank you Chris Hine, KCCD General Counsel, for attending and addressing the graduating class on behalf of the Chancellor and the District Office.

And congratulations to Professor Reggie Williams, who was announced as our 2016 Sam W. McCall Award winner! Our students vote on this award each year to honor an outstanding faculty member. Academic Senate President Steven Holmes introduced the Sam McCall winner and he did so with his usual high energy warm engaging words and presence. Professor Becki Whitson, Chair of the Alumni Association, welcomed the new graduates into the Alumni Association.

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And of course, the celebration isn’t complete without fireworks! We were treated to an amazing aerial display. You can watch a drone video of the fireworks at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWJNYyNl01Y.

Thank you Manuel de los Santos for putting together an awesome 3:56-minute video overview of our commencement. Check it out at https://youtu.be/IJabQc12634.

Here are some fun pictures of the platform party getting ready for commencement.

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Celebrating our faculty and staff

The end of the year is also a time to celebrate the accomplishments for the year as well as our faculty and staff. It is a tradition at BC that we end our academic year with closing day celebration, where we are able to share our thoughts and achievements on the previous year.

Clayton Fowler, who served as Bakersfield College Student Government Association President for the 2015-16 year, gave a heartfelt speech and introduced his successor, Matthew Frazer. Check out Clayton’s blog at https://claytonjfowler.wordpress.com/

A special thank you to our ushers, Andrea Watson, Heather Barajas, Chris Glaser, and Isabel Castaneda helping get everyone seated and for making sure our beautiful indoor theatre stayed clean!

Closing Day Planning Team

I would also like to thank our wonderful Closing Day team for putting together such a nice event – Monika Scott, Shannon Musser, Francis Mayer, Kristin Rabe, Manny De Los Santos, Dylan Wang, and Jennifer Marden.

We heard from our employee groups – Bernadette Martinez representing our classified staff as Vice President of CSEA, Isabel Stierle representing our faculty as CCA Campus Chair, Steve Holmes representing our faculty as president of the Academic Senate, and Sue Vaughn speaking on behalf of the Management Association.

It was touching to recognize our 12 faculty retirees this year: Mark Dommer, Nancy Magner, Alice Desilagua, Greg Chamberlain, Katherine Hairfield, Randal Beeman, Sandra Sierra, Randy Messick, Vienna Battistoni, Ann Marie Michalski, Rene Trujillo, and John Carpenter. We also had 9 faculty members attain tenure this year! Congratulations to Bryan Hirayama, Charles Kim, Rae Ann Kumelos, Linda McLaughlin, David Neville, Scott Peat, Laura Peet, Oliver Rosales, and Neal Stanifer.

Our faculty members also received awards. Reggie Williams was named the recipient of the Levan Faculty Scholarship Summer Grant, a program intended to encourage and support the scholarly and creative work of Bakersfield College faculty, established by the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities.

The Shirley Trembley Distinguished Teaching Award went to Kenward Vaughn, and the Margaret Levinson Faculty Leadership Award went to Jennifer Johnson. Those awards honor outstanding faculty members each year, and are named for exceptional women from BC’s past – Shirley Trembley, a member of our math faculty from 1956-1990, and Margaret Levinson, who was with BC from 1931-1966, serving as English faculty, Dean of Women, Dean of Students, and Dean of Instruction.

As is the tradition, at Closing Day, I presented the Presidential Leadership Awards to departments, committees, or individuals. Here are this year’s recipients.

Athletics/Health & PE Department:

In looking at the student rosters for our athletics programs, I am fully sold on the fact that athletics is one of the best “student success in academic” strategies. Our faculty coaches are just phenomenal.

What an incredible year for BC athletics. I’ll just cut to the chase; they sent 15 of their 19 teams to the post season this year!

This group of faculty are always monitoring their students; almost 24-7. They monitor each of their students’ academic progress and then make sure that they attend tutoring or the study hall within the HPEA building organized by Stig Jantz. For their students to perform on the field (and they certainly did with 15 of the 19 sports going to playoffs) they must perform in the classroom.

And then there is the entire support staff that I see at all of the athletic events. Out there day-in and day-out. What commitment!

I would like to once again thank Sandi Taylor, athletic director; Keith Ford, associate athletic director; and Reggie Bolton, Health & PE Department Chair. I also recognized our amazing coaches: Tim Painton (baseball), Rich Hughes (men’s basketball), Paula Dahl (women’s basketball), Carl Ferreiera (volleyball), Pam Kelley (track & field, cross country), Jeff Chudy (football), Brittney Goehring (golf), Scott Dameron (soccer), Christie Hill (softball), Matt Moon (swimming), Nick Jacobs (tennis), Nick Loudermilk (tennis), Brett Clark (wrestling), and Marcos Austin (wrestling). We had 15 sports make it to the post-season this year! Go Gades!

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Agriculture Department

How do you describe leadership when you are talking about a whole department? Teamwork? collaboration? Respect for each other’s talents and skills? Stepping up when called upon? These words describe the Bakersfield College Agriculture Department.

Whether it is developing multiple associate degrees for transfer, organizing Ag Camps for middle school students, organizing an award winning Gardenfest, or hosting a group of Chinese Agriculture educators, the members of the Ag Department, Bill Barnes, Gregg Cluff, Bill Kelly, Lindsay Ono, Chris McGraw, Norman Oiler and Sally Sterns demonstrate the BC value of Community, represented in their department and through their strong ties with the surrounding community. They step up, tackle new projects, and do what ever it takes to get the job done.

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Research, scholarship and artistic creation:

BC, to me, feels more like a liberal arts college than a community college. This is largely due to the fact that our faculty are committed to their discipline as much as they are committed to the teaching and learning of their field. Today I would like to recognize three of our faculty for their scholarship and the impact of their work across the college and beyond the college to state and national levels- Dr. Oliver Rosales, Dr. Reggie Williams, and Dr. Randy Beeman.
Dr. Rosales was an early presenter on Renegade Talks, reminding us why history matters, and challenging us to ‘remember the legacy and diversity of civil rights era and how it informs current discussions of educational justice and student equity’. Oliver was instrumental in bringing a conference about the anniversary of the Delano grape strike and partnered with CSU Bakersfield to bring a fleet of nationally-renowned scholars together for a symposium which C-SPAN broadcast nationally. Oliver has a passion for history coupled with an unbridled enthusiasm for bringing scholars together and engaging others.
Dr. Beeman is retiring this year after 20 years as a professor at Bakersfield College. Randy co-authored a book in 2001, “A Green and Permanent Land: Ecology and Agriculture in the Twentieth Century”. He continued his research about agricultural history and rural studies. And he brought that scholarly lens to topics closer to home with his writing about the agribusiness industry’s response to Cesar Chavez and the farm worker movement. He was a Levan Faculty presenter in 2007, on the topic of “The Sustainable Path to Peace & Prosperity. “He was also the founding faculty director of the Bakersfield College Archives. Randy we will miss you, your passion for history and your scholarship. And your friendship.

In 2013, Dr. Williams became the second Bakersfield College scholar to give a Levan Lecture at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His topic was “Feminism and Rape.” In 2014, his writing on Feminism and Rape was selected for publication in Public Affairs Quarterly. This year, 2016, he spoke about race, wealth and inheritance at a Levan Institute forum. And this spring, his paper on this topic was selected for presentation at the prestigious 40^th National Council for Black Studies Conference in North Carolina. Reggie’s intellectual curiosity, rigor and passion for research about contemporary topics have brought him national recognition.

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Nicky Damania & Lesley Bonds

Lesley Bonds

Two of our junior managers have been here less than two years. One has been here about one year. And in this very brief period of time they have set this campus ablaze by their work. Both are workaholics, and both have created initiatives and student success interventions and immersed themselves completely in our campus community. They are models that any young professional should emulate. Positive; collaborative; understated and humble; and prolific in their work output.

I can safely say that it is a joy to observe them at work, and when they partner together on a project, watch out! They did exactly that when they partnered in the Renegade Promise project. They came together to guide our SGA leaders, and the project grew, and grew, and grew. We are now working on a “Kern” Promise. Our campus is in good hands with leadership from Dr. Nicky Damania and Lesley Bonds!

Paul Beckworth

Courageous. Passionate. Honest. Intrinsic sense of duty.

And a champion of those students he has chosen to represent.

You want these qualities in any person that has served our country, and is now honoring those service members who came after him. Paul Beckworth has been the leader who has established the first Veterans Lounge on our campus, and then encouraged us to expand that concept to a Veterans Center with an embedded advisor, recruitment activities and workshops on critical resources and information, including the GI Bill, service credit and more.

It’s not just that! When called on to help, he is always available and gives of his time fully and completely.

Paul Beckworth is writing his own history and expanding our service to those to whom we own a deep gratitude! Thank you Paul Beckworth!

Dr. Jennifer Garrett

Jennifer has been at Bakersfield College for only 3 years. In that short time she has furthered the tradition of excellence established by Dr. Ron Keen, and has brought the choral program to regional, national, and even international venues. Last summer she and Chamber Singers performed in Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy. In 2018 she assures me that I will be at the Sydney Australia Opera House listening her BC Chamber Singers. And I believe her – trust me, when Jennifer says she will do something, she makes it happen.

Jen’s irrepressible energy, at the same time serious, joyful, and playful – she combines the best of creativity, leadership, intellect, hard work and just plain fun. She was honored as the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Collegiate Educator Award, bestowed by the Kern County Music Educators Association. She loves her students and gives them her all, and in return her students love her and bring her the best they have to offer. Vocal music has no better advocate, leader, teacher and practitioner.

Steven Holmes and Andrea Thorson:

Andrea Thorson, Academic Senate Vice President and Steven Holmes, Academic Seante President, each embody a fearlessness when they step in and take on an issue.

Andrea has taken out significant institutional projects and departmental projects while teaching a full load and being a mom. The Renegade Talks (partnering with Todd Coston), working on improving “communication” of BC with its internal and external communities in response to an accreditation recommendation the college received 3 years ago, and fearlessly stepping in on controversial issues as a junior faculty without tenure.

Steven, with his flip flops and easy demeanor has been putting in countless hours on tough issues to make sure that BC is well positioned for the future. Guardie Banister during our 2015 Opening Day in Delano talked about “stepping in”. Steven has done exactly. Here are some examples:

Reviewing Board policies and documenting the work. In fact his work has become the official College work through College Council.
Setting the record straight on BC’s performance on the 50% law by relentlessly seeking data and then analyzing it.
Partnering with Anthony Culpepper and other members of the budget committee to tirelessly work on the Budget Allocation Model and other financial issues. In fact, I have repeatedly said this year that BC’s budgets are in good hands under the leadership of the co-chairs of the budget committee—Anthony Culpepper and Steven Holmes.

As President of the College I get to see Steven Holmes in action in his role as Senate President—whether it is at Board meetings or at consultation council or the budget committee or college council. I must say, he makes BC proud!

Executive Office

I also want to recognize the members of our executive office: Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Zav Dadabhoy, Anthony Culpepper, Tarina Perry, Somaly Boles, June Charles, Tracy Hall, and Jennifer Marden.

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The 9th President of Bakersfield College: Greg Chamberlain

Rick Wright, Greg Chamberlain, Sonya Christian, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg

On Saturday, April 30, a group of Bakersfield College faculty & staff gathered, along with friends in the community, to celebrate our former college president Greg Chamberlain, who is retiring from his faculty position at the end of this semester.

I would like to share my remarks from that evening’s celebrations:

Today we are here to celebrate a diehard Renegade whose blood runs a deep Renegade red. In 1980 he first came to Memorial Stadium as a young trombone player from El Camino College, along with a tall flag bearer by the name of Kelly. It was then in 1980 that he lost his heart to Kelly…..and to BC. Since that time in 1980, BC has been in his blood, and he has been in the lifeblood of BC. This is evident in the love and respect he has earned from BC faculty and staff through a long and cherished history at the college.

In 1989, BC made the best decision by hiring Greg as a computer science faculty.

In 1993: he became Chair of Computer Science

In 1997: he was selected Director of Instructional Technology

In 2001: he was named Dean over learning technologies

In 2006: he moved to the District as Vice Chancellor.

And in 2008 there could not have been a better announcement for the faculty, staff and students when Greg Chamberlain was named the 9^th president of Bakersfield College.

His tenure as President will be known forever for the way he:

Valued faculty and staff participation in governance and decision making

Kept students at the center of every decision

Dealt with difficulties in a straightforward, honest manner, with grace and humor.

Acted with compassion

BC went through some of its most difficult times from 2008 to 2012 and Greg’s steady hand not just kept the college on course, but creatively growing despite the challenges. I see his touch across the college and I am beyond grateful. He engaged with budget cuts by creating the budget committee to bring the best minds across campus to work side-by-side with him to find solutions. He brought in external grant funding, like the C6 grant, to support innovation in instruction, particularly in CTE. Greg understood students’ need for a place to practice their foundational skills of writing and set up the Writing center. And then there are the solar panels and BC’s focus on sustainability. So you can see my friends, that Greg’s life’s work is deep in the lifeblood of the college, and can be felt all across the campus—from direct services to students, to facilities upgrades, as well as finances.

Greg and I have had a long relationship—Part 1 (1991-2002) and Part 2 (2012-today)

I started as faculty in 1991 and worked with Greg for 12 years before I headed to Oregon. And then again when the position of President was announced in 2012, Greg was one of the first individuals that I reached out to. From that very first reconnection, through the anxious months prior to being named president, and throughout my time as President, both Greg and Kelly have been there for me. I am deeply grateful … helping me with my first Sterling Silver event in the foundation, or letting me use the President’s Office Banner that Kelly lovingly hand-sewed for Greg so that he could display the banner when he went to football games. Through many difficult moments in my Presidency, Greg has offered me heartfelt advice, wisdom, and counsel, always insightful, with great perspective and consistently kind.

Whether it is a 4.8 red chili-pepper hot on RateMyProfessor.com, or a siracha-pepper-hot as the 9^th President of BC, or any of the many roles and thousands of actions in between, Greg’s work is and has always been through his time at the College, exemplary.

But today we are simply here to tell Greg: We love you.

I’m so grateful that we had so much to celebrate at Bakersfield College this year, and I’m looking forward to what the next year brings!

We are…BC!

BC and the community – relationship runs deep

Uncategorized April 9, 2016 Comments: 8

On March 31, 2016, Thursday night, we celebrated our eighth Sterling Silver event.

Sterling Silver is a fundraiser for the Bakersfield College Foundation, which manages funds for campus organizations, individuals and endowments. The Foundation provides over $500,000 in scholarships and student aid to over 500 students annually.

This year, we wanted to evolve our signature event to highlight for the community what it means to be a philanthropist by honoring two of Bakersfield College’s biggest supporters: Mary Trichell and Chevron.

Mary Trichell, Sonya Christian, Carla Musser

These supporters epitomize the spirit of giving through their level of generosity, their consistency in giving, and the breadth of what they do.

Mary’s relationship with Bakersfield College goes back not just 10 years, or 20 years, or 30 years. Mary’s mother, Alice Heber Gordon, was born in Bakersfield in 1911. And Bakersfield College was born in 1913.

In the 1920s, Alice took classes at Bakersfield College when it still shared a campus with Bakersfield High School (then Kern County Union High School).

Fast forward to 1963, when Mary Gordon took classes on the hill – after Bakersfield College made the move to the current Panorama campus — the Home of the Renegades. Mary especially enjoyed her math classes with Shirley Trembley and economics classes with Wylie Jones.

It is so wonderful to see a relationship with the college that goes back decades, and that goes back generations.

Bakersfield College Athletic Director Sandi Taylor and Head Football Coach Jeff Chudy had the honor of speaking about the importance of Mary’s contributions to Bakersfield College athletics.

“With the addition of Beach Volleyball, and then Men’s Soccer in the fall, we’ll have 20 teams and approximately 500 student athletes competing for Bakersfield College across the state. We are exceptional. We aren’t your average community college athletic program. Why? Because we have incredible support from folks like Mary. That’s what allows us to be exceptional. We couldn’t do it without our friends,” Taylor said.

Adam Alvidrez, Chevron

Liz Rozell, Dean of Instruction for Engineering and Industrial Technology (as well as our new Bachelor’s of Science in Industrial Automation) spoke about Chevron’s generous and long-standing relationship with Bakersfield College.

Chevron is a company that invests in the communities it serves. Everything they do is focused on preparing our students to succeed in school and in life. Chevron’s generosity with our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has helped increase the number of our engineering majors from 163 in 2008 to 718 engineering majors today.

Carla Musser (right), Chevron

Two of our great programs that have been recipients of Chevron’s generosity include our MESA Week Zero for incoming STEM majors, and our new Project Lead the Way Camp for middle school students. I previously blogged about MESA Week Zero here, and Project Lead the Way here.

Receiving the award on Chevron’s behalf was Carla Musser, Chevron manager of policy, government and public affairs.

Thank you Chevron!

The support BC has from this community is astounding. Here are the list of sponsors for this event:

Sterling Sponsor:

Mary Trichell — Of course!

Silver Sponsor:

Chevron (thank you for supporting our STEM program)
Klein Denatale Goldner Cooper Rosenlieb and Kimball LLC (thank you for all you do for Bakersfield College and our students. thank you for bringing Amgen to our campus)
Motor City Lexus (thank you for your consistent support of BC and our Auto Program. Your generosity in providing equipment, funds, and time is invaluable)
KGET (thank you for Allisa Carlson, our emcee)
Kern Schools Federal Credit Union (thank you for supporting several of our programs including inservice and Athletics)

Bronze sponsor:

Phil and Debby Rosenthal

During my remarks, I pointed out that the KCCD Board of Trustees was considering a bond for the November 8, 2016 ballot by reminding our friends in the community that it was up to us to take care of this gem, Bakersfield College, for the next 50 years — 2016 to 2066.

In 1913, Bakersfield leadership & the community were visionaries. They knew that higher education was absolutely critical for Kern County, and so they created a community college to Bakersfield.

In the 1950s, leadership & the community again showed their commitment to the college when they supported Bakersfield College’s expansion and move to the hill.

60 years later, many things have changed – but one constant piece that remains is that the community realizes that the return on investment of Bakersfield College is huge. The community remains committed to supporting the work of the college, and lifting up the students that the college serves. The community recognizes and appreciates the special relationship between Bakersfield and Bakersfield College.

Here is the 2:38-minute video that Manny De Los Santos put together giving us Bakersfield College from the Millennium Falcon.

Talking about the Millennium Falcon and De Los Santos, you have got to check out the videos that he did for our Opening Day. Here is my Jan 23, 2016 blog post.

http://tinyurl.com/hl8n9pm

There were many other wonderful donors and friends of Bakersfield College in attendance.

Sonya Lorraine Cook and Jerry Cook March 31 2016

Sonya Christian with Lauraine & Jerry Cook

Jerry and Lauraine Cook met at Bakersfield College in a music appreciation class. They are longtime supporters of Bakersfield College. Lauraine is a retired Vice Chancellor of Educational Services for the Kern Community College District.

It goes without saying that an important part of Bakersfield College’s ties to the community is our Athletics department, and there was no shortage of BC Athletics legends on hand at the event.

It was great to see Walt Johnson, former Men’s Athletic Director and Renegade baseball and football coach. Johnson was part of the legendary “Fab Five” quintet — Duane Damron, Harvell Pollard, Carl Bowser, and Gerry Collis — who made the Renegades a national force in athletics.

A big part of Mary’s giving to Bakersfield College positively impacts the Athletic Department, and fellow athletics benefactors were on hand to honor Mary. That included longtime football supporter Wes Bradford, President and Owner of Clifford-Bradford Insurance Agency.

Ed Davis, President of the Renegade Helmet Club, shared a table with Coach Chudy. Recently, Davis donated materials and labor for a more efficient irrigation system for the practice field and playing surface in Memorial Stadium.

Julie Bowser-Sanders, daughter of Coach Bowser and employee of Clifford-Bradford Insurance, was on hand as well.

“My father won two National Championships in his time with the Renegades, and I can say this with certainty: it wouldn’t have happened without community support from folks like Mary Trichell, her husband Ray Trichell, or Wes Bradford, or generous companies like Chevron,” she said.

Sonya and Vince Fong

It was wonderful to have representation from our political leaders as well. Vince Fong, District Director for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy came out to show his support.

McCarthy is an alum of Bakersfield College, another great example of the important relationship between Bakersfield College and the community. He has returned to his alma mater to show his support on many occasions, including when he served as honorary Chair and keynote speaker for the Kern Ag Summit hosted on the BC campus in fall 2014 – check out my blog post about that great event. And during our Centennial Celebration, Bakersfield College honored Congressman McCarthy for his service to the community with a 100 Stars award.

Michael Bowers, Sonya Christian

We were also so happy to have the support of Michael Bowers, a senior field representative for State Senator Andy Vidak. The two of them are such great supporters of education in general and of BC in particular.

Thank you also to our KCCD Board Members in attendance, Romeo Agbalog and Kyle Carter. We so enjoy seeing our Board members at college events.

Kyle Carter, Kim Mcabee

The Californian did a wonderful piece on the Bakersfield Hall of Fame, the “brain child” of Carter and Mcabee. Check it out http://tinyurl.com/hq6ndw8.

Romeo Agbalog and Lily Perez March 31 2016.jpg

Romeo Agbalog, Lily Perez

Trustee Romeo Agbalog is a fierce advocate for education in Delano and rural Kern, for improving the lives of those living in rural communities, and for the less fortunate economically. He is tireless and selfless in his work for those he serves, and he and his wife Lily are regular supporters at college events.

It was a treat seeing Randy Beeman at the event. Randy and I were faculty together at BC before I went off to Oregon — Randy in History and me in Math. Randy and his wife came with their friends Martin and Lori Caratan of Columbine Vineyards.

Randy and Martin kept bragging about each other and it was clear that they had a deep longstanding friendship that is tried and true. Check out Caratan’s website at http://www.columbinevineyards.com/. Here is a neat excerpt, from the website, about generational farming in this valley

The Caratan heritage continues to thrive as the next generation provides leadership to Columbine Vineyards. Martin Caratan maintains his grandfather’s vision, Luis and Milan’s momentum and their own dedication to the propagation of new varietals, consistent quality and the superior products and customer service the industry has come to know and expect from Columbine Vineyards.

Ingrid and JP Lake

I shared a table that evening with a fun group of people: Mike and Nancy Turnipseed, JP and Ingrid Lake, Romeo Agbalog and Lily Perez, and Karen Goh. The conversations that I was able to join in on ranged from how Rain for Rent could help us secure the waters from the Willamette to address the drought in the central valley in California, to the necessity of having coffee with desert, which had a nice splash of sea salt with caramel!

Karen Goh has been a consistent and longstanding friend of Bakersfield. She has always taken the time to help out whenever help was needed. Thank you Karen! Here she is with Mary Trichell and Billie Jo Medders. I have never met Billie Jo Medders but she helped me out about 2 decades ago when I was a faculty at BC and she was working in Congressman Bill Thomas’ Office. Congressman Thomas, you have single-handedly done so much for our community.

Mary Trichell, Karen Goh, Billie Jo Medders

Mike and Nancy Turnipseed

Mike Turnipseed is a great community leader who recognizes the importance of the relationship between the Bakersfield community and Bakersfield College. “It’s wonderful to see the exceptional community support that Bakersfield College has, and how much the community supports and appreciates that value BC adds to the community,” said Mike Turnipseed, executive director of the Kern County Taxpayers Association.

Check out my August 4, 2015 blog post on the collaborative work that BC did with Turnipseed and others in the community. http://tinyurl.com/hkm2p6y.

As you can see, the relationship between Bakersfield College and Bakersfield runs deep – Bakersfield College truly is a community college!

The Force is with….BC! We are….BC!

Thank you Marlene Heise, Tom Gelder, and Mary Jo Pasek for this great event.

Mary Jo Pasek, Tom Pasek

Marlene Heise, Tom Gelder, Sonya Christian

Shannon Musser, Francis Mayer, Sonya Christian, Kristin Rabe

Sonya Christian's Blog

Tag Archives: Bill Thomas

Transforming Environments, Transforming Lives

Saturday, September 3rd:

Sunday, September 4th:

Tuesday, September 6th: BC AERA STEM Success Center!

Getting Connected to Service Learning Community Panel

Bill Thomas

There’s a new baby Renegade in Bakersfield

Dual Enrollment Changing Lives

IBM Watson at the US Open

July 9 Blog

BC Hosts Black Caucus Annual Leadership Conference

Meeting with the VFW

AG Ventures Camp

Celebrating our neighbor Shafter

Bakersfield Chamber Government Review Committee:

Coming Soon: New Student IDs

Wrapping up…..

We are Bakersfield….and We are BC!

Champion of Bakersfield College — Michael O’Doherty

Track & Field Banquet

IEPI Inmate Education Training Workshop

Summer Bridge:

Celebrating our faculty, staff, students and the community

Good morning Bakersfield. It is June 11, 2016….A good day to be a Renegade!

Celebrating our students

Here are some fun pictures of the platform party getting ready for commencement.

Celebrating our faculty and staff

BC and the community – relationship runs deep

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