Tag Archives: Cindy Collier

This is our community. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.

Uncategorized October 2, 2021 Comments: 2

October 2, 1967, 54 years ago, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first Black Justice on the US Supreme Court.

He had been nominated four months prior by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He had been at the forefront of legal battles for Civil Rights and the destruction of Jim Crow segregation. From 1938 to 1961, he served as the NAACP’s chief counsel, arguing more than a dozen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court – including a victory in 1954’s groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case.

Marshall’s placement on the highest court in the land was as an important milestone in the still-continuing march for racial equality and peace in this country.

Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country.
This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.
Thurgood Marshall

Good morning, friends…
It is October 2, 2021.
The sun shines bright over KCCD.

This week, the Pirates, the Coyotes, and the Renegades continue to
#DareMightyThings

Porterville College

PC Receives $1.7 million grant to help prepare local students for college

Porterville College has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the US department of Education as part of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, partnership program.

GEAR UP provides six-year and seven-year grants to develop partnerships that provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. GEAR UP partners, such as Porterville College, serve an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow the cohort through high school.

This award will fund a seven-year project at PC to increase the number of low-income students within our service area who obtain a High School diploma and are then prepared to succeed in college. The program will achieve this goal by meeting the following objectives for 400 students per year for the duration of the project:

Increase the academic performance and preparation for post-secondary education for GEAR UP students.
Increase the rate of high school graduation for GEAR UP students.
Increase the number and percentage of students and parents demonstrating knowledge of post-secondary education options, financial aid options, cost of college attendance, and how to acquire financial aid.
Increase the number and percentage of GEAR UP students entering college after high school.
Increase the number and percentage of GEAR UP students persisting to the second year of college.

Matthew S. Hopson-Walker Brings “A Tower of Ashes Built” to PC Art Gallery

The public is invited to an exhibition, of the work of Matthew S. Hopson-Walker starting Monday, October 4. His exhibition, entitled “A Tower of Ashes Built”, will show at the Porterville College Art Gallery from October 4th to the 28th. Gallery Hours are Monday – Thursday from 12 – 2 pm and 4 – 6 pm.

Matthew S. Hopson-Walker’s work is based on self-investigation within the context of American popular culture. As Hopson-Walker says, “The difference between the drawn mark and the appropriated image is a metaphor for the conflict between reality and ideology that many of us experience. I try to create a sense of uncomfortable visual tension by blending thoughts and images that do not fit together. I am influenced by narratives and characters found in contemporary entertainment, which often centers on themes of dystopia and unresolved conflict. I want my work to record and document specific times and places, suggest the selfish motives that lurk beneath socially acceptable behavior, and reference the surface qualities and rich graphic aesthetic in the history of printmaking.”

Born and raised in Fresno California, Matthew Hopson-Walker grew up reading comic books and dystopian science fiction novels. During a formative age he was exposed to movies such as Mad Max, Total Recall, Escape From New York, Blade Runner, and The Omega Man, and many themes from these movies show up in his work.

After working as a janitor for several years, Hopson-Walker matriculated to the Kansas City Art Institute and received his BFA in Printmaking in 1998. After graduating he and a friend opened their own gallery and screen-printing business. To support himself and his heavy metal bass playing “career” he worked as a print technician at his alma mater, did construction, bounced and bussed at various bars, delivered mail and cashiered at liquor stores. These jobs influenced his generally misanthropic outlook on humanity and the images he made as an artist. In 2002 he completed his MA followed by his MFA in 2003 from the University of Iowa. In 2006 he was recipient of the prestigious James D. Phelan Award in Printmaking given by the San Francisco Foundation and administered by the KALA Institute. He has been included in 222 juried or group exhibitions and 14 solo shows since 2006. Matthew Hopson-Walker is now Assistant Professor in Printmaking at Fresno State University.

PC Welcomes a new Enrollment Services director to the Pirate Team

Jonathan Miranda has been named the new Interim Director of Enrollment Services at Porterville College. His bachelor’s degree is in Philosophy from UCLA, and he is currently finishing his master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Sacramento State University.

Jonathan has worked in higher education for 10 plus years in the Los Rios and State Center community college districts.

He is a first-generation college student who began his journey as a Federal Work Study student and worked his way up to Financial Aid/A&R Manager.

Jonathan has dedicated his work to creating programs that grant equitable access to all student populations. His efforts have helped many students achieve academic success and excellence. To this end, he is excited to begin serving the students and community of Porterville College.

In his free time, he enjoys playing music on his saxophone, which he has been playing for over 25 years, and playing frisbee with his two Australian Shepard furballs, Merlin and Casper.

Cerro Coso Community College

Dave’s Scholars Brunch

The Mammoth Lakes Foundation held their Dave’s Scholar brunch outside on September 17^th. After a year of connecting virtually it was a beautiful morning to connect in-person with returning and new scholars. One of the goals at the MML Foundation is to help Cerro Coso students plan their next steps after community college.

Deanna Campbell, Director of the Cerro Coso Community College Eastern Sierra College Center, shared information on the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program.

The Mammoth Lakes Foundation Scholarship program was launched in 2003 to encourage Mono County residents and high school graduates to take advantage of local education opportunities through Cerro Coso Community College’s Mammoth Campus and has since awarded more than 750 scholarships. Support for an individual scholarship ranges from $800 to $1,000 each semester and covers tuition and books.

The Dave’s Scholar Transfer Scholarship represents a significant undertaking and financial investment by the MML Foundation to further their mission of supporting higher education and cultural enrichment. Recipients must demonstrate a capacity to excel in their continued studies and understand that they represent the MML Foundation locally and in the wider world.

Each Dave’s Scholar has a unique story to share as they pursue their dreams at CCCC. Some are the first to attend college in their families; some are returning to college after a hiatus; and others are seeking a certificate or degree to help them with their business. Every donation made to the program changes lives.

Meet Our CCCC Ambassadors

Meet the Cerro Coso 2021-2020 Student Ambassadors: (l to r) Geraldine Valdez, Aden Ostash, Nicole Harper, Taylir DeStefano, Sara Orlando, Abigail Wright, and John McHenry. All of these students attend full-time and are Cerro Coso Promise students, three are moms, and three are Coyote athletes, and all have committed to serving as emissaries for the college.

Student Ambassadors demonstrate their wiliness to share Cerro Coso’s goals and vision with college visitors, new students, and the community. Participation in the program is an opportunity for current students to show pride in their school while making an impact on the lives of individuals who are planning for a college education.

Being a Student Ambassador is a challenging and rewarding educational opportunity with a truly positive and memorable experience. These are the faces of Cerro Coso that set an example for other students and incoming freshmen. They have a passion for the college and represent Cerro Coso at community and on-campus events, accompany recruitment personnel on high school visits, lead campus tours, assist with new student orientation, participate in focus groups and student discussion panels, speak to groups regarding special interests at the college, and participate in mass media projects.

In return these students develop leadership skills, participate in extracurricular activities to add to college and scholarship applications, develop skills that will transfer to other employment opportunities, and interact with students and faculty in weekly meetings. CC Ambassadors are here to help!

What’s On Our Walls

Painting barren hallways can dramatically change a campus’ atmosphere. In November of 2018 College Council developed a task force to discuss what should be displayed throughout the main building at the Ridgecrest campus and in what manner the information should be exhibited.

The task force was not identifying specific locations for displaying things or identifying specific products for those displays. Membership on the task force included representatives from Student Government, classified staff, faculty, and administration. The task force met throughout the spring of 2019 and in the spring of 2020 some “conceptual” images were developed and shared with stakeholders based on the recommendations of the task force.

They were not intended to be accurate or definitive, merely a way of investigating and communicating design principles and aesthetic concepts. Staff, faculty, and students were given the entire semester to provide feedback. The goal of the task force was to employ strategic uses of color for wayfinding and delineating spaces in a way that warmed up the sterile long hallways and created a sense of belonging and pride in the institution utilizing school logos, colors, and motivational words. In 2021 Cerro Coso began the first phase of implementation.

It is exciting to see the hard work of the task force being executed creating an environment that communicates the college’s core values and improves the college experience.

Bakersfield College

BC to Receive $14 Million in State Funding for New Delano Campus Building

Bakersfield College and Assemblymember Rudy Salas announced the construction of a new two-story building for the BC Delano Campus, thanks to $14 million in state funding advocated for by Salas in the most recent budget cycle.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, during a press conference at the BC Delano Campus in an outdoor area near the vacant land where the structure will be built. The new 40,000-square-foot Learning Resource Center will include classrooms, office space, a library and designated spaces for student services to help accommodate and support a growing population of students throughout Delano and North Kern. Construction is expected to begin in January and will take about 22 months to complete. The funding for this project also includes funding from Measure J. Thank you Assemblymember Salas, and to Kern County residents for voting yes on Measure J. Read the entire press release.

And I loved Emma Gallegos‘s front page story in the Bakersfield Californian about the announcement. #FrontPageAbovetheFold

Webinar on Future Impacts of Technology and Water Resources on Farming

Join Bakersfield College’s Energy Technology Transfer and Workforce Development initiative on Tuesday, October 5th, at 3 p.m., for its second webinar in the Agriculture/Water/Energy (AWE) Education Series, featuring a panel of local stakeholders and national researchers sharing their perspectives on the impacts of technology and water resources on farming.

Panelists will include: John Moore III, Former President of the Kern County Farm Bureau, Owner of Moore Farms and White Wolf Potato Co.; Dr. Joshua Viers, Professor, Water Resources Management, UC Merced School of Engineering; and Dr. Helen E Dahlke, Associate Professor, Integrated Hydrologic Sciences, University of California, Davis. RSVP for the Webinar

BC to Host Livestream of the Unveiling and Opening of First BC Peace Garden

The Bakersfield College Peace Initiative will host the grand opening of the first peace garden on the BC campus at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 4.

The event will feature short speeches by local peacemakers and partners, and will be the first garden in a series of gardens on BC campuses. Additionally, the garden will feature “Peace Poles,” provided and paid for by local Bakersfield Rotary Clubs. Speakers will include: myself, Krista Moreland, Professor of Anthropology, Naina Patel, The Ravi and Naina Patel Foundation, and Edith Mata, BC Student Government Association President.

I invite you to watch this livestream event this Monday Oct 4 at 10:00 on the BC YouTube Channel. Complete information is in this press release.

Check out this video about the Peace Garden, with footage from BC’s Opening Day 2020 and the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Peace Garden:

Thank You Cindy Collier!

On Monday, Bakersfield College recognized Cindy Collier for her 28 years of dedicated service to the college and the Kern Community College District. Cindy retired this summer. Her illustrious career at Bakersfield College began when she became a nursing faculty member in 1993. She became director of the nursing program in 2001. She also held a number of administrative roles – Executive Director of Student Health, Dean of Instruction, Associate Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development for KCCD, faculty director of the Inmate Scholars Program, and Director of the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Here are my closing remarks from the event:

You can see the whole recording on Bakersfield College’s YouTube channel.

Poetry Corner

Please enjoy this poem from Jack Hernandez:

The Desert

The moon rise
over the desert
is no longer surprising,
he had not foreseen
living in its barren canvas
painted in his later years.

Until this time his life
scurried like an ant
seeking always seeking,
now he sits grasping
for nothing more
than silent truth
in silver light.

UN International Day of Peace

Last week, I shared a few videos from Bakersfield College’s celebration to honor the UN International Day of Peace on September 21st.

Today, I am sharing two more videos from that production.

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh’s remarks:

The Bakersfield College Chamber Choir’s performance of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”:

Quick Tips for Teaching Success

This week, Porterville College continued its Quick Tips for Teaching Success series. The live presentations are open only to Porterville College faculty and run on Wednesdays at 12 pm. However, the recorded presentations are available to anyone and are a fantastic resource for all our educators.

Check it out at QUICK TIPS FOR TEACHING SUCCESS – Resources (weebly.com).

Wednesday’s session was called “A Deep Dive Into Teaching Controversial Issues.

“Do you teach a course with subject matter some consider controversial? Do you wonder how to best ensure students learn about sensitive topics without getting lost in heated emotions or a refusal consider other views with an open mind? Have you ever found a class got off track when something controversial inadvertently entered the conversation? The ‘Quick Tips’ team has, and we’ll share our stories, experiences, and techniques for managing these delicate situations while ensuring students learn new ideas and perspectives and remain respectful to others in the classroom – and the world around them.”

Check out the recording online.

Thank you to presenters Dustin Acres, Rebecca Baird, Joy Lawrence, Melissa Long, Ian Onizuka, Elisa Queenan, and Robert Simpkins.

In the News

Hogan, longtime Folkloric dance instructor, to be honored

I saw in The Porterville Recorder this story about longtime Folkloric dance instructor Maria Antonietta Hogan Abrego (Mrs. Hogan). She taught at schools throughout Porterville, including night classes at Porterville College. She will be moving to Idaho and her family held a Bon Voyage party for her this week, allowing the countless students whose lives she touched a chance to wish her well.

“She molded us in such a way to be citizens of the world. We were just all good kids,” Elva Beltran said. “We will always be grateful for that. This is our chance to come and hug her and send her off with love.”

Community Voices: The Veil of Ignorance

Jack Hernandez penned this piece for the Bakersfield Californian that looks at philosopher John Rawls’ idea of the veil of ignorance, and how we must use that veil to better show compassion and empathy for one another.

“Thus, he asks us to do what is difficult for all of us: to put on the veil of ignorance and imagine ourselves in the shoes, in the lives, of others, especially those who suffer. We live in a society that tends to ignore the role fortune, luck, plays in our lives. The myth of success is that all that happens is because of our effort, and if we are not successful we have simply not worked hard enough.”

Fun Photos and Spotted on Social Media

Here’s the KCCD Team at the Hearts of Hope event to benefit Casa Esperanza:

Cerro Coso Military And Veterans Services invited all military and veteran students, alumni, staff, faculty, spouses, dependents, and community members to submit a photo for the Wall of Courage 2021. Submissions begin Monday. The Wall of Courage will be displayed in person on the Ridgecrest campus throughout the month of November. it will also be featured on the Cerro Coso website.

The submission link will be sent out via student emails, social media, and the Cerro Coso website beginning Monday, 10/04/2021.

At BC, Student Life Program Director Nicole Alvarez spent the morning with the L.U.P.E club recruiting new members:

Porterville College professors Jonathan Hernandez and Jeff Jacobs shared these photos of Administration of Justice Professor Jacobs joining Professor Hernandez’s Intercultural Communications class to discuss issues on social justice, equity, and empathy.

And check out Porterville College in coaching sessions with Dr. Al:

====================

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

The future is bright at KCCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KCCDDaringMightyThings

BC — always supporting our students & our community

Uncategorized March 8, 2020 Leave a comment

What a great week…. the campus was alive with activity from the BCSGA screening of the Ironed Jawed Angels, to the production of the Pillowman, to Baseball and Softball, to our tiny Cougar Renegades Lighting up the Night with the grand opening of the McFarland High Stadium, to the monitoring and ongoing education about the coronavirus and promoting healthy habits. Another routine week at the Home of the Renegades! This is how we roll…..

Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, March 7, 2020… A great day to be a Renegade.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California this week to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. At BC, we’ve been monitoring the evolving news and remain in close communication with Kern County Public Health.

There are currently no known cases of Coronavirus in our community.

When news first emerged of the coronavirus, I tasked a special advisory team on this matter to keep me informed with daily updates and status reports from Kern County Public Health. I activated the Incident Command Center on February 27th and started my direct communication to the campus.

In the best efforts to keep our community informed, BCSGA President Samantha Pulido and Academic Senate President, Steven Holmes joined Cindy Collier and me in a video message to the campus this past Monday to share procedures like frequent and correct hand washing techniques.

Various teams around campus have been working around the clock to keep hand sanitizers filled, put out communications and posters to bulletin boards and the website, and keep surfaces and door handles disinfected on a routine schedule. Thank you Bill Potter and our M&O staff. Thank you Dr. Nicky Damania, Cindy Collier and Shelly Casteneda

Bakersfield College will continue to closely monitor the global and and local development and BC’s COVID-19 Advisory Team will provide regular updates to the campus. I am proud of the efforts and leadership displayed by our community thus far. As educators, we continue to be role models for our students and for our community.

View the COVID-19 status page on BC’s website

Iron Jawed Angels

Earlier this week, BC’s Office of Student Life, the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities, and Women’s History and More Committee hosted a screening of the 2004 American historical film Iron Jawed Angels at the Levan Center, in honor of the National Women’s History month. The film portrayed the American women’s suffrage movement, during the 1910s, which defined a historical revolution of women’s right to vote.

American women’s suffrage leaders, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, dedicated their lives to the women’s suffrage movement and formed the National Women’s Party which was committed to grant women the right to vote. Our BC History faculty, Jennifer Grohol, led the screening of the film and described how the women’s suffrage movement granted women the right to vote with the enactment of the U.S. 19^th Amendment.

See all the photos on Smugmug

Renegades Star in The Pillowman

The Performing Arts Department staged a riveting rendition of the dramatic play “The Pillowman” this week, bringing this dark, dystopian tale to life on the Indoor Theater stage.

“Pillowman”, created by Irish playright Martin McDonagh, tells the story of a fiction writer being interrogated by police for the murder of three children. The details of the crimes are very similar to several short stories that he wrote, and the audience was at the edge of their seats as the narrative of the play unfolded to reveal the truth.

The cast and crew masterfully rotated the set designs for each scene, and all of the actors did an amazing job. There were two separate casts for “the Pillowman”, and both were fabulous.

Thank you to director Brian J. Sivesind, BC Performing Arts, and all of the cast and crew for bringing this psychological thriller to the stage. If you’re reading this on March 7, you still have a chance to catch three more performances of “The Pillowman” at at 2 p.m. on March 8.

The Inmate Scholars Program Shows Support for Females Achieving Change Together

Pictured left to right: Educational Advisor Diana Alcala, Admissions and Records Assistant La-Reina Villanueva, and Department Assistant III Camilla Andersen assist prospective Bakersfield College students in selecting a learning and career pathway.

Females Achieving Change Together (F.A.C.T.) is a gender responsive collaboration that focuses on the unique issues that previously incarcerated women face. On February 27th, The Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) partnered with local community organizations and educational institutions for the first annual resource event. At the event, attendees learned about dressing for success, overcoming life obstacles, maintaining health and sobriety, and gathered information on next steps necessary for successful reintegration.

Pictured left to right: Program Manager Sabrina Aguilar, Admissions and Records Assistant La-Reina Villanueva, Educational Advisor Diana Alcala, Department Assistant III Camilla Anderson, and Counselor Sue Ann Villaros.

2020 Panorama Invitational

The Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery inside the library is acknowledging the creativity of our local high school students as part of BC’s annual Panorama Invitational. You can visit the Jones Gallery Monday through Thursday between 3 and 6 p.m. to check out all of the beautiful artwork, which was curated from 13 high schools throughout Kern County.

The gallery runs until March 12, so be sure to check out all the great art on display. The gallery held an opening reception for the exhibition on January 30, giving the artists, their families, and members of the community the chance to celebrate their work. The pieces in this year’s Panorama Invitational show off the full range of creative expression that these young artists are capable of. For instance, “Chaos Through Angel Tears”, created by a senior from Golden Valley High School, depicts an angel in a state of ponderous melancholy, while “Stressed Patience”, created by a senior from Independence High School, is a visual representation of how time ebbs and flows.

Thank you to Ronnie Wrest, Jeffrey Huston and all of the staff at the Jones Gallery for giving young artists their first opportunity at having work displayed in an exhibition. On March 26, we will be honoring artists at the Home of the Renegades with the opening reception for the Bakersfield College Student Art Exhibition.

Fun photos from the CISOA conf

UC Merced Trip with STEM Students

A group of 25 STEM students and five STEM faculty took off from Bakersfield on Friday, February 21^th on the Amtrak train to visit UC Merced. It was a new adventure for many BC students, and some of them had have never been a train before. The group took CatTracks, the campus shuttle, to and from the train station to UC’s newest campus nestled in the rolling hills outside of Merced, mingling with current UC Merced students and staff. Once on campus they met with Professor Chistopher Viney, one of the twelve founding faculty of the University and chair of the Material Science and Engineering Department. Professor Viney greeted us and gave the students an overview of material science and engineering at UC Merced. His department is a refreshing departure from the stereotypical view of the engineering profession, the faculty is 75% female from four different continents.

The students were impressed with the tour of the Chemistry Department which included their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometery lab and their super computer facility used for computational chemistry. UC Merced faculty member Prof. Hratchian was excited to tell us that ALL students, undergraduates included, had free access to the super-computer regardless of major. Many students commented on the train ride back that lunch in the The Pavilion (the newest dinning hall) was a great experience. UC Merced is guided by a long-range vision of sustainable design, and waste reduction. In the cafeteria recycling and composting is a part of the dining experience, and the UC Merced student helped make sure that the compostable food waste and recycling was separated correctly. BC faculty, Professors Rosenthal, McGarrah, Vaughan, Daniel and Saldivar accompanied the students on the trip.

Writing Center team at UCLA

The Writing Center team spent leap day attending the Southern California Writing Centers Association Tutor Conference on Saturday, February 29, 2020. Writing centers across So. Ca. gathered at the beautiful UCLA campus to hear presentations and a keynote on this year’s theme: “Equity in the Center.” Public and private two- and four-year colleges along with other types of institutions hosted workshops dedicated to addressing embedding an equity framework in writing centers.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Elizabeth Kleinfeld, Director of the Metropolitan University of Denver Writing Center, whom our own Writing Center Lead, Kim Arbolante, had the pleasure of meeting at the North American IWCA conference last October. Dr. Kleinfeld delivered an enlightening presentation on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and participants were invited to “participate in a little anarchy” by pretending our centers burned to the ground and needed to be completely redesigned physically and conceptually with UDL in mind.

On the BC team’s scenic walk back to the van, there were plenty of photo opportunities. Kim was even able to make time for a quick Byrd scooter ride along the way. Look at her go!

Archives Throwback: Renegade Pantry

5 Staff members in front of well stocked shelves.

Looking back through our archive of Renegade Rip issues on the BC website, we discovered that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the Renegade Pantry, a resource center that provides our students with food, hygiene items and other essentials to support them through their educational journey.

In the February 3, 2010, issue of the Renegade Rip, reporter Brian N. Willhite and photographer David Karnowski covered the opening ceremony that took place on January 28 of that year. Former BC President Greg Chamberlain cut the ribbon for the new facility inside the John Collins Campus Center, and one of the speakers for the event was a BCSGA senator named Shawn Newsom, who is now one of our history professors. His wife Kristi Newsom served as BCSGA President at the time.

Today, you can find the Renegade Pantry inside Levinson Hall, and an expanded pantry is a big part of our plans for the new Campus Center that is slated to open before the end of this year.

Check out an excerpt from the article below:

“The Student Government Association at Bakersfield College has started a new program that hopes to eliminate hunger among the student body. The SGA will be offering a variety of canned goods and other food staples by providing a food bank to assist students in need. The Renegade Pantry officially opened its doors Jan. 28 with multiple news media organizations on hand to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony and commencement speeches given by SGA senator and assistant to the dean Shawn Newsom and BC president Greg Chamberlain.

Together they expressed their desires and vision for the program and its success. “If we can provide the opportunity for one student to stay in school, then it is all worth it,” said Chamberlain as he spoke about the needs of the student body reaching their educational pursuits. With budgets being cut from community college special-needs programs such as CalWorks and EOPS, SGA board members sought opportunities to better serve BC students in need. The decision to start a student run food bank began over the winter break with hopes to provide relief to students who may be affected by budget cuts or other circumstances hindering their educational goals. “It is our goal that no student will have to choose between books or groceries,” said Newsom.

Renegades in the News: Shelly Castaneda

The magazine “Diversity: Issues in Higher Education” wrote a blurb highlighting Bakersfield College’s appointment of Shelly Castaneda as Executive Director of Public Safety. Shelly worked for the Kern County Sheriff’s office for 28 years and was the second woman in the history of the department to serve as Chief Deputy Sheriff. She is also an award-winning body builder and two-time survivor of breast cancer. I speak for everyone at BC when I say that we’re so proud to have Shelly on our team!

STEM & MESA Students Unite

On Monday, March 2nd, the STEM Pathway and MESA Program hosted Jaimi Paschal, Jenny Ezpeleta, and Melissa Mayfield, CSUB Advisors, to the AERA STEM Center. The advisors provided a brief presentation on STEM opportunities at CSUB.

Wendale Davis Foundation

On February 28, 2020, Bakersfield College hosted the Wendale Davis foundation’s 12th annual Youth Leadership Conference.

Since the murder of 16-year-old Wendale in 2006, his father Wesley Davis has worked to prevent Bakersfield’s youth from turning to violent lifestyles.

Over 300 students from the Bakersfield area were on campus Friday to learn about gang prevention and AIDS awareness and heard from Bakersfield Police Officers and current prison inmates. The keynote speaker Andrew “Dance Fever 3-D” Jones, shared his personal story on how he overcame early childhood adversity to become a professional dancer and motivational speaker.

The purpose of the conference is to give youth skills to get through challenging situations.

Community Voices: Endee Grijalva

Endee Grijalva, the Program Manager for Adult Education, wrote her piece about the Homeless HireUp Project, an exciting new project we’re launching to provide 24 individuals with career preparation and a job within six months. One quote at the end of Endee’s article crystallizes why this initiative, which is in its pilot phase, is so important.

“The ultimate goal of Project HireUp is to shift the conversation on the nationwide homelessness crisis by demonstrating that in order to work towards the eradication of homeless, we must come together as a community to invest in the resources that will ensure the safety, health and overall well-being of all.”

Community Voices: Gian Gayatao

Gian Gayatao is a student senator on the Bakersfield College Student Government Association. He wrote about how BC helped him find and realize his passion for public service.

“BC SGA set me on a path of purpose to help students while working cohesively as a team from very different walks of life. I participated in making a survey for all students at BC to optimize our events on campus, see the issues being presented to us and to understand students on a deeper level. I sit on committees such as Student Health and Wellness and Accreditation and Institutional Quality to provide a student perspective. I have finally hit my stride and found my purpose to better BC.“

Community Voices: Jack Hernandez

Former Levan Center Director Jack Hernandez had this piece share some beautiful ruminations about the nature of solitude in the Californian:

“To understand solitude is to understand its purpose, which is to be with, discover, and grow our inner self, our soul, as some would say. Solitude is more than being by ourselves, perhaps reading, listening to music, thinking and letting our minds wander. It is planned and structured attention, introspection and reflection at a regular time and place. As we set aside this regular time and place to be alone in solitude, our inner self begins to anticipate it.”

McFarland Athletic Field Ribbon Cutting

Trustee Romeo Agbalog and Abel Guzman attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for McFarland Unified School District’s Petersen Athletic Field Complex. Superintendent Aaron Resendez introduced and thanked Petersen family matriarch, Geneva Petersen, for her family’s generosity and support of the school district. One of the highlights of the event was the performance by Browning Road STEAM Academy’s cheer squad who were wearing Future Early College Cougar t-shirts.

Love this picture of Romeo Agbalog and Abel Guzman with these tiny Cougar Renegades

This Week at BC

This week at BC, our marketing students Juan and Ramon focus on BC Athletics!

Renegade Athletics

Men’s Basketball Spring 2020 Camp

Renegade Men’s Basketball is offering a spring basketball camp on April 6th-7th from 9am-2pm each day. The camps emphasize the fundamentals of basketball and are co-ed, open to children ages 5-17. The cost will be $60/person. Pre-registration is encouraged through the form linked here. For more information, call Rich Hughes at 395-4553 or email at rihughes@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Swimming Offers Private Swimming Lessons

Renegade Swimming is now offering private swimming lesson for anyone ages 3 to adult. The price for four, 30 minutes lessons is $80. Available lesson times are Monday-Friday 2:30pm & 7:00pm and on Saturdays between 9am-11am.

Adult lap swim is also available at the below times. It is free for BC faculty, staff and students and a $5 drop-in fee for community members.

Monday – Thursday evenings 6:00-7:30pm
Monday/Wednesday Mornings – 9:30-11:00am
Tuesday/Thursday Mornings – 7:00-8:30am
Saturdays – 9:00-11:00am

For more information call the BC pool at 661-395-4663 or email Head Swim Coach Matt Moon at matthew.moon@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

BC Golf at the Mission

This last Saturday our Men’s and Women’s Bakersfield College Golf Team’s headed over to provide service at the Kern County Mission. Our athletic department has consistently provided weekly service at the Mission for the past year. On top of school, practice, work and other obligations our student athletes are always finding ways to serve in our community. Way to represent BC!

Next Level Gades!

Renegade Football’s Angel Baez has committed to play with the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes this next fall. Angel, who attended East HS, played the last two seasons at BC as a defensive lineman. Congrats, Angel!

Also, Christian Gonzalez and Edgar Gonzalez are both headed taking their soccer talents to the next level. Christian (Ridgeview HS) is headed to Humboldt State and Edgar (Bakersfield HS) is staying in Bakersfield and will be at CSUB. Both were exceptional soccer players for Coach Vayron Martinez the past two years and played huge roles in the team winning the men’s soccer teams first conference championship this last fall. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Valley Strong Credit Union Renegades of the Week

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (2/23-2/29) Valley Strong Credit Union Renegades of the Week:

Amaya Williams, Women’s Track and Field – Amaya won the 100 hurdles (16.49) and 400 hurdles (1:09.25) at the Santa Monica College West Coast Classic. She is currently ranked first in SoCal in the 400 hurdles and ranked third in the 100 hurdles.

Cody Hartsfield, Men’s Track and Field – Cody won the discus (42.43m) and placed fourth in the hammer (41.03m) and seventh in the shot put (11.72m) at the Santa Monica College West Coast Classic.

Athletics Photos from this week

Renegade Athletics updates from this past week:

Athletic events ‘On the Hill’ this coming week

Be sure to put on your Renegade Red and cheer on our student athletes as they compete this coming week. If you can’t make it in person, check GoGades.com to catch the livestream. Events include:

Tues. 3/10 – Women’s Tennis vs Antelop Valley at 2pm
Tues. 3/10 – Baseball vs Glendale, 2:30pm
Tues. 3/10 Softball vs. LA Mission, 2:30pm
Thu. 3/12 – Women’s Tennis vs Ventura, 2pm
Sat. 3/14 – Track and Field host the BC Relays at 11am
Sat. 3/14 – M/W Tennis host Folsom Lake at 9:30am
Sat. 3/14 Softball vs Reedley, 12pm
Sat. 3/14 Softball vs. Long Beach, 4pm
Sat. 3/14 Baseball vs. Glendale, 1pm

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya-
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Sprinting to the finish line –Commencement 2019

Uncategorized May 5, 2019 Comments: 2

I wake up every morning to NPR’s Morning Edition….for many years now. A change is coming — after 40 years, the tune BJ Leiderman composed in 1979 is being replaced by a new jingle on Monday, May 6, 2019. Click on the youtube link below and cherish the soon-to-be-replaced 60-second theme song for NPR’s morning edition. It’s been with us for so long; this is all I knew since I started listening to morning edition in 1988 as a foreign student at USC.

Last day for this version of the morning edition theme song. Cinco de Mayo 2019

It is good to be back home after two weeks of travel which started with the Non-Credit Conference in San Diego. We had a BC team present and engaged by doing our planning to create more opportunities for adults with low academic skills to onboard and complete a certificate which will give them the necessary skills for an entry-level job.

I had a lot of fun keynoting at the CACCRAO conference in San Diego. This is the statewide organization for Admissions and Records professionals, and our Director, Michelle Pena is the current Vice President. She is super smart and has a keen mind for system fixes. Michelle was there with Jackie Lau and Erineo Garcia.

Sonya Christian, Rhonda Mohr
Sonya Christian

2019 ACCJC Partners in Excellence Conference: What the Future Holds

ACCJC’s bi-annual conference was held in San Francisco this year. I was there primarily in my role as a commissioner and the current Vice Chair of the commission. However, we had a large team from BC doing two presentations at this conference and it gives me great joy and pride when I watch “my peeps” presenting.

Kim Nickell, Kristin Rabe, Jessica Wojtysiak, Janet Fulks, Sonya Christian, Lesley Bonds, Amber Hrioch, Steve Waller

At the opening session of the ACCJC conference, I had the pleasure of introducing the former Under Secretary of Education, Dr. Martha Kanter. Dr. Kanter now leads the College Promise Campaign nationally which focuses on higher education affordability and accessibility.

Dr. Kanter speaking at the ACJCC Conference

Dr. Kanter has made many contributions to higher education, most notably her work on equity, innovation, and accountability. Her work is grounded in the conviction that education is not only an economic imperative but more fundamentally a civic imperative; and that education is necessary to individual freedom and essential to a healthy society and a vibrant democracy.

Kristin Rabe, Kim Nickell, Amber Hroch, and Steve Waller presented on how BC is engaged with Program Review and Program Planning that drives institutional resource allocation. A data informed process, the Program Review process has not only brought transparency to our work, but has helped us determine priorities more effectively.

Jessica Wojtysiak and Lesley Bonds presented on BC’s work on Guided Pathways with a focus on “It takes Leadership” from all constituent groups to make this happen.

Here are some other pictures that I snapped. Enjoy!

Jessica Wojtysiak, Amber Hroch
Sonya Christian, Susan Murray

Sonya Christian, Bob Jones
Sonya Christian, Daisy Gonzales

With Martha Kanter & Richard Winn
With Richard Mahon & Karolyn Hanna

Jessica Wojtysiak, Amber Hroch, Sonya Christian, Kristin Rabe, Kim Nickell

Sonya Christian, Daisy Gonzales, Sabrina Sencil, Terrence Willett

BC partners with CSUB

On Tuesday, April 30, 2019, over 40 administrators, faculty, and staff from both CSUB and Bakersfield College met to discuss and plan for programmatic collaborations at the new BCSW Center co-located on the CSUB campus. The synergistic teamwork evident at this meeting is indicative of this exciting partnership between BC and CSUB, and of our shared commitment to our students and community. It’s a great time to be in Bakersfield!

BC represented at African-American Town Hall with State Chancellor Oakley

Last week BC’s Steve Watkin, Outreach Director; Dr. Paula Parks, Umoja faculty lead; Jonathan Ward, Umoja Counselor; and Daron Mackey, AAI Ed Advisor attended the Fresno Town Hall & College Fair. There, state Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley urged community members to support Central Valley leaders who are advocating for changes that result in higher success rates for African-American students. “We need you to push,” Oakley said “because what we’ve been doing hasn’t been working.”

“Friction has to happen around college completion,”Oakley advocated, adding that “we have to get to the point where we put the needs of the students above the needs of employees and staff.”

Tweet from California Community Colleges on the Fresno Town Hall

He cited the passage of AB 705 as a positive step in increasing equity for students of color. The law, which goes into effect this fall, will allow most community college students to start at college-level English and math.

Steve Watkin, Dr. Paula Parks, Chancellor Oakley, Jonathan Ward, & Daron Mackey

The Fresno event was sponsored by the California Community College Black and African-American Advisory Panel and featured information on financial aid (Icanaffordcollege.com), attending a Central Valley community college, and transferring to a CSU or Historically Black College or University (adegreewithaguarantee.com). The Advisory Panel was created in 2017 to increase the graduation and transfer rates of African-American students in support of Oakley’s Vision for Success. They are planning other events around the state to share information and gather feedback. Oakley joked at the end that the Community Colleges will not have an admissions scandal because “we take the top 100% of all applicants.”

Daron Mackey, Jonathan Ward, Dr. Paula Parks, & Steve Watkin

Celebrating Judge Tafoya at Kern Literacy

Judge Robert S. Tafoya was honored as a Read for Life Award Recipient at the 2019 Kern Literacy Council Celebration. Former KCCD Chancellor Sandra Serrano, Judge Tafoya’s spouse, was in attendance to celebrate her husband’s passion for reading and his service as a Kern Literacy Council tutor for the past four years. In addition, a group from Bakersfield College joined the festivities. Pictured in the photo below are Traco Mathews and Krista Herrera (KCSOS), Abel Guzman and Pearl Urena (BC), Sheri Horn-Bunk (Taft), Elaine McNearney (Dress for Success), Romeo Agbalog (KCCD Trustee) and Liz Rozell (BC). Liz Rozell was also able to connect with longtime friends, Fred and Cynthia Brakeman (KHSD Trustee).

BC and Community Leaders at Kern Literacy Event

Presidential Investiture at CSUB

A festive CSUB Presidential Investiture took place Friday morning, May 3^rd, in recognition of Dr. Lynnette Zelezny, fifth President of California State University, Bakersfield and the first female president. She was recognized and honored by many, including Mayor Karen Goh, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and CSU Chancellor Timothy White. The processional included student leadership, delegates from educational partners, and CSUB faculty and staff.

Mary Barlow (Kern County Superintendent of Schools), Doc Ervin (Superintendent of Bakersfield City School District), Kevin Silberberg (Superintendent of Panama-Buena Vista Union School District), Liz Rozell (VP of Instruction, BC), and John Means (Vice Chancellor, Educational Services, KCCD)

*Mariachi band from the BCSD Migrant Program*

63rd Annual Honors Celebration Rocks this Year’s Scholars!

On April 26th, the Outdoor Theater pulsed with the energetic beats of our BC Drumline as they drummed for our 2019 class of scholarship and award recipients at the 63rd Annual Honors Celebration.

This year, nearly 400 outstanding Renegades were named for over $494,000 in scholarships and awards, capping off a demanding academic year with some exciting financial awards.

Tom Gelder, the Executive Director of the BC Foundation and SGA President Ashley Harp, welcomed students and their guests to the festivities, expressing his gratitude for the many donors, faculty, and staff that made the evening possible.

Prior to the reading of names, BC Alumna and Foundation Board Member, Connie Perez-Andresen inspired students with an emotional keynote that demonstrated the power of self-belief and finding a career path that speaks to your heart.

The memorable evening ended with a sweet goodbye as hundreds of freshly baked cookies arrived, provided by our very own BC Food Services. Be sure to check out all of the photos of the event!

All current and future Bakersfield College students are encouraged to apply for scholarships again, later this year, on October 1st, coinciding with the opening of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Visit the website for details.

2019 Student Employees of the Year

On Thursday, April 25th, the Office of Student Life held its annual Student Leadership and Involvement Awards Ceremony. The awards included “Student Employee of the Year” that recognizes exceptional contributions to their office or department during the academic year. The award was jointly given to Jasmen Taylor and Rico Carrillo from the BC Tutoring Center. Congrats to Jasmen and Rico!

Jasmen with the medallion to be worn at commencement in 2020!

Thank you to Student Life for recognizing the importance and dedication of our student employees! Additionally, thank you Student Employment for facilitating the hiring of student employees!

McFarland Early College 8th Grade Application Workshop

This past week, our Early College team went out to McFarland Junior High School to prepare students for the Early College journey that they will embark on at McFarland high School next Fall. All 8th graders completed a BC application and now have their BC ID numbers, which will streamline the process for getting them enrolled in their first dual enrollment course STDV B3 Career and Life Planning. It’s official, we have 280 new Cougar-Renegades!

To learn more about the Early College program at McFarland High School, please visit The Early College website.

BC Jazz Spring Concert

The BC jazz program held its spring concert in the Indoor Theater on Monday, focusing on standards from the 1930s while giving the audience a masterful performance of more modern music.

Students performing at the Jazz Spring concert

Jazz professor Kris Tiner said that this year’s program was the culmination of extensive study on the history of jazz. The Jazz Studies program is growing fast since its expansion in 2016, and the amazing performances made for an exciting night.

I’d like to thank Professor Tiner and the Jazz Studies program for putting together a beautiful evening of music.

2019 Kern High School District Physics Olympics at Bakersfield College Campus

The annual Kern High School District Physics Olympics was held last Friday at BC main campus. Sponsored by the Kern High School District and hosted by Bakersfield College the competition features the work of student teams from over a dozen high schools in Kern County in activities requiring skills and knowledge in theoretical and experimental physics and engineering. Eighteen different activities were held from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm at various venues around the Bakersfield College campus, with over 1,000 high school students participating!

The efficiency bridge, where students design carts to successfully carry heavy loads across a bridge.

The magnetic field competition, where students make measurements and do calculations to determine the earth’s magnetic field at their location.

The spring constant competition, where students use measurements of the elongation of springs due to suspended masses to determine the spring stiffness coefficients.

Dual Enrollment Symposium Connects High School Partners and Bakersfield College

On Friday, April 26, the Dual Enrollment team hosted a symposium for over 85 local high school teachers, counselors and administrators. The half-day event focused on helping high school partners understand responsibilities within a dual enrollment program, learn about resources available to support students, as well as opportunities to develop college and career pathways.

The Dual Enrollment Symposium opened with a welcome from Steve Watkin, Abel Guzman and Liz Rozell who emphasized the importance of partnerships in offering a successful dual enrollment program. Breakout sessions provided for discussions, including one for STDV B3 Instructors and Counselors provided by Mark Osea, Victor Diaz, Hilda Rodriguez and Alma Feathers, that addressed the unique opportunity this course affords students to clarify their path. High school administrators asked questions about infrastructure during a session hosted by Steve Watkin. Dr. Anna Laven, Raquel Lopez, Savannah Andrews and Kylie Swanson led subject-area instructor sessions with discussions facilitated by Chris McCraw, David Neville, Jennifer Johnson, Kris Stallworth, Jennifer Jett, Stephen Waller, Christian Zoller, Darren Willis, Robert Stewart, Creighton Magers, Michael Ivey, Jason Dixon, Jeremy Staat and Jason Stratton.

Steve Watkin and Dr. Anna Laven present during a breakout session for Administrators

After working in small groups, attendees came together for presentations about student resources, academic resources, guided pathways, and a dual enrollment overview. Many thanks to Terri Goldstein, Bill Moseley, Kirk Russell, Lesley Bonds, Yvonne Armendariz, and Anna Laven for providing helpful information and resources. Attendees were impressed to learn that they are part of the largest dual enrollment program in the state! Following lunch, Kylie Swanson provided student highlights and several teachers shared stories about their hardworking students.

Dr. Terri Goldstein and Dr. Anna Laven present on resources for Students with Disabilities

Attendees from across the Bakersfield College service area indicated they found the symposium to be helpful and beneficial. They came away with a better understanding of the value of dual enrollment and were excited to be a part of the program.

Food Historian Ken Albala Visits BC

Food historian Ken Albala visited BC on Monday to provide context to the rising popularity of the artisanal food movement over the last few years. Albala is a professor of history at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, and he’s authored 25 books about the culinary arts, including “Cooking in Europe: 1250-1650”, “Food and Faith”, and “Three World Cuisines”, winner of a 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Award.

BC English professor Neal Stanifer first learned about Albala from “Food: A Cultural Culinary History Podcast,” which is a 36-episode series examining how food evolved throughout human history, from the Stone Age to the Digital Age. Stanifer listened to the whole series over the course of a weekend and was inspired to work with Levan Center Director Reggie Williams to bring Albala to campus. Several students from BC’s culinary arts and nutritional science programs showed up to hear Albala speak.

Albala opened his talk by asking the audience what they imagine what they see when they think of “bad” pizza, then to imagine what they see when they think of “artisanal” pizza. He then gave a history of the terms “artisanal” and “craft”, which used to mean different things but are now utilized the same way in contemporary marketing jargon – to convey food or beverages that are prepared by hand with fresh ingredients and a bare minimum of industrial processing.

After the Great Depression and World War II, the rise of canned goods, processed food and fast food was perceived positively as making life easier and preserving meat and produce longer. Increasingly, Americans have felt disconnected with their relationship to food, contributing to the increased popularity of farmers’ markets, organic produce, farm-to-table restaurants and independent breweries in the 21st Century. Major corporations have begun catching on to this trend, leading to the rise of “fast casual” restaurants such as Chipotle and Blaze Pizza which purport to be fresh or “artisanal” while maintaining the large-scale, industrialized philosophy of fast food. Beer companies such as Coors and Anheuser-Busch have also started buying out small breweries to distribute their products nationwide while marketing mass-produced brands such as Blue Moon and Shock Top as “craft” beer.

I’d like to thank Neal Stanifer and the Levan Center for organizing this informative event examining the culinary arts through the lens of the humanities. I’d also like to thank Ken Albala for driving down from Stockton to speak on our campus.

Transfer Celebration

On Thursday, BC celebrated students that continue to pursue further education and transfer to a four-year university during the Transfer Celebration in the courtyard between Financial Aid and the Indoor Theater.

CSUB staff member speaking to a student about transfer.

CSUB staff were also on hand to assist students transferring to CSUB, and BC Food Services provided catering and light refreshments for all who attended.

Food for attendees at the Transfer Celebration

BC offers a great program to help student receive two degrees in four years called Finish In 4, which encourages completion of both an Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degree. Students in this program are guaranteed admission to CSUB after they finish 2 years at BC. Representatives from Finish In 4 were on hand to interact with students and provide more information about the program.

I would like to thank everyone who helped put on this event and congratulate all of the students who are continuing their academic career.

The Office of Student Life assisting at the celebration.

ENGL B24 Field Trip

This year’s ENGL B24 class had the opportunity to speak with Carol Jacques, a commissioner for the City of Los Angeles. She shared her story as a child of one of the many families displaced from her neighborhood by the city of LA for the construction of Dodger’s Stadium and her subsequent activism and organizing pre- and post-Civil Rights.

The field trip was supported by funding from a Campus Collaborative Action Grant which allowed students to visit the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument in the Olvera Street district of L.A., a point of cultural and historical significance in the development of Latino literary identity. That same day they went to the Ramona Pageant, California’s oldest running outdoor play, in Hemet, CA. Staging every spring since 1923, the play is based on the novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson and offers a theatrical interpretation of the novel’s literary glimpse into the Spanish days of California, its changing demography amidst westward expansion, and the mixing of indigenous and old-world cultures.

Emails Worth Sharing

Earlier this week Abel Guzman received an email from a student sharing her experience with one of Delano’s tutors in the reading and writing skills lab tutor Kim Collins.

When I began college it was suggested I attend school in Delano because I did not know how to write paragraphs and follow grammatical rules. I was at a 4th grade level.

However, I went on to become a journalist for our college newspaper. I also would become an editor for the paper. I would end up completing my AA in journalism last semester. This semester I completed my AA in communication. I was also awarded the Sigma Chi Eta distinction for being a honor roll student in communication.

The reason I shared this is to simply say how [Kim’s] faith in me when I was a returning student made a huge difference, along with a few other people who believed in me.

My tutor had said during a tutoring session that my desire to write a New York Best Seller was a ‘lofty goal.’ Well, my book is halfway finished. Although it may not reach that status, I won’t stop climbing. It’s desire, dreams and good tutors/educators that sure do keep them afloat!

Sincerely,

Melissa Puryear

I received an email from Manny Mourtzanos that at first had me panicking… and then laughing!

“Subject: Center for Disease Control Advisory! Measles hit Bakersfield

Good morning, Deans. Please be advised: The CDC stated that the measles outbreak in California has recently impacted Bakersfield and is so severe that it is even affecting vehicles! Just ask Liz!

Be ye all forewarned!!”

Fun Photos:

Shauna Turner graduates! Shauna is graduating with her bachelors degree this weekend. Her cap reads: Mom of 3 with a degree.

She has been diligently working on her BA since she started at BC 4 years ago. She uses her lunch breaks and late evenings after she puts her boys to bed to prepare for class, write her papers, and study for tests. Congratulations Shauna; you deserve it!!

Nestle Field Trip: Last week, students from the Delano HVAC program took a field trip to Nestle’s plant here in Bakersfield. There the students were able to observe the operation and system components of “The Largest, Most Complex Ammonia Refrigeration System In the World”!!

Chamber’s Leadership Bakersfield Program: BC’s Endee Grijalva is a member of this year’s Leadership Bakersfield class and unveiled her team project yesterday. Her team renovated the Dream Center Bakersfield Infant and Toddler room to a safer and warmer space for these children. Very cool!

Endee Grijalva and teammate Sarah Hickock Levan

GBCC President Nick Ortiz introducing Team 2 and their project.

Norma Rojas-Mora, Endee Grijalva, Tamara Baker, Lupe Aguirre, Samantha Guillory, Evelyn Hernandez, and Abel Guzman at the project ribbon cutting.

CSEA Gold Tournament: Last Saturday a KCCD team supported CSEA at their annual golf tournament. It looks like a rough day at work, but someone’s gotta do it!

Vice Chancellor Tonya Davis and her husband along with Fernando Lara and Tony Cordova

Ceramics Sale: Here are some fun photos of the amazing ceramics created by our very own BC students this year. They held a sale earlier this week where people could purchase the items created in the Spring 2019 semester.

It was great to see Bakersfield College featured in the Engine Professional magazine. Make sure to check out the Aera Tech Skills Conference hosted by BC on May 19th.

Memorial Stadium: I love this shot that Brandon Urry took this week of the Memorial Stadium construction!! WE ARE BC!

Renegade Report

If you missed watching the Renegade Report live this last Thursday at 11:00 am, check out the segments from this week’s show from the links below. This week’s highlights include segments from BC Men’s Golf program and Athletic Trainer Mike Medeiros.

Renegades of the Week

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (4/21-4/27) Wells Fargo Renegades of the Week:

Penelope Zepeda/Morgan Townson, Beach Volleyball – The pairs team finished 4th in the WSC “Pairs” conference championships and qualified for the CCCAA SoCal Regional “Pairs” Championships this Friday May 3rd at Irvine Valley. They will be attempting to qualify for the CCCAA State “Pairs” Championships May 10th and 11th in Chula Vista at the Olympic Training Center.

Justin Frando, Men’s Track and Field – Justin ran a personal record time of 1:55.59 in the 800m at the WSC Finals at Santa Barbara City College which placed him in 2nd place and qualified him for the SoCal Finals. He currently ranks 5th in the state in the 800m.

Renegade Athletics End of the Year Awards

Each year we are very proud of how hard our Renegade student athletes work — both in the classroom and within their respective sports. At the end of each academic season, we like to award those student athletes who have been key parts to their teams and lifted those around them. Below are the winners of each category of award for the 2018-2019 season:

Athletes of the Year

Female – Gabby Lugo, Cross Country/Track & Field

Male – Carson Olivas, Football

Career Achievement

Female – Kylee Fahy, Softball

Male – Jacob Whitby, Track & Field

Newcomer of the Year

Female – Daran Towns, Swimming

Male – Justin Harrington, Football

Individual Performance

Female – Kayleen Sanchez, Women’s Tennis

Male – Zach Williams, Baseball

Grit Award

Female – Brooke McDonald, Women’s Soccer

Male – Justin Solario, Men’s Swimming

Weight Room Warrior

Female – Jessica Merante, Women’s Volleyball

Male – Zach Hartsfield, Football

Roundup of Athletics Events This Week

As always, it was a full week of athletics events for our Renegades teams. Highlights from the week include (click for the story on GoGades.com):

Stay Connected to Renegade Athletics

Be sure to stay connected with Renegade Athletics by following us on social media. On Facebook find us under ‘Bakersfield College Athletics’, on Twitter – @GoGadesGo and on Instagram – @gogadesgo.

BC in community, having fun, and caring for each other

Uncategorized November 4, 2018 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, November 3, 2018…..a great day to be a Renegade.

Gorgeous eastern sky. Photo snapped during the early morning dog walk.

Very active week at BC…but then that’s how we roll at BC.

On Friday, College Council met at our Delano Campus. It was a treat to be in Delano for our meeting.

Abel Guzman, Raquel Lopez and Jaime Lopez did a great presentation on the expansion of Rural Initiatives.

Abel Guzman proudly presenting about the rural initiatives

Homecoming Game

It was an exciting Saturday evening, October 27th, at Memorial Stadium with the Homecoming Game. The Renegade Football Team hosted East LA College in a wild 2018 homecoming game that ended with a big 58-17 Renegade win.

At halftime of the game the 1988 JC National Championship Renegade football team was honored on the field and presented with a special hat remembering their exceptional achievement.

About 40-50 players and coaches, including Murray Adams, Chris Figueroa, William Young, Bobby Blackman, and Raymond Braxton, came from all across the country to reunite and remember their perfect 11-0 season from that year.

At the conclusion of the game all in attendance were treated to an incredible fireworks show with a finale that left multiple car alarms blaring throughout the tailgating parking lot!

Girl with big red ribbon in her hair overlooking the stadium and field during game

Love it when families with children come to Renegade Athletics Games

Frank on the sidelines with staff and coaches

I love when families come to Renegade athletic events. And I was happy to see retired Dean Frank Gornick out at the game – once a Renegade always a Renegade! More about Frank-Gornick, Board of Directors for Foundation for California Community Colleges

Look at who else was at the homecoming game:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

As always, the fireworks display was spectacular.

Did you see the feature on KGET highlighting the incredible work of BC’s Industrial Automation seniors? See how students Chad and Aaron prepared their robots for Renegade football on KGET.

Homecoming Week

Homecoming Week closed out with a bang last week as Student Life and BC Student Government Association (BCSGA) welcomed the community to the BC Campus for the Friday Night Halloween Bash on October 26th. Over 800 guests attended our trunk-or-treat, Student Organization led game tables, face painting, inflatables, dancing, and a viewing of Hotel Transylvania 3. It was a great night!

4 students pose at a table with colorful bottles

Attendees as Fairy God Mother, Cinderella and characters from Toy Story

Office of Student life staff member and student smiling

Saturday’s Homecoming Parade visited the packed Tailgating Area with the Drumline leading the way. Fans were so excited to see and take photos with the mascot, Emmanuel Limaco, who was crowned later at the halftime show as Homecoming Royalty. Thank you to Homecoming Royalty Candidates (pictured from left to right) Paul Coffman, Francis Benavente, Aliyah Khan, Andrea Lopez, and winner, Emmanuel Limaco – Congratulations, Emmanuel!

Students and staff pose on the golf cart

BC in the Vineyards Project — Very proud of this work by the Rural Initiatives Team

As I wrote in last week’s blog, BC was out in the vineyards of Kern County this week. In partnership with the Central Valley Farm workers Foundation, Bakersfield College Rural Initiatives team and outreach advisors visited 20 farmworker crews at local vineyards throughout North and South Kern to promote higher education. The team was able to reach over 1200 farmworkers, planting a seed of hope for higher education. Over 150 workers have requested follow-up services to begin their matriculation.

I would like to thank all those who assisted in this project and Adult Education Managers, Jaime Lopez and Endee Grijalva for coordinating the efforts to make this possible. Although, this outreach effort is the first of its kind, it will not be the last as the Rural Initiatives Team continues to change lives across Kern County!

Farm worker given a packet of information

Art for Planet, Art for People

Levan Center speaker Esther Iverem spoke to the Umoja Community ASTEP students before her evening presentation on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. Iverem is an independent journalist who has written on social justice, arts, and culture for the New York Times and Washington Post. She also has published books on poetry and film reviews.

Iverem, also host of the On the Ground radio show, talked to the students in Dr. Paula Parks’ Umoja English class on the importance of creating their own media and locating non-biased sources of information. Most students admitted that they get their news from social media. “Something I took away from her discussion was that everything we enjoy in the media was written by someone and that writing is a career option,” explained Michaela Edwards. Iverem, a native of Philadelphia who lives in Washington, D.C., also spoke on the importance of writing to express oneself. “She reminded me that not only do I have the ability to create as an individual, but the power as an African American to make great narratives. It was very motivating,” stated Dujour Sams.

The evening presentation consisted of Iverem reading and showing art from her latest book Olokum of the Galaxy, which is the story of Olokum, a West African spirit who lives in the oceans. From below, he witnesses the creation of the seas, bodies of slaves who jumped or were thrown off the slave ships, smoke and coal debris from the industrial revolution, today’s oil and chemical spills, and eventually the destruction of the planet due to man’s abuse.

Iverem said that “the way that we are treating the planet is an emergency. We were not great stewards before, but we seem to be going backwards.” She cited recent pipeline construction and increased offshore drilling.

Most of the audience questions centered on her art.

The book was an offshoot of the Olokum figures that Iverem was making from reclaimed fabric and discarded buttons, chains, and belts. She said that it takes her a few days to hand make each doll. Some also have necklaces with small photos of African Americans (such as Tamir Rice) who were gunned down by police. Iverem’s Olokum projects have combined her passions for social justice, the environment, African-American culture, poetry, writing, and visual and textile art.

We are so fortunate to welcome journalists, artists, authors and speakers to Bakersfield College to enrich the lives of our students and community with culturally diverse experiences. We are able to educate our students and community beyond the regular classroom curriculum. See why I feel like the luckiest and happiest president? I would like to thank Dr. Paula Parks and Reggie Williams for organizing this event.

Animal Advice: Are You Listening?

Speaking of our fortune in being able to bring great scholars to enrich our lives, yesterday, Friday November 2nd, Dr. Rae Ann Kumelos, Bakersfield College English Professor, was honored as this year’s Faculty Colloquium in the Levan Center. About 50 faculty, staff, students and community members were present for her presentation “Animal Advice: Are You Listening?”

The colloquium examined the relationships between humans and animals through stories from myth, fairy tale, literature, science, pop culture and life. She pointed out that animals are often depicted as a wise helper in fairy tales, shamans use them as totems and spirit guides. We see them in our dreams and the etymology of the word “animal” can mean soul, breath, life and impulse.

In the physical world, animals are a major part of human life. 63% of homes have animals, while only 35% have children. 89% of pet owners call their animals their children and 94% talk to their pets like people. Presence of animals can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and anxiety and dogs are being used to assist people with medical issues like sensing epileptic seizures and low blood sugar, while others can be used for leading the blind. As our culture shifts from the rural life to a more suburban existence, we are bringing the animals into our homes and backyards and seeing their individual personalities. Yet, 50% of animals have gone extinct in the last 40 years. We recognize our individual pets as having a personality, yet hunters view wild animals as trophies. Rae Ann’s point is that animals are showing us our future and speaking to us about the state of our world and what we humans have done to it. We need to listen to the animals and pay attention to politics about our environment and treatment of animals.

Rae Ann writes academically and as a columnist for a variety of national publications about the relationships between humans and animals in myth, literature, astronomy and popular culture. She lectures at various conferences, most recently at Oxford University and has her own radio program broadcast on XM Satellite Radio called Voice of the Animal. Her book Wild Wisdom: Animal Stories of the Southwest received a national award as gift book of the year. We are lucky to have such quality faculty as Rae Ann, congratulations on your award.

The Faculty Colloquium is made possible by the generous donation from Dr. Norman Levan. Rae Ann was presented a plaque and a $1500 stipend which she plans to use for a safari to see the animals of Africa. Thank you to the Faculty Colloquium committee Susan Pinza, Bob Allison, Adel Shafik, Donna Starr, Nick Strobel, Erin Miller and Richard Marquez (Rae Ann outed that Richard doesn’t like cats, he says he does like dogs), Reggie Williams, Director of the Levan Center, and Alex Gomez for the fabulous food. And now, I am off to ask Neo and Bessie for some wisdom.

June 22 2018 Neo with Sonya Christian Marina Del Rey

Community Healthcare Needs Discussion

Bakersfield College, CSU Bakersfield, and Senator Andy Vidak partnered together earlier this week to create a forum of discussion between some of the top healthcare professionals in our region and higher education faculty. Bruce Peters, President & CEO of Mercy Hospitals, Sharlet Briggs, President & CEO of Adventist Health, and cardiology specialist Dr. Jeet Singh were just a few of the power houses in attendance. Attendees chatted about how we can all work together to ensure that our area is being provided the programs that it and the industry needs, and to try to help prevent any shortfalls in occupation employment. The interactions and topics were great, and exactly what we wanted to address!

BC’s Associate Dean of Instruction Carla Gard shared her insight on BC’s nursing program. KCCD Associate Vice Chancellor Cindy Collier shared her insight on assisting in the healthcare workforce development in Kern. CSUB’s Chair of the Nursing Program, Debbie Boschini shared insights on challenges and opportunities for developing and strengthening our nursing pathways.

2 attendees pose in front of the Levan Center

Top Healthcare Leaders in Kern County

three people posing in front of the Levan Center

Norma Rojas Mora emceeing the community health care initiative Oct 31 2018

Sonya Christian Community Healthcase Initiative

Sonya Christian, Senator Andy Vidak at Community Healthcare Initiative Oct 31 2018

Bruce Peters at the Community Healthcare Initiative

The conversations and interaction between education and healthcare industry partners led to a commitment to continue working together to develop opportunities for allied health education in our area. THANK YOU to everyone who attended. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this new partnership!

Dream Big Conference

Two-hundred and forty two participants attended the Dream Big Conference at the Bakersfield College main campus on Friday, October 26th. A grand total of 18 local high schools participated in the youth conference. It was a great day of inspiration for English second language learners, migrant students, undocumented youth, and first generation high school students of Kern County. The conference’s mission was to educate, motivate, and inspire disproportionately impacted youth groups with the intention of promoting education as a viable mechanism for future prosperity and social class mobility.

Participants learned about the various resources on campus, such as FAFSA/CA Dream Act, Dual/Concurrent Enrollment, Matriculation Steps, Transfer Services, EOP&S, and attended a resource fair from a variety of departments and community agencies. In addition to the wealth of knowledge students received, this extraordinary youth conference imparted resiliency, hope, sense of community, and stressed the importance of creating generational change within their immediate family by pursuing post-secondary education. Participants gained insight from a college panel which was made up of student leaders from the LUPE Student Organization. Students received BC swag, danced a little, left the campus well informed, and had a great time.

I want to thank the following departments that supported, organized, and made the conference possible: Office of Student Success & Equity, EOP&S/CARE/CalWORKs Programs, Cal-SOAP, Office of Student Life, Office of VP Student Affairs, Office of Outreach & School Relations, Office of Financial Aid, Adult Education & Rural Initiatives, Counseling & Advising Department, LUPE Student Organization, Kern High School District (KHSD), Academic Support Services, Maintenance & Operations, BC Food Services, and the many wonderful student volunteers!

We are BC! (Somos BC!)

Fall Pathways Fest

This week we had another inspiring event for current students about the Learning & Career Pathways and support services. The sky was blue and the weather was perfect for the BC Counseling Faculty and Educational Advising team to host the inaugural Fall Pathways Fest outside on the Student Crossroads lawn. On Wednesday, October 31st, 2018, campus students were provided with full access to informational tables hosted for each Learning and Career Pathway, such as Agriculture/Nutrition/Culinary Arts, Arts/Humanities/Communication, Business, Education, Health Sciences, Industrial and Transportation Technology, Public Safety Training, Social and Behavioral Sciences, STEM, and Personal and Career Exploration.

In addition, CSU Bakersfield, the FINISH IN 4 Program, BC Transfer Center, LET’S TEACH, Summer Bridge, and EOP&S/CARE/calWORKS hosted tables promoting various support program services critical to student success and completion.

At the event, students met one-on-one with their Pathways Counselors and Advisors, signed up for educational workshops, received information regarding their majors, and obtained additional services such as change of major, educational planning, and major exploration. Food was provided by the Office of Student Success and Equity.

I would like to thank Mark Oseo and the Counseling and Advising Department for organizing and hosting this event and thank all of the departments, staff and faculty that participated. This successful event exemplifies a structured educational experience to support our students. As a partner with California Guided Pathways project, BC is changing the way education is provided to our students. We are integrating our initiatives and providing students with maps to achieving their goals. This event exemplifies our dedication to the Guided Pathways Project and our students.

Employer of the Year for Large Business

BC is honored to be recognized as Employer of the Year for Large Business at the 2018 Mayor’s Helping Incorporate Reliable Employees (HIRE) Luncheon. Manager of Operations, Ramon Puga accepted the award on October 16, 2018 during the HIRE luncheon which celebrates local employees with disabilities, employers, and National Disability Employment Awareness month. Originally founded by former Mayor Harvey Hall, current Mayor Karen Goh is continuing to champion and celebrate diversity within our workforce. The recipient of the Employer of the Year Award is a recognized employer who has shown active recruitment and hiring practices promoting the concept of employment of people with disabilities.

(Left to Right) Carlos Medina, Denise Crawford, Jessica McGrath, (back) Rudy Gutierrez, Mayor Karen Goh, Terri Goldstein, (back) Paul Beckworth, (front) Daniel Gutierrez, and (back) Ramon Puga.

Bakersfield College is proud to offer on-campus student employment opportunities which can sometimes evolve into full time or permanent positions alongside programs like Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), which ensures equal access to educational opportunities for all students with disabilities. Services are available to support students through certificate or degree completion in order to gain skillful employment within the local workforce.

(Left to Right) Priscilla Varela, Mrs. Kern County Mayor Karen Goh, City of Bakersfield Ramon Puga, Manager of Operations, Bakersfield College

Bakersfield College staff, Daniel Gutierrez, was also nominated for Employee of the Year, while Howard Silver, long-time volunteer on the Bakersfield College Workability Advisory Board, was nominated for the Harvey L. Hall Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Tony Cordova, Director of Career Education, Bakersfield College Sonya Christian, President, Bakersfield College Mayor Karen Goh, City of Bakersfield Denise Crawford, HIRE Committee and Program Manager, WorkAbility, Bakersfield College Liz Rozell, Vice President of Instruction, Bakersfield College

Various BC staff participate in the HIRE Committee including Rudy Gutierrez, Workability Job Development Specialist, Jessica McGrath, Career Education Job Development, Carlos Medina, Career Education Job Development Specialist and Denise Crawford, Program Manager for Workability. I am truly the luckiest and happiest president to have such caring staff.

Kern High School Transition Fair for Students with Disabilities

Disabled Students Programs & Services at Bakersfield College was well represented at Kern High School Districts’ Annual Transition Fair for Students with Disabilities on November 1, 2018. DSPS’ Job Development Specialist Rudy Gutierrez, Alternative Media Specialist Katrina Marquez, and Director Dr. Terri Goldstein met with students and their parents as they considered options for what to do after high school.

Also at the event were Janis Mendenhall and Amar Abbott from Taft College and representatives from CSU Bakersfield and Fresno State, as well as a number of state and community-based programs.

Lucky attendees won gift baskets from various groups, including a large basket of BC items that every respectable Renegade needs. The event was so well attended, they will need to find a larger location for 2019!

Thank you Terri, Rudy and Katrina for representing the college. It is so important that we prepare all of our students for the transition from high school and to enable them to be successful.

KCCD Leadership Academy

On Friday, November 2, Bakersfield College hosted the KCCD Leadership Academy, which works to prepare classified, faculty, and management employees for leadership roles at every level of the organization through experiential learning opportunities in day-long workshops. This year’s Leadership Academy cohort was presented with topics that included Guided Pathways, Baccalaureate degrees, Dual Enrollment, Facilities, and Strong Workforce.

John Means, Vice Chancellor, began the day by welcoming everyone with an overview of the day’s activities. He was followed by Cornelio Rodriguez, Dean of Instruction at BC, who talked about the BC campus, including its centers, programs, and bright future. The audience was moved by his story of a young Latina student who, after graduating, received a bouquet of roses from her father.

After the morning session, the group was treated to a cart tour of the BC campus, which highlighted Memorial Stadium, the Veterans Center, and Horticulture Lab. The day was a good opportunity for the district staff in attendance to learn about all the great things going on at BC. Everyone learned information to help enhance their leadership skills.

Thank you to all of the presenters for your time and effort, including:

John Means, Vice Chancellor, KCCD
Michele Bresso, Dean of Instruction, Bakersfield College
Cornelio Rodriguez, Dean of Instruction, Bakersfield College
Jennifer Johnson, Dept. Chair, Nursing Program, Bakersfield College
Grace Commiso, Dean of Counseling & Student Success
Michele Bresso, Dean of Instruction, Bakersfield College
Keith Ford, Associate Athletic Director, Bakersfield College
Paul Beckworth, Faculty Lead, Veterans Services, Bakersfield College
Nicky Damania, Director of Student Life, Bakersfield College
Chris McCraw, Agriculture Department Chair
Steve Watkin, Director of Outreach & School Relations, Bakersfield College
Anna Laven, Program Manager, Dual Enrollment, Bakersfield College
Bill Potter, Director of Maintenance & Operations, Bakersfield College
Tony Cordova, Program Director, CTE, Bakersfield College
Cindy Collier, Associate Vice Chancellor, Economic & Workforce Development, KCCD

Your hard work and dedication to making our district a great place to work is much appreciated! We are BC!

Renegade Report

If you missed watching the Renegade Report live this last Thursday at 11 a.m., check out the segments from this week’s show. This week’s highlights include segments with Head Women’s Basketball Coach Paula Dahl and one of her Assistant Coaches Clarence Stephens and Women’s Basketball student athletes Victoria Trevino, Jasmyn Rodriguez, Kaylana Demmin and Aubrey Stone.

Renegades of the Week

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (10/21-20/27) Wells Fargo Renegades of the Week!

Lanie Camarillo, Volleyball – Total of 26 kills, 3 errors, 43 attempts, .605 kill% and .500 hitting% in leading team to wins over Cuesta and LA Mission.

Jesus Barajas, Men’s Soccer – 1 goal and 2 assists in helping team to victories over Canyons and Victor Valley.

Congrats to Angelo Benitez and Ben Carlson

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce that men’s cross country student athletes Angelo Benitez and Ben Carlson have been named to the 2018 Academic All-State Cross Country team by the CCCCCTCA (California Community College Cross Country & Track Coaches Association). To make the team cross-country student athletes must complete a minimum of 24 academic units with a 3.5 GPA or higher. This is now the third time that Ben has been awarded Academic All-State. He was previously named Academic All-State in both Cross Country and Track & Field last year.

Roundup of Athletics Events this week

It was a full week of athletics events for our Renegades teams. Highlights from the week include (click for the story on GoGades.com):

Stay Connected to Renegade Athletics

Be sure to stay connected with Renegade Athletics by following us on social media. On Facebook find us under ‘Bakersfield College Athletics’, on Twitter – @GoGadesGo and on Instagram – @gogadesgo.

Halloween Spirits at BC

Wednesday was a boo-tiful day as many of our faculty and staff got into the Halloween spirit. Here are a few fun photos:

Woman with grey wig, larger glasses, pearl necklaces, yellow sweater and smirk on her face

Art Adjunct Faculty Emily Maddigan

Costumed in blond wig, tattooed arms and snake name tag

Financial Aid’s Amanda Stone taking a walk on the wild side.

pirate outfit with box that looks like treasure chest

Automotive Tech Rony Recinos gave candy from his treasure

Monika and Rony as a pirate with treasure box

Monika Scott had to get a Selfie with Rony

Jon Brown in a pumpkin covered suit with the Pi symbol on the front

Mr. Pumpkin Pi

Jon Brown in a pumpkin covered suit with the Pi symbol on back

Math Faculty Jon Brown

I heard a rumor that Matt Garrett made his costume from scratch.

We are BC!

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

We are BC!

Uncategorized May 5, 2018 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Cinco de Mayo, 2018 and a great day to be a Renegade!

Loved the Women’s Empowerment Summit coordinated by Lisa Baca at BC this afternoon. Both Liz and I were invited to speak and Carla Musser was recognized as the 2018 Distinguished Woman of the Year! Here is a panel of young women engineers who inspired the audience.

And loved seeing our hardworking Budget Analysts on a Saturday hard at work preparing BC’s budget that will go to the board this June. Thank you Zach Quiroz and Somaly Boles!

Zach Quinoz and Somaly Bloes May 5 2018.jpg

Zach Quiroz, Somaly Boles working on saturday, cinco de mayo!

Less than a week to Commencement

Less than a week to making history at the Home of the Renegades! On May 11, join us at Memorial Stadium as we celebrate the largest graduating class in BC history, the first graduating class of the Industrial Automation Baccalaureate Program, and the first graduating class of Wonderful dual enrollment students in Agriculture Business!

Wow! What a year! I hope you will join us to celebrate this momentous occasion.

Celebrating Nan – Artist, Teacher, Dean, Vice President, Friend, and more–

Friends and family came together at the Indoor Theater on Friday night to honor Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, who retired earlier this semester after working for 35 years in the Kern Community College District. Of course the evening started with Jazz and Kris Tiner.

Past President Greg Chamberlain and his wife Kelly drove all the way from Idaho to be present for Nan’s event.

Thank you Trustee Romeo Agbalog for attending the event. Trustee Agbalog is in the photo with Prof. Kim Flachman from CSUB and Khushnur Dadabhoy.

Nan warmly greeted everyone entering the theater from an ornate Renegade Red throne. Our Renegade drummers led us in procession to the Indoor Theater to begin the evening.

Current and retired faculty from throughout the decades gave tribute to Nan with video testimonials that added a fun yet bittersweet tone to the retirement celebration. She was also presented with a joint resolution of recognition from the California state legislature by Andy Vidak representative Michael Bowers, a certificate of recognition from the Kern County Board of Supervisors, and a beautiful pink hat by former BC chef Pat Coyle.

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Nan Gomez Heitzeberg with Resolution from Board of Supervisors

Nicole Villaruz and Nan Gomez-Heitzberg

We love you Nan!!!!

I want to thank the planning committee led by David Koeth who put this evening together so meticulously. David Koeth (chair), Lynn Hall, Corny Rodriguez, Cindy Collier, Tom Moran, Pam Boyles, Jennifer Serratt, Wendy Lawson, Chris Glaser, Manny De Los Santos, Kristin Rabe, and Monika Scott.

AB 705 Workshop

On Friday, we hosted a workshop at Bakersfield College focused on learning more about the requirements of AB 705. We heard from members of the AB 705 Implementation Committee regarding how to use data to come into compliance with AB 705.

The morning’s first speaker was Michelle Siqueiros, President of The Campaign For College Opportunity. She spoke about her own journey and how having support systems and good public policy was crucial to her success.

Other speakers included Nicole Bryant, Nika Hogan, and Janet Fulks who titled their talk “Keeping Students at the Center” and Craig Hayward who presented on the research behind default placement rules. Summer Serpas and Myra Snell presented on “The Promise of Concurrent Support Models in English and Math” and Alice Perez spoke about “The Social Justice Fight of Our Time.”

Nicole Bryant, Nika Hogan, Janet Fulks

Janet Fulks

Craig Hayward

Summer Serpas

Alice Perez

The afternoon focused on teams, as together we worked through exercises and data that are a challenge for implementation. We wrapped up with a discussion of common concerns and shared solutions so that we left with a plan to come into AB 705 compliance.

$The math team.jpg$

Michele Siqueiros and Sonya Christian

Sonya Christian and Nick Strobel

Special thank you to BC Food Services and Chef Eric Sabella who made everything beautiful and delicious.

And thank you to the amazing staff who pulled all this together — Chris Glaser, Monika Scott, Manny de Los Santos, Kristin Rabe. and thank you Tarina Perry for leading this effort.

3rd Annual BC Law Day Conference

This year’s theme is “The Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom” and the 3rd Annual BC Law Day Conference focused on how checks and balances preserve political liberty. Students got the opportunity to learn more about the process of how laws are created and enforced at the state and federal level at Friday morning’s Law Day event in the Indoor Theater.

left to right: Aaron Falk, representative for Congressman Kevin McCarthy; Janea Benton, representative for California Assemblyman Rudy Salas; Tanner Dyrness, representative for Assemblyman Vince Fong; Charles Kim, BC political science professor and moderator.

Gabriela Gonzalez (left) and Pearl Urena, BC academic advisor for the Pre-Law pathway.

Pre-Law academic advisor Pearl Urena organized this year’s Law Day conference, which featured representatives from across all of Kern County’s branches of government. BC political science professor Charles Kim gave a brief lecture explaining how the US Constitution’s separation of powers divides governance between executive, legislative and judicial branches at both the federal and state levels, with a system of check and balances to ensure that one branch isn’t more powerful than the other. He also gave an explanation about presidential executive orders and the ways that the federal court system is able to judge the constitutionality of a specific executive order.

After the lecture, Kim moderated a panel on the functions of the legislative branch featuring representatives from the offices of California Senator Andy Vidak, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and California Assemblymen Rudy Salas and Vince Fong. The panelists shared their experience working as staff members for Kern County’s elected officials and how they fight for the needs of their constituents by supporting legislation that addresses their concerns. There was also a second panel about the judicial branch featuring court officials from the Kern County legal system. See all the photos at BC’s Smugmug.

Dual Enrollment Celebration

On the morning of Tuesday, May 1, BC hosted the first Dual Enrollment Celebration event in the Fireside room. Approximately 60 attendees from Kern County high schools, school districts, and Bakersfield College came to celebrate the successful growth and achievements of the dual enrollment program. Serving 29 sites spread across five school districts, the admissions, enrollment, scheduling and instruction for dual enrollment would not be possible without the tireless effort of high school site staff, instructors, administrators and support services.

Cornelio Rodriguez

The program began with an overview of dual enrollment provided by Dean of Instruction Cornelio Rodriguez. Dean Rodriguez noted that although we have visited other colleges to explore best practice, the Bakersfield College dual enrollment program already far exceeds most other programs in breadth of offerings, number of students served, and number of partnerships achieved. Dr. Anna Laven, Dual Enrollment Program Manager, later revealed that the census enrollment for Summer 2017 through Spring 2018 has reached 7,100.

Seeing dual enrollment as an opportunity for students to improve their educational attainment and connect to a career pathway, many attendees noted the significant impact of dual enrollment in reducing the barriers of educational access. One attendee explained, “I support dual enrollment because my students don’t always believe that college credit is within reach, they attend a school where the perception is that everyone has money and support, but that simply isn’t true. Dual Enrollment allows them to take the first step and build confidence.”

Group Photo of School District Representatives– from left – Ben Sherley, KHSD; Robert Cobb and Kevin Tallon, WUHSD (Wasco); Paul Chavez, DJUHSD (Delano); Abel Guzman, BC; Maria Herrera, MUSD (McFarland); Anna Laven, BC; Angelica Rios, WCPA (Wonderful College Prep Academy); Raquel Lopez, BC

Dual Enrollment is part of the Bakersfield College effort to support access for all students. Another attendee shared that dual enrollment helps “students understand they can break the poverty cycle and know that anyone can go to college.” Abel Guzman, Interim Director of the Delano Campus, explained that two-thirds of dual enrollment courses are offered in rural communities whose access to college is often limited. A true success story, Raquel Lopez presented that the Wonderful Prep Academy, also a rural site, will celebrate the graduation of their first 30 students with an AST in Business Ag at next week’s commencement exercises.

Offering a good reminder that the hard work of supporting dual enrollment is worth the effort, an instructor from Delano sent Dr. Laven this note, “Just wanted to say great job today at the dual enrollment celebration. You presented quality info and I am glad that we are pioneers as a program in this area. Keep up the good work!”

The Celebration event could not have taken place without the help of the campus, including food service, CTE staff, Delano campus, Outreach, Event Services and Media Services. More photos available on BC’s Smugmug.

Rural Archives Show Case “Digital Delano: Preserving an International Community’s History.”

On Tuesday, May 1 the Bakersfield College Delano Campus hosted a rural archives showcase event. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage initiative, the “Digital Delano: Preserving an International Community’s History” project has spent the 2017-2018 academic year hosting a variety public outreach events throughout the greater Delano area to preserve family and local histories through digital preservation and oral history. Project Directors Elisabeth Sundby (Delano Campus Librarian) and Dr. Oliver Rosales (Professor of History & Faculty Coordinator, Social Justice Institute) organized the showcase event on May 1 to highlight the work being done within the archival project, as well as featuring a public panel with three archival donors and a keynote speaker.

Allison Burch – Delano Campus Adjunct Librarian, Monte Marshall – Community Archive contributor, Elisabeth Sundby – Delano Campus Adjunct Librarian, Kimberly Arbolante – Contributor and Writing Center Lead, Christine CruzBoone – Bakersfield College Professor of Communication, Anhelica Perez – Graduating BC student, Oliver Rosales – Bakersfield College Professor of History, Dawn Mabalon, Keynote speaker and Professor of History, San Francisco State University

Over one hundred students and community members attended the event, which included a wonderful lunch provided by Bakersfield College food services. High school students from the Delano Joint Union High School’s migrant program and RFK high school attended the event and were able to pick up information about attending Bakersfield College and becoming future renegades, in addition to learning more about the importance of family history.

The archive donor panel consisted of Monte Marshall, a native of Delano with deep family ties dating back to the founding of the city; Kim Arbolante, Bakersfield College Writing Center Coordinator who spoke of her grandmother Luz Arbolante, a pioneering leader within Delano’s Filipino American community; and finally Anhelica Perez, a graduating student at Bakersfield College and Office of Student life employee who spoke of her grandmother Josephine Fraire, an active member in various civic organizations in the McFarland area since the 1960s. Each donor shared with the audience the process of archival donation, highlights from their family histories, and why the project was important to them.

The keynote speaker for the event was San Francisco State University historian Dawn Mabalon. An expert on Filipino American history, Professor Mabalon addressed the audience about the importance of preserving family history, as well as her process from moving from getting a “D” in high school history, toward completing her undergraduate degree at UCLA, PhD at Stanford, and ultimately writing her first book Little Manila Is In the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American community in Stockton, California (Duke University Press 2013). Professor Mabalon stressed to the audience how important it is for young people, particularly children of color, to see themselves in the curriculum.

The project directors wish to thank Carolina Madrigal and the entire BC Delano Campus staff for helping host the event, Bakersfield College Library Chair Kirk Russell, Librarian Allison Burch, Professor Chris Cruz-Boone, the Delano Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Bakersfield College Student Government Association CCA Grant. Special thanks as well to Arnold Bon for taking wonderful photographs of the event, as well as numerous student volunteers who helped coordinate the event. We are BC Delano!

Adventures with BC Geology Club

In late April the Bakersfield College Geology Club explored the desert and plains surrounding our community.

geology club in huge hauler tire at Borax mine

Professor Benker led the students on a field trip east to visit the Rio Tinto Borax pit mine and Mojave National Preserve. Students were able to visit the Borax museum and learn about the process of mining the valuable economic mineral out of the ground. They were also able to see boulder sized chunks of the mineral Kernite named after our county.

At the Mojave National Preserve students explored the ring trail and observed the Swiss cheese like weathering in rhyolitic tuff making up Hole in the Wall Canyon, wondered into the depths of a lava tube in the Cima Volcanic Field where they even sent me a fun video!

The group trudged up the Kelso Dunes.

The following week Professor Pierce led students into the Carrizo Plains to view the salt flats and explore Wallace Creek to view offsets and scarps produced by San Andreas Fault movement over the last 3,800 years. Professors Benker and Pierce tell me, friends of BC and our community is invited to become part of the Bakersfield College Geology Club. You, too, can join in on these adventures!

Black and Gold Scholarship Banquet

Mayor Karen Goh

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. held its 10th annual Black and Gold Scholarship Banquet to honor four high school seniors and two community members. At the festive event, the Fraternity presented scholarships to Bryce Jackson, Colby Maiden, Leslie Ceciliano, and Heavenly Ford. Ruscel Reader, a retired principal who has held many leadership positions in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., received the Community Service Award along with Dr. Ronnie Claiborne, a physician who is active in health and education organizations.

The keynote speaker was Dee Slade, director of the African American Network of Kern County. She shared with the audience the stories of several African-American scholars and inventors and told the students that anytime anyone tells them that they can’t do something, not to believe them because African American history suggests otherwise.

The Fraternity also honored Dr. Brad Anderson and Mr. Jamal Powell as Man of the Year. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., established in 1906 at Cornell University, is the oldest African American Greek lettered organization. They focus on community service and involvement while promoting academic excellence, brotherhood, and leadership.

Honors Fiesta

The BC Foundation and the Financial Aid Department treated its Honors and scholarship recipients to a Fiesta celebrating their accomplishments on Wednesday.

The Foundation team transformed the courtyard of the Administration building into a plaza with festive decorations, a taco bar provided by Food Services, and a Mexican helado cart filled with La Rosa Fruit and Ice Cream Bars. There was also a photo booth area where participants could dress up and have their picture taken. Special thanks to the BC Foundation and Financial Aid for organizing this fun event honoring the contributions of our amazing students.

BCSGA Transition Ceremony

There was plenty of laughter amongst some of the tears shed at the closing of the 93^rd Session of the Bakersfield College Student Government Association. As the newly elected officers for 2018-19 were sworn in, Former BCSGA President, Dezi Von Manos, encouraged the new officers to “work together as a team” and reminded them “the position you now hold is not about you, but the students you represent.” She encouraged them not to give up when it seemed hard or stressful, but to push harder. Former BCSGA Vice-President, Lawrence Salcido, encouraged this year’s officers to not only dream big, but to execute a plan for that dream.

Newly elected BCSGA President, James Tompkins, stated that the goal for this year was “giving students a larger and louder voice,” while newly elected Vice-President, Ashley Harp, recognized the past officers and looked to the future for increasing communication and connections with the students and especially the sometimes forgotten Delano students while working together to bring a larger presence from BCSGA to the campus. A heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to all of the BC Student Government officers who have served during 2017-18 and a warm welcome and congratulations to the new officers of 2018-19. WE ARE BC!

Student Art on Display

The hallway in the Fine Arts Building morphed into the Renaissance this week as Professor Diego Monterrubio’s Advanced Drawing class created incredible masterpieces over the semester.

Renegades Voices in the Community

It was wonderful to see the piece titled “Community Voices: BC’s Industrial Automation program equips students with right tools” by Renegade, Kori Masilon published by the Californian on April 24th.

Kori shared her journey beginning in 2015, the year BC announced we were selected as one of 15 community colleges in the state of California to pilot a 4-year degree.

This year, Kori will be one of the 7 first graduates from Bakersfield College to receive a baccalaureate degree. Join me in congratulating her and her cohort and make sure to read to piece to see what she is up to and how her degree is changing her life.

Outreach and School Relations Director, Steve Watkin also had his Community Voices piece published which focuses on the student success guidance and how these efforts are changing the statistics for our incoming generation of students.

In his piece, “Support efforts are crucial to student success” he mentions the incredible work of the college and the high recognition from organizations such as League for Innovation and the Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce. Thank you to these organizations and thank you Steve for highlighting them and the work that BC accomplishes.

Olivia Garcia

Olivia Garcia authored a great article titled “Filipina American historian to visit Delano, discuss importance of preserving family histories” and highlighted the work in Delano by Dr. Oliver Rosales and Elisabeth Sundby.

She quotes Dr. Rosales in the piece:

“The most meaningful thing to me has been the many tears from students, and by extension their grandparents and elder relatives that did not think their histories matter,” Rosales said. “Family history does matter. This project has allowed young people, students in and around the greater Delano community, to see how their family stories connect with larger historical forces that have shaped their past.”

Renegade Athletics

Renegade Softball won yesterday in the CCCAA Southern California Regional best of 3 payoff series. Was happy to see Trustee Romeo Agbalog and his family cheering our term.

#21 Kara Morgan (Frankhouser) left a beautiful post on the BC Softball Facebook page.

#21 Kara Morgan

“6 years ago, I played ball at the Dean & Adah Gay complex for the last time. It was regionals and my team, OUR team, made BC history time and time again, just as your team has, and we were able to host regionals for the first time, on this beautiful field we all get to call home. I didn’t want it to be my last time. I wanted to play in State, on OUR field, and win. I wanted Coach Sandi to finally get the pay off she deserved from giving all of our teams year after year all that she had. I wanted to go to Disneyland with my team, celebrating that huge victory. We could taste it, dream it, feel it, and we were freaking good.

But we all have dreams that we don’t quite reach.

Yeah, I knew I was probably going to continue playing after BC. I had dreams of D1 ball, playing on the field against top national teams, and continuing to get the fire in my gut that we all get as we play this game. But let me tell you, playing on the UCLA field and shaking hands with Lisa Fernandez, seeing my name on ESPN, flying in airplanes and walking as a proud unit that still donned the Bakersfield name on my chest, playing the game for money, NOTHING compares to the love and fire I get when I walk into that BC stadium.

You see, at BC you are a part of something bigger, something greater. You have decades of alumni who still show up to cheer you on. You have a school athletic coaching staff that cares about you and knows your name. You have a secret weapon of an athletic trainer who makes your mind, body, and spirit align. You have a coach who bleeds Bakersfield and wants to give back to the city who raised her. You girls are given everything you need to win. So just play ball.

I hope you girls spend this week mentally preparing. Thinking about the reasons WHY you play this game. Not how you play it. Not about the future, or the past. Think about the present. Stay close to the why. Because the why gets you through the darkest of times in the softball world, trust me. When you’re mad and hate the game, remember why. When you’re on fire, on top of the world, remember why. We all have different why’s. Learn about your teammate. Figure out why they play the game. Get closer to them. You guys are about to go to war together. As Sandi always told us, you just gotta win your last game.

You will hang it up before you know it. Your old glove will get stiff. You’ll start losing your equipment piece by piece as you move into adulthood. But what an amazing feeling it is when you run into your old team mate that had your back more than anyone when that fight broke out at home plate (Kelsey and Jessica “HEY THATS MY CATCHER”) or you come across old pictures of you and your pitchers locked in together. Sometimes you’re unpacking boxes when you move and you find your old game visor, or warm up jacket, and you just can’t help but remember why that game meant so much.

Take it in, ‘gades, we’re all rooting for you!!!!!!”

Celebrating Retirees

At Thursdays, KCCD Board of Trustees, we presented Felix Ramirez with his plaque of recognition. During his years of service at Bakersfield College, Felix had countless friends across campus. Many employees have fond memories of Felix patrolling the hallways and especially, his kind knock on the door to remind them it was time to go home at 5:30PM.

With years of service in the Marines and in the Army National Guard, Felix always had a calm, authentic security and warmth with him where ever he was. His retirement is truly deserved with a job well done. Felix, thank you for your service to our country, our community, our Renegade family, and BC.

Kay Meek and Felix Ramirez

Math and Science celebrated a little Retirement Luau for Andrea Garrison and Rafael Espericueta

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Celebrating Faculty and Staff

Congratulations to Manny Fernandez who was awarded Outstanding Industry Partner for the Kern High School District!

Manny Fernandez Regional Occupation Center Event

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On Wednesday morning, I received an email from Jackie Lau in BC’s Admissions and Records sharing that she feels so fortunate to be at BC and a part of Michelle Pena’s team.

Jackie said, “She was a great speaker! Several institutions staff were coming up to our team telling us how lucky we were to have her as a Director because she’s is so knowledgeable and shares information in each session.”

I loved seeing Jackie’s post also on Facebook! #WeareBC!

ASCCC Career and NonCredit Education Institute 2018

A group of amazing individuals from BC are also attending the ASCCC Career and NonCredit Education Institute in Costa Mesa. The website states, “The ASCCC Career and Noncredit Education Institute is the first ASCCC event to bring faculty together from these areas to collaborate on a statewide level on how best to integrate the services, practices and instruction of these areas. Presentations cover topics in areas such as career education, noncredit education, counseling and student services, Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG), and apprenticeship.”

Endee Grijalva, Jaime Lopez, Jennifer Johnson, Stephanie Baltazar and Tony Cordova

Physics Olympics

Friday, April 28th, was the 30th annual Physics Olympics take-over of BC. Over a thousand high school science students (many of them future Renegades) came to BC to put into action the physics and engineering concepts they’ve learned on paper in the classroom. Mark Trunnell from Centennial and Dan Halbur from Foothill work with BC professor Rick Darke to put on the event at BC. The map below shows where the events took place.

Foothill physics teacher Dan Halbur encourages these South High students in the “Efficiency Bridge” contest. Using ordinary wood pieces like popsicle sticks, coffee stir sticks and toothpicks glued together, students construct a bridge that can carry a 5.0 kg load across a 60-cm span. Designs are judged on how much the bridge flexes, and the total mass of the bridge.

Physics Olympics students. The ever-popular egg drop was on the north side of the stadium. In that event students design a container holding a raw egg and drop the container from a three-story height. Successful containers will keep the egg intact.

Paper airplane contest has students design paper airplane that fly the longest and straightest. These students found out that throwing the paper airplanes with a lot of force causes the typical paper airplane to swirl around off course, often coming right back to the thrower, especially if the plane is the typical design with big wings. I advised one team to make the plane more like a missile and practice throwing it before doing the contest (advice based on experience gained in competing with my brothers growing up).

Paper tower event has students building the tallest tower out of just paper and tape.

Super Quiz that pits high school teams against each other in rapid-fire physics questions. The teams are cheered on by their friends in the bleachers. Nick Strobel shared his excitement by telling me, “Yes! An astronomy question was included!”

Guided Pathways Peer-to-Peer Work Plan

BC sent a team to the first California Guide Pathways Peer-to-Peer Work Plan Reading Circle, an event sponsored by IEPI and the Chancellor’s Office, on April 27th. Dean Steve Waller of our STEM pathway, education pathway counselor Brynn Schock, and Guided Pathway Implementation team faculty members Janet Fulks and Jessica Wojtysiak worked within regional teams to identify themes and share concerns about future policy and support efforts.

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya —
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Sonya Christian's Blog

Tag Archives: Cindy Collier

This is our community. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.

Good morning, friends…It is October 2, 2021.The sun shines bright over KCCD.

This week, the Pirates, the Coyotes, and the Renegades continue to #DareMightyThings

Porterville College

PC Receives $1.7 million grant to help prepare local students for college

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Dave’s Scholars Brunch

Meet Our CCCC Ambassadors

What’s On Our Walls

Bakersfield College

BC to Receive $14 Million in State Funding for New Delano Campus Building

Webinar on Future Impacts of Technology and Water Resources on Farming

BC to Host Livestream of the Unveiling and Opening of First BC Peace Garden

Thank You Cindy Collier!

Poetry Corner

UN International Day of Peace

Quick Tips for Teaching Success

In the News

Hogan, longtime Folkloric dance instructor, to be honored

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Fun Photos and Spotted on Social Media

BC — always supporting our students & our community

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2020 Panorama Invitational

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UC Merced Trip with STEM Students

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STEM & MESA Students Unite

Wendale Davis Foundation

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This Week at BC

Renegade Athletics

Men’s Basketball Spring 2020 Camp

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Next Level Gades!

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Athletics Photos from this week

Renegade Athletics updates from this past week:

Athletic events ‘On the Hill’ this coming week

Sprinting to the finish line –Commencement 2019

2019 ACCJC Partners in Excellence Conference: What the Future Holds

BC partners with CSUB

BC represented at African-American Town Hall with State Chancellor Oakley

Celebrating Judge Tafoya at Kern Literacy

Presidential Investiture at CSUB

63rd Annual Honors Celebration Rocks this Year’s Scholars!

2019 Student Employees of the Year

McFarland Early College 8th Grade Application Workshop

BC Jazz Spring Concert

2019 Kern High School District Physics Olympics at Bakersfield College Campus

Dual Enrollment Symposium Connects High School Partners and Bakersfield College

Food Historian Ken Albala Visits BC

Transfer Celebration

ENGL B24 Field Trip

Emails Worth Sharing

Fun Photos:

Renegade Report

Renegades of the Week

Renegade Athletics End of the Year Awards

Roundup of Athletics Events This Week

Stay Connected to Renegade Athletics

BC in community, having fun, and caring for each other

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, November 3, 2018…..a great day to be a Renegade.

Homecoming Game

Homecoming Week

BC in the Vineyards Project — Very proud of this work by the Rural Initiatives Team

Art for Planet, Art for People

Animal Advice: Are You Listening?

Good morning, friends…
It is October 2, 2021.
The sun shines bright over KCCD.

This week, the Pirates, the Coyotes, and the Renegades continue to
#DareMightyThings

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, November 3, 2018…..a great day to be a Renegade.