Sonya Christian's Blog

It has been heartbreaking with the fires in southern California being fanned by the Santa Ana winds. We have all watched our fire fighters run towards the danger to save people, animals, and homes. Let’s take a moment to honor them – their skill, dedication, and selflessness keeps us safe and uplifts our communities.

California Community Colleges train large numbers of our first responders. I am so proud of our colleges.

In that spirit, let me share this post from College of the Siskiyous celebrating heroic, lifesaving efforts by 4 of their students:

“Last nights monthly Board of Trustees Meeting recognized some of our Paramedic and Fire Academy Students for their lifesaving skills during a recent call.

“On December 9th 2024 Lake Shastina Fire was dispatched to a medical 911 call for a 74 year old male with chest pain. 4 responding Lake Shastina student firefighters arrived, and the patient answered the door to let the firefighters in. He was walking around the living room, talking and completely coherent and responsive. While the students were doing a patient assessment and taking vitals, he suddenly collapsed in his chair. They tried to wake him and attempted a sternum rub with no response. The firefighters then checked for a pulse and did not find one.

“They quickly pulled him out of the chair to lay him on the floor and begin life saving measures. One of the firefighters ran out to the engine to grab the AED while the other 3 performed CPR. Once the AED was applied the patient was shocked twice during multiple rounds of CPR. At this point the patient was stable enough to load him into the ambulance to transport to the hospital. He started to gain consciousness while in route to Mercy Medical Center. Once arrived, he was flown to Redding for emergency heart surgery due to a heart attack.

The patient has recovered and wrote the following letter:

On 12/9/24, while visiting my daughter, I suffered a heart attack. At the time of the event four of your members were on site. Because of their quick reaction and skill, I’m able to write this Thank You Note! My Gratitude isn’t just to the gentlemen on scene, but to all of YOU.

Again, thank you for what you did and what you do! I’m on the mend, feeling well and extremely grateful for the way things turned out. God Bless!

The 4 firefighters were recognized by The American Heart Association and received the Heartsaver Hero Award.

Pictured from left to right: Jase Rothenberger, Tobias Medina, Matt Maben (patient), Christian Cerezo, and Nathan Ade.”

On a more personal note, last weekend, I watched a 2018 movie that was on one of my streaming services – The Samuel Project. A wonderful heartwarming drama where a teen artist, Eli, connects with his grandfather Samuel through a school project. As Eli uncovers Samuel’s Holocaust survival story, their bond deepens. It is a beautiful family story. Check out the trailer.

Good morning California.
It is January 25, 2025.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Santa Monica College Holds Disaster Support Distribution Event

For just over a week, the Santa Monica College Foundation worked to gather essential items for community members who’ve been impacted by the recent wildfires. Now all those items have to find the people who need them. The college’s gym now resembles a department store of free goods, with dozens of tables teeming with neatly folded clothes for babies, children, and adults. As shoppers enter, they’re handed a large, blue shopping bag. Once inside, they’re greeted by upbeat music and a sea of mylar balloons.

» Read more!

Compton College Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Student Housing Facility

Last Friday, the Compton Community College District held a Groundbreaking Ceremony for its new Student Housing facility on campus! The new Student housing is targeted for completion in summer 2027 and will accommodate 250 students.

» Read more about the housing project!

College of the Redwoods Announces Fire Instruction Partnership

College of the Redwoods is proud to announce a new partnership through an Instructional Services Agreement (ISA) with the Humboldt County Fire Instructors Association (HCFIA) and the CAL FIRE Humboldt Del Norte Unit.  Once the curriculum is shared and implemented, HCFIA students will go through College of the Redwoods, allowing CR to grow its cohort and train more students. Teaching will initially occur at CR, HCFIA, and CAL FIRE facilities, ensuring greater access to training across the region.

» Read more!

Cerritos College Student Team Develops Tools for NASA’s Moon Exploration

 Cerritos College’s student team, known as Team Falcons, was selected to advance to phase II of NASA’s 2025 Micro-g NExT challenge, making it the only community college team in the nation to reach the final stage of the highly competitive event. This is the third time Cerritos College’s student team has advanced to phase II, following successes in 2021 and 2022.

» Read more!

In Case You Missed It

25-year CSU and Community College Partnership Helps Prepare
More Teachers for California’s Workforce

​Since Cal State Long Beach and Cerritos College​ partnered in 1999 to develop the first formal California Community College-California State University (CSU) educator preparation pathway, thousands of students have transferred seamlessly to CSU teacher preparation programs, completed their bachelor’s degrees and teaching credentials and joined the workforce as educators in California’s P-12 schools. 

» Read more!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Los Medanos College:

Today’s moment of reflection and joy — the Bay Miwok Mural Blessing Ceremony. The mural is a commissioned project by artist Drew Valencia, created in partnership with LMC students, art faculty, office of Student Life and grant funding from @4cd_live . The ceremony featured remarks by Rosa Armendariz, LMC senior dean of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, Land Acknowledgement by ethnic studies assistant professor Max Trujillo, Red Line by Cara Little, outreach coordinator for the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health’s Calhope Redline Warmline, and Honor Song by Sylvia Rodriguez, founder of “medicine for My Sisters” Native women’s drum group.

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From Santiago Canyon College:

The Santiago Canyon College Outreach team recently visited El Dorado High School to support the school’s FASFA Night. More than 90 students and families attended the event, seeking information and assistance with their FASFA and Dream Act. The SCC team offered a Financial Aid 101 presentation, reviewed all the aspects of financial aid and explained the process of how to apply.

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It’s WOW week at @FeatherRiverCol where students learn about the many resources on campus. Come for the #nachos Stay for the #studentsupport

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And check out this video from Cosumnes River College about the Promise to Career scholarship for construction management and apprenticeship students:

And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Hosts Spring 2025 Sports Media Day

Recently, Bakersfield College hosted Spring 2025 Sports Media Day which brought together BC athletes, coaches, and key figures for an exciting event where fans and media had the opportunity to get a first look at the upcoming athletic season through interviews, insights, and a glimpse behind the scenes. The event took place in the Renegade Events Center on BC’s Panorama Campus.

Sports Media Day gave attendees a unique opportunity to engage with our student-athletes and seasoned coaches through exclusive interviews, in-depth discussions, and spirited introductions. Some of the sports that highlighted were Women’s Beach Volleyball, Golf, both Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Women’s Wrestling, Track and Field, Softball, and Baseball.

» Read more!

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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

That’s all for today.
See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,
-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora