Jeff Chudy | Sonya Christian's Blog

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Renegades gearing up for the new academic year

Uncategorized August 17, 2019 Comments: 2

Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, August 17, 2019… A great day to be a Renegade.

2019 Football Media Day

For the third consecutive year we celebrated the start of the upcoming football season with media day out at Memorial Stadium. This year the event focused on the new field turf and track that were installed over the course of the summer, thanks to Measure J funding. Our community support was in full force as we welcomed Mayor Goh, KCCD Trustee Romeo Agbalog, Chancellor Tom Burke, BPD Chief Martin, KHSD Administrator (and former Renegade QB) Stan Greene, President of the Condors Matt Riley and a host of others who were able to see the new field for the first time in-person. The new field looks spectacular and we can’t wait to welcome Mt. SAC into Memorial Stadium for the first home football game on Saturday, Sept. 7th at 6pm. It’s not too late to get your season tickets by visiting Vallittix.com or calling 661-322-5200. Go Gades!

Sandi Taylor, Athletics Director.
Coach Jeff Chudy

Trustee Abalog and President Christian clapping. — Trustee Romeo Agbalog and me

Vance Palm (MC)
Mayor Karen Goh

Enjoyed looking at 2018 pictures and comparing it to 2019. My hair is a lot longer 🙂 I got most of the photos from Mayor Goh’s Facebook page. Thank you mayor!

2019 Media Day
2018 Media Day

2019 Media Day
2018 Media Day

Thank you Brandon Urry for pulling off another great Media Day. You are an amazing addition to the BC team.

“Real Star of BC football media day? The new turf.”

Loved waking up to this headline, by Robert Price, on the front page of The Bakersfield Californian, below the fold.

Read it online at The Bakersfield Californian.

(front) Romeo Agbalog, Lilly Agbalog, Keith Ford,
(back) Liz Mojica, Robert Price.

Last week construction work at the Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium shifted to being done overnight in order for W2W Sport Flooring workers to avoid the daytime extreme heat conditions. Construction work is 8:00 p.m. through 8:00 a.m. during the regular work week throughout the month of August. Bakersfield College greatly appreciates the neighborhood’s cooperation during this time, and its understanding of the necessary measures taken to avoid heat exhaustion. The health and safety of the construction employees is of the utmost importance to both Bakersfield College and W2W Sport Flooring.

Renegade Football at Downtown Rotary

Reggie Bolton, Sandi Taylor, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jeff Chudy, Trustee Agbalog, Mayor Goh, Brandon Urry, Sonya Christian, Zach Hartsfield

BC was showing its pride at this week’s Downtown Rotary meeting! Head football coach Jeff Chudy spoke about the upcoming season and the toughness of the Renegade team — both physically and mentally. Zach Hartsfield #88 was in attendance; not only is Zach a stellar player, but he also maintains a 3.0G PA at BC!

Sonya and a football player in jersey. — Me with Renegade Zach Hartsfield

Head Football Coach Jeff Chudy and Dr. Sarabjeet Singh
Sonya Christian and Jeff Chudy

Opening Day is Next Week!

It’s almost here, our annual campus Opening Day will take place on Thursday, August 22, 2019 in the Indoor Theater. Remember, this is the only day of the year that we close the campus to students and the public to ensure that all employees can come together in community to participate in this all-day event. For this year’s Opening Day, we have also invited community leaders to address our campus. This is my seventh Opening Day as president and my seventh State of the College. I cannot be prouder of BC!

Logistics team: Dylan, Earl, Eric, Aricia, Monika, Kevin, & Kristin

We have new managers, we have new classified, and we have new faculty. What better way to welcome them to the Home of the Renegades than a grand Opening Day.

Besides the annual State of the College address and hearing from constituent leaders Tina Johnson, CSEA; Ann Tatum, CCA; Steven Holmes, Academic Senate, and Manny Mourtzanos, Management Association, we should all look forward to hearing from our insightful community panelists.

On BC’s Health Equity and Learning initiative, we will hear from Adventist Health’s CEO Sharlet Briggs, Dignity Health’s CEO Ken Keller, and Centric Health’s Physician Partner Dr. Jeet Singh. To share more about our partnership with high schools and its impact in the community, Senator Jean Fuller will be moderating a panel with Barbara Grimm, founder of Grimmway Academy, Aaron Resendez, Superintendent of McFarland Unified School District, and Myka Peck, Principal of Garces High School.

You will hear from our winners of the Margaret Levinson Leadership Award and the Shirley Trembley Teaching Award, Kimberly Nickell, Helen Acosta, and Regina Hukill. We will also hear from Reggie Williams and Susan Pinza about the Levan Center and the Levan Institute.

It is an exciting time to be a Renegade. Here’s to a great 2019-2020 year at Bakersfield College!

Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2019 Energy and Ag Academy

Last week 50 students graduated from the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2019 Energy and Ag Academy. The event honored students who participated in the summer program to learn about Kern County’s largest industries, energy and agricultural, and how these industries both feed and power the world.

Standing around the Hispanic Chamber Energy and Agriculture Academy sign. — Mayor Goh, Jorhe Barrientos, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jamie Doniaz, Tony Cordova, Jay Tamsi

The graduating class includes students from local high schools, Bakersfield College, California State University of Bakersfield and Fresno State. The academy was sponsored by Aera Energy, Bakersfield College, Chevron, Kern Energy Foundation and California Resources Corporation.

Check out the group photo in b/w:

The summer program included speakers in the energy and ag industries, field trips to local energy and ag facilities, leadership opportunities, meeting with elected officials, and financial scholarships.

Corny Rodgriguez
Mayor Karen Goh

BC’s Drum & Bugle Corps at DCI World Championships in Indianapolis

BC’s Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps is wrapping up its summer tour of the United States this week, advancing to the Open Class finals at Indiana Wesleyan University.

The Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps placed 9th in their division in the DCI World Championships competition.

“Students and staff pushed through the most challenging season to date both on and off the field,” Heasley said. “The corps faced adversity with a sense of determination. They return home with the true grit needed to face the next challenge, whatever it may be.”

Follow the Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps’ adventures throughout the year:

BC’s Guided Pathways Team on the Road

A Bakersfield College team traveled to Long Beach this week to present to Compton College faculty, staff, and administrators on our Guided Pathways implementation with a focus on our Completion Coaching Communities as a way to advance equitable student achievement and completion. Compton College invited BC to present as they develop their very own version of completion coaching which they are calling their “Tartar Success Teams.”

The team shared with me what an honor it was to participate in Compton’s early implementation and to learn about the remarkable work Compton College is doing to re-energize their college campus and serve the students in their community.

Keith Curry, Compton College President, Lisa Robles, BC Program Manager – Student Success & Equity, Grace Commiso, Counselor, Jonathan Ward, Counselor, Armando Trujillo, Advisor – Veterans

HVAC Lab Delano

Check out the newest pics of Delano’s HVAC Lab, made possible by funding secured in 2018 by Assembly Member Rudy Salas!

The lab is now finished, and will be ready for students to use this Fall. This hands-on facility will serve Renegades interested in this high demand career field!

You can read when I announced the unveiling of our HVAC Tech Program in my October 21, 2018 blog. The Bakersfield College Delano Campus unveiled its new HVAC Tech program and broke ground for the new facility on October 15, 2018 with a projected completion by Summer 2019. This program is a part of Bakersfield College’s Rural Initiatives, which target BC’s surrounding communities to equip more residents with workforce skills through college education. The funding for this program comes from the monies secured by Assemblyman Rudy Salas in the 2018-2019 state budget. And thank you Trustee Romeo Agbalog for your passion and support of North Kern communities.

Grant to Alleviate Food Insecurity Among BC Students

Bakersfield College’s Renegade Pantry has received a $20,000 grant from the Kern Partnership for Children and Families to further alleviate food insecurity among college students.

5 Staff members in front of well stocked shelves.

Staff stocking shelves and refrigerator with groceries.

The Renegade Pantry is fortunate to receive contributions from BC staff and the greater Bakersfield community. Donations enable pantry staff to provide groceries to students in need. Learn more about donating to the Bakersfield College Renegade Pantry on our website or contact The Office of Student Life at (661) 395-4355.

Thank you Nicky Damania for all that you do for BC and our students.

Veterans Mentorship Program

On Friday, August 2, Bakersfield College Veteran Services and the Chevron SJV Veterans Network kicked off the first ever Chevron SJV Veterans Network-Bakersfield College Student Veterans Mentorship Program at Rosa’s Italian Restaurant. The program is designed to assist STEM-minded student-veterans with mentorship guidance from Chevron engineers and other Chevron employees who are also veterans. This is a timely program considering that the new Forever GI Bill now offers the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship, providing up to nine months of additional Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to qualifying veterans seeking an undergraduate STEM degree.

Mentors and students seated at a long table for dinner.

The SI Fab Four
Help me if you can; my grades are down!

I’ll bet you didn’t know that BC’s Supplemental Instruction, otherwise known as SI, has its very own team of Mentors each semester. The newest group of SI Mentors for Fall 2019, Oscar Hernandez, Alejandra Hernandez, Debbie Stapp, Hunter Pentico, and their Program Manager Eileen Pierce planned out the 7 Mentor Meetings that they will facilitate as they train the incoming crop of 24 brand new SI Leaders, many of whom have very little experience with public speaking and certainly no real experience with teaching.

with arms in various poses. — The SI Fab Four: (L to R) Mentors Oscar Hernandez, Alejandra Hernandez, Debbie Stapp, and Hunter Pentico

If anyone wants more information about SI at Bakersfield College, please contact Eileen Pierce at 395-4202, epierce@bakersfieldcollege.edu, or visit our SI website.

Last Express Enrollment of the Summer

Prospective students in a classroom learning about programs in our catalog.

Students at the Panorama Campus had one last chance to register for their classes on Thursday during the last Express Enrollment event on the main campus before the start of the fall semester.

Representatives from Outreach and School Relations gave students a brief orientation of BC’s programs of study in the Forum before moving over to the Computer Commons area in the library for hands-on assistance with registration for the Fall semester.

Staff assisting a student enroll in the computer lab.

There will be two more Express Enrollment events targeting rural Kern County students at the Job Spot on 1501 Panama Lane on Monday at 3 p.m. and the Wasco Adult Education Center on Wednesday at 4 p.m. I would like to thank everyone on the Outreach Team for all that they do to help our students clarify and enter the pathway to their education.

Fun Photos

Enrollment Services Retreat

Last week, Enrollment Services, including the staff of Admissions and Records and Testing and Placement Center, participated in their annual retreat. Special Guest Stephanie Baltazar trained them on “Dealing with Difficult People Having Hard Conversations.” The retreat was a day of team bonding and customer service training.

Stephanie Baltazar
Michelle Pena
Michelle and Jackie Lau

The Last Summer Bridge 2019

Summer Bridge held their last class this week. They posted some great photos on the Summer Bridge Facebook page:

Large group of students and faculty on the grass.

Kim Bligh & Jerry Ludeke

Todd’s Vacation

This year the Coston family went camping in the Sequoia National Forest at the Lower Peppermint Creek campground. The area is close by, and a nice respite from the hot weather during Bakersfield summers. Todd and Cari enjoying the view at Dome Rock.

Standing together with a forest and mountain background.

One of the hikes was to a beautiful waterfall that is a part of Peppermint Creek.

Part of the adventure is to get the adrenaline going by jumping into natural pools.

Last Year’s Vacation Photo

Bill Potter, Tamara Baker and Todd Coston were busy preparing this week for their Opening Day presentation on Measure J.

Todd, Bill and Tamara with party hats and cupcakes.

As you might remember, they took a “vacation” last year, so who knows what they have planned this time!

Bill and Todd holding on to the Eiffel tower and Tamara falling.

Library’s Statue

Check out the statue on the second floor of the library! Someone is enjoying the last days of summer.

Statue of female student reading dressed with goggles, beach towel and flamingo float.

Stadium Photography

Dylan taking a photo with the stadium field in the background. — MPR’s Dylan taking pictures of the Stadium.

Athletics Update

Congrats to Anieus Medrano

Anieus Medrano University of Texas El Paso.

Renegade Men’s Basketball standout Anieus Medrano announced this week that he will be continuing his academic and athletic career at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Anieus played here at BC for two years under head coach Rich Hughes and is now the 44th student athlete from this year to sign with a four-year school. We wish you all the best at UTEP Anieus and continued success in your future endeavors.

2019 Spring Student Athlete Honor Roll

Spring 2019 Student Athlete Honor Roll BC.

The annual Renegade Athletics Spring Honor Roll has been released for 2019. A huge congratulations goes out to all the student athletes on the distinction of being named to the list. We had 56 student athletes named Distinguished Scholars (3.5-4.0 GPA) and 62 that were named Outstanding Scholars (3.0-3.49 GPA). View the full list of names in the release on GoGades.

Sonya waves to the crowd with Romeo clapping for her.

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya-
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Courage and Decency …. the American Way

Uncategorized September 2, 2018 1 Comment

Good morning Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, September 1st …. a day of remembering a great American Hero.

“John was above all a man with a code. He lived by a set of public virtues
that brought strength and purpose to his life and to his country. ”
President George W. Bush, Sep 1, 2018

This week was certainly a week of reflection for our nation as our country’s leaders paid homage to a great American hero — John McCain. Like many of you, I read and listened to stories and messages about his life and the lives he touched. The message that hit home the most to this immigrant about a country that I love so dearly was delivered by President George W. Bush at the funeral service for Senator John McCain in Washington DC on September 1, 2018. I quote:

“….Whatever the cause, it was this combination of courage and decency that defined John’s calling, and closely paralleled the calling of his country.

This combination of courage and decency that makes the American military something new in history. Unrivaled power for good….”

To me, every word and every sentence of President Bush’s speech was powerful….full of meaning and spoke to the fundamental character and beliefs that America and Americans embody to the world. Being constantly vigilant in not slipping into a thought or action that is “unworthy” of the ideals of this great nation. And when we do, to hear the voice of John McCain reminding us …”we are better than this.”

I have read the transcript of President Bush’s speech many times. You can find it here: https://tinyurl.com/y76yrymb

And you can listen to his 7:53-minute speech on youtube here.

Now back to BC……

Another great week at BC culminating with the visit from the chair of our Accreditation visiting team on a pre-site visit.

Accreditation Team Chair Visits Campus

Quality assurance of higher education in the United States occurs through the accreditation peer review process. Bakersfield College’s peer review is happening this fall, and our entire campus is eagerly awaiting the site visit the first week of October. In preparation for the visit, our evaluation team chair and the team assistant visited our campus to organize logistics, tour their team room for the visit, and meet with some of the team members involved in the development of the Institutional Self-Evaluation Report.

In typical Renegade fashion, BC faculty, staff, and students reported to work in BC red, prepared to greet our guests. Check out these photos:

Jessica Wojtysiak Nick Stroble Steven Holmes Bernadette Martinez James Thompkins

Thanks to Jessica Wojtysiak, Nick Stroble, Steven Holmes, Bernadette Martinez, and James Thompkins for their help today!

The Administration Building staff proudly showed off their BC red today

Special thanks to Tarina Perry, Chris Glaser, Nick Strobel, Steven Holmes, Bernadette Martinez, Jessica Wojtysiak, Carlos Barbaran, Jennfier Marden, June Charles, JoEllen Patterson, Liz Rozell, and Lesley Bonds for organizing the visit and meeting with our evaluators.

BC Has Strong Presence at KCHCC Business Expo

Both Norma Rojas-Mora and Tamara Baker presented at this year’s Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, showing what a team we have here at BC! Tamara presented on “Branding Yourself and Your Business,” while Norma was a part of a panel named “Women Empowerment: Climbing the Ladder to Success.” Our very own Professor of History Olivia Garcia was the Co-Chair for the event. Great job ladies!

Norma and Olivia on the panel for women’s success stories.

Tamara Baker presenting on branding

Norma Rojas-Mora, Olivia Garcia and Tamara Baker

Norma and Olivia representing BC!

Olivia Garcia CSUB Pres Lynette Zelezny BC Histor Prof Javier LLamas

Olivia, CSU Bakersfield President Lynnette Zelezny, and Javier LLamas

Oliva with Dolores Huerta!

Jay Tamsi Norma Raji Brar of Countryside Market and Restaurants Gabriela Mello of Wells Fargo Olivia

Jay Tamsi, Norma, Raji Brar of Countryside Market and Restaurants, Gabriela Mello of Wells Fargo, and Olivia Garcia

Also present were Armando Trujillo of Veterans Services and Domenica Trinidad of CTE, who had a booth for the expo portion of the event. Thanks Armando and Domenica!

Armando Trujillo and Domenica Trinidad at the KCHCC Business and Conference Expo

BC Ag Department Connecting with Community

Chris McCraw has had a busy couple of weeks! Last week he spent a couple of days with Kern County CA Ag Teachers Association (CATA) to talk about the opportunities available here at Bakersfield College. CATA has been around since 1920, promoting and improving the teaching of agriculture here in our Golden State! A special thank you to Chris for actively promoting the BC Ag department and what we offer here!

Chris McCraw at the CATA Meeting

Ag Department at the Student Involvement Festival

BC Professor David Koeth in LA Art Exhibit

I am so proud of Professor David Koeth! He has three paintings in LAUNCH LA’S “Intersection,” a juried exhibit at the Korean Cultural Center. LAUNCH LA explains the exhibit as follows: “An Intersection occurs when two or more paths cross- where cultures, histories, ambitions or chance converge, creating defining moments of decision, denial or opportunity. For some, the paths are riddled with obstacles or even blocked while for others the way is smoothed. For some the moment is fleeting, for others it lasts a lifetime. The artists of ‘Intersection’ respond to these diverging and converging moments that shape their identities, imbue their work and impact their daily lives.”

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Delano Chamber Award

As I mentioned in the last blog, The Delano Chamber of Commerce recognized BC alongside Assemblyman Salas with Education Award. It is always great to share quality time with friends of Bakersfield College. The Delano Chamber of Commerce Awards, Installation and Membership Appreciation Mixer was a great opportunity to reconnect with many longtime friends.

Joseph Lopez, Sonya Christian

Judge Robert Tafoya did the honors of swearing in the new Delano Chamber of Commerce Board Members. He overhead my story about teaching a class in Delano and that Juan Torres was a student and then became my TA. I said it was then that I fell in love with the people of Delano. Judge Tafoya started his remarks by mentioning that story and said that my comments held true for him as well. When he began presiding over the Delano courts, he knew he would be there for a long time, because the people he met were the best. Delano is a true treasure in Kern County and Bakersfield College is proud to be part of the fabric of its community. Thank you Judge Robert Tafoya for your continued work in Delano and support for Bakersfield College!

Rich McCrow, Rosalina Rivera, Judge Tafoya

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With Joseph Lopez of Assemblyman Salas’s office

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Rich McCrow, Norma Rojas-Mora, Abel Guzman, Michele Bresso, Jaime Lopez, Rachel Lopez, and Juan Torres

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Abel Guzman, Raquel Lopez, Sonya Christian, Jaime Lopez, and Juan Torres

Again, I’d like to thank the Delano Chamber of Commerce and the city of Delano for showing us so much support. You can check out coverage on the award in this Delano Record article: https://bit.ly/2PUd1dK

Brandon & Norma Visit Telemundo

Norma Gaspar welcomed Brandon Urry as the new Sports Information Director for Renegade Athletics. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Brandon share his experiences in Argentina where he learned Spanish over fifteen years ago and to see how he has retained the language. Brandon was excited to share about the sports programs and the upcoming football season. Norma Rojas-Mora encouraged the community to get involved and support Renegade Athletics. The rooter bus service was highlighted as an opportunity to travel to away games. The sports season has started at Bakersfield College so come on out and support your favorite including football, soccer and volleyball. Todos Somos BC!

Norma Rojas-Mora and Brandon Urry on Telemundo!

If you haven’t seen the interview, you can check it out HERE.

BC Has Arrived in Lost Hills!

Starting from conversations that began late last year, BC is finally in Lost Hills! Here are some photos of when we visited Lost Hills and here is the link to the February 2018 blog post:

https://sonyachristianblog.com/2018/02/10/bc-celebrating-black-history-month-we-are-bc/

The North Kern Adult Education Team who is a part of Rural Initiatives has launched supportive services out in Lost Hills to prepare future Renegades for the EMLS program and eventually CTE certificates as well as degree pathways. The Wonderful company is collaborating with the Adult Education team to bridge the Lost Hills residents’ education gap by encouraging employees to take advantage of BC services offered. Adult Education staff will be onsite at the Lost Hills Community Center every Monday evening to provide language development workshops, as well as transitional and matriculation support to the future renegades. Lost Hills residents will have the opportunity to continue their education in Wasco as we increase offerings in the upcoming semesters.

Future renegades presenting in front of group

Future renegades presenting in front of peers

Academic Liaison talking to group of future renegades

Delano Gets New Carpet. Small investments make a difference 🙂

BC Delano Campus had new carpet put in three of their classrooms and two of their labs!

Delano Lab 1

Delano Lab 2

Deslano DST 117

Delano DST 109B

Delano DST 109

Dual Enrollment

Bakersfield College Dual Enrollment team provided a full breadth of training to approximately 60 Kern High School District dual enrollment instructors in preparation for the fall term. Hosted at the KHSD District Board Room, Dr. Dean McGee and Dr. Ben Sherley provided an introduction outlining the many reasons to support dual enrollment and the benefits to students. Director of Outreach and Dual Enrollment, Steve Watkin, and Dean of Instruction, Corny Rodriguez, shared the strong effort and support from Bakersfield College for both instructors and students.

Coverage of topics ranging from enrollment and FERPA to syllabus construction and assessment were provided by Jacqueline Lau, Hilda Rodriguez, Dr. Anna Laven and Mark Osea. Additional information was provided by Abel Guzman, Fernando Lara, Dr. Emmanuel Mourtzanos, Raquel Lopez and Cindy Collier. Participants actively participated in thoughtful discussion about their instructional responsibilities and expressed appreciation for the BC efforts to bring college to students. The strength of our partnership, wealth of knowledge and commitment to support dual enrollment was truly impressive!

Alianza Recycling Presents Check to BC Drum Corp.

Alianza Recycling and Recovery LLC held a free electronics recycling event this past April. On Thursday, Neil Agness of Alianza Recycling presented our very own Tim Heasley with a check, donating all of the proceeds to the BC Drum Corps! Thank you to Alianza Recycle for your support!

Neil Agness of Alianza and Tim Heasley check

Neil Agness of Alianza presenting BC’s Tim Heasley with their donation.

Former Renegade and Current Dallas Cowboy Tyrone Crawford Subject of Documentary

Our very own head football coach, Jeff Chudy, was interviewed by the Dallas Cowboys on campus this last month as part of a documentary on the life of former BC football star Tyrone Crawford and his journey to the Dallas Cowboys. Originally from Canada, Tyrone started his college football career here at BC before transferring to Boise State. He now makes a living as an NFL football player. Watch the documentary by clicking HERE.

Tyronne Crawford in his BC Renegade days!

Ride the Rooter Bus to Football Away Games this Season

Fans wishing to attend football away games and not have to drive themselves will be able to use the BC rooter bus once again this season. Fans wishing to reserve a spot on the bus need to call the athletics department at (661) 395-4269 by 11:00am the Friday before the game they wish to attend. The cost is $25/person (cash only) and is payable on Saturday before boarding the bus. The fare does not cover the price of admission into the game.

September 1st vs. Mt. SAC – bus will depart at 2:00pm
September 22nd vs. Golden West – bus will depart at 10:00am
October 13th vs. Ventura – bus will depart at 3:00pm
October 20th vs. Long Beach – bus will depart at 2:00pm
November 10th vs. Canyons – bus will depart at 3:30pm

Women’s Soccer opens the season with a Win

The Renegades women’s soccer team opened up the 2018 season with a home victory over West LA at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night. Our Renegades scored first and never looked back, winning 6-1. This weekend our women’s team will travel north to the bay area to play against Los Medanos College and Napa Valley College. Best of luck and Go Gades!

Women’s Golf Opens Season at South Coast Classic

The Renegade Women’s Golf team opened their 2018 season on the road in Ventura at the South Coast Classic hosted by Santa Barbara Community College. On Sunday they played at Olivas Links Golf Course and on Monday they played at Buenaventura Golf Course. Sophomore and second year player Allie Crawley led the charge for the Renegades, shooting a two-day score of 154.

Complete scores for the team are listed below:

Allie Crawley – 154
Sydney Crawley – 164
Elizabeth Nakagawa – 214
Breann Bonkosky – 229
Ramanda Lara – 260

Allie Crawley, Sydney Crawley, Elizabeth Nakagawa, Breann Bonkosky and Ramanda Lara

Be sure to stay connected with Renegade Athletics on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. The Renegades will next be in action on Monday, September 10th against Santa Barbara at Santa Barbara Golf Club.

This Week’s Renegade Report

This week’s Renegade Report highlighted our women’s volleyball team. Assistant Coach Lorraine Aguilar and players Jessica Merante and Shyanne Baez talked about their team goals and upcoming season. To watch all four segments from the 8/30 show click this link: http://gogades.com/video/index. To keep up with what’s happening around Renegade Athletics, visit Bakersfield.com (the Californian website) where the show streams live on their homepage each Thursday at 11:00am.

BC Volleyball players Jessica Merante and Shyanne Baez

Assistant Volleyball Coach Lorraine Aguilar

BC Partners with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra

BC is once again partnering with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Next program to provide an enrichment opportunity for many high-school and middle-school students to spend time on our campus prior to attending a symphony concert. Last year, we supported over 100 students. For the 2018-19 season, we anticipate serving over 300 students across six BSO concerts from October to May. In fact, the symphony concert on May 11 will include our very own BC Chamber Singers as guest performers. You won’t want to miss it!

A special word of thanks to Kari Heilman (Executive Director of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra) and Ira Cohen (Founding Member of the BSO Next program) for their grand vision to create a cultural experience in the arts for many students who otherwise would not be able to attend. We are so lucky to have such wonderful community partners. Here’s a picture of the beautiful gift Ira and Kari gave me to recognize BC’s support of BSO Next. I love it!

Enjoying my beautiful gift from BSO

Karaoke Knights

On Monday, BCSGA hosted a karaoke event in the Fireside Room to get the campus community prepared for Wednesday’s Student Involvement Festival. Billed as “Karaoke Knights”, students came together to sing karaoke version of popular songs such as “Waterfalls” by TLC and “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas.

Francis Benavente performs Waterfalls by TLC during the Karaoke Knights event on August 27th in the Fireside Room

Lyrics to the song “Waterfalls”

Student Involvement Festival

This last Thursday, Bakersfield College held it’s 2nd Annual Student Involvement Festival. This festival is the largest event that takes place during the week-long campus welcome program, and provides the opportunity for students to learn about the Bakersfield College campus and how they can become involved on the campus and in the community.

Dozens of local businesses and community organizations will be in attendance with information booths throughout the campus. Volunteers at the booths will provide students with information about their organizations, sell items, and recruit workers and volunteers. A huge thank you to Nicky Damania and his team at Student Life for organizing this great event!

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BC SouthWest Hosts Pint for a Pass

BC SouthWest and Houchin Community Blood Bank partnered together and held the first-ever BC SouthWest/Houchin Blood Bank Blood Drive called “Pint for a Pass.” By donating, students received a free shirt, food and admission to the Kern County Fair. Over 43 pints of blood were received on Thursday ALONE, far surpassing Houchin’s projects and expectations! This event was a huge success as HCBB collected 48 units, which can potentially help 144 individuals.

Thank you to Stephanie Gibbons and the Houchin Community Blood Bank crew for your hard work, and thank you to BCSGA and KVC for the grant that sponsored the event’s food and drinks. Also, special thanks to Stephanie Stuart and Theresa Rodriguez for the delicious food, and to Officers Linda Morgan and Ricardo Orozco, Jr. for securing the parking stalls for the buses. Last but not least, thank you to SouthWest Director Fernando Lara for all of your hard work! WE ARE BC!

Stephanie Gibbons, Fernando Lara and the HCBB crew

I want to thank BC Southwest for stepping up to support our community. It especially warmed my heart to hear that Professor Don Turney provided an extra credit opportunity for students in his Psychology courses who donated blood. Many of Professor Turney’s students took the Renegade Shuttle from the Panorama Campus to the Southwest for this service opportunity. Thank you, Don, for exemplifying the collegial spirit we share at BC, but also for directly benefiting our students, our Kern County community, and likely beyond!

Kobe Villatoro and Noah Gonzalez

Marisol Alvarez showing her support!

Natalie Bustamante with her new shirt.

Keep those cars away from campus and ride smart 🙂

Students, faculty and staff, plz carpool to work or join me and ride the express bus from the southwest to the main campus. That’s what Mindy Wilmot and I do!

Float-In

You’ve heard of a drive-in, but have you experienced a “float-in?” Students brought their own floatation devices and watched the movie “The Shallows”… nothing like a good shark movie to make you want to have your feet dangling in water! Thanks to Student Life and Nicky Damania for planning such a wonderful past two weeks!

As I wrap up this post on September 2, 2018, that day after John McCain was laid to rest, I am inspired to ensure that Bakersfield College continues to live up to the principles and virtues this man had for this great country and its people.

….. He was courageous, with a courage that frightened his captors, and inspired his countrymen. ….. He respected the dignity inherent in every life, a dignity that does not stop at borders and cannot be erased by dictators.

Perhaps above all John detested the abuse of power, could not abide bigots and swaggering. He spoke up for the little guy, forgotten people in forgotten places. …….

Where does such strength and conviction come from? Perhaps from a family where honor was in the atmosphere or from the firsthand experience of cruelty which left physical reminders that lasted his whole life. Or from some deep well of moral principle. Whatever the cause, it was this combination of courage and decency that defined John’s calling, and closely paralleled the calling of his country.

Bakersfield College is a place of courage and decency,
where no student is forgotten and the dignity of each is respected.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as the 10th president of Bakersfield College.

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

A community together

Uncategorized June 4, 2016 Comments: 5

A calla lily for you

Good evening Bakersfield. It is Saturday, June 4, 2016…the day the community came together at St. Francis to celebrate the life of Tharrell Ming, a diehard driller and a Renegade. The church was packed by the time I got there at 10:53 a.m. for the 11:00 a.m. mass and they had already run out off the stack of booklets. I spotted Coach Jeff Chudy, Trustee Kay Meek at the service and noticed that Carl Bowser‘s name led the list of honorary pall bearers followed by Don James, TH Lockard, Bob Millinich, Bob Morton, Richard Russell, Sid Thompson, Gene Toschi, Rick Twisselman.

Bakersfield is a great community and as I am writing this blog, unusually at the end of the day instead of the beginning, I see the burst of flowers in the backyard and the burst of yellow from the calla lily. So here is a calla lily for you, my community, for all that you do on a daily basis to support each other and support the students at BC.

Now, back to Tharrell Ming…..Monsignor Craig Harrison was his usual remarkable self, funny, warm, comforting and efficient with the mass. We are blessed to have Father Craig (as he is warmly referred to) in our community. The music was minimal and powerful and here are two songs that I listened to throughout the rest of the day. And whatever your religious leanings or non-religious leanings for that matter, I am sure these two songs will move your spirit and soul as it did mine sitting with hundreds of community members this morning at St. Francis.

Shephard me O God with acoustic guitar on youtube.com

I googled the musical composition of Psalm 23 and learned from the United Methodist Church website that Marty Haugen had composed the haunting melody for the lyrics. For more on Marty Haugen, check out:

http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-shepherd-me-o-god

How Great Thou Art. Maybe this is a non-traditional approach to have the Elvis version here in my blog. But here I go…..

Here’s to a great Renegade, Tharrell Ming.

I started my day early today preparing for a morning meeting with the two Vice Presidents, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Zav Dadabhoy, of Bakersfield College at Starbucks. There were a few things that came up that required this early morning meeting on a Saturday during summer. I know…. crazy…. but that’s what faculty and staff do at BC! The talent, commitment and dedication of faculty, staff and administrators at the college is just remarkable. We are…BC! It is a good time to be at BC!

Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Sonya Christian, Zav Dadabhoy

Here are a few highlights from the week:

Transfer Award from College Opp June 2 2016

Beebe, Koeth, Christian, Pluta, Siqueiros

BC wins an award for transfer degrees.
Earlier this month we received an email from the President of the Campaign for College Opportunity, Michele Siqueiros, that Bakersfield College was one of 13 community colleges in the state being recognized for the growth in the number of transfer degrees. The event was held in Sacramento in June 2nd, Thursday, and the BC team that headed north to receive the award included: Trustee Dennis Beebe, Dean of Instruction Kate Pluta and Faculty member David Koeth.

The Bakersfield Group at College Opp awards June 2 2016

Beebe, Chavez, Koeth, Huerta, Christian, Pluta

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a group dedicated to advancing the educational attainment levels in California by impacting policy at the state level. The staff are great. A special thank you to Michele Siqueiros, President; Audrey Dow, Vice President, External Affairs and Operations; Linda Vasquez, Regional Affairs Director. For more check out their website at http://collegecampaign.org/.

Here is a picture with the group from Bakersfield that included Dolores Huerta who received a lifetime achievement award and her daughter Camilla Chavez. Congratulations Dolores!

We also connected with Connie Conway, a wonderful member of the Board of Governors for California Community Colleges and now a member of the Board of Directors of the Campaign for College Opportunity. Also, the fabulous Dean Florez, who is an advocate for education and in particular Bakersfield College.

Dean Florez, Connie Conway, Dennis Beebe

Thank you Trustee Beebe for making this long trip to support BC receiving the award. It is always wonderful to have our Board members celebrating with us.

In the Bakersfield Californian:

The piece on Corny Rodriguez which was in the Bakersfield Magazine was published in the June 2nd issue of the Californian along with Odella Johnson’s piece on BC’s promising professionals.

I loved the opening by Laura Liera about Corny

On his 10th birthday, Cornelio Rodriguez was picking strawberries in Artesia during the early hours of the morning instead of making a birthday wish. He spent summers picking okra in Indio and Coachella and was even driving his dad’s gardening truck by the age of 12.

Here is another excerpt from the article:

But after a conversation with his dad, a visit to the career center led to the applications of Cerritos College, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, UCLA and USC.

It was a Tuesday when the first college acceptance letter came in. Rodriguez was accepted to USC.

“I got scared because we were so poor and I couldn’t afford to go,” Rodriguez remembered. “I was panicking because I thought I had gotten my family into trouble.”

The next day, the UCLA acceptance letter arrived.

“I said, ‘Dear Lord, now I have to go to TWO colleges?’” Rodriguez said.

Check out the Californian: http://tinyurl.com/ztwbxva

Promising Professionals:

This is a must-read piece written by Odella Johnson. Johnson writes about the Promising Professionals and highlights the story of two students — Tamika Narvaez and Linda Esquivel. She writes about Tamika

Students like Tamika Narvaez, a mother of eight who survived abuse and arrived on campus to complete the requirements to transfer, demonstrates how BC delivers student initiatives that allow them to take critical next steps, which result in positive academic outcomes.

and Linda:

Linda Esquivel, a local graduate of South High School and a first- generation college student, left the community to attend San Francisco State University in fall 2013 and, after a semester, left to attend Bakersfield College for financial reasons. Believing that she would not fit in, she felt frustrated and uncertain about the next steps in her journey; however, when she became a student ambassador/ Promising Professional, she admitted that “BC made my future possible,” so with a renewed spirit, Esquivel’s next steps include attending a predoctoral program at the University of Michigan and Penn State this summer.

Johnson ends the article with:

Narvaez and Esquivel’s diversity as students is our strength and we recognize their potential. They embody the spirit of Promising Professionals – students who have passion and purpose.

For more: http://tinyurl.com/h74g7np

On June 2nd, Kristen Barnes, CEO of Kern Community Foundation and a great partner of BC wrote a wonderful Community Voices piece–Philanthropy Matters: Growing Scholarships, Growing Futures. Here is an excerpt:

Scholarships close the funding gap students experience. They are one way to provide critical financial support for students – to help make higher education a reality. In many cases, the financial assistance provided by scholarships is a key factor. Gifts for scholarships help students to invest their energies more fully in their course work and pursue internships and leadership opportunities that enrich their personal development and career preparation.

For more, check out http://tinyurl.com/jg47rwq

Misono and Christian

At Rotary West
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit the Bakersfield West Rotary Club. The club went all out with BC colors for the table decorations and traditional “flying saucer” cookies that have been a staple on BC’s campus for decades.

Local CPA and BC alum Fred Misono hosted the meeting in West Rotary President Roger Griess’ absence, keeping the event light and funny.

I was able to give a brief history of the College and recount some of our recent accomplishments. Jay Rosenlieb shared the podium as a member of BC’s Blue Ribbon Committee that is working on a facilities initiative for the college — A Better BC 2016…2066. This initiative, if approved by the KCCD Board of Trustees in July, could becomes a bond measure on the November 2016 election. Thank you Jay for taking the time to co-present with me. Check out the the website at http://www.abetterbc.com/

I must say that this is a fun club. There is a lot of teasing back and forth and great camaraderie and fellowship. At the end of the presentation, all about Bakersfield College, President Misono presents me with a Taft College T-shirt 🙂 I attempt to get away but he was too quick for me.

Misono attempting to presend a taft college t-shirt to christian

Misono presenting Christian a gift Rotary West June 1 2016

Acting President Misono made the day very special for Bakersfield College. He then followed up with the photos and wonderfully warm and fun emails after the meeting. Thank you Russell Johnson, John Pryor, John Fallgatter and others at Bakersfield West for your support. Rick Kreiser, thank you for that great introduction and your service to the Bakersfield College Foundation for so many years. You are the best! and thank you Tom Gelder, for getting BC on the agenda.

Kreiser Christian Gelder FM edit JUN16.jpg

Rick Kreiser, Sonya Christian, Tom Gelder

Honoring Our Veterans on Memorial Day:

Last weekend, I hope you had a chance to stop by and walk around Riverwalk Park or at least drive by to catch a glimpse of the incredible view. Memorial Day is regularly celebrated on the last Monday of May thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, but did you know its roots go back to 1868 when the day was originally known as Decoration Day? “On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery” (History.com).

It’s always humbling to reflect on the sacrifice that so many men and women have made and continue to make for the United States and her people. The Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC) is a group of local community members who through their leadership and friendship, get things done in our community and for the past few years, they have lead a project of planting one thousand flags at Riverwalk Park over Memorial Day weekend.

Volunteers, sponsors, and the BBRC make this annual event, including activities and formal ceremonies at the park possible. What a great way to be reminded of our freedom, liberty, and justice thanks to our courageous service men and women. Liz Rozell, Mary Jo Pasek, Marlene, Heise, Cheryl Scott and others at BBRC, you did a fantastic job!

I would also like to share an email I received from Paul Beckworth, our veterans faculty lead at Bakersfield College. He sent this last Monday – Memorial Day:

Paul Beckworth

Memorial Day Message 2016

The warrior-poet, King David, wrote, “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.” This quote may sound familiar to any fan of the Tom Hanks, World War II epic, Saving Private Ryan. It is quoted in earnest by the in-residence sniper, Pvt. Jackson, during a pivotal scene in the film. Inevitably, most of the cast is killed off, as was our popcorn. However, we know life is not a movie and memories of comrades lost do not go away when the lights go on.

So, what of Memorial Day? What of those men and women whose hands were taught to war and fingers to fight, who lie still in the ground on this warm May evening? This is not about the history of Memorial Day. You can go look that up on Wikipedia. But, what of those who we remember and honor today? Today, we see the aged World War II and Korean War veterans, canes in hand, gait a bit unsteady, but minds sharp when recalling battlefields of another time. Today, they see the friends they lost on those battlefields. Today, we see 28 year-old OIF/OEF veterans with physical and emotional scars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, they see their lost friends buried at Arlington or the Bakersfield National Cemetery. Today, we see tatted up, motorcycle riding, leather vest, patch wearing, Vietnam veterans who speak of Tet, and of Khe Sanh. Today, they see lost buddies who did not get the due deserved them thanks to a divided nation and a callous youth population who called them baby killers.

Today is not about the bullet that barely missed its mark. Today is about the person whose bullet that found its’ mark. Today is about the forever young sailor who drowned on the USS Indianapolis, or was killed on the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts, while fighting toe to toe with Japanese battleships in what became known as the “Last stand of the tin can sailors.” Today is about the Rangers killed taking Point du Hoc on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the airborne paratrooper of the 101^st or 82^nd who never made it out of his chute alive. Today is about the 1,170 corpsman killed during World War II, often cut down while responding to the blood curdling cry of “Corpsman up!” Today is about the Marine who never left Guadalcanal, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, or Okinawa. Today is about the pilots who never returned to the airfield, or the submariners who are now on “eternal patrol.” Today is about the young Coastie who maneuvered his landing craft on to the battered shores of Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio only to stay ashore forever.

Today we remember. We memorialize the “Frozen Chosin” dead who were carefully carried out by the living rather than being left behind in the rugged mountains of North Korea. Today is about those killed on countless hills in Korea, so numerous to count they were simply numbered by height. Today is about those who fell defending the Pusan Perimeter, and those who never left the beaches of Inchon.

Today is about those that this country dishonored in so many ways that it is a stain on the honor of this nation. Today is about those nearly 60,000 Americans killed in Vietnam. Today is about those who did not evade the draft, but answered to the nation’s call, despite often not understanding what that call was all about. Today is about those were cut down in the hot, steamy, jungles and in the highlands, in Hueys and in huts. Today is not about those who were cursed at when they returned home but about those who were cursed at, despite never making it home.

Today is about Cold War warriors who died doing special operations and of Gulf War warriors, whose deaths were few, yet nonetheless paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Today is about Fallujah Marines who are now at Arlington or other national cemeteries. Today is about those who never left the Triangle of Death. Today is about the Helmand Province men who are finally still.

The warrior-poet wrote King David wrote, “A thousand fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” Today is about the thousand who fell at the left side and the ten thousand who fell at the right hand. So, today, let us, the living, be comforted and know that those whose hands were taught to fight are at rest. Today, let us, the living, be comforted and know that today and for eternity, those who fingers were made to war are finally at peace.

Let us remember.

Closing out the 2015-2016 academic year

Uncategorized May 14, 2016 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, May 14, 2016….A good a day to be a Renegade!

Clayton Fowler, Sonya Christian

The academic year ended on a high note yesterday with BC’s 102nd commencement. Here is Jose Gaspar‘s coverage on channel 29 http://tinyurl.com/jkoqknv. A very nice piece. Thank you Jose! Also The Bakersfield Californian featured photos by John Hart, of the class of 2016 on the front page. Thank you TBC!

Here is the photo that Clayton Fowler tweeted “One last president selfie before graduation @sonyachristian.”

We had Trustees Romeo Agbalog and Kyle Carter at the ceremony. Thank you trustees for celebrating this great moment with the college. It is always a treat to have you with us.

Kyle Carter and Romeo Agbalog May 13 2016

Kyle Carter, Romeo Agbalog

Here is an email exchange between a student and her faculty. This, my dear community, is what BC is all about. It is not a myth. BC faculty and staff are SO very committed to our students. I love the line from Betty Wandick to her professor Pat Smith “….but you live in all of us.”

From: Betty Wandick <betty.wandick1961@email.bakersfieldcollege.edu>
Date: May 13, 2016 at 11:13:05 PM PDT
To: Patricia Smith <patsmith@bakersfieldcollege.edu>
Subject: Re: Appreciation

Yes, but you live in all of us; therefore, it was good seeing you tonight.

On Fri, May 13, 2016 at 1:17 PM, Patricia Smith <patsmith@bakersfieldcollege.edu> wrote:

Well thank you so very much!
I wasn’t able to attend that graduation due to finals and grading. I will be there tonight…are you graduating tonight? I wish you the very best in all that you do. You were a wonderful student!

> On May 13, 2016, at 12:51 PM, Betty Wandick <betty.wandick1961@email.bakersfieldcollege.edu> wrote:

Hello Professor Smith, I want to thank you for being my instructor throughout the years. I want you to know that I gave your name at the Black Graduates Graduation because I think you are a AWESOME instructor, and I appreciate you. Thank you for everything, Betty James.

Class of 2016, congratulations! I might do a more in-depth with photos of commencement in a later blog. Until then, here is the team doing our pre-final walk through the day before commencement. They put in countless hours with attention to a lot of detail to pull off a grand commencement celebration for our students with fireworks and all. BC Team Awesome!

Here is a drone photo by Manny De Los Santos. Super cool!

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0022.JPG

Garden Pathways

It was wonderful attending the Garden Pathways High Tea at Seven Oaks. The place was packed with our community who had come out to support the winners of this years “Women with a heart for Bakersfield.”

Clockwise from top-left: Cynthia Icardo, Norma Rojas-Mora, Tracy Walker, Danielle Wade

These four women are truly remarkable in volunteering their time out of their busy lives to support the community. All of them were eloquent in their remarks and very inspirational. Norma Rojas-Mora spoke about “opportunity” and that “often those opportunities are the difference between living life in the shadows or living one filled with recognition.” It struck me that one of the greatest gifts we can give one another is the gift of opportunity. Here are excerpts from her remarks at Garden Pathways:

I have been blessed with a life filled with opportunity…the opportunity to grow up in a loving family, the opportunity to study at a top university, the opportunity to choose the job I wanted and the ability to make a career out of it. I share this with you because I also recognized early on that not everyone has opportunities, and often those opportunities are the difference between living a life in the shadows or living one filled with recognition.

Eighteen years ago a gentleman by the name of Bill Carter gave me the opportunity to work at an agency that was in transition, it was only my second job out of college and at that time I told him I was only interested in being with the Housing Authority for three years.

Little did I know that I would find my passion and build a career-I truly believe in our mission of providing safe decent and affordable housing to low income residents of this community and to assist them in becoming self sufficient and moving on to homeownership. We have so many families that are living in the shadows-but being able to develop programs that provide them with opportunities makes all the difference in the world. Seeing a family increase their earnings, seeing a child be the first in their families to graduate from high school and go on to college, seeing families purchase their first home and knowing that we played a part in it has been the most important thing.

….

There are over 20,000 people on the Housing Authority’s wait list for affordable housing -we need to be creative to assist families in increasing their earnings so they can move out of subsidized housing so we are able make room for another family. Five years ago we established a nonprofit Foundation that allows to do even more to create opportunities for our families-I want to say Thank you to the Housing and Opportunity Foundation’s Board of Directors who are here for joining us on this journey of empowering families to become self sufficient. Thank you for rolling up your sleeves and getting in the trenches with us.

My parents and siblings sacrificed a lot to give me opportunities and I am grateful to be able to say thank you-Mom, gracias por tu eterno apoyo!

…..

I leave you with this, get involved, even one small action can impact a person’s life. Our community has so many needs, know that YOU can make a difference. Find what you are passionate about and do your part to make an impact. I Challenge each of you to find your interest and go out and do something about it-our community needs us and we can all play a big part in making Bakersfield great.

Cathy Ferguson, Sonya Christian

Sonya Christian, Cynthia Icardo

Mayor Harvey Hall

Mayor Hall was there supporting our community as usual and presented the awards to the fabulous four women. I have been in awe of Mayor Harvey Hall ever since I was a faculty member at BC. His generosity in supporting our Allied Health programs has been amazing. He told the story of how he deliberately picks his suit when going out to high schools so that the colors match the school colors. What fun!

Cindy Pollard introduced me to Cathy Ferguson, Executive Director of the Girl Scouts. BC has a great collaborative relationship with Boy Scouts and now we have the opportunity to partner with Girl Scouts. Yes!

Sonya Christian, Mary Jo Pasek, Karen Goh, Deanna Blaise

Bakersfield College was present at the event in full force. Thank you Karen Goh for the amazing work that Garden Pathways does to support our most vulnerable populations and thank you for your support of Bakersfield College.

What a great team.

Hare you met Michael Bowers yet? If not, you are missing out on life. Michael, with Steven Watkin, is heading up a group that is partnering with Bakersfield College to position the campus for the next 50 years. 2016..2066. Envisioning an even “better BC.” Here is the team that he put together–super smart, super cool, super focused, and on the move

Kalisha Hudgins, Tomeka Powell, Keith Wolaridge, Sonya Christian, Steve Watkin, Dee Slade, Danny Morrison, Michael Bowers

Empowering Women summit by CA Latina Leaders

Last Saturday, May 7th, I attended the Empowering Women summit hosted by the CA Latina Leaders at the Double Tree. I enjoyed hanging out with a BC group of students and listening to wonderful speakers – Assembly member Rudy Salas and Aera CEO Christina Sistrunk. As you can see from the pictures, I did not have the best seat for getting good photos of the speakers!

Christina Sistrunk

Rudy Salas

Janet Tarjan, Patrice Morrow, Sonya Christian, Tarin Hansen, Rebekah Kubli, Epi Mendoza, Nicki Damania

Janet Tarjan, math faculty, and Nicky Damania, director of student life attended the event. with a group of amazing BC students. Patrice Morrow moved to Bakersfield from Bellflower at age 10 with her family. She will be starting Nursing at BC in the fall. Rebekah Kubli is a kinesiology major at BC. Epi Mendoza is the daughter of two parents from Niyarit, Mexico. Either her great-grandmother or grandma (I’m not sure which) lived to be 117.:-) Tarin Hansen is working on her prerequisite classes for nursing. It was just a fun relaxed time. We are…BC!

Helmet Club at the Stiers house:

Later that afternoon on May 7th, I headed out to the Helmet Club event at Mike and Cathy Stiers next to the Bakersfield Country Club.

I did not stay for dinner but enjoyed meeting several new friends of BC and friends of Renegade Football.

Sonya Christian, Ed Davis

Karen Goh, Francis Mayer, Sonya Christian

Jeff Chudy, Sonya Christian

Ed Davis is the President of the Helmet Club and a great supporter of BC. Coach Chudy, Coach Bolton and Coach Dean were all at the event with their families. It was great seeing Karen Goh at the event supporting BC. She has been to several football games this last season. Thank you Karen! Also, many of these community members supported our student, Terrence Young, when he was seriously injured in the fall.

Track and Field State Meet:

Janet Tarjan and I headed out today, after our exercise class this morning, to the Track & Field State meet at Antelope Valley College. It was wonderful seeing Coach Pam Kelley and our Renegade Athletes in action.

Janet Tarjan and her student Marilyn

Marilyn Quintero

Sonya Christian, Janet Tarjan

Many of the athletes advanced to the state level. Kyra Saunders in long jump, Tyra Saunders in the 100 meters with a new school record, Marilyn Quintero in Discus, Jacob Bookout in high jump and Dillen Littles in both shot put and discus.

End of Year Potluck:

At the end of every academic year I traditionally have an end-of-year potluck in my back yard for the committee leadership on our campus. This year the planning team included Krista Moreland, Janet Thomas and Tracy Hall and they organized an incredible evening gathering on May 10th at my place. They did an entire Havana theme with dominoes, Cuban music and even Cuban food items. Jennifer Johnson’s Cuban sandwiches were to die for. It was such a fun and relaxing evening and I wish I had taken more pictures. Janet Thomas’ center pieces for the tables stole the show.

Tracy Hall, Jennifer Marden, Sonya Christian, Somaly Boles

Mark Staller, Krista Moreland

Back Yard

Center Piece by Janet Thomas

Tracy Krista Jennifer Dave

Kimberly Bligh, Sonya Christian, Kimberly Nickell

Welcome back home Dennis Spencer. BC came to a standstill without you.

Kern County Probation Volunteer Luncheon
We are so proud of our BC Human Services student interns, Abigail Gonzales and Yasmin Chavez, who were nominees for Volunteer of the Year at the Kern County Probation Volunteer Luncheon.

While they didn’t receive that award, they were honored when Mayor Harvey Hall presented them with certificates in recognition of their hard work. It is so nice to see our students give back to the community, and it is just wonderful when their efforts are so appreciated. Thanks again to the mayor for giving our student interns such a great day.

It is a good time to be at BC!

Congressman McCarthy Visits Bakersfield College

Uncategorized March 21, 2013 Leave a comment

Bakersfield College is quite fortunate to have support from all areas of our community. After the Renegades’ high-profile state championship in December, members of the community were eager to show their support and appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and power these student athletes showed during their run for the trophy.

In February, we enjoyed having Congressman Kevin McCarthy visit campus to present Congressional Record Statements to each member of the championship team. In turn, the Congressman was presented with a championship jacket.

Here is coach Jeff Chudy and Congressman McCarthy in Bakersfield College’s beautiful Memorial Stadium on a gorgeous February afternoon.

Sonya Christian's Blog