Karen Goh | Sonya Christian's Blog

Tag Archives: Karen Goh

Providing pathways to the future and building a better BC

Uncategorized July 23, 2016 Comments: 5

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, July 23rd and I woke up to a wonderful piece by Jeff Evans in The Bakersfield Californian above the fold. Indeed, a wonderful day to be a Renegade.

Here is an fuzzy image of the article taken on my iphone. For the entire web version check out http://tinyurl.com/h2f79wy. There is also a 15-minute video segment of Louis Amestoy interviewing Jeff Evans on the gymnasium and other athletics facilities that are on the BC facilities needs list. Note this is a “needs list” not a “wish list”. I particularly appreciated the comment that these facilities serve all of our students and not just our student athletes.

The “Athletics facilities” is only one project of the numerous facilities needs on this 60 year old campus on 153 acres with over 30 buildings. 80% of the projects are capital improvements focusing on buildings where we have instruction in Math, Science, Agriculture, Humanities, etc. For the entire project list check out www.abetterbc.com.

The college faculty and staff have been focused on student success for over a century, and in the last three years have particularly focused on connecting with students when they are still in high school and gearing them up for college and the workforce. Approximately 80% of BC’s students are first in their families to go to college, so the faculty and staff take the time to be their guides and their coaches as these first-time students learn to navigate college and learn how to be learners and gain the skills to enter the workforce. Nick Strobel describes it well in about 500 words in his Community Voices piece on Wednesday, July 20th in The Bakersfield Californian.

Nick compared our new pathways initiative to the GPS in a car. Just as a GPS will help you get back on track if you make a wrong turn, the pathways we are creating can help guide students through life events that may “knock them off the college path.”

This is such an exciting initiative, and I am so happy that BC was one of just 30 colleges chosen to be part of the AACC Pathways Project.

Nick’s piece is online at http://www.bakersfield.com/news/opinion/2016/07/20/a-road-for-community-college-students-bc-s-gps.html.

So you see dear community members, BC meets students where they are and provides incredible opportunities for them to find their calling, whether in athletics, the arts and humanities, social sciences or in math and science. What our faculty do for our students is nothing short of incredible.

Eisenhower Fellowship

Here’s a note I received from a talented Bakersfield College student:

My name is Rey Fernandez, a mechanical engineering major. From Fall 2015 to early Spring 2016, I had the opportunity to be one of the Dwight Eisenhower recipients because of the MESA program. This research opportunity exposed me to the transportation field, and taught me the role of engineers in the Transportation Research Board. Attending this TRB Conference in Washington D.C. gave me a lot of professional experiences.

I just want to thank you for bringing this research opportunity to MESA students last year, and again, for this upcoming year.

Former BC student featured on SiriusXM

Brandon McNaughton—who is from Bakersfield, attended BC, and received his BS in Physics from CSUB—was featured on SiriusXM in February.

He was interviewed for 30 minutes by Steve Blank on “Entrepreneurs Are Everywhere” about his biotech company, and the importance of understanding customer needs when developing a product or solution. The episode can be heard via SiriusXM on Demand. Here is a link http://tinyurl.com/jyvzg9l

His company, Akadeum Life Sciences, is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has developed a new method to separate individual cells from biological samples, such as blood. He is also one of the 100 stars of Bakersfield College. A proud Renegade!

Here are some previous blog posts highlighting our faculty and staff and what they do to create a wonderful learning environment for our students.

April 3, 2015: Levan Center: St. John’s Lecture. Greg Schneider and The Brothers Karamazov

https://bcpresidentblog.com/2015/04/03/levan-center-st-johns-lecture-greg-schneider-and-the-brothers-karamazov/

September 1, 2014: Arts and Humanities:

https://bcpresidentblog.com/2014/09/01/arts-and-humanities/

June 22, 2015: BC faculty and staff are rock stars

https://bcpresidentblog.com/2015/06/22/middle-schoolers-lead-the-way/

Speaking of our amazing faculty and staff, let me tell you about a project that has surfaced this summer among a small group. The idea is to get students to do their homework at the college in a structured environment so that they develop the habits of learning. Being disciplined, persevering with their school work etc. Just amazing dedication and commitment from the faculty! I got to hang out with some of them. Here are photos to prove it 🙂

Faculty workshop July 18 2016

Eileen Pierce, Kim Arbolante, Maria Wright, Kate Pluta, Sonya Christian, Stephen Waller, Isabel Castaneda

Thank you all for your work. A special shout out to Eileen Pierce, Kim Arbolante, Maria Wright, Kate Pluta, Stephen Waller, and Isabel Castaneda as well as Kimberly Bligh and Erica Menchacha who piloted Ac Dev 72 in the spring.

Political Leaders and their connections to BC.

Regardless of your political views and affiliation, it is truly inspirational to consider what leadership and strength blossoms from our own backyard – Bakersfield, Kern County, and of course, at Bakersfield College. House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, took the stand on Tuesday evening to address the convention attendees and the nation, but Mr. McCarthy’s road to becoming the successful and influential political figure he is today, is one that began in our hometown.

He enrolled at BC after high school, opened a little local sandwich shop named Kevin O’s Deli, and earned a degree from CSUB. As his interest in politics peaked, he volunteered to clip newspapers in the office of Rep. Bill Thomas, to gain insight and learn from a fantastic role model.

Congressman Bill Thomas also has roots at BC – from beginnings as a political science faculty at BC to chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, there is so much to say about Bill that’s inspirational. We are so fortunate to have him as the senior advisor to our Blue Ribbon Committee and as a friend and supporter of Bakersfield College.

Mayor Harvey Hall is not shy to share his love of BC and he details his relationship in an article published on Bakersfield.com regarding the recent bond measure announcement.

Senator Jean Fuller, another political leader, earned her AA degree at Bakersfield College in 1970. After more than 30 years as an educator and Superintendent of Bakersfield City School District, sh e was elected in 2006 and “immediately recognized as a leader by her colleagues and has used her administrative experience to make impactful decisions that focus on increased efficiency and accountability.” (Source)

Our first female mayor, Mary K. Shell, also attended BC and continues to support Bakersfield College today. During the time of her retirement, the Bakersfield Californian even referred to her as “the most popular politician in Kern County history.” We are so lucky to have insightful and influential political leaders likes these and many others, including Rudy Salas, Andy Vidak, and Shannon Grove.

The people of Bakersfield and BC students, past and present, continue to make a difference in our community, state, and nation. I can’t wait to see what our current students have in store for the future of our country.

Latina Leaders

Last Saturday, July 16th, BC was present in full force at the Latina Leaders banquet.

Maria Wright, Isabek Castaneda, Sonya Christian

Sonya Christian, Evette Lara, Isabel Castaneda

This is my second year attending the event and I am even more impressed by the work they do. For more information check out their website at http://kernlatinas.com/. Congratulations to ISABEL BRAVO, LOURDES VARGAS NILON, and GABRIELA MELLO on their recognition.

Norma Rojas-Mora, Gabriela Mello

Isabel Bravo, Lourdes Nilon Vargas

Norma Rojas Mora the president of Latina Leaders is a remarkable woman who in on our Bakersfield College Foundation Board of Directors and she is also the co-chair of the Community Connections group and the Blue Ribbon Committee on the Bakersfield College bond measure.

Here are the Bakersfield College folks who attended: Isabel Casteneda, Evette Lara, Janet Tarjan, Maria Wright, Paul Beckworth. Thank you Karen Goh for the photos. You are a good friend of Bakersfield College.

Check out my post from last year’s Latina Leaders banquet when Lisa Kent and Camilla Chavez were among the recipients of the leadership award.
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2015/07/12/somos-el-colegio-de-bakersfield/

Staff Retreats

Summers at Bakersfield College involve less instructional time, which gives the staff and administrators an opportunity to meet for one-day on-campus retreats. These provide a foundation for fostering positive connections, critical planning, and preparing our teams to better support the needs of the faculty and students.

Entertaining themes for these retreats keep everyone refreshed as group activities, informational talks, and fun competitions re-energize and re-focus everyone for a new academic year.

Check out more photos from our summer retreats at https://bakersfieldcollege.smugmug.com/2016-Retreats/.

It’s hard to believe – we are beginning to count down the days until opening day of Fall 2016!

Here is a picture of my Cabinet during our retreat in June.

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya ….. with Maggie who is visiting for two days.

Building A Better BC

Uncategorized July 16, 2016 Comments: 3

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on July 14, 2016 the KCCD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to have a $503 M bond measure on the November ballot. A historic moment!

Board Meeting July 14 2016

The next day, Friday, July 15th, Bakersfield woke up to an amazing coverage of this decision on TV and in The Bakersfield Californian.

Enjoy the two pieces in the Californian — An article by Harold Pierce on page 2 and an endorsement opinion piece by Mayor Harvey Hall.

You can read Harold Pierce‘s article here: http://tinyurl.com/zu6r7l6

I also want to thank Mayor Harvey Hall, for his endorsement of the bond measure published here http://tinyurl.com/hdvx7b4

TBC_HarveyHall_7.15.2016

Mayor Hall also spoke in support of the bond at Thursday’s meeting. In his speech, he strongly encouraged the KCCD Board of Trustees to “Dream big for future students” and “be bold in our decisions.”

One moment in his speech that stood out to me was when he requested that Board members pause to think about the number of lives that have been changed because of attending Bakersfield College… And again to think about the number of families who have been impacted because someone in that family earned a degree or certificate at BC. He said, “Bakersfield College IS a return on investment!”

Following Mayor Harvey Hall, BC Student Government Association President Matthew Frazer took the stand.

Matthew Frazer addresses the Board of Trustees – and a packed crowd of BC supporters!

He opened by sharing memories and experiences he’s had “…growing up in a city where everyone can call Bakersfield College home.”

He made almost everyone in the room smile or chuckle when he spoke of our campus by saying… “The 1950s look is simply not cutting it for me anymore.”

Wesley Lyons, one of our student veterans, also shared his thoughts.

Wesley Lyons returns to his seat after his speech.

“A statistic some of you may have heard, is that 22 veterans commit suicide per day. Their suicides are damaging to our community and opened my eyes that we need more direct services dedicated to these brothers and sisters. And while the campus community can help to Band-Aid it together, there are still lingering effects. The new Veteran Recourse Center will have a larger dedicated space for Veterans to come together to share, support, and most importantly to decompress. The space will also have dedicated tutors for soldiers who have not been dedicated learners in four plus years, and increased administrative support such as additional advisors to cope with an increasing demand for veteran specific knowledge. As a veteran I can tell you, that sometimes I need to know there is a space I can rely on that will help me calm my nerves and where like-minded support will be there for me to relate to.”

The room was packed and the message was clear: Dream Big – our future and the future of the students who attend BC depend on it. The support thus far has been overwhelming and the excitement bursts around us.

BC’s Bond Blue Ribbon Committee came out in full force to support the Board in taking this action. I was sitting up front, so could not see everyone who was in the packed room. So let me mention a few: Mayor Harvey Hall, Congressman Bill Thomas, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jay Rosenlieb, Karen Thompson, Michael Bowers, Jay Tamsi, Keith Wolaridge, Michael O’Doherty, Michael Turnipseed and others.

Mayor Harvey Hall

Congressman Bill Thomas

Arvin was present and attendees distributed shirts that said #BCinArvin and many supporters put them on instantly. City Manager Al Noyola addressed the Board along with Jennifer Wood the Director of Building Healthy Communities. City Council Member Jose Gurrola, an alum of BC, was also present.

You can see more photos online at http://tinyurl.com/z2n6cj3

Arvin

Last weekend, I shared a bit about a recent visit to Shafter, but today I’d like to explore our neighbor to the southeast, Arvin – and the good things happening there with BC.

Arvin is a beautiful city with a long history of crops, cattle, and oil. Located about 15 miles to the southeast, this Garden in the Sun was named after a land owner’s son from Ohio named Arvin Richardson. The city is frammed by mountains along three sides and surrounded by fertile farmlands so it’s not surprising this small town boomed throughout the decades into a major center of agriculture.

Many families relocated to Arvin during the dust bowl period or “the dirty thirties,” including Dr. Jim Young’s family. Arvin has been his home ever since, even commuting daily to Bakersfield during his time at the KHSD AND KCCD. It was mentioned in an article on Bakersfield.com that he “loved making the drive each morning and afternoon” until his retirement in 1999. (http://tinyurl.com/zb3coc3)

bc_pres_arvin Like cities across Kern County, Arvin is growing and so are the educational needs of the city. BC first offered 6-8 courses at Arvin High School in 2010-11 increasing the number of courses to 23 by 2014-15. We began implementing 1+1+2 Game Changer this year resulting in an even further increasing number of courses for fall 2016. (Take a moment to check out my August 5, 2015 blog about the Game Changer program http://tinyurl.com/hkm2p6y. A big thank you to Michael Turnipseed and Supervisor Leticia Perez for making this happen.) With limited space at the current Arvin High School location, BC is investigating alternative facilities to offer classes and services for the rising Arvin student body.

This plan has great urgency as we discovered Arvin High School is preparing for a 16% increase in freshman this fall. This makes AHS the second largest school in the KCCD service area. Arvin and Lamont are among the most densely populated townships in Kern County ranging from 3,500 to 4000 citizens per square mile and have a thirty-percent poverty rate that challenges any in our nation. The education needs of this underprivileged community are an equity issue that has our immediate focus.

BC’s Drumline and Bugle Corps

Saturday, July 16th, night at the Memorial Stadium was magical. The crescent moon was brilliant on this clear night as the seven Drum Corps teams from across California competed at Bakersfield College with over 2000 spectators in the stands.

Impulse – Buena Park, CA; Incognito – Garden Grove, CA; Watchmen – Riverside, CA; Blue Devils C – Concord, CA; Blue Devils B – Concord, CA; Vanguard Cadets – Santa Clara, CA; Golden Empire – Bakersfield, CA

Check out 16 seconds of the BC Drumline sound:

A group of us attended the event and it was so much fun. With the hectic pace of work for everyone, I cannot remember the last time I did something social with a group. Was wonderful seeing my good friend Karen Goh and catching up with her after such a long time. It was an evening of great music, lots of laughter and tons of selfies. Thank you for coming out and celebrating BC — Kimberly Bligh, Bobby Bligh, Janet Tarjan, Nick Strobel, Lisa Strobel, Jay Rosenlieb, and Karen Goh.

For more pictures check out Karen Goh’s Facebook photos at http://tinyurl.com/zt33hqj

Tim Heasley has done an amazing job starting up Bakersfield College’s Gold Empire Drum and Bugle Corps. His passion and expertise has taken grown the group to 323 member, brass, percussion and visual performers. Last night BC’s Corps competed in the DCI ‘Resound” and placed third. That is quite an accomplishment for a group in their third year. Check out a video tribute to Tim Heasley from a high school classmate from West High who was sitting right behind us.

Mary Jo July 16 2016 And what can I say about Mary Jo Pasek. She works hard, she is everywhere, she is dedicated to BC and she is dedicated to this community. Mary Jo tirelessly promotes the community and BC on social media. She tirelessly works events even if it means giving our community members rides from their cars to the event in 102 degree temperatures. She tirelessly volunteers her services for numerous good causes across the community. Mary Jo, thank you for all that you do. I am so glad you are at BC. #WeAreBC.

Also a special thanks to our stellar maintenance and public safety staff for making this event happen last night in our Memorial Stadium. Chief Counts and Bill Potter please say a big thank you from me to your staff.

Chevron Retirees

On Friday, I really enjoyed presenting to the Chevron Retirees Association along with Karen Thompson. It was a great great group with a lot of stories about Bakersfield College. I enjoyed visiting with both Betty Bean and Janice Meek. Janice grew up in Lamont, attended Arvin High School and then came to BC where she was a Chamber singer. Janice retired this December as an Area Manager at Chevron and worked at Chevron for a total of 25 years.

Chevron Retirees Association

Sonya Christian, Janice Meek

Sonya Christian, Betty Bean, Karen Thompson

[Talking about Chamber Singers, did you see the July 6, 2016 article by Stefani Dias in the Californian about the play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Stars Theater? http://www.bakersfield.com/entertainment/2016/07/06/technicolor-dreams-at-stars.html. There was a shout out the BC’s Chamber Singers. Here is the line: “The show is a mix of seasoned performers and new faces, Forzetting said, including members of Bakersfield College’s chamber choir.”]

Chevron was the recipient of the Bakersfield College Foundation award for philanthropy.

Here are some previous blog posts about Chevron:

Feb 4, 2013: Thank you Chevron:
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2013/02/04/thank-you-chevron/

April 9, 2016: BC and the Community –Relationship Runs Deep:
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/04/09/bc-and-the-community-relationship-runs-deep/

May 28, 2016: It Is The Best of Times
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/05/28/it-is-the-best-of-times/

June 25, 2016: Celebrating Our People:
https://bcpresidentblog.com/2016/06/25/celebrating-our-people/

Rocky, the Raccoon

An unexpected guest made his way to the north side of the Admin building on Thursday morning. Officer Marco Sifuentes and Ramon Puga worked simultaneously to get our little Raccoon the help he needed and by that afternoon, a team from the Animal Capture Wildlife Control came to help our little friend.

And good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday July 16, 2016 and a good day to be a Renegade.

That’s all for now.

Until next Saturday.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya ….. the luckiest and happiest college president in the whole world

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!

Making a Difference for our community & students

Uncategorized April 23, 2016 Comments: 2

Good morning Bakersfield. It is Saturday, April 24th. A good day to be a Renegade.

Feels great to be back home after being on the road for two weeks – Berkeley, Washington DC, San Diego. Looking forward to my exercise class at 9:30 a.m. which I have missed for several weeks. Besides my class in the morning, I plan on catching up on emails etc at home, two faculty interviews on skype and an event this evening. Talking about faculty interviews, I am excited that BC will be hiring a total of 39 faculty to start in August 2016. What an amazing opportunity. It is indeed a good time to be at BC!

In my blog last week, I shared with you about the Guided Pathways work that a team from BC was doing in Washington DC. You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/zq24br5

Jubilant in San Diego after my presentation

Earlier this week, I was in San Diego presenting at the ASU GSV summit. This was my very first non-education conference in a long time, and I learned a lot from the different sessions. The conference focused on the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and education. I found myself walking the waterfront wrestling with the ideas presented at the conference. Just wonderful. Mostly what became clear to me is that Bakersfield College has the right ingredients to accomplish the goal for all students to have equal opportunities to advance their learning and engagement. Talented faculty and staff, who are hard working, passionate and dedicated to the students and the college.

The keynotes (excerpted from the conference website):

Bill Gates 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Condoleezza Rice 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Bill Gates: He revolutionized global computing as we know it and is now a philanthropist investing in health globally and education in the United States.

Condoleezza Rice: Former Secretary of State and currently the Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business

Common: Common is one of Hollywood’s most sought after leading men and is a world-renowned lyricist, actor and entertainment icon.

Jim Collins: Legendary author of the book from “Good to Great”. An influential expert on leadership and how to build great, enduring businesses.

Anant Agarwal 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Rick Levin 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Anant Agarwal is the CEO of edX, an online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT. Anant taught the first edX course on circuits and electronics from MIT, which drew 155,000 students from 162 countries. He has served as the director of CSAIL, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.

Rick Levin is the Chief Executive Officer of Coursera. In 2013, he completed a twenty-year term as President of Yale University, during which time he played an integral role in growing the University’s programs, resources and reputation internationally.

Stanley McChrystal 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Sal khan: Salman Khan is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Khan Academy, a not-for-profit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy is a learning platform which is comprised of instructional videos, practice exercises, dashboard analytics and teacher tools which empower learners in and outside of the classroom to study at their own pace.

Stanley McChrystal: Described by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as “perhaps the finest leader in combat” he has ever seen, four-star general (retired) Stanley McChrystal is the former commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan and the former commander of the premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).

Michael Crow 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Ted Mitchell 2016summit_speakers_headshots

Michael M. Crow is an academic leader and educator, designer of knowledge enterprises, and science and technology policy scholar. He has been the sixteenth president of Arizona State University since July, 2002. He is guiding the transformation of ASU into one of the nation’s leading public metropolitan research universities, an institution that combines the highest levels of academic excellence, inclusiveness to a broad demographic, and maximum societal impact—a model he designed known as the “New American University.”

Ted Mitchell is the Undersecretary of Education. He has served in this post since his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on May 8, 2014, following his nomination by President Barack Obama on Oct. 31, 2013. Mitchell reports to Acting Secretary of Education John King and oversees policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education, adult, career and technical education, federal student aid, five White House Initiatives — Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Educational Excellence for African Americans, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and American Indian and Alaska Native Education— and the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

I was part of a panel (Jim Shelton-President of 2U; Susan Cates-COO of 2U; Bror Saxberg-Chief Learning Officer of Kaplan) that presented on the Value of Higher Edcuation: Outcomes that Matter. Here is the program blurb.

Free higher education via MOOCs or government programs are dominating higher education conversations. Meanwhile, emerging transparency and accountability regimes and the rapidly evolving expectations of students, faculty, institutions and employers are forcing post secondary institutions to demonstrate and in cases defend their value. How will the value of education be measured? How will providers prove their worth and to whom? If it is still the responsibility of universities to deliver the fundamentals that enable students to succeed and society to advance, which outcomes matter most?

I had the opportunity to brag about our faculty, staff and administrators at BC. An easy task since there is so much that is being accomplished across the 153-acre stretch of the campus on Panorama Drive as well as at our Delano Campus, locations at the Weill downtown, Fresno Pacific in the southwest, at Arvin High as well as across our online course and program offerings. There are so many accomplishments by our approximately 26,000 students and approximately 1000 employees. Did I already tell you that it is a good time to be at BC?

Remembering Caren Floyd

Caren Floyd on Bakersfield College Equity TV

Bakersfield College lost a truly inspirational alum on April 2nd when Caren Floyd died of Ovarian Cancer at 71.

But she packed a lot of life into her years, and made the most of her time on Earth.

On the April 4 episode of “Success and Equity on BCTV”, host Francis Mayer remembered Floyd’s visit to the show a little over a year ago, and shared memories of Caren with guest Karen Goh.

Karen Goh on Bakersfield College Success and Equity TV

In 1980, Caren was working as an attendance clerk at Highland High School, when she decided to pursue a teaching career. But first she met with a guidance counselor at BC who was stunned by the transferable credits she’d piled up while raising her family.

She was quick to praise the mentors and folks who invested energy in her, like the guidance counselor at BC who urged her to transfer to CSUB, and Dr. Carl Miller who guided her through to the next level and wouldn’t give up until she got her Doctorate of Philosophy in Education from Claremont McKenna!

Floyd started her educational journey at BC in 1967, and got her P.h.D in 1995. She did it one class per semester for many years, and important to her success, she allowed others to help her along the way.

Karen Goh pointed out that Floyd was honored more than once for giving back to the community that educated and invested in her, and that those investments we make in others are what change lives and improve our society.

Goh worked with community-based non-profit Garden Pathways before being appointed to serve as Fifth District Supervisor by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After completing that term of service, she returned to Garden Pathways where she currently serves as President and CEO. Karen Goh is a great friend of education and Bakersfield College.

You can watch our EquityTV segments online. Karen Goh’s segment is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-jNggke2Ek, and Caren Floyd’s is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3adYlajKkmA.

Financial Empowerment

This week, Achieving the Dream and Bakersfield College announced that BC will receive $25,000 over a two-year period to expand and strengthen financial empowerment activities designed to strengthen students’ money management skills and knowledge. Bakersfield College is one of the five community colleges in the ATD network that are receiving grants to expand student financial empowerment efforts.

Thank you so much to Jennifer Achan, Connie Garza, Claudio Felix, and the rest of our amazing Financial Aid team for bringing this fabulous opportunity to our students!

Connie Garza, Claudio Felix, Jennifer Achan

Alpha Phi Alpha Black honors Paula Parks

BC Colleagues supporting Paula Parks

Earlier this month, BC English Professor Paula Parks was honored at the Alpha Phi Alpha Black and Gold Scholarship Banquet. She received the fraternity’s Community Service Award in part for her work with ASTEP (African-American Success Through Excellence and Persistence).

ASTEP is a program that integrates academics, support services and African-American culture. The program aims to develop students into leaders and role models in their college and larger community.

Kate Harvey Josie Sonya Jackie April 2016.jpg

Kate Pluta, Harvey Warren, Josie Triplett, Sonya Christian, Jackie Fisher

Many from BC turned out to support Paula as she received her award. It was a pleasure to see retired colleagues Harvey Warren (Counseling), Jackie Fisher (BC Fire Tech & Dean and AVC President), and Josie Triplett (Child Development). Harvey Warren was on the hiring committee in 1991 that hired me as a math faculty right out of graduate school. What a memory. I love BC!

For more on ASTEP at Bakersfield College, check out https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/student/astep.

Dream Builders

Mickie Hay and the 2016 Dream Builders

On April 7th I was invited by Chad Manning to be one of the judges at the Dream Builder’s program by the Ford Foundation. What a treat! Everything about the program is inspiring — the quality of the students, the program design by Mickie Hay, the efficiency with with the event on April 7th was conducted….all top notch. In the end there was a surprise check of $32,000 presented, $1000 going to every student in this year-long program. Jennifer Marden, one of my colleagues at Bakersfield College, told me that her son Connor was was in the program last year said that it was the best thing that happened to him. Mickie Hay, you totally rock!

Enjoyed hanging out with the judges for the program — Bryon Schaefer, Superintendent of Kern High; Kevin Charette of KGET, and Chris Frazier, Superintendent of KCSOS. I learned that Kevin is the co-founder of the “Thumbs-Up, Cancer-Down” non-profit that was established in 2014. Pretty cool.

Bryon Schaefer Sonya Christian Kevin Charette Chris Frazier April 7 2016.jpg

Judges–Bryon Schaefer, Sonya Christian, Kevin Charette, Chris Frazier

Check out these two pieces in The Bakersfield Californian about the Dream Builders Program and about Mickie Hay:

Dream Builders…Building a better Bakersfield. Nov 27, 2013: http://tinyurl.com/j4dwkgl

Bakersfield’s behind-the-scenes Dream Builder. May 31, 2014: http://tinyurl.com/zbfz4m5

John Boydstun at Kern Kiwanis April 7 2016

with John Boydstun

Kern Kiwanis Club and the Boydstuns:

Earlier that afternoon on April 7th, I spoke to the Kern Kiwanis Club about What’s New at BC. I really enjoyed the camaraderie in the club and was thrilled to connect with the Boydstuns — Jay, Midge and John. Here I am with John Boydstun one of the biggest supporters of BC.

Check out the blog on December 19, 2015 that includes all the three Boydstuns. You are…BC! We are…BC! http://tinyurl.com/hozrypd

Nursing students and BoyScouts

I wanted to share a photo that Jay Rosenlieb sent me this week. Our BC students joined the Boy Scouts to support Hoffmann Hospice at their Voices of Inspiration event held on April 20 at Rabobank Civic Center. Voice of Inspiration is an annual event to raise awareness about hospice services, and to raise funds for Hoffman’s patients & programs.

It’s so wonderful when we are able to go out and give support back to the community. Hopefully many of these Boy Scouts will be Renegades someday!

BC and the community – relationship runs deep

Uncategorized April 9, 2016 Comments: 8

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

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

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

Mary Trichell, Sonya Christian, Carla Musser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Alvidrez, Chevron

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

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

Carla Musser (right), Chevron

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

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

Thank you Chevron!

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

Sterling Sponsor:

Mary Trichell — Of course!

Silver Sponsor:

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

Bronze sponsor:

Phil and Debby Rosenthal

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://tinyurl.com/hl8n9pm

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

Sonya Lorraine Cook and Jerry Cook March 31 2016

Sonya Christian with Lauraine & Jerry Cook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sonya and Vince Fong

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

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

Michael Bowers, Sonya Christian

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

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

Kyle Carter, Kim Mcabee

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

Romeo Agbalog and Lily Perez March 31 2016.jpg

Romeo Agbalog, Lily Perez

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

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

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

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

Ingrid and JP Lake

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

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

Mary Trichell, Karen Goh, Billie Jo Medders

Mike and Nancy Turnipseed

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

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

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

The Force is with….BC! We are….BC!

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