Last weekend, all eyes were on Hollywood during the 95th Academy Awards. What fun to see a Indian Telugu song “Naatu Naatu” from the movie RRR take the Oscar for the Best Original song. History making as the first Indian movie song to win an Oscar.

And, I absolutely can’t wait to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once with Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Yeoh winning Oscars — a total of seven Oscars for the movie.

Here is the trailer.

=====

And spring has arrived after a wet winter, with nature responding in all its glory.

Check out visitors in the backyard pool.

Over the last five years I have been watching a beautiful tree in our neighbors front yard go through the cycle of shedding leaves in the fall, going dormant in the winter, coming back to life in spring and providing glorious shade in the hot summers. I enjoy this tree every morning and evening during my Neo walks. This week, I thought I would snap a photo and chronicle its annual rebirth. Here is a first photo, March 15, 2023.

Here is a post from Nick Strobel bragging about the flowers in his front yard – African Daisies, and the first patch of poppies:

Good morning friends.
It is March 18, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD.

Porterville College

PC Writer and Poet Speaker Series Kicks Off Spring Events

The PC Writer & Poet Series proudly announces the next in its year-long series of presentations from some of the most amazing authors and poets working today.  On March 28^th, we will welcome Erika Sánchez for a virtual event.

Erika L. Sánchez is a novelist, poet, feminist, and cheerleader for young women everywhere. Her most recent book is “Crying in the Bathroom” which Publisher’s Weekly called, “another satisfying addition to Sánchez’s deeply moving body of works.” She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Young Adult novel, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the acclaimed debut poetry collection, “Lessons in Expulsion”, which the Washington Post called “a fierce, assertive debut”.

Sánchez’s poems have appeared in many literary journals, including Poets.org, Vinyl Poetry, Guernica, diode, Boston Review, the Paris Review, Gulf Coast, POETRY Magazine, and The New York Times Magazine.

When asked about her work, she states, “What I hope people gain from my work is a sense of beauty, a way of looking at the world that is different—a shift of perspective developing a sensibility in which beauty is the basis of your life. That’s how I approach writing, always: it’s all about the truth, and truth and beauty are one and the same for me.”

To register for this virtual event, visit: https://tinyurl.com/ywypwhfc

SAVE THE DATE: The Job Fair Returns to PC on April 18

We are excited to announce that Porterville College, the Workforce Investment Board, and Porterville Adult School are once again collaborating to bring the 2nd Annual Joint Job Fair to Porterville College!

This event will take place Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm in the PC Quad.

Over 1000 jobs will be available from a wide range of employers! This event will be held outdoors and is open to the public.

PC Students Tour UC Merced

This past week PC staff took a group of students for a tour of the UC Merced campus. Students got a full campus tour and then listened to a student panel on the UC Merced experience. They also learned about dorm life, student life, and the services available to students, among other things, as they enjoyed the beautiful day in Merced. The day was more than just a chance to get away from the rainy skies and flooding of Porterville, giving real insight into what could become the fruits of their success at Porterville College.

Cerro Coso Community College

CC Marketplace addresses food insecurity

Have you checked out CC Marketplace? CC Marketplace was created to address food insecurity for students. It is Cerro Coso’s belief that no student should have to learn on an empty stomach. Bags of food and hygiene resources are for ANY student who may want it. There are no requirements to receiving a bag of food or hygiene resources, CC wants to make sure food and toiletries go to ANYONE who needs them.

We have the CC Marketplace program at all of our Cerro Coso campuses:

– IWV/Ridgecrest: room 145, across from the fountain on the first floor.

– ESCC Bishop/Mammoth: contact your counselor for more information!

– East Kern/Tehachapi: contact your counselor for more information!

Click here: https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/cc-marketplace for more information!

Cerro Coso Outreach Visits Burroughs High School

In between answering questions and letting everyone know about this week’s Virtual Open House, the Cerro Coso Outreach team challenged an endless string of brave burros to a few intense rounds of Roshambo.

Check out the video below!

Bakersfield College

Delano Learning Resource Center Nearing Completion

Construction for the new Learning Resource Center at the Delano Campus is nearing completion! The new facility is expected to hold classes beginning in the fall, and the two-story, 40,000-square-foot multipurpose center will feature 9 lecture classrooms, 2 computer labs, and 2 HyFlex classrooms. It will also feature plenty of resources for students to take advantage of, like a library, writing center, tutoring center, and faculty/staff office space. The LRC will offer designated spaces for comprehensive student services including counseling, advising, DSPS, student employment, and financial aid to support the needs and future student growth throughout the Delano and Northern Kern community.

2023 Spring Play Festival at BC

BC’s Theater Program announced the details of the 2023 Spring Play Festival, featuring four contemporary plays directed by BC Theatre students. The festival will run from March 22nd to April 2nd with all shows taking place in the Edward Simonsen Indoor Theatre at Bakersfield College. 

The first weekend will feature the critically-acclaimed and widely produced play ART by Yasmina Reza, directed by Victoria Gomez, playing March 22nd, 24th, and 25th. Also showing in the first weekend is Neil LaBute’s contemporary classic Reasons to be Pretty, directed by Liz Bomar, on March 23rd, 25th, and 26th.

The second weekend will feature  Alan Ball’s comedy Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, directed by Marina Gradowitz, playing March 29th, 31st, and April 1st. Along with it, Diana Son’s Stop Kiss, directed by Manuela Torres-Orejuela, plays March 30th, April 1st, and 2nd. Please note that all four of these plays contain strong language, adult themes, and discussions of sensitive issues. No one under 14 is permitted.

Purchase your tickets and come support BC’s Theater students as they begin to explore directing early in their education! 

BC Outreach Hosts Workshops for Graduating High School Students

BC Outreach held a New Renegade workshop on campus for graduating high school seniors. During the event, advisors shared information with our incoming Renegades about successfully getting started on campus, including: Bridge to BC, Financial Aid, how to view their Starfish CSEP, how to register, and so much more! Over 40 students and their parents came to learn what BC has to offer during their educational journey.  Those who attended qualified for Priority Registration for summer and fall 2023! Outreach and over 100 BC staff will lead Registration Rocks at over 30 high schools, assisting students with registering for their courses.

Transfer Pathways Partners with CSUB

Transfer Pathways invited the CSUB Admissions and Outreach team to BC on March 8th to meet  with students and answer questions regarding admissions requirements, upcoming events, and programs available when the students are ready to transfer! 

KernCCD Presents at Kern Tax Board

A team from KernCCD – including Romeo Agbalog, Kylie Campbell, and Steven Watkin – presented on Dual Enrollment and the Early College Program to the Kern Tax Board this week.

Here’s a note from KCCD Chancellor Emeritus & incoming Interim Chancellor Tom Burke, who is on the Kern Tax Board:

“Romeo, Kylie and Steven did an excellent job representing and presenting the program.  It was very well received by the Association with the District receiving many compliments for the success and effectiveness of the program.”

Kern CCD District IT Cloud Team Earns Award

Kern CCD DO IT Cloud team earns CISOA Technology Excellence award by moving all our applications to the cloud! We are the first district in the state to accomplish this task providing significant benefits in scalability, agility, security, and business continuity. 

Starting in 2018, KCCD’s Core Cloud Team consisting of Mike Arnold, Suyun Ding, Dana Tusaw, Joseph White, Patrick Ferree, Justin Wallace, Armando Martinez, Ian Mason, Hernando Mondragon, and Marco Galvez and with the help of additional team members, embarked on a Journey to identify as many on-premise IT applications and services as possible for migration to our AWS cloud.    

The team embraced and preserved through many challenges along the way including learning new skills, building out and optimizing KCCD’s AWS environment, automating deployment, addressing Security requirements, and optimizing costs all while managing day-to-day reactive duties such as Network/Systems troubleshooting and Help Desk tickets. 

The Journey culminated in June 2022 with a tally of 147 applications migrated and 13 new applications deployed to AWS cloud environment including AWS AppStream for remote Instructional use.   

In the News

Community Voices: Longevity — a wish come true

Dr. Brijesh Bhambi penned this Community Voices piece for The Bakersfield Californian.

“In a long-term Harvard study, a random variable demonstrated more power than a diet. A goal and passion in life, along with companionship, mattered more. It’s been correctly stated that the key to longevity is relationships, relationships, relationships.”

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Lincoln Day Dinner 2023 at the Bakersfield Marriott:

Check out these pictures from PC Day at Staffords – PC staff were on hand to answer questions and help those new students get started with classes this summer or fall.

And here’s the KernCCD team at the Chief Student Services Officers Conference:

***

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

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

This week Kern CCD celebrated Black History Month with a Breakfast Celebration. We enjoyed an amazing program, great food, and fellowship. Thank you Steve Watkin and the planning team!

The district also recognized Dee Slade, Pastor Hayward Cox, and Nick Hill for their extraordinary service to our community.

And on Wednesday, the Kern CCD Board of Trustees announced that Chancellor Emeritus Tom Burke will serve as interim chancellor, and BC Interim President Zav Dadabhoy as deputy chancellor, when I begin my new position in June.

Our Board President, Trustee Agbalog commented:

“Whether increasing student enrollment and achievement, expansion of classes and programs, or development of new innovative projects to build and strengthen our local area workforce, the Board of Trustees knows that it is critical to have the right leadership in place that knows our community, understands the needs of our students, has institutional knowledge and deep understanding of our district and its mission to keep our work going, this is the same type of work that has earned our district statewide and national acclaim,” said Romeo Agbalog, Kern CCD Board President. “The Board of Trustees is confident that Tom Burke and Dr. Dadabhoy will keep Kern CCD at the forefront of driving continuous innovation to meet the academic, workforce and industry needs of our communities,” Agbalog said.

Good morning friends.
It is March 4, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

CHAP Highlights Mayan Culture at Latest Event

Dr. Ed Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center, spoke on “Maya Hieroglyphs-The Story of How the Code was Finally Broken” for the latest CHAP event, this past Friday, March 3, 2023, from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.

The Porterville College Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) was organized in 2002 to enhance students’ awareness of certain important aspects of our society to which they may previously have had little or no exposure.

Maya Exploration Center Director Dr. Ed Barnhart is a renowned American archaeologist who has appeared on History Channel, Discovery Channel, and in multiple documentary films. He is a Fellow of the Explorer Club and a widely recognized authority on ancient astronomy, mathematics, and calendar systems.

During his over 25 years in American archaeology, he’s discovered the ancient city of Ma’ax Na in Belize, mapped over 4,000 ancient buildings, and published over a dozen articles and books.

Cerro Coso Community College

Cerro Coso Outreach visits Burroughs High School

As part of Cerro Coso’s continued effort of increasing visibility, expanding access to our incredible services and offerings, and engaging our local communities—the Outreach department made the first of its scheduled bi-weekly lunch visits to Burroughs High School.

They had so much fun speaking and hanging out with the amazing BHS students. Conversations were had about their future plans and countless Cerro Coso swag items were won thanks to our hypnotic Spinning Prize Wheel.

SSUC Students Give Back

The SSUC Club (Student Services United Club) at Cerro Coso Community College is trying to gather donations now until the end of March for the Ridgecrest Women’s Shelter.

Please scan the QR code or click this link: https://www.amazon.com/…/ls/2YI80CUE8YIIR/ref=cm_go_nav_hz to view list of needed supplies.

Feel free to reach out to Renee Santamaria or Rachel Barksdale with the Access Programs at 760-384-6250 for additional information about giving donations.

Bakersfield College

BC Represented at the Chamber of Commerce Galas

Faculty and campus leaders attended both the Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce Gala as well as the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Gala in February.

BC’s NaTesha Johnson and Professor Olivia Garcia served as emcee/presenter respectively, and we are so proud to see our campus and district represented so well. The partnerships we have forged with these organizations have been a huge part of creating an environment in which our students can learn and become the next leaders of business and entrepreneurship in our community.

BC Student Awarded Law Scholarship

Viridiana Santa Cruz of Bakersfield College has been awarded the $1000 Ruthe Ashley Pathway to Law Scholarship for her outstanding commitment to her education and her passion for the law. Viridiana, a student in the Pre-Law Program, is pursuing her dreams despite the many barriers she has had to overcome. Viridiana was born in Pueblo Viejo, Mexico and moved to the United States with her family when she was just 7 years old. She graduated from Mira Monte High School in Bakersfield and is now a full-time student at Bakersfield College majoring in American Sign Language and Political Science. Viridiana is a single parent to a 6-year-old daughter and works full-time to support her family. Her drive and dedication to her education has not gone unnoticed by her professor, Christian Zoller, who credits her with being an “outstanding student and a class leader”. 

BC Alum and Quarterback Hired to Coach Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has assembled his staff of 6 coaches, including BC’s very own Logan Kilgore, who will serve as Quality Control/Passing game Coordinator. From the time he played in high school, Kilgore has been credited with having obvious leadership qualities. During his time at BC he was known for playing a particularly cerebral game of football. His strategy was calculated, earning him 2,512 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. 

We are all looking forward to the continued successful career of a fellow Renegade!

Chancellor’s Seminar Series

This week, we continued the Chancellor’s Seminar Series with “Fueling Faculty Fires for Learning: How Side Projects Impact the Classroom Experience.”

Porterville College’s Bob Simpkins led the discussion with panelists Matt Andrasian-Jones (BC), Matt Flummer (PC), Ben Makino (PC), and Yvonne Mills (CCCC).

Check out this video from the seminar:

Bob also shared information about the upcoming TALE Fest, which will be held on April 14.

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

I’d like to share a few more photos from last week’s Board of Governors announcement:

Kern CCD was out in full force to support Kris Tiner at the CSUB Hall of Fame:

Ricardo Marmolejo, PC’s Director of Equity and Student Success, shared this post:

A huge congratulations to our @PCollegePirates Puente faculty, Dustin, Patty, and Elizabeth on completing year one and earning their stoles during @PuenteProject’s 40th anniversary.

PC’s Puente Team: Patricia Serrato, Dr. Dustin Acres, Dr. Elizabeth Buchannan

Check out this photo of the foothills from the BC Panorama campus at the end of the recent storm. What a beautiful place to be.

And Cerro Coso shared this update after their storms:

Today, our ESCC Mammoth Campus is finally able to dig the sidewalks out from the crazy storms that have occurred the past couple of days. There is currently 10 FEET of snow built up outside the front doors of the campus. Stay SAFE and WARM out there to our Mammoth Lakes students and community

Blast from the Past

In honor of Women’s History Month, I wanted to share this video from Bakersfield College’s Closing Week 2020, when we honored Sandi Taylor with a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award:

*****

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

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Like many of you, last Sunday I tuned in for Super Bowl LVII. What a game. I particularly tune in for the performances …. so here they are for you once again ….. sit back and enjoy!

Check out these videos on the NFL’s YouTube channel:

Lift Every Voice and Sing

performed by Sheryl Lee Ralph

=====

Babyface sings America the Beautiful

=====

National Anthem – Chris Stapleton

=====

And of course, the Halftime show with Rihanna

=====

What amazing talent!

*****

This week, Kern CCD hosted the first-ever Kern Community College Districtwide Conference. Born out of the KCCD Leadership Academy, this conference will provide universal sessions that promote district collaboration and innovation between classified, management, faculty, and adjunct staff.

Colleagues from across the district met at Bakersfield College for a day of meaningful engagement.

Check out the welcome remarks – special thanks to Roger Perez from Porterville College for serving as emcee!

Good morning friends.
It is February 18, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

PC Athletics has 79 student-athletes named to fall honor roll

Porterville College athletics is proud to announce that 79 student-athletes were named to the fall honor roll by earning a 3.0 grade point average or higher.

Porterville College Director of Athletic Joe Cascio is excited for the success of his student-athletes off the field.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our student-athletes for their hard work and dedication in the classroom,” said Cascio. “Our entire staff has created a culture where academic success is encouraged, supported, and celebrated. All of our student-athletes have fully embraced that culture.”

Of the 79 student-athletes, 26 earned Dean’s List honors with a GPA of 3.0-3.49 while 53 achieved President’s Honor with a 3.5-4.0 GPA.

A complete list of student-athlete recognized on the honor roll is below:

PC Welcomes New Executive Director of Maintenance and Operations

Please join Porterville College in welcoming the new Executive Director of Maintenance and Operations, Fernando Jimenez!

Fernando Jimenez joins the PC team with over 13 years of experience at a community college campus, supporting maintenance and operations with expertise in custodial management. Prior to PC, Fernando worked at State Center Community College District as part of the administrative team, serving as the on-site district liaison for construction, and maintenance & operations. Fernando has participated in the planning and development of bond projects including academic and Career Technical Education (CTE) buildings.

Additionally, Fernando has coordinated and supported the arrangements of many college-related events such as commencement, extreme registration week, convocation, and other student-related events. Fernando is proud of his role in creating avenues for student success and was involved in Guided Pathways implementation at his previous campus. He worked closely with the Financial Aid department in developing a student worker mentoring program.

Fernando has managed teams of multiple sizes and focuses on a student-centered approach with proactive communication and collegiality. Prior to his years working in higher education, he served on a K-12 campus for 4 years providing leadership and guidance to a custodial department. Fernando has worked in sales in the private industry, including 12 years at Pepsi Co. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to the formation and management of a successful distributing business for over a decade.

For many years, Fernando has coached and volunteered in numerous roles, including board member and president, of various Youth Softball organizations.

Fernando joins us with much enthusiasm and a desire to be a resourceful member of the team.

Cerro Coso Community College

CORE Ensemble: Of Ebony Embers – Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance

A chamber music theatre work for actor and trio celebrating the lives of the great African American poets, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay as seen through the eyes of the great muralist and painter Aaron Douglas. The musical score includes works by jazz giants Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Strayhorn, Thelonius Monk, and Charles Mingus as well as concert music by Jeffrey Mumford and George Walker.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 | 6pm to 8pm (Virtual)

Please sign up for this virtual performance today! » www.cerrocoso.edu/ofebonyembers

(You will receive the performance link a few hours before the event at the email used to sign-up.)

Visit the Core Ensemble website to learn more about this performance group.

Work with Naval Security Forces or Ridgecrest Police Department!

Naval Security Forces are doing on the spot interviews during this event, and Ridgecrest Police Department will be taking applications!

Cerro Coso will be there with information about our Module 3 Academy course which starts March 3rd in Ridgecrest.

Where: Kerr McGee Center, Ridgecrest

When: Saturday, February 25th, 10am-2pm

Don’t miss it!

Bakersfield College

Umoja Hosts Step Afrika! 

Umoja Community ASTEP at Bakersfield College hosted a Black History Month kick-off event featuring the internationally renowned Step Afrika! The dance troupe traced the history of stepping from Africa to the present day. 

Stepping is a percussive dance form that uses the body, such as clapping one’s hands, hitting one’s thigh, and stomping one’s feet to create a beat. It was used by South African mine workers to communicate and by today’s Black sororities and fraternities to demonstrate unity and pride. The full house of faculty, staff, students, and community members were educated about African-American culture and amazed by the jumps, splits, and energetic routines. 

Professor Bryan Hirayama’s Commitment to Justice-Impacted Students

Professor Bryan Hirayama is the Faculty Lead for the Rising Scholars Program for Justice-Impacted Students. Recently released students often face a range of challenges in the classroom and college environment, including difficulty adjusting to a new environment, lack of access to resources, and stigma from their past experiences. Professor Hirayama’s leadership in the Rising Scholars Program aims to address these challenges.

Justice-impacted individuals include those who have been incarcerated, detained, convicted, charged, or arrested. To support these students, Professor Hirayama is partnering with the CityServ Network and the Unite Us Network, both of which offer job skills certifications and life skills training to help individuals reach their full potential. In addition to these partnerships, Professor Hirayama is also the advisor for the Free On The Outside (FOTO) student club, which was specifically founded to assist justice-involved students. FOTO provides a supportive and inclusive community for these students, offering them a place to connect with others who have faced similar challenges.

The justice-involved population in Kern County, California is a growing concern, with over 7,000 individuals on probation and many more incarcerated in local jails and state prisons. The support provided by the Rising Scholars Program and Professor Hirayama’s partnerships with community organizations have the potential to make a significant impact on this population, helping to reduce recidivism and provide individuals with the resources they need to succeed outside of the criminal justice system.

BC Manufacturing Technologies Receives Gift

BC’s INDA program has formed a wonderful relationship with the Haas Automation and the Gene Haas Foundation. Students are familiar with Haas Automation name as featured on campus, at Manufacturing Day, and in local facilities our students have toured. 

The Gene Haas Foundation has generously given the program a $15,000 donation to support students through course completion and skill development, making it possible for students to enter the workforce with fewer barriers and more confidence. Our partnership with Haas and their monetary support aids us in the fulfillment of the College’s Mission to bring opportunity to every student.

In the News

College district approves $5M contract for planning regional economic roadmap

The Bakersfield Californian reported on the $5 million contract between the Kern Community College District and the state Economic Development Department to develop a plan for diversifying the local economy in a way that promotes sustainable industries while creating quality jobs.

“For many of the residents we serve through our district, this economic and workforce development initiative will have generational impacts on communities that we strive to uplift in all our work,” said Kern CCD Board of Trustees President Romeo Agbalog.

Four Kern schools top in state for dual enrollment

The Bakersfield Californian also reported on our Kern schools that received honors as 2022-23 Exemplary Dual Enrollment Schools. Arvin, Delano, Robert F. Kennedy and McFarland Early College were all honored.

“I am very grateful for the tireless efforts of the comprehensive teams at both Bakersfield College and Kern High School District in helping tackle the challenges of building such a robust and innovative program that allows our students to leave in a position to realize their dreams,” Arvin High principal Ed Watts said.

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Porterville College’s Ricardo Marmolejo shared this snap with Davis Jenkins at Achieving the Dream’s DREAM 2023 event:

And Kern CCD Early College Director Kylie Campbell at Linked Learning Conference 2023:

Cerro Coso Community College posted these photos from their Student Government Valentine’s Day Event on their Instagram page:

From the PC Twitter Account (@PCollegePirates):

“February is “Boost Your Self-Esteem” Month, and these Wellness Wednesday tips will help you build better mental health habits in your life. Learn more about Student Health and Wellness here: https://www.portervillecollege.edu/student-health-wellness“

From BC Financial Aid:

Thank you to everyone who made our Financial Aid Fest 2023 a huge success! We hope you enjoyed the festivities, food, & community resources. Remember, Beat the Clock, Get the Money! 2023-2024 applications for Financial Aid are being accepted through March 2nd, 2023.

*******

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

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

I started my week up in Sacramento at the 2023 CCLC Legislative Conference, and was thrilled to meet with Kern CCD Leadership Academy participants from all three colleges.

On Tuesday, I joined Kern Community College District colleagues and others in our community at the Kern County State of the County. Thank you to newly-elected Kern County Chairman Jeff Flores, who delivered the address, and to the entire Kern County team for an excellent event.

Kern CCD starting February on the move.

Good morning friends.
It is February 4, 2023.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD

Porterville College

Porterville College CHAP Announces the First Event of the Semester

The Porterville College Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) continues its celebration of 20 years with another enlightening event, this time from Porterville College (PC) History Instructor Dr. Ben Nelson.

If one were to widen the scope of religious analysis, it may become clear that humans not only remain “political animals,” as Aristotle insisted, but they remain spiritual ones as well.

Join us on the Porterville College Campus on the 10th of February at 7:00 pm for a lecture by Dr. Ben Nelson entitled “The Triumph of Secularism or a Great Awakening: Belief and Spirituality in the Anthropocene”. In it, he will take a close look at religion and religious institutions and explore the implications of belief and spirituality in our modern world. 

Dr. Ben Nelson is an Adjunct Instructor of History at Porterville College, a Valley native, a product of Porterville area schools, and a proud graduate of PC. 

After PC he received his B.A. in History from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Ph.D. in History from UCLA. He specializes in popular religious expressions in early American society and culture.  While in graduate school he felt a powerful pull to teach and in 2009 returned to Porterville to begin his teaching career at Harmony Magnet Academy.  He has also taught as an adjunct in the History Department at PC since 2015.

For more information on this event or the PC CHAP, contact Jim Entz at 559-791-2257.

For more information on CHAP you can also view this video, produced by PC’s Multimedia Production Certificate Program Students:

Pirate Baseball beats Barstow 11-9, split opening games of the season

Playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this season, the Porterville College offense showed its fans what it is capable of this year. The Pirates totaled 14 hits on their way to an 11-9 non-conference win over visiting Barstow Community College on Tuesday.

PC scored early and often. Porterville put up four runs in the bottom of the first inning and added four more in the third to take a commanding 8-2 lead that they wouldn’t give up.

Catcher Daniel Clancy led the charge, driving in three runs while going 3 for 4 at the plate. Dylan Novotny also had three hits (3 for 4) and had 2 RBI. Ayden Markovich (2 for 4, 2B) scored a pair of runs and also drove in two.

Jason Kramlich went a solid three innings for the Pirates in the start. He allowed 2 unearned runs and 2 hits while striking out 7.

The victory came after a tough 12-3 loss on Friday in Porterville’s 2023 season opener against Feather River College in a game played in Taft. Feather River totaled just four hits but took advantage of five PC errors to score six unearned runs.

Chris Ortega smacked a two-run home run for the Pirates in the sixth and Koda Larsen hit a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth.

Porterville, now 1-1 on the season, returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 4) at 11 a.m. when the Pirates travel to Barstow for a doubleheader.

Cerro Coso Community College

Student Spotlight: Mikailey

Mikailey is a recent graduate of Cerro Coso who was accepted at California State University Northridge, class of 2025, where she is a Kinesiology Major! While at Cerro Coso Tehachapi, Mikailey received two AA degrees: one AA-T in Art History and one AA in Liberal Arts and Humanities. While a student at CC, she worked as an English tutor. We caught up with Mikailey to ask about her time as a student at Cerro Coso and what her future holds: a career in medicine.

“I started Cerro Coso classes when I was 14. I actually started the summer before I began high school. My first class was an ASL C101 class, and I fell in love with learning at the college level. Being surrounded by adults who were working jobs and managing families gave me a huge appreciation for education. I grew not only as a student but as a person as well. Trying to juggle high school, college, extracurriculars, family, and friends wasn’t easy, but it taught me grit and determination.”

Read more online!

Scholarship Application Workshop

Cerro Coso Community College is hosting a scholarship application workshop on Wednesday, February 8, at 12:30 pm. Get information about Cerro Coso Foundation Scholarships, outside scholarships and more! We will also be providing step-by step information, and provide support while you finish and submit your application.

The workshop will be held in LRC 709 at the Ridgecrest campus from 12:30-1:30 pm. Sign up online!

Bakersfield College

Delano Library Open House

The Delano Library, Writing Center, and Tutoring Center invite staff, faculty, and students to an Open House event on February 7th from 2PM-6PM. Grab some snacks and meet with Delano librarians, writing center staff, and tutoring center staff to discover valuable services readily available to students.

HBCU Caravan 2023

BC hosted another successful HBCU Caravan! Several students left the event with scholarships and acceptance letters in-hand! We are always so overjoyed to see students take control of their futures, and this HBCU Caravan was full of hard-working and motivated students ready to jump into the next phase of their education.

BC Library Workshop Week

BC held 16 different Zoom workshops on Library Research Skills from January 30th to February 2nd. Students were able to learn about strategies for effective research, looking up articles in databases, and evaluating news sources.

Kern CCD hosts food policy summit

KernCCD was happy to host Adventist Health Blue Zones Food Policy Summit on Friday, February 3 at the Bakersfield College Conference Center.  We are a proud partner of Blue Zones Project which uses the secrets discovered in the original Blue Zones to help people live longer and better through community transformation programs. 

The partnership is working towards making Bakersfield an even greater place to live, learn, work, play, and worship by engaging the three main components of community: people, policy and places. The efforts will result in making it easier to make healthier choices and improve the quality of life for everyone in the Bakersfield area.

In the News

BC’s Kris Tiner Shares His Story

The Bakersfield Californian published a piece highlighting one of BC’s best, Kris Tiner. In the article, Professor Tiner talks about his musical story beginning in elementary school all the way through his professional career. He gives readers a glimpse of where his musical influence came from, his struggles along the way, and how his family and students inspire him to continue sharing his gifts. We know how lucky we are to have him as a department chair and faculty member as he continues to work tirelessly to inspire students. Kris says in the article, “If I hadn’t had music, I wouldn’t have had confidence that I had something to say that anybody was going to pay attention to. It’s kind of a small-town syndrome, too: ‘I’m nobody from no place and nobody is going to listen to what I have to say.’ … But on a deeper level, what we’re doing when we teach the arts is give kids confidence to know who they are and to have the courage to express that and to understand they’re a viable part of a bigger community. Kids from small communities need that.”

Professor Tiner is being inducted into the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame on March 3 at the Doré Theatre on campus.

Educators and aerospace join forces to prepare workforce of the future

The Daily Independent of Ridgecrest published this piece about Wednesday’s Aeropsace Working Coalition meeting at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The meeting was hosted by Cerro Coso Community College President Dr. Sean Hancock and MASP CEO Tim Reid.

Hancock said the hope is the ongoing interaction between educators and employers can reap big dividends for all involved. “We want to be able to provide the training necessary to support their future workforce,” he said.

Kern Community College District hosts USDA Rural Development meeting

BakersfieldNow covered the recent USDA Rural Development meeting, held January 26th at the BC Delano Campus.

Fun Photos and Spotted on Social Media

Check out these photos from the Kern CCD team at a Job Fair in Oakland – thank you to Laci Beyes, Nicole Griffin, Michelle Miller- Galaz, Dustin Acres and Nikita Lowe!

From Cerro Coso Outreach:

Yotes supportin’ Yotes!
Love to see it. Students, family, friends, and fans came out and packed the stands today to watch the Women’s Softball team take on San Diego City for their home opener.
Check the schedule and join us for an upcoming game!
www.cosocoyotes.com/sports/sball/2022-23/schedule

From PC President Dr. Claudia Habib:

Visiting our legislators was the highlight #LeadershipAcademy @KernCCD attending the 2023 Legislative Conference @ccleague #cclcLC23 Thank you @Senator_Hurtado @DrJasmeetBains for supporting #HigherEd #Students @PCollegePirates @cerrocoso @BAKcollege @CalCommColleges #Advocacy

And I loved this note from Mindy Wilmot at BC:

We wanted to share this amazing picture of a delicious partnership!
Within 24 hours, collard greens were in the BC Edible Education Garden, harvested, and prepared by Culinary Arts students.
Yummy! There is much more to come!!

***

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

The future is bright at Kern CCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings