The Fastest Man in the World.
Last Sunday, The US’s Noah Lyles took gold in the men’s 100M final. It was a photo-finish; he beat the silver medalist, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, by only .005 seconds. It was another in a series of amazing finishes and great story lines that have been all over these Olympic Games.
A huge congratulations to Diablo Valley College student Amit Elor, who took gold in 68kg women’s wrestling. Her cumulative score during the Games? 31-2.
20-year-old Amit is the youngest American to ever win wrestling gold at the Olympics.
Former Giant Quincy Hall made College of the Sequoias proud with a comeback win to take the men’s 400M gold. College of the Sequoias hosted a watch party –
Check out the race video from NBC Sports.
And congratulations to MiraCosta College student Bryce Wettstein, who made the finals for Women’s Sktateboarding Park, ending up in 6th place.
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As for me …..
This week I signed a MOU with Jensen Huang of NVIDIA and Governor Gavin Newsom as we launched a new state initiative to expand AI tools and resources for students, educators and workers.
This initiative will help our more than 2 million students get prepared with industry aligned skills in AI, and will support our Vision 2030 work about Generative AI and the Future of Learning.
Next I made a stop in Orange County to attend the Credit for Prior Learning workshop. It was a great conversation of how we can scale this work and bring it from the margins to the mainstream.
Then I headed south to San Diego to speak at the Hunt Institute. I try to always squeeze in a walk when I am in San Diego.
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Good morning California.
It is August 10, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
U.S. Department of Commerce Leader Alejandra Castillo
Tours Chaffey College’s InTech Center
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo visited the Industrial Technical Learning Center with Congresswoman Norma Torres on July 26 to learn how the federal government can support workforce development in the Inland Empire.
College of the Canyons Aerospace and Science Team
Receives $136,000 Grant from NASA
It’s all systems go for the College of the Canyons Aerospace and Science Team (AST), which has received a $136,000 grant from NASA to support its High-Altitude Student Platform (HASP), RockOn, and RockSat-X suborbital rocket programs. To date, COC is the only community college that has successfully participated in HASP eight years in a row, as well as four RockSatX missions and two RockOn missions.
Norco College’s Rising Scholars Program at CRC
Achieves Unprecedented Success
In June 2024, 52 students graduated from Norco College’s Rising Scholars Program at CRC with Associate Degrees for Transfer. This milestone was marked by the first graduation ceremony since 2019 that allowed the presence of family and friends, making it a particularly special event for the graduates and their loved ones. According to the 2024 Rehabilitative Programming Report by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Norco College’s Rising Scholars Program at CRC has awarded more college degrees than any other CDCR institution.
MSJC’s Roger Schultz Elected as League Board Chair,
CEOCCC Board President
Roger Schultz, Ph.D., Mt. San Jacinto College’s President/Superintendent, has been elected as the President of the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges (CEOCCC) Board of the Community College League of California. Schultz will also serve as the Chair for the Community College League of California (League) Board of Directors.
In Case You Missed It
California Community Colleges Expanding Nursing Programs
to Meet State’s Regional Nursing Shortages
The California Community Colleges announced the launch of a new initiative to increase the number of nurses to meet the growing needs of California’s aging and diverse population.
Twelve community colleges convened in a virtual kick-off of the associate degree for nursing demonstration project led by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. The goal of the initiative, part of the community colleges’ Vision 2030 strategic framework, is to increase enrollment in associate degree nursing programs to address the shortage of registered nurses in rural and remote areas while ensuring equity in access to the profession.
The 12 colleges participating in the demonstration project are: Butte College, Cabrillo College, Monterey Peninsula College, Bakersfield College, Modesto Junior College, Cuesta College, Ventura College, Golden West College, Saddleback College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Riverside City College, and College of the Desert.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
From Los Angles Harbor College:
Harbor College celebrating DSPS pride month College President, Dr. Dorado and VP, Dr. Dorado welcoming students Go Seahawks!!
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From Bakersfield College’s Kimberly Bligh:
Love love love our Bridge to BC team. One week to go for Summer 24… 10 years and over 15,000 students served!
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From Allan Hancock College:
The Santa Maria Valley YMCA, in collaboration with Allan Hancock College, hosted a RiseUP Bridging Ceremony Aug. 2 celebrating the achievements of local youth as they transition to higher education and future careers.
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From Ventura College President Claudia Lourido-Habib:
I’m grateful for my admin team’s openness & contributions during a productive leadership retreat. Grounded in the student experience, we worked towards increasing team cohesion and collaboration so we can lead and support our colleagues
And From the Home of the Renegades
BC History Highlight: Memorial Stadium
The Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium was not an easy feat for those credited with its creation, but certainly a triumph! The stadium was the first structure completed on Bakersfield College’s Panorama campus, and the construction plans were meticulously assembled. It required intensive research and close attention to detail by Theron McCuen, then Superintendent of the Kern County Union High School and Junior College District and its Board of Trustees, and then BC President Ralph Prator, who contributed significantly to realizing Grace Bird’s vision of a college on a hill.
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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.
That’s all for today.
See you next Saturday!
With much hope and joy,
Your Chancellor,
-sonya
#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora
This a great place to gather your thoughts and to end a busy week. 
