Nothing beats jasmine in full bloom. The fragrance…
I had the trellis for the jasmine installed during the COVID lockdown.
And the second trellis –
I wanted to share a few events I was at recently.
The Orange County AI and Gen Z Summit was a great event. Here’s a short excerpt from my remarks:
What was the first piece of technology that changed your world?
For Boomers, it might have been the moon landing broadcast on a black-and-
white TV.
For Gen X, maybe it was the Walkman. I witnessed the dawn of the internet.
For Millennials, it was probably Napster.
And for Gen Z? It may be when ChatGPT answered a question better than a
textbook.
These stories help us anchor rapid change in shared human experience. And right
now, artificial intelligence is shaping a new chapter in how we live, learn, work, and
relate.
I also participated in a fireside chat with Cheryl Aschenbach at the ASCCC Plenary.
It was a great conversation and I was astonished at the quantify of work we have
advanced in the last two years with the Academic Senate.
After my travels it is always good to be home.
Neo, the 100-pound gentle giant has a surprising hobby—gardening. Not the dig-up-the-yard kind, but the delicate, blade-by-blade grass selection from overgrown flower beds. You’d think a mouth that big would bulldoze everything in its path, but Neo approaches his grassy buffet as a delicacy—sniff, inspect, nibble…. avoiding every geranium petal.
Good morning California.
It is May 3, 2025
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
Hard Hats & High Tech: Exploring Career Education at Santa Rosa Junior College
KCRB’s “The 707” radio show recently featured career education at Santa Rosa Junior College. They toured the Construction Training Center to see hands-on building skills in development and exploring the technological advancements fostered in their STEM education labs.
Los Angeles Valley College Speech & Debate Team earns
National Medals at Phi Rho Pi Forensic Tournament
Students on the LAVC Speech & Debate Team brought home with four prestigious awards at the 2025 Phi Rho Pi National Forensics Competition that was held in Norfolk, Virginia last month. LAVC’s Speech and Debate Team has participated in the competition since the 1970s, and many of its team members have earned top awards over the years, including the team being the tournament champions in 1999, 2008 and 2009.
More Than a Place to Stay: How Saddleback College
Supports Students Facing Housing Insecurity
Rising rents, unstable family dynamics, and economic pressures have made housing insecurity an increasingly common occurrence, even in a traditionally affluent area like Orange County. Thanks to a growing network of support services, Saddleback College is working hard to ensure that no student is left behind simply because they don’t have a permanent address.
Riverside City College Hosts Inaugural AAPI Arts & Culture Event
On Friday, April 11, Riverside City College proudly hosted its first annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Arts & Culture event, a vibrant celebration of heritage, creativity, and scholarship. The event was organized by RCC’s Asian Pacific Student Union (APSU) and the Office of the Vice President of Student Services, with support from ASRCC and the RCC Art & Art History Department.
In Case You Missed It
Four Female Inmates from FCC Victorville Make History
by Attending College Outside Prison
In January 2025, four female inmates housed at the Satellite Camp of the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Victorville became the first federal inmates in the country to attend community college outside of a correctional facility.
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California Community Colleges Closing in on 100,000 Registered Apprenticeships this National Apprenticeship Day
Momentum is carrying the California Community Colleges, the nation’s largest workforce development and training provider, toward a key milestone — 100,000 registered apprenticeships. This comes as the system’s 116 colleges, along with their partners across the state, celebrate National Apprenticeship Day today.
Apprenticeship programs offer cutting-edge, hands-on career training and classroom learning, paving the way for higher-wage, high-growth careers. The California Community Colleges is playing a crucial role in Gov. Newsom’s goal of training 500,000 apprentices by 2029 and in the newly released Master Plan for Career Education. To date, there are more than 96,000 registered apprentices in the system. This is about 20% of the goal, with four years still to go.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
From Fresno City College:
An amazing conversation with the legendary Civil Rights Activist Delores Huerta
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From San Joaquin Delta College:
PUENTE Celebration Recap. Congratulations to our grads!
Puente, Spanish for “bridge”, is a national award-winning program that has helped thousands of students reach their dreams of college success — and yesterday, we honored another step in that journey.
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From College of the Redwoods:
The Career fair was a hit! Thank you to everyone who came out for this event!
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And check out this video from College of the Siskiyous:
You may have seen some smoke coming from the Fire Academy last week?
Our cadets got the opportunity to do some live wildland fire training in our own backyard. With the help of Siskiyous CalFire, and the Weed City Fire Department, they were able to provide real live fire training in a safe controlled environment.
Great job to our cadets for working successfully throughout each scenario, and thank you again to Siskiyous CalFire and Weed City Fire Department for your support.
And From the Home of the Renegades
Garden Fest 2025 Blooms with Community Spirit Despite Rainy Weather
Bakersfield College and the Horticulture Department proudly hosted the much-anticipated Garden Fest 2025 this past weekend, and this year’s festival delivered a truly unforgettable experience! Despite the unexpected downpour of rain, the turnout remained strong, with enthusiastic guests exploring a diverse array of booths, activities, and entertainment.
With more than 100 local businesses and organizations participating, Garden Fest offered something for everyone, creating an engaging and memorable experience that highlighted the college’s deep-rooted commitment to community and education.
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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
