Happy Saturday from Manzanita, Oregon. I have to say it’s exactly what I needed after the hot days in the central valley.
The skies have been overcast – which is perfect. That soft gray light, the cool air, highs around 65, lows dipping into the mid-50s. it’s great sweatshirt weather.
Started the morning with a slice of marionberry coffee cake from Manzanita News and Espresso, a local café. Walked through the little shops in town…lots of handmade stuff, a couple of galleries, and of course, salt water taffy everywhere. That seems to be the universal language of every coastal town I have been to.
The drive on Highway 26 from PDX to the coast was beautiful. Huge trees, and everything is just green. Layers and layers of green.
Here is a photo that I snapped for you this morning.
Good morning California.
It is July 19, 2025.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
Hartnell College Students Perform Original Play
at Prestigious BorderLight Theatre Festival in Cleveland
A group of nine Hartnell College students and two faculty members is heading to Cleveland, Ohio, to present their original production, Get with the Times, Jane! at the acclaimed BorderLight Theatre Festival, an international showcase known for celebrating boundary-pushing, socially engaged, and independent theatre.
Río Hondo College Awarded $20,000 Grant
for LEGACIE+ Male Success Initiatives
California State University Dominguez Hills, on behalf of Toro Auxiliary Partners, has awarded Río Hondo College a $20,000 grant to support the college’s LEGACIE+ Male Success Initiatives program, aimed at improving the academic and social outcomes of men of color.
City College of San Francisco Engineering Club
Races to Victory at Statewide Solar Regatta
The City College of San Francisco Engineering Club has once again shown remarkable ingenuity and team collaboration by winning the 2025 Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) California Solar Regatta, held on May 3, 2025, at the Rancho Seco Recreation Area. The CCSF Engineering Club has now won the SMUD Regatta Cup in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025, making the college one of the most decorated in the event’s history.
Mother, Daughter Overcame the Odds to Graduate
from Merced College With Honors
We asked Karen Navarro-Estrada and Moriah Cortez what message they could send to people who, like them, weren’t great students growing up, or even to anyone reading about this mother-daughter team that defied expectations at Merced College.
They said the same thing: “If I can do this, anyone can.”
Navarro-Estrada, 52, is mother to Cortez, 27, and they both graduated with honors from Merced College on May 23.
Both Navarro-Estrada and Cortez started in the Merced College Online program. Mom chose to study Psychology, and daughter chose to study Administration of Justice.
They also, as Navarro-Estrada says, “broke generational curses.”
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
From College of the Desert – three of our colleges’ mascots!
Rodney has been spending their summer break with some friends! @chaffeycollege @mycraftonhills
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From El Camino College:
El Camino’s architecture students showcased their spring designs for their final presentations last month. The June event was host to dynamic environmental designs with low ecological impact for locations in and around the South Bay.
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From Fresno City College:
@scccd & @downtownfresno commemorated the opening of the newly installed downtown Mural thanks to the work of Fresno City College faculty & local artist, @love_danieldemeza & the contributions of Fresno City College student artists.
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From Compton College:
Spectrum News Los Angeles did a story on Compton College’s One Meal Per Day Program! Find out how this program is helping our students and staff for their daily needs:
And From the Home of the Renegades
BC Hosts Project HireUp’s Summer 2025 Graduation
Bakersfield College and the CityServe Educational Collaborative hosted a special graduation ceremony to celebrate the participants of Cohort #15 of Project HireUp
Project HireUp aims to decrease homelessness in the community through a creative and innovative partnership that supports students currently experiencing housing insecurity or other setbacks. Project HireUp and CityServe Educational Collaborative will continue to host three cohorts a year – Spring, Summer, and Fall, with a capacity of thirty students per cohort.
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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
