Tag Archives: Palomar College

San Diego – what’s not to like…

Uncategorized April 20, 2024 1 Comment

This week, I traveled down to San Diego again. This time for the ASU GSV conference.

Check out this 30-sec video of the Coronado Bridge, the water, and 2 men fishing.

I took the ferry back-and-forth to the conference site at the convention center.

At the conference, I joined ASU President Michael Crow & Silicon Valley Community Foundation President Nicole Taylor for a Sunstage X Coffee session to discuss the revolution in education & learning technology for California learners.

Good morning California.
It is April 20, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Long Beach City College to Receive Nearly $1 Million in Federal Funding
to Train “Space Beach” Workforce and Bolster Aerospace Program

Thanks to the advocacy of Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42), Long Beach City College (LBCC) will receive $963,000 from the Community Project Funding to update the college’s engineering and aerospace programs. The federal investment will fund advanced manufacturing equipment to train LBCC students as skilled technicians for the growing “Space Beach” aerospace industry hub in Long Beach.

» Read more!

College of the Redwoods Holds “Breaking the Cycle” Event
for Formerly Incarcerated Students

College of the Redwood’s Breaking the Cycle event brought together over 115 people from around the North Coast to examine the realities of life for formerly incarcerated student scholars. The event provided a tremendous opportunity to help empower and better understand these students’ journey.

» Read more!

Moreno Valley College Guitarist Wins the
Los Angeles American String Teachers Association Competition

Moreno Valley College’s Laurel Harned, a second-year virtuoso guitarist, won first prize at the Los Angeles American String Teachers Association competition in April. The victory was her second after winning the Denver Guitar Competition in October.
» Read More!

Federal Funds Headed to Mt. San Antonio College’s
Wildland Fire Technology Program

Mt. SAC’s new Wildland Fire Technology program will be able to purchase much-needed equipment and supplies thanks to a half-million dollars in federal funding recently approved by Congress and President Biden. The college requested $534,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending through the offices of Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler.

» Read more!

In Case You Missed It

AI Challenge from the California Education Learning Lab

The California Education Learning Lab (Learning Lab) is pleased to announce two new grant opportunities to promote AI-integrated innovation in teaching and learning at California Community Colleges (CCC), and California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) campuses. These funding opportunities will help to position California public higher education faculty as thought leaders and changemakers in the intersection between AI and education. 

» Read more!

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Black Student Success Week

The 2024 Black Student Success Week is scheduled for April 22-26, 2024. This year’s theme is Building a Better Future Together: the Urgency is Now. The 2024 Black Student Success Week will focus on innovative approaches to ensure Black and African American students succeed in community colleges.

» Read more & Register for Events!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Palomar College – it was a pleasure to meet you!

Grateful that two of our @palomarcomets trustees (@Roberto63 and Dr. Judy Patacsil) were able to attend the @CalCommColleges sponsored, “Trustee Welcome: Leading for California Students and Communities” event in Sacramento. Go Comets!

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From Folsom Lake College:

FLC President Art Pimentel is part of the Capital-to-Capital delegation in Washington, D.C. right now. This morning he met with members of the U.S. Department of Education to advocate for FLC students and on behalf of community colleges. #captocap #falconpride #supportingstudents

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From Butte College:

Congratulations to the 17 cadets who received their badges and formally became State Park Peace Officers on Friday after completing the California State Park Peace Officer Cadet Academy at Butte College!

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And from Mt. San Jacinto College:

The Selena Day Painting Parties were a hit this week!

And From the Home of the Renegades

Career Education Department Hosts 2024 Spring Health Fair

The Bakersfield College Career Education Department hosted the Spring 2024 Health Career Fair to provide BC students with education opportunities, career advancement, and resources in the healthcare field. The event took place in the Renegade Crossroads on BC’s Panorama Campus.

» Read more!

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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

Walk between the raindrops

Uncategorized February 3, 2024 Comments: 2

Beautiful week of winds, rain and thunderstorms. Has the awaited El Nino finally arrived ….
Happy to see California getting drenched… well, for the most part.

Here are a few photos of vibrant skies which I snapped while I, as a loved one always said, walked between the raindrops.

This week, I was at the League legislative conference, where I participated in a panel with CSU Chancellor Millie Garcia.

At the general session, I presented a proclamation to retiring Peralta Community College District Chancellor Janett Jackson. 

Her remarkable career took her from IT professional to tenured faculty, then Vice President of Instruction, President of a college, and finally Chancellor of a district.  In addition to a long career in education, Dr. Jackson is also a military veteran having served in the United States Army National Guard as an enlisted service member and a military officer for more than 30 years. Her military career included multiple tours of duty serving in the Middle East and she retired with honors at the rank of Colonel.

Finally, I participated on a panel with Dr. Michal Kurlaender, UC Davis, and Dr. Jennifer Laflam, American River, moderated by the wonderful Kate Chang who leads this work on UN’s Sustainable Development Goal

We covered a range of topics including quality education, equity, community, and sustainability. I found myself energized by my fellow panelists as well as with the attendees who are committed to values and behaviors that we represent as community college educators.

And Billy Joel is back after 17 years with Turn the Lights Back On.

Good morning California.
It is February 3, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Santa Rosa Junior College Holds Ribbon Cutting
for Lindley Center for STEM Education

Named after current Santa Rosa Junior College Trustee W. Terry Lindley, the new 95,000-square foot Lindley Center for STEM Education will modernize and expand a number of programs, and provide new hands-on learning activities to support students in their educational journey.

» Learn more!

And check out this video from NASA Astronaut Colonel Nicole Mann:

Lassen Community College
Celebrates New RN Program

Lassen Community College Nursing staff and the first Registered Nursing class celebrated the momentous occasion of the new program with a Lassen County Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, January 18, 2024.  

» Read more!

Palomar College Uses Innovation to Better Serve Students

For 40 years, Palomar has maintained a food pantry to meet the food security needs of thousands of students and employees.  It was a little over five years ago that the College opened the Anita & Stan Maag Food and Nutrition Center, providing a comfortable stigma-free environment to shop for perishable and non-perishable items and other basic needs.  The college also hosts monthly farmers markets and offers free snacks at “grab ‘n go” refrigerators at all sites.  During the spring 2024 semester, access to these services will expand considerably as Palomar launches a new secure storage locker system.  

» Read more!

In Case You Missed It

Embracing AI: Navigating Job Evolution
and Thriving in the Future Workplace

N2N Services Inc founder & CEO Kiran Kindrithala and Foothill-De Anza Community College District Chancellor Lee Lambert wrote a piece for (ET) Magazine about the future of AI.

“The advent of AI has ushered in transformative tools, such as AI Companions and ChatGPT, showcasing unparalleled capabilities in understanding and processing information. While there’s a legitimate concern about the automation of many traditional roles, this shift also signifies a broader cultural and professional transformation. Individuals should not merely fear job loss but rather embrace the chance to evolve into more skilled content creators, strategists, and decision-makers.“

» Read more!

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Educate Elevate Podcast

Check out the new California Community Colleges podcast aimed at engaging & inspiring current and prospective Black and African American students and their influencers.

Spotlight on Parenting Students

Here’s a video from the Center for the Study of Social Policy about “A Day in the Life of Parenting Students Who Participate in CalWORKs”:

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Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Chaffey College:

A warm thank you to all who participated in our first Unity in Community event! It was an uplifting celebration, embracing intersectionality and diversity at Chaffey College.

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From Yovani Jimenez:

Community college trustees under 40 from across California coming together to make a difference!

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From Palo Verde College:

We’re thrilled to extend a warm welcome to the newest class of Nursing students at Palo Verde College! Your journey into the world of healthcare is about to unfold, and we couldn’t be more excited to have you on board.

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From Coastline College:

Coastline’s Esports Lab is officially open! Thank you to everyone who came to our Grand Opening Ceremony.

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And check out this video from Citrus College:

The Citrus College Beta Nu Eta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa international honor society recently created a video highlighting chapter activities throughout the fall 2023 semester. Enjoy!

And From the Home of the Renegades

Renegade Nexus Hosts Outreach
To Promote Auto Insurance Program For Students

The Renegade Nexus welcomed a special guest to the Panorama Campus for an outreach event highlighting the California Low-Cost Insurance (CLCA) program. Paul “Doc” Nigh brought his Back to the Future DeLorean replica for students to view and take pictures of. “Doc” was also available to answer questions and discuss his unique vehicle.

» Read more!

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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

California Community Colleges, Harmonies that Work Well Together!

Uncategorized July 22, 2023 1 Comment

This week, a friend of mine brought up Crosby, Stills & Nash, the supergroup made up of singer-songwriters David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash (and occasionally joined by Neil Young).

The group formed in 1968 after Crosby, Stills and Nash had an informal performance and realized their voices and harmonies worked well together.

Here is one of my favorites – Teach your children.

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Last weekend, I watched the new “Mission Impossible” movie. Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts, and this latest film features one billed as the most death-defying stunt of his career – driving a motorcycle off of a cliff.

They tackled the amazing feat on day one of filming. Cruise talked to Entertainment Tonight about the stunt, explaining that starting with that helps the filmmakers decide if they’ll be able to continue filming the rest of the movie, or if they have to do a major rewrite if they can’t accomplish the stunt or the actor is injured (or worse!) in the attempt. Whoa!

Check it out in the trailer (the stunt starts around 1:17):

The Impossible Mission Force (IMP) team – Luther Stickell and Franz Krieger – that works with Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt is just fantastic. California Community Colleges are California’s IMF agents – taking care of our students, our communities, and our plant.

Breakfast at Wimbledon

On Sunday, I tuned in for Breakfast at Wimbledon – a tradition that began in 1979 when NBC needed to find a way to get American audiences to turn on the tvs for tennis at 9 am. Wimbledon tradition dictates that play begins precisely at 2 pm, which translates to 6 am for viewers on the West Coast.

In that first broadcast, NBC wanted to begin a few minutes later so they could run an introductory segment (and ads) before the players walked out. Officials at the All England Club refused, but NBC’s executive producer of sports spoke to one of the commentators (who also managed one of the men’s finalists that year).

The commentator spoke to the finalist, Roscoe Tanner, who proceeded to spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom before leaving the locker room – giving NBC time to begin its production and still allow viewers to see the players walk out onto the grass live.

The experiment in broadcasting live tennis to viewers across the pond was a success!

This year’s finals had no shortage of drama and excitement. Going into the final, Novak Djokovic was a heavy favorite, with a 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon and a 27-match winning streak at majors. He had won an all-time record 45 matches in a row on Centre Court, going back to his last loss, to Andy Murray in the final on July 7th, 2013.

This year, he faced 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, playing in his first Wimbledon final. Alcaraz was down after the first set, but clawed his way back during an epic 85-minute second set. Alcaraz ultimately defeated Djokovic in a match that lasted four hours and 42 minutes – the third-longest final in Wimbledon history.

Breakfast at Wimbledon was my mom’s favorite. Mom, as always, this one is for you.

Paul Christian and Pam Christian
Paul and Pam Christian

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I’ve also had a very busy week traveling and promoting the work of the California Community Colleges and Vision 2030.

I started my week in Los Angeles at the Wheelhouse CEO Institute, which is led by Francisco Rodriguez – Chancellor of LACCD and Chancellor in Residence at Wheelhouse. I was able to spend some time speaking with and getting to know the 14 CEOs participating in this year’s cohort.

On Thursday, I attended the July Consultation Council, where we were able to to do a deep dive into Vision 2030.

Good morning California.
It is July 22, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Sierra College Student Journalists Recognized for Reporting on Equity

Everybody is Entitled to Equity is a set of four stories produced by a team of journalist fellows in Spring, 2023. The team includes five student journalists, featured in the above image from left to right: Sierra Mickelson, Alexa Topacio, Luis-Antonio Carreon, Ryder Bouck, and Ethan Yamaguchi. They were all awarded through the California Humanities “Emerging Journalist” Fellowship with the Journalism program at Sierra College.

» Read more about their reporting!

Irvine Valley College Girls Who Code Team Wins 1st Place

The IVC Girls Who Code Challenge Team competed in the Spring 2023 College Loops Challenge against several other chapters of Girls Who Code around the nation last month. The team of four won first place overall.

» Read more about the win!

Los Angeles Trade Tech College Culinary Students Earn Medals at SkillsUSA

Last month, 4 students and 3 instructors from LATTC’s Culinary Arts pathway traveled to Atlanta for the National Leadership & Skills Conference. The annual conference marks the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and was attended by more than 6,500 competitors across 110 competitions.

LATTC Student Samantha Gaydowski took gold in the Baking & Pastry Arts, while Pardhyuman Jha won bronze in Restaurant Service.

» Read more about the competition!

In Case You Missed It

AAC&U Liberal Education: We Can’t Afford Not To –
All colleges and universities should have a prison education program

I wanted to share this article that was printed in AAC&U’S Liberal Education magazine, writing about the importance of prison education programs and how they have an amazing effect on recidivism rates. It was a lot of fun working on this piece with Dr. Manny Mourtzanos, former Vice Chancellor at the Kern Community College District.

» Read more!

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EdSource: Community College baccalaureate degrees
are key to expanding college access, panel says

Emma Gallegos wrote about a roundtable on community college baccalaureates that EdSource hosted on Thursday.

(Aisha) Lowe said the expansion of community college baccalaureate programs is crucial to meeting the governor’s goal of 70% of the state’s working adults attaining a bachelor’s degree by 2030. She points out that many universities are impacted now and certainly cannot increase capacity at the level that the state needs. Because community colleges are locally oriented, they’re well-situated to meet local needs in a way that the CSU or UC system cannot.

» Read more!

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KTLA: California Foster Youth Can Now Attend College for Free

Foster youth across California will now be able to attend college, free of charge, after new legislation, SB 307, was signed into the state budget.

The new Fostering Futures program will cover the entire cost for foster youth to attend a University of California, California State University or California community college.

» Read more!

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Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Yovani Jimenez shared this post, with Nicole Parra and Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg:

“Congratulations to the Latina Leaders of Kern County as they celebrate 25 years of excellence. I am truly inspired by the dedication and hard work of the founding mothers who worked tirelessly to turn a dream into a reality. Tonight, I also want to convey my congratulations to the honorees, whose success stories serve as a true inspiration. Their achievements demonstrate the limitless possibilities and potential within our community. Thank you all for your incredible contributions and for continuously inspiring.”

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From Palomar College:

“The VFW Post 1513 of Escondido provided lunch at the Palomar College Veterans Resource Center for Operation Home-Cooked. Thank you to Army Veteran Gina Burke for cooking for our Veteran Students. Thank you to San Diego North County Blue Star Mothers for also being there.”

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From San Joaquin Delta College:

“We were happy to host teachers from across San Joaquin County at Delta’s Manteca farm recently for Ag in the Classroom. Teachers learned all about agriculture and how to incorporate it in their classrooms this school year. Thank you @SJFarmBureau for making this possible!”

And from San Diego Community College District:

“Board President Maria Nieto Senour was presented with a cake at today’s board meeting in honor of her 80th birthday. Hope you have a wonderful birthday, Maria.”

And From the Home of the Renegades

Renegade Pantry Hosts Farmers Market for July

The Renegade Nexus Pantry hosted another Farmer’s Market this week, distributing healthy fruits and vegetables to students and community members. The Bakersfield weather was hot, but the Nexus staff and volunteers came prepared to help participants take home nutritious produce to their households, including beets, bok choy, watermelon, oranges, cauliflower, raspberries, carrots, and much more.

» Read more about this week at BC!

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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

CA Community Colleges – Our Time is Now

Uncategorized June 10, 2023 1 Comment

Enjoying my backyard working on this blog post after spending most of the week in Sacramento. My daughter is travelling and so Bessie will be in Bakersfield for the next two weeks. Check out this 20-sec video of her playing with a plum that she picked up during our morning walk.

California Community Colleges and Climate: Defining the Possible | Tuesday, June 27, 2023

The California Center for Climate Change Education will host the first in a series of events, the California Community Colleges and Climate: Defining the Possible, to be held across the state, on the roles of California Community Colleges in building resilience to climate change. In partnership with California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Foundation for California Community Colleges this event will take place at the West Los Angeles College’s Fine Arts Auditorium on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 between 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We look forward to welcoming you at this landmark event, and together, creating sound and innovative strategies to do our part to address climate change.

For more information with the registration link, click here: https://californiacommunitycolleges.cventevents.com/event/19299b9c-6cee-48ab-9160-6c45c48d22bc/summary

Let’s read

This week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that country singer superstar Dolly Parton’s groundbreaking Imagination Library project would expand to include all of California. That means that ever child under the age of 5 in California will be eligible to enroll in the program that mails children one book every month. The program is currently active in areas across 30 counties in California, and this expansion is expected to fully cover the entire state by 2028. Additionally, California is the first state to offer a fully bilingual book option.

What a wonderful opportunity for all of our youngest Californians to embrace the gift of reading.

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On Tuesday of this week, I enjoyed visiting with the CCC Athletic Directors and we discussed a wide range of topics on community college athletics.

On Wednesday, I joined my first California Community Colleges System Webinar. This edition was titled, “Guided Pathways in Action: Equitable Entrance into Pathways.”

John Hetts on Zoom Webinar
Aisha Lowe on Zoom webinar

You can find out more about past and future webinars on the CCCCO website. You can also register for upcoming webinars. The next one, on July 12th, will focus on Building Supports & Resilience for Historically Disadvantaged Students.

Good morning California.
It is June 10, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges
Our Time is Now!

Lake Tahoe Community College
Breaks Ground on Student Housing Project

LTCC breaks ground on new campus housing project

Ground has been broken! LTCC is moving ahead with its 100 bed on-campus housing project to support low-income, full-time students, with an expected opening of Fall 2025.

» Read all about this transformative project

OCC Forensics Take Gold in Nationals for 13th Time

The Orange Coast College Forensics team won the National Championship title on April 15, at the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament. This is the 13th National title for the program. All 14 members of the OCC team had at least one event in the final round of competition. Overall, the team scored 282.5 points, making them the winningest team in community college forensics history.

» Read more about the national champions

Orange Coast College Forensics

Yuba College’s First Early College Students Graduate

Yuba College

On May 8, 2023, 53 Yuba City and River Valley High School Students were honored in the First ever Early College Presentation of Sashes at Yuba College. In 2019 Yuba College launched its Early College Program in a partnership with Yuba City Unified School District. Students attended the Yuba College Sutter County Campus taking 19 courses (60 units) in conjunction with classes at their respective High Schools, students completed the required coursework to earn their high school diploma and associate degree.

» Read more about Yuba College’s Early College graduates

Cuesta College Breaks Ground on SLO Campus Center

This week, Cuesta College marked a milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony for the highly anticipated San Luis Obispo Campus Center. The new 33,728 square feet Campus Center will serve as the “front door” and main hub of the San Luis Obispo campus. The state-of-the-art facility will feature a boardroom, café, meeting and conference rooms, offices, and student success and support programs. It will provide a comprehensive experience for new students and the community, consolidating various services under one roof.

In Case You Missed It

Podcast: Leading Community Colleges in California – Episode 20

Leading Community Colleges in California is the official podcast of the Community College League of California. In this episode, League President and CEO Larry Galizio had me as a guest, we talked about the importance of equity for students and communities, and dual enrollment opportunities as a seamless gateway to college. 

» Listen to the 33-minute Podcast

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Palomar College President Star Rivera-Lacey shared this sweet photo:

“Everyone knows that I think @palomarcomets Early Childhood Education Lab School is the absolute best! But then, I was floored to receive this beautiful art piece made by the kids! Thank you Master Teacher Carol Adams for the thoughtful & beautiful gesture! Go Comets!“

Artwork made by early childhood students, featured stars on a pink, red, black and white background

Melissa Bardo shared about the Dual Enrollment Lunch & Learn event:

“Thank you @ChrisHoldenNews, @HOPELatinas, and @clporg for partnering with @EdTrustWest to host a Dual Enrollment Lunch & Learn for legislative staff! Great discussion on the strengths of #dualenrollment in CA and opportunities for growth!”

This post from Keith Curry is such a fun way to celebrate Compton College:

“Tonight is @compton_college Commencement Ceremony, so now is the time to unveil the new Compton College Chuck Taylors. These shoes include images of our facilities, including the Library-Student Success Center, Instructional Building #1, and the Student Services Building.“

Chuck Taylor shoes celebrating Compton College

And check out this update from Andra Hoffman:

“This student went into labor this evening in the middle of the @LACityCollege
graduation. So we called her up early before sending her off in an ambulance! We love ❤️ our parenting students!“

Student from LA City College graduation

And From the Home of the Renegades

Auto Detailing Students Hear from Local Business Owner

In their auto detailing class on Monday evening, Professor Andrew Haney’s students got a special visit from a local business owner to inspire these Renegades. Manuel Aguilar from Trends Auto Collision and Trends Auto Boutique came to share his knowledge and experiences with the students. He spoke about how to repair and detail vehicles, and the students were very interested in what he had to say about starting his business. Manny’s advice inspired the students to continue learning more about auto detailing and body repairs.

» Read more about this week at BC!

Andrew Haney's auto detailing class

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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

Sonya Christian

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

Sonya Christian's Blog