Tag Archives: Paul Beckworth

Memorial Day 2020

Uncategorized May 31, 2020 1 Comment

What a week…. a week of highs and lows. SpaceX launches astronauts from American soil into space for the first time in a decade, we crossed the milestone worldwide of 6 million reported COVID-19 cases, we passed a milestone exceeding 100,00 COVID-19 deaths here in the US, we celebrated Memorial Day even though we were sheltering in place, and George Floyd stopped moving at 8:24 p.m. on Memorial Day on the streets of Minneapolis.

Good morning Bakersfield
It is Saturday, May 30, 2020…A great day to be a Renegade

Six days ago….

George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man died on Monday, Memorial Day, while he was pinned to the ground, face down, in an unlawful knee-to-throat chokehold by a police officer. (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/us/minneapolis-police-man-died.html?referringSource=articleShare, NY Times published May 26, 2020)

          Lift ev’ry voice and sing
          ‘Til earth and heaven ring
          Ring with the harmonies of Liberty
          Let our rejoicing rise
          High as the list’ning skies
          Let it resound loud as the rolling sea
          Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us
          Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us
          Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
          Let us march on ’til victory is won

The SpaceX launch was certainly a historic moment…check out the video if you did not get a chance to watch the launch live on Saturday, May 30th.

Memorial Day Message from Jenny Frank

Zav Dadabhoy, Armando Trujillo, Paul Beckworth, Sonya Christian and Jenny Frank at the VRC dedication

Jenny Frank, manager of Veteran Services and Programs, sent out a Memorial Day message to our Renegade Community, and I wanted to share it with all of you:

“Dear friends, colleagues and fellow Renegades,

Although technical difficulties prevented this message from reaching each of you yesterday, the sentiment remains.

As the sun sets on another beautiful day in America, we are all acutely aware that this Memorial Day is vastly different than most others. While navigating our lives during these uncertain times, it may be easy to focus on the freedoms that have been disrupted. We must not lose sight of all that we do have and of those who have sacrificed to ensure our way of life.

The brave Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and women and Coast Guardsmen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country and its values came from all different walks of life. Yet, they stood side-by-side, united in their cause. I can think of no better way to honor them than to live our lives in the same manner they stood; united.

So, my friends, colleagues, fellow Renegades, as you lay your heads down tonight, remember these brave men and women, today and always. Tomorrow, as we rise, let us all strive to live our lives in a way that would honor their them. It is together that we will overcome any difficulties that face us. Together we will soon enjoy all the freedoms that have been gifted to us.“

Please also enjoy Taps played by the Minnesota Orchestra Trumpet Section:

Aging

Here is a great poem from Jack Hernandez:

The body ages
steps hesitant
hair ghostly white
the memory cabinet
filling up,
But love knows
nothing of slowing
only of growing
wider in delight.

Virtual Immigration Clinics

Bakersfield College is partnering with the California Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the California Department of Social Services and the UFW Foundation to provide Immigration Clinics for Bakersfield College students, staff and faculty. The services will include general immigration consultations as well as assistance on DACA renewals, citizenship, family petitions, FBI and background checks, adjustment of status, and visas.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all immigration clinics will be held virtually via Zoom or telephone until further notice. These virtual Immigration Clinics will be held every 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of the month from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Read the full story at Bakersfield College launches free Immigration Clinic.

Letting the Times Guide our Creativity

Last March, Kris Tiner from our Jazz department presented during my Virtual Seminar Series about how he changed his teaching methods when classes moved online. He said we must “let the times guide our creativity.”

This week, Jennifer Garrett, our director of choral and vocal studies and Performing Arts Department Chair, continued that sentiment. She wrote a piece in the Bakersfield Californian about how our performance groups have adapted to social distancing.

“BC’s performing arts programs have shared these positive attributes with the Bakersfield community for generations and focusing on them can guide us all through these challenging times. The BC performing arts faculty will continue to let the times guide their creativity, offering BC students the best experiences possible.“

BC Foundation announces new Executive Director

This past Thursday marked the last BC Foundation Board of Directors meeting of the 2019-20 academic year. In spite of the challenges presented by the impact of COVID-19, the BC Foundation finished strong.

Almost 550 scholarships worth over $500,000 were awarded to our students, an Emergency Student Fund was established to financially help students during unexpected hardships, and over $60,000 was used to support innovative programmatic activities proposed by faculty. In the midst of reflecting on all the good work done during unusual circumstances, we took opportunity to express appreciation for the contributions made by the staff, board leadership, and college administration.

However, the highlight of the meeting was welcoming the new Foundation Executive Director, Cheryl Scott, who will fully come on board July 6th. There was great excitement among the directors, for most have known Cheryl for many years and are acquainted with her community service and economic development work in Kern County. 

You can find out more about the BC Foundation on their website at https://www.supportbc.org/.

Kern Promise Celebrates Transfer Graduates

Kern Promise is celebrating BC class of 2020 transferring to 4-year colleges and universities. You can see a display of these high achievers on the Transfer Celebration page of the BC website.

If you know of a graduate that would like to celebrate transferring, have them submit a Transfer Celebration Form.

Here are just a few of our transfer graduates:

Rotary Club of Kern River Valley Scholarship

Kern Valley Sun announced the Rotary Club of the Kern River Valley’s scholarship recipients including incoming Renegade, Joey Moyer. The article states Joey will pursue a teaching credential and plans to transfer to a four-year university.  Welcome to BC Joey!

Videos from Closing Week

I’m continuing to highlight a few videos from our Closing Week celebration. All our videos are available on our Closing Week 2020 website.

Incoming BCSGA President Gian Gatayao:

Presidential Leadership Awards: Academic Technology:

Manny Mourtzanos, Management Association:

Uplifting student videos from Summer Bridge

BC’s Summer Bridge program is one of our secret student success strategies. Dr. Kimberly Bligh has moved this program to an online format for Summer 2020. Check out these two uplifting videos from our incoming Bridgers

https://flipgrid.com/s/afbcd5ea9d06
https://flipgrid.com/s/d7f3de43dbb9

Thank you Kimberly!

  • Kimberly Bligh and Isabel Castaneda
    Kimberly Bligh and Isabel Castaneda
https://flipgrid.com/s/afbcd5ea9d06

Construction on Campus

While we are not able to be on campus, construction is continuing. Check out this photo from Manny De Los Santos:

Athletics

Sandi Taylor Officially Announces Retirement After 30 Years As A Renegade

This week our fearless Athletic Director Sandi Taylor officially announced her retirement to the community bringing to a close a 30 years career as a Renegade – 23 years as head softball coach and seven as athletic director. As a leader Sandi has consistently kept the Renegade athletics ship on a steady course in the right direction. While she’s ever a kind and gentle soul, she’s also fiercely competitive and was just what Renegade Athletics needed in a leader for the past seven years.

As news of her retirement hit the community, she was immediately was recognized with multiple TV interviews and a front page above the fold article on the sports section of the Bakersfield Californian on Wednesday. The social media posts on her retirement have been swarmed with overwhelming congratulations and well-wishes from former student athletes, coaches, friends and community members. We are glad to have had Sandi for so long and will miss her!

Click below for the stories from our local media on Sandi’s retirement:

Also, as you drive around town, keep your eyes peeled for the billboards honoring Coach Taylor!

And here again is the video of Sandi’s Lifetime Achievement Award

That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Closing week — Spring 2020 pandemic semester

Uncategorized May 16, 2020 1 Comment

Bakersfield College closed out what will go down in the history books as an unusual semester… Spring 2020-the semester of the pandemic. There was much to celebrate this last week… the resilience of our students, the caring nature of our faculty and staff, and much much more. It seemed as it the skies were celebrating the Renegades when the jets flew over the Memorial Stadium this week. Check out the photos capture by 23ABC

Thank you 23ABC photographers Grant Simpson and Javier Posadas. Aircrafts from the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno flew over the city of Bakersfield in a show of support for nurses and other professionals working to help fight the coronavirus.

Good morning Bakersfield
It is Saturday, May 16, 2020…A great day to be a Renegade

Check out the opening photo roll for Closing Week, Day 1, put together by Dylan Wang

Every spring, we hold a Closing Day celebration on campus to reflect on the academic year and honor the accomplishments of our BC faculty and staff.

This year, we took our celebration online and shifted to a shorter format over 4 days. You can visit the Closing Week 2020 website to see videos from each day’s celebration. As part of the BC tradition, I recognize individuals, departments, and teams for leadership from the previous years.

This year, I honored the Academic Technology Department, College and District Information Technology Department, the Public Safety Program Pathway, the Nursing Department, Carlos Barbaran, Student Affairs, the Budget Committee, COVID-19 Response Team, Jennifer Johnson, Todd Coston, and Paul Beckworth (announced in Fall 2019) as recipients of the President’s Leadership Awards.

I also honored retiring Athletic Director Sandi Taylor and retiring Dean Corny Rodriguez with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Bakersfield College will truly miss both of you, and I am grateful for the years of service you both have given to the college.

Sandi Taylor — Lifetime Achievement Award

Corny Rodriguez — Lifetime Achievement Award

Paula Parks and Faith Bradham were announced as the Norm Levan Faculty Colloquium speakers for 2020-2021.


Gayle Richardson and Phil Feldman received the Margaret Levinson Faculty Leadership Award.

Arnie Andrasian was named the Shirley Trembley Distinguished Teacher Award winner.

And of course, the week would not have been possible without the Closing Week planning team. Thank you to Todd Coston, Nicky Damania, Jennifer Serratt, Tarina Perry, Manny De Los Santos, Shannon Musser, Dylan Wang, and Earl Parsons for the hard work you put into our weeklong celebration.

Additionally this week, Chris Doyen (English), Gina Herera (Art), Javier Llamas (History), Josh Ottum (Music) and Kris Tiner (Music) were announced as winners for the Norman Levan Summer Grants.

Check out last year’s closing day at https://sonyachristianblog.com/2018/05/12/a-commencement-of-firsts/

Early College Virtual Support Events

Early College graduating class of 2019

Early College is holding multiple virtual support events to help onboard students. There are recommended courses lists and information on how to apply/update student applications.

High school students can enroll in tuition-free courses that can be transferred to a 2- or 4-year degree. You can learn more about the Virtual Support Events, or register for the sessions on May 20, May 27, June 3, or June 10, on our website.

You can also visit the Early College website for more information about the program.

Check out last year’s commencement at https://sonyachristianblog.com/2019/05/19/bcs-105th-commencement/

BC Nurse inducted into Nurses Honor Society

Debra Strong, RN, our college nurse at the Student Health and Wellness Center, was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society on May 2. ‘You can check out the induction video below:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/414303531?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Nu Upsilon Virtual Induction from Nu Upsilon on Vimeo.

M&O taking care of campus

This week, I received an email from Caroline Walth commending members of our M&O staff, Martha Gonzalez and Ofelia Hernandez, who have been taking great care of our administration building plants while campus is closed.

Thank you Martha Gonzalez and Ofelia Hernandez!

And here is a photo of Caroline Walth from my wordpress photo album. Thank you Caroline for sharing your excitement about your department and staff.

Catherine Rangel, Caroline Walth and Jo Ellen Barnes

Celebrating our students

This semester, our students have risen to the challenges they faced, and they adapted quickly to unexpected changes. I could not be more proud of our student Renegades and all they have accomplished this year. And while we were not able to have our traditional commencement last night, we are finding ways to celebrate our students’ achievements – and we will continue to find more ways. I wanted to share a few of the things we have done so far:

You can visit our BC website to see a page that celebrates our graduates who will be transferring to other institutions.

We have also created a virtual flipbook to celebrate our Honors Students.

Through donor support, 436 students were named for the 545 award opportunities available, and over $500,000 will be awarded for the 2020/2021 academic year.

The Bakersfield College Scholarship program could not be possible without the generous donors that contribute to the Bakersfield College Foundation.

Community Voices

Chris Cruz-Boone from our Communication Department wrote a wonderful piece in the Bakersfield Californian about the shift to online teaching at Bakersfield College, and how how we at BC are continuing to move forward and find innovative ways to serve our students during this pandemic.

“It is a strange moment in history, and I will proudly remember that I was working at Bakersfield College where we are training people for the workforce, to learn a new skill or get credits until they can move on to a university.”

BC Chamber Singers

Performing Arts Department Chair Jennifer Garrett shared this video she put together about the BC Chamber Singers‘ experiences before the pandemic and shelter in place orders.

Amazon presents to Industrial Automation

On May 6th, Career Education welcomed Amazon Representatives to present on their current positions available within their Robotics, Maintenance and Engineering Department. Industrial Automation Students learned about the position qualifications, application process, examination and training opportunities.

Fun Photos

I love this throwback trivia from our Athletics Twitter:

Educational Advisor Isabel Castaneda shared a glimpse into how she spent her last day of the semester:

The library shared their well wishes for our graduates:

And librarian Mindy Wilmot posted this image encouraging us all to keep going:

Nice Facebook post by Matt Garrett about emailing his students.

Athletics

Our talented media intern in the athletics department, Jacob Amado, put together highlight videos for both our men’s and women’s basketball season this last year. Click below to see his excellent work. Great work, Jacob!

2019-20 Renegade Men’s and Women’s Basketball Highlights

2019-20 Men’s Basketball Highlights: 

2019-20 Women’s Basketball Highlights: 

Dasia Wandick is Headed to Webber International University

Fresh off winning the Renegade Athletics Career Achievement Award this year, Dasia Wandick of Renegade Women’s Basketball has signed and committed to continue her academic and basketball career at Webber International University in Florida. Dasia has been an extremely hard worker and leader for Coach Paula Dahl the last two years and we are excited for the next step in her journey!

That’s all for now.
Until next time.
With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.
sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

BC… Raising the Bar

Uncategorized December 22, 2019 Comments: 2
Jingle Bells. BC at BSO Dec 6 2019
Sleigh Ride BSO Dec 6 2019
Both photos snapped while walking Neo on Dec 21, 2019

Merry Christmas

Started this week’s blog with Christmas music from the BSO-BC Home for the Holidays concert. Featured below is the fun version of Twelve Days of Christmas performed by our new Mens Choir. See if you can spot some of our faculty and staff and in the video. Going left to right: Nicky Damania, Chris Glaser, Nick Strobel.

Celebrating our BC Foster Youth through the NextUp Program!

NextUp, a Foster Youth Support Program housed within EOPS, had an end-of-the-year celebration this past Tuesday.

  • NextUp Survival Kits
  • EOPS program manager Patty Ramirez laughing with NextUp student Shaquille Hill.
  • NextUp Counselor Jeff Stambook chatting with NextUp student’s Jasmine Gutierrez and Andy Sanchez.
  • NextUp Counselor Jeff Stambook with NextUp student Adrian Cazarez working to finish Human Bingo.
  • NextUp Program Manager Maria Baltazar helping NextUp student Chance Rubalcado finish his human bingo sheet
  • NextUp Student Andy Sanchez with his NextUp survival kit.
  • NextUp student’s and staff playing human bingo
  • NextUp students lining up for dinner
  • NextUp Students Rosemary Wiley and Joshua Crevison with NextUp Educational Advisor Chase Amos completing on Human Bingo.
  • NextUp students socializing and enjoying dinner.

Fun Photos: UMOJA Recognizes June Charles

June Charles being recognized by the Umoja Program. Thank you Andrea Thorson for the photos.

  • June Charles

Fun Photos from the December KCCD Board meeting

Snapped some fun pictures at the Dec KCCD Board meeting. Was great seeing Bill Henry who was recognized by the Board for his tenure at KCCD. Also,Gary Moser and KCCD received an award from Ellucian for the innovative work we are doing statewide. Finally both Romeo Agbalog and Kyle Carter were recognized by KCSOS.

  • Trustee Corkins, Danielle Hillard, Bill Henry
  • Trustee Carter & Chancellor Burke
  • Trustee Agbalog
  • Bill Henry

Sandi Taylor was recognized as Manager of the Month by Manny Mourtzanos this past week. Congrats Sandi! You deserve it!

Manny Mourtzanos and Sandi Taylor

Annual Culinary and Caroling Dinner

Topping Out Party

Steve Anderson, Bill Potter, Sonya Christian

On Friday, S.C. Anderson held it’s “topping out” party for the new Campus Center building.  I joined our very own Bill Potter, Tamara Baker, Zav Dadabhoy, Billie Jo Rice, Nicky Damania, and Pam Kelley, along with KCCD Project Manager Nick Hernandez to celebrate this occasion. 

  • Project Manager Bill Campe

Kurt Hettinger of S.L. Shaw Company, Inc. sent this great explanation of the tradition:

Atop the rust-and-grey steel, a white beam sprouts a green tree from another era.

The “topping out” of a steel framed building with an evergreen tree is an ironworker tradition that originated centuries ago by Scandinavians who believed that gods lived in trees. The evergreen branch is a remnant of a time when builders thought they had to appease the gods whose trees they felled for construction.

Early Scandinavians would place the top-most  branches of trees that were cut for lumber atop their completed buildings. They believed this prevented incurring the wrath of both the tree gods and the souls of men, since man’s soul was believed to originate in trees and return to them.

To live amiably among the tree gods, these early builders accompanied the topping out with festivity and ceremony, culminating with the pouring of wine at the foot of the building. With this, they thought the building and its occupants would gain good luck since no tree god would wreck vengeance on so devout a believer.

Except for the presence of alcohol on a worksite, the topping out practice remains common in the United States, where the last beam of a significant building is painted and signed by all the workers involved. Then a living tree, or at least leafy branch, is placed on the beam, often with flags and banners tied to it. S.L. Shaw, like any red-blooded company, proudly flies the stars-and-stripes on the final beam every time too.

S.L. Shaw Company is proud to continue this tradition, and is proud to have partnered with SC Anderson and Mechanical Industries for the erection of this noteworthy project.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Kurt Hettinger

S.L. Shaw Company, Inc.

I would like to thank S.L. Shaw Company, Inc. SC Anderson and Mechanical Industries for including us in this unique tradition. Specifically, thank you to project manager Bill Campe of SC Anderson, Lee Shaw and Kurt Hettinger of S.L. Shaw, Bob Varner of Ordiz Melby Architects, as well as crane operator Trent Gardener, Nestor and Jose Ramirez for all of their hard work. I cannot wait to see the finished product next December!

You can see more photos from the event on Bakersfield College’s Smug Mug or the A Better BC Facebook page.

Army vs. Navy Football Game

Paul Beckworth hosted the annual Army vs. Navy football game between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland. Check out the pictures!

  • Tony Cordova, Sonya Chrstian, Paul Beckworth, Steve Holmes, Tommy Tunson, Matt Garrett and Lisa Robles
  • Paul Beckworth, Mike Giacomini and his wife
  • Paul Beckworth and his sister Ileen
  • Sonya Christian & Lisa Robles

This game brings out the best rivalries at our campus, and it was a joy to be a part of it! Congrats to the Navy on their well-earned win (sorry Tommy Tunson!)!

Steve Holmes playing middle man between Paul Beckworth (Nacy) and Tommy Tunson (Army)
Tony Cordova (Navy), Tommy Tunson (Army) and Paul Beckworth (Navy)

The Southern San Joaquin Valley Cal-SOAP Consortium held a Winter Training Series!

BC’s California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) staff attended a two-day winter staff development series, which was geared towards preparation for the Cal-SOAP work with high school seniors for the spring semester. Tpoics included the Common Application by Nora Dominguez of University of LaVerne, Naviance Career Inventory by Christy Fraley of Kern High School District.

Cal-SOAP is a statewide program designed to increase the number of students attending college. The program serves students who are from low-income families, will be the first in their family to attend college, or are from areas or schools with low-eligibility or college-going rates. Cal-SOAP was established by the state legislature in 1978 and today operates in 14 locations throughout the state. Cal-SOAP is funded and administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).

Tour of the New Veterans Resource Center

If you weren’t able to join us for the Vernon Valenzuela Veterans Resource Center ribbon cutting on December 10, have no fear! Take a tour of the new facility through the camera lens! 

You can also see the astounding photos that Max Becherer donated to the new VRC. They’re incredibly powerful.

To San Antonio, Christmas 1977

A beautiful Jack Hernandez poem.

PB&J During Finals Week

Thank you BCSGA for providing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during finals week.

Thank you to the Office of Student Life, BCSGA, and the Renegade Pantry.

Christmas Tree Recycling

This year, we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of our Christmas tree recycling partnership with the City of Bakersfield. Stop by the southwest parking lot on the  corner of University and Haley to drop your Christmas tree off between December 25 and January 17.

 Image courtesy of KBAK 29/58

If the Panorama Campus is too far to bring your tree, you can drop it off at the Kern County Fairgrounds, the Shafter/Wasco landfill, or any number of locations throughout Kern County. Stacey Shepard of the Bakersfield Californian put together a convenient list of all the Christmas tree recycling locations in our area. 

If you live in the Metro Bakersfield area, you can also place Christmas trees into your green waste container as long as the tree is cut into small pieces and the container lid is able to close completely.

M&O Never Sleeps!

The Maintenance & Operations department has been busy over the winter recess making sure that our campus is beautiful for our return in January! They’ve been replacing the flooring in the FACE building west wing and CDC classrooms.  Instructors in the Humanities building will have new stations when they return, and the Delano campus will have new lighting! Thank you to our entire M&O team for continually working hard to make our campuses beautiful and kept to the highest standards for our students.  We appreciate you! 

  • FACE floor replacement

Measure J: Preparing for New Science & Engineering Building

Over winter break contractors are putting up the construction fence for the upcoming Measure J funded Science & Engineering building.  This new three-story facility will house offices, labs and classrooms for BC’s Science & Engineering department. The 68,300 square foot building has a program value of $65 million and is scheduled to be completed in September 2021.  Mark your calendars for the groundbreaking ceremony to be held on February 4th!   

Fun Photos from the BC Behavioral Science Elves

BC’s Behavioral Science faculty including David Riess, David Rohac, and Jordan Rude wish all their colleagues, friends, students, and president happy holidays!

‘Tis the Season for Giving—

The CARE and CalWORKs parent programs hosted their annual holiday celebration at Rollerama last Friday, a true family friendly affair! Student accomplishments were celebrated along with their children as they skated, enjoyed a meal together, and took family pictures with Santa Claus upon receiving the children’s Christmas gifts from the “Adopt a Family” project.

All the families with a total of 130 children were adopted by our generous BC faculty, staff, and community partners. A big “THANK YOU” for purchasing dinner at our Chipotle fundraiser, providing donations and/or going out of your way to purchase presents for the children! A special acknowledgement goes to Juan Estrada who adopted 12 families!!  I am beyond proud to be the President of such a giving and generous college! 

Fun Photos: Holiday Gifts

Check out the decorations on the cookies from the Grimm Family Ed Foundation.

Pressed flower cookies from Grimm Family Education Foundation

Student Employee Testimonial

Ramon Carriedo says..

Ramon Carriedo

Going to college and having a job can be hard. Balancing work and study is not easy, especially for a full-time student like myself. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a student employee here at BC, which helps me stay focused on school while earning a paycheck at the same time.

Being a student employee has taught me a lot of skills that can only benefit me in the future. Plus, I get to see all the hard work done behind the scenes to keep the school successful.

In the Marketing Department, I work alongside writers, photographers, graphic designers, web content editors, and leaders. Working around all of these specialists is an amazing opportunity to gather knowledge, which is my favorite part. When I first started working here, I had no clue on how to make documents accessible or work with graphic design. With no experience covering an event, Earl Parsons walked me through the basics of how to take notes and catch a reader’s eye with my writing. He also taught me how to use a digital camera and find the best angles.

My favorite memory of working here had to be the day that I walked in and Monika Scott asked me if I would be willing to help the team present in front of all the new staff. When I asked Monika when this meeting was going to happen, she replied that it was in the next 15 minutes. I instantly started studying the slides, and I walked into the meeting room feeling extremely confident. But when it was my turn to present, everything I thought I was going to say flew right out the window. I started stuttering and I felt frozen.

After the presentation, Monika let me know that this was a great learning experience, and in the future, jobs will ask me to present on short notice. The more practice you get at it, the better you become – just one of the many lessons I’ve learned as a BC student employee.

New Employee Orientation

Holidays are Going to the Dogs

So….. what should I get Neo and Bessie for Christmas? This led me to wonder how many others think about buying Christmas presents for their pets. According to the APPA (American Pet Products Association), American’s are estimated to spend $75.38 billion dollars on pets in 2019! Isn’t that incredible? They estimate that $16.44 billion of that will be spent on “Supplies/OTC Medicine.” DogTime.com had some fun holiday statistics:

· Dog owners are more likely to give their pet a gift than cat owners (but that gap is closing)
· 4 out of 10 pet owners confess to giving presents to others as if it was from their pet
· 54% of pets will have Christmas stockings this year
· 34% have a special pet-safe advent calendar
· 29% of pets will get a Christmas card from their owner (Maybe the pets enjoy having it read to them)
· 16% of owners feature their pets on their Christmas cards (TheNosePrint.com claims this is 43%)
· 3% say their pets are writing a letter to Santa Paws (he exists, you just have to believe)

TheNosePrint.com surveyed people and ranked states according to their expenditure on their pets. While the average was $23.10, California ranked 6th with spending an average of $26.07 per dog for state residents. I’m not going to confess where I ranked for Neo this year.

Here are some fun photos of BC Employee’s dogs. If you would like your pet featured in my blog, do send a photo to Aricia Leighton or me.

Lesley Bond’s Blue
Lisa Robles’ Samson and Oliver
Kylie Swanson’s Oscar Meyer (in a sweater Ashlea Ward bought for him)
Manny Mourtzanos’ Brooklyn and Dodger
Aricia Leighton’s Sting
Eric Carillo’s Froderick Diezel von Heiden (Diezel)
Tamara Baker’s Jack and Bruce
  • Bessie with Neo
  • Bessie and Neo

Wrestling take 3rd at CCCAA State Finals

This last weekend, our Renegade Wrestling team traveled to Fresno City College for the CCCAA State Finals. Led by Jonathan Hunter taking 1st in the 174 lb. weight class, the team brought back a 3rd place finals finish. Renegade placers included:

• 174 lb. – Jonathan Hunter – 1st place (State Champion and All-American)

• 184 lb. – Jordan Annis – 2nd place (All-American)

• 197 lb. – Ricardo Gonzalez – 4th place (All-American)

• 149 lb. – Adrian Gonzalez – 5th place

• 125 lb. – Keithen Estrada – 7th place (Back-to-back state placer, finished 7th in 2018)

Next Level Renegades

Congrats to three of our Renegade student athletes for committing to continue their academic and athletic careers at the next level. Holden Williams from Renegade Football, has committed to play for Portland State University. From Renegade Women’s Soccer, Ashley Quintanilla and Lissette Garcia have both committed to play at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salinas, KS. Congratulations to Holden, Ashley and Lissette!

Renegade Report

Watch this week’s edition of the Renegade Report on the Bakersfield College Athletics Facebook page featuring our Renegade Men’s Basketball team. Head Coach Rich Huges and players sat down with host Kenny Calvin to discuss their hot start to the season.

Renegade Athletics updates from this past week

• Men’s Basketball Competes at Santa Barbara Tourney:

o Game 1 loss vs. Pasadena City, 78-73

o Game 2 win over Oxnard, 85-76

o Game 3 win over Porterville, 84-61 

• Wrestling Takes 3rd at CCCAA State Finals

Thank you for voting Yes on J!

Uncategorized December 15, 2019 Comments: 2

The transformation of our campus for the next 50 years has begun! Major changes will be taking place over the next 10 years ranging from construction of new buildings, renovations of buildings, and major repairs to our campus infrastructure. The grand opening of our first building, the Vernon Valenzuela Veterans Resource Center, was on December 10, 2019

Thank you for voting Yes on J!

Sonya Christian voting Yes on J on Oct 30, 2016
Sonya Christian thanking Kern County for voting Yes on J. Nov 12, 2016

The Bakersfield College Vernon Valenzuela Veterans Resource Center

Vernon Valenzuela Veterans Resource Center. Dec 10, 2019

After years of preparation and development, our community gathered on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019 for a historic milestone in Renegade history. With college and district leaders, community members, students, supporters, family, and friends, BC officially opened the new Vernon Valenzuela Veterans Resource Center, a space dedicated to student veterans and the first completed Measure J building.

Thank you KCCD Trustees
Sonya Christian, President of Board John Corkins, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Kyle Carter, Jack Connell, Tom Burke, Paul Beckworth

I could not be more proud of everyone who helped bring this grand vision into reality. Attendees who came from across the country were greeted with a massive American flag that billowed proudly, flying above the newly christened building from an extending ladder on a Kern County Fire Department truck. Dignitaries on the dais outside of the center included Chancellor Tom Burke, Mayor Karen Goh and Congressman Bill Thomas, as well as KCCD Trustees Jack Connell (a Navy veteran), Romeo Agbalog, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, and President of the KCCD Board John Corkins. There were also representatives from about 40 student organizations on campus. Trustee Kay Meek was viewing the live stream, unable to attend the ceremony in-person. She was one of the most vocal supporters for the construction of the new center as the first Measure J project, and her presence was missed. 

Ricardo Del Hoyo, Joseph Lopez, Nick Ortiz, Tommy Tunson, Mayor Goh, Trustee Corkins, President Christian, Chancellor Burke, Perry Finzel & Monica Martin

This new 4,700 square foot facility is dedicated to student veterans and includes a tutoring room, conference room with whiteboards and television, a lounge area with two televisions, coffee bar, fridge, microwave, computer area and outdoor patio area.

Diego Ross from JTS Construction and Armando Trujillo

This space is dedicated to the education, wellness, and transformation of our students, therefore it’s only fitting that this place is named after Vernon Valenzuela. Vernon was a Vietnam combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He was a Bakersfield College student in the 1970s and later became a licensed counselor who spent the rest of his life working with veterans and their families; his legacy will live on forever in its walls.

Former student Wesley Barrientos cuts the ribbon with help from current SGA President Samantha Pullido and President of the Vets Club Ilene Garcia
The VRC Challenge Coin
Study area in the new VRC
Lise Valenzuela in the new Vernon Valenzuela Veterans Resource Center
  • Paul Beckworth and sister Ileen
  • Lisa Robles, Norma Rojas Mora

This center would not be possible without the leadership of Paul Beckworth, who opened the ceremony by thanking Armando Trujillo and his team for all they do to help our Renegade veterans. Armando was a protégé of Vernon Valenzuela, the founder of the first veterans’ clubs at BC and CSUB, and I could think of no one else who is better suited to extend Vernon’s love and empathy to a new generation of Renegade vets. Armando also announced an annual scholarship that will be offered through the VRC for years to come.

Armando Trujillo addressing the audience

When our local veterans are returning home, this new center will be the place they can come to to find support, comfort, and comradery with fellow Renegades. For over 100 years Renegades have put on the uniform, and when they were ready to trade in their boots for books, BC knew its responsibility. BC’s mission continues to be to educate our veterans, mind body, and soul, and to celebrate the impact that veterans have had on BC.

I surprised Paul Beckworth by presenting him with the President’s Leadership Award during the ceremony. Over these last seven years, Paul has advocated on behalf of our student veterans here on campus, in the community, and in the state. He and a group of student veterans were fearless in “occupying” a vacant room adjacent to their existing cramped space, quietly doing the necessary remodeling work.  He has written public letters to our student veterans, to our faculty veterans, to our staff veterans.   He is brave, kind, funny, open, tender, with a passion to respect, honor and support his fellow brothers and sisters from the military.

Zav Dadabhoy, Armando Trujillo, Paul Beckworth, Sonya Christian
Zav Dadabhoy, Armando Trujillo, Paul Beckworth, President Christian & Jenny Frank

I also introduced incoming manager Jenny Frank, who comes to us from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This special facility is the first of many made possible by the tremendous community support of Measure J. There is a very, very long list of individuals to thank, but Trustee Kay Meek deserves special recognition for her constant focus and dedication.

  • Kay Meek speaking at VRC
Bill Thomas, Kay Meek, Tom Burke, Steven Holmes

The impact of Trustee Meek’s work was evident in the words of student veteran and Veteran Club President Ilene Garcia during the grand opening, who said, “As soon as I walked in, I felt that camradery and bond that I had been missing that you instantly obtain when you join the military. Finding that comfort zone in civilian life is essential for veterans returning home. We crave the structure and sense of belonging that the military instills in us. The Veterans Resource Center at BC provides this.”

Veterans Club President Ilene Garcia and fellow veterans

BC Veterans Club President Ilene Garcia took a moment to explain how the team at BC creates a structure and a sense of belonging that helps soldiers readjust to civilian life. She also thanked all of us at BC for making this center a priority with the funding from Measure J.

Vernon’s wife Lise Valenzuela offered some personal anecdotes about how BC changed her husband’s life. After serving a tour of duty in the Vietnam War, Vernon found his confidence and his calling as a student at BC, and he dedicated the rest of his life to helping other veterans like him find their calling through higher education.

Lise Valenzuela

Former Trustee Bill Thomas talked about how Vernon’s imposing physical presence, and his empathy and talent for listening, inspired respect from anyone who had a conversation with him. Bill highlighted Kay Meek’s work and her emphatic message to all that she wanted this to be the very first project of Measure J. He also previewed the ribbon cutting ceremonies to come as more Measure J projects finish construction.

Former Congressman & Trustee Bill Thomas
Tom Burke, Ilene Garcia, Paul Beckworth, Bill Thomas, Sonya Christian, Kyle Carter, Karen Goh

Attendees were treated to the beautiful music of BC’s Chamber Singers. led by the talented Dr. Jennifer Garrett. I’m happy that Brandon Urry captured these videos so that I can share then with you.

Award-winning photojournalist Max Becherer started his career right here at BC as a student of Kris Stallworth, and he took pictures of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for publications like the Washington Post and Time Magazine before becoming the Photo Editor of the New Orleans Advocate. He donated several of his most famous photographs from those conflicts to the VRC and attended the groundbreaking alongside his family.

Photographer Max Becherer sharing his photography.

As Paul described in his closing address, the VRC is more than just a place of learning. It is a place where our veteran students can heal from the physical and psychological wounds of combat, supporting each other through all of their struggles. Thank you Paul, Armando and our Veterans Affairs team for dreaming of this safe space for healing, and thank you to our Measure J team for making that dream a reality. I would also like to thank Tamara Baker for organizing the ribbon cutting and open house, as well as everyone who contributed to making this event such a success.

Here are some of the elected officials or their reps in the photo below. Left to right:
1.     Congressman Kevin McCarthy (Monica Martin, rep)
2.      Congressman T.J. Cox (Joseph Lopez, rep)
3.      Assemblyman Vince Fong (Lauren Skidmore, rep)
4.      Mayor Karen Goh
5.      Congressman Kevin McCarthy (Perry Finzel, rep)
6.      Senator Melissa Hurtado (Ricardo Del Hoyo, rep)
7.      City Councilman Willie Rivera, Ward 1
8.      Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez, District 5 (Nicole Villaruz,
rep)
9.      Assemblyman Rudy Salas (Athena Skapinakis, rep)

I would like to recognize those who actually built the facility, taking it from plans to a reality: local companies IBI Group, Inc. and JTS Construction. Also, I would like to thank AECOM/Parsons for all of their hard work on this project (and the other 14 Measure J projects), for finishing the job ahead of time and under budget. AECOM/Parsons joined our team in 2017 to design the Measure J master plan, and have been managing all of the projects from the very first meeting until the last. All of the above groups not only met our expectations, but went well above. The bar has been set high!

  • Diana Johnson & Trevor Goller of AECOM
  • Phil Ellsworth of Parsons
    Phil Ellsworth of Parsons
2019 Sterling Silver with the AECOM-Parsons team

We had much love from our local media and press. Thank you to the Bakersfield Californians Robert Price and Ema Sasic, Reyna Harvey, Tyrah Majors, Jacueline Gutierrez of the Renegade RIP and more!

Reyna Harvey interviews Sonya Christian on Tuesday Morning

Most importantly, I’d like to thank the community of Kern County for supporting Renegades today and for the next 50 years through Measure J.

And in closing, I will quote the words of Paul Beckworth, BC’s Faculty Director of Veteran Services as he addressed BC’s students… “Thank you for your courage, for believing in yourself and for pursing an education. Thank you for choosing Bakersfield College. This place is for you.”

Love these “behind the scenes” pictures.

BSO-BC Home for the Holidays Concert

Here is my promised weekly Christmas music from our Chamber Singers during the month of December

Rick Kreiser narrating the Night Before Christmas
Hallelujah

Led by the amazing, Dr. Jennifer Garrett, the BC Chamber Singers are an absolutely stunning group who shares their voices with the world. They performed a fun version of Jingle Bells and the Renegade Mens Chorus- sang “The 12 Days of Christmas” mixed with various other Christmas carols.

The evening included sing-alongs with the audience and it was really fun to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.

Adventist Health was a sponsor of the evening and I saw Sharlet Briggs, CEO of Adventist, who referred to Mary Poppins and a “spoon of sugar makes the medicine go down”. She went on to observe how a teaspoon of music can make the medicine go down too!

BCSGA Attends the Kern Tax Annual Meeting

BCSGA President Samantha Pulido, BCSGA Student Activities Manager Perla Villegas, KCCD Chancellor Tom Burke, KCCD Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzberg, KCCD Director Dave Teasdale, and BC Director of Student Life Dr. Nicky Damania attended the Kern Tax 80th Annual Meeting at the Bakersfield Country Club. Kern Tax is the county’s leader on reviewing and educating about taxpayer issues and dollars. The keynote speaker was founding chief executive and Senior Fellow, President Emeritus of California Forward, Jim Mayer who presented “Transforming California.” His presentation focused on performance-oriented government, society-oriented business, and entrepreneurial civic organizations working together to engage in community resolutions. 

Mike Turnipseed with Perla and Samantha

Before the speaker, there was a video montage of various Kern leaders thanking Kern Tax for their 80 years of service to Kern County, and especially highlighting the leadership and work of Mike Turnupseed for the association and our community. What a pleasure to have two of our strong student leaders in attendance at this engaging community event.

Human Rights Day Social Justice Student Conversation Event

Jose Bello speaks to fellow Renegades

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on December 10th each year. At Bakersfield College, student organization YES (Youth Empowered Success) brought two NFL players to campus for a student centered event to bring awareness to various social justice topics. Student organization YES president, Jose Bello, was the emcee of the event and encouraged his fellow Renegades to pay close attention, listen, respect one another, and use their voice for the good of humankind. Jose also took the mic to say a few words in Spanish to thank his mom who was in attendance, for all her support.

Two special guests who took the stage were Joshua Norman and Demario Davis, two NFL players who take pride in their activist roles for human rights. They encouraged students to be sources of support for one another and to give words to the voiceless.

In the early morning before the speaker presentations began, students in attendance participated in a cultural dance outside in the courtyard. This collaborative dance was a symbol of cultivating community, peace, and social responsibility.

And once again, Reyna Harvey is everywhere! Spotted her interviewing Joshua Norman and Demario Davis outside the event.

Renegades Finish Finals!

This week was also finals week so the library began offering their Extended Study Hours last week, which will run through Wednesday.

The lobby portion of the library is the busiest and loudest section with check-in, food, tables, and chairs for group studying. BCSGA Officers and Office of Student Life help ensure everything runs smoothly with the help of volunteers.

As a result of the efforts this semester of Todd Coston and Kirk Russell, the entire first floor of the library is a place for students to spread out and study.  Students need to feel supported now more than ever as they attempt to cross the finish line this semester.

Campus Safety at Porterville College

Our colleagues at Porterville College planned a day of safety drills and invited BC’s Dr. Nicky Damania and Monika Scott to observe the activity. It was a great opportunity and a good experience. Both Nicky and Monika are involved with the planning of BC’s full-scale active shooter scenario and response drill taking place next year. This activity planned for April 8, 2020, will be a cross county, multi-agency drill to test our preparations and enhance our collaboration and response. Special thanks to Todd Dearmore, Safety and Security Manager at Porterville College for a successful drill and for the invitation to observe.

Dr. Nicky Damania & Monika Scott

Networking and Nursing

Bakersfield College’s Nursing Department held its 1st annual Entrée to Employment for the graduating Vocational Nursing Program students. A number of health care agencies within Kern County were present at BC to recruit our stellar vocational nursing students and to discuss future career opportunities.

Entree to Employment for Vocational Nursing grads, 2019

A gourmet dinner was provided by the Renegade Room as the students and staff networked with industry partners. Carla Gard, Director of Nursing Programs and Associate Dean of Instruction, highlighted the program objectives, rigor, and faculty’s dedication to developing skilled and competent nurses.The Vocational Nursing Entrée to Employment was such a success that students had several employment options by the end of the event! So proud!

Graduating Vocational Nursing Students

Crane Visit for OSRM Students

Students in OSRM B10 Occupational Safety had an opportunity to see safety in action when they viewed campus construction up close as part of a class module on crane safety. Bill Campe from SC Anderson, and Kurt Hettinger from SL Shaw Company hosted the students, providing an overview of crane operations. The crane was operated by Trent Gardner.

The large crane is just the right tool to hoist steel beams into place for the new building. Workers deftly navigate the structure, guide steel beams into position and rivet them into place. Following established safety procedures is essential to ensure that they are not injured on the job.

Lifting heavy loads safely takes more than a big crane. The operator relies on detailed lift charts that specify how much the crane can lift at a specific angle. Need more horizontal distance? That reduces capacity. Wind? Reduce capacity or stop work if gusts are too strong. Want to watch the crane work? Stand clear of the swing radius or risk being hit or crushed by the crane’s big back end. This quick visit provided a view of safety in action.

Students enjoyed the “field trip” and the opportunity to watch two world-class companies safely work to build the future of BC. Measure J — a learning lab for our construction students.

Fun Photos: College Council

I’m always proud of the work that College Council does. The presentations are rigorous and focus on our performance metrics.

Amber Hroch reviews the data.

The last College Council meeting for the semester was on Friday, December 6th. The council received updates on various institutional topics ranging from Early College to Meta Major Pathways and more. Just a reminder to the reader….This group is a collegial, consultative, and oversight body designed to serve the good of the entire College. The group facilitates timely, factual, and clear communication between constituents and the President. It provides recommendations to the President on college-wide matters.

Kylie Swanson and Craig Hayward
Education Pathway Team

Giving Thanks: CARE & CalWORKs Workshop

The Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) programs hosted a Thanksgiving Workshop, providing a bonding opportunity for parents and their children and to build a network of support at Bakersfield College.

The Thanksgiving Workshop provided the students a break from studying for finals while their children engaged in fun-filled arts and crafts activities. Additionally, students received a turkey donated by Costco to help them celebrate Thanksgiving with their families.

CARE Advisor, Marcela Gamino, leading an activity
Students and their children made wreaths to hang for the Thanksgiving holiday

CARE and CalWORKS are programs under the EOPS Department, serving BC students who are also parents, with CARE parents being single head of household. Both programs are designed to promote student educational success by offering specialized services to parents receiving public assistance (CalWORKs/TANF/Tribal TANF) with a primary goal to increase wage earning power, leading to self-sufficiency.

Fun Photos: Executive Office Holiday Potluck

Fun Photos: Renegade Road

William Velasquez from BC’s IT department is a talented photographer and often will share the beautiful pictures he captures on campus. He shared an email earlier this week the following photo and said…

William relaxing after an event

“As I was driving away and looked at the banners on the fence, I ponder on the thousands of student athletes that walked this same road. They found the road to success. So I parked my car and took my phone out and took a few pics. This is one of them. The Renegades Road.”

William Velasquez, 2019

Renegade Athletics  Volleyball vs. Chaffey

Enjoy these highlights from Renegade Volleyball’s first round playoff win at home over Chaffey back on Nov. 26th. Renegade Volleyball enjoyed another terrific season this year. They captured a fourth consecutive conference championship and finished the season with a 21-3 overall record. Way to go Coach Carl Ferreira and team!

Kern Schools Federal Credit Union Renegades of the Week

Alyssa Gonzalez, Women’s Basketball – Alyssa was a driving force in helping the Renegades to an 86-29 victory over Taft on Friday (12/6). She totaled 17 points going 5/9 from 3-point and adding 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Jonathan Hunter, Wrestling – Jonathan pinned all of his opponents at the Southern Regionals this last Saturday at Santa Ana College to place first in the 174 lb. weight class and qualify for the CCCAA State Finals this coming weekend.

Renegade Athletics News:

Renegade Athletic events ‘On the Hill’ this coming week

Be sure to put on your Renegade Red and cheer on our student athletes as they compete this coming week. If you can’t make it in person, check GoGades.com to catch the livestream. Join us on 12/20 at 5pm – Men’s Basketball vs El Camino

Renegade Athletics Social Media
Renegade Athletics Social Media

Collaboration, Community, and Conferences!

Uncategorized November 17, 2019 Leave a comment

Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, November 16, 2019… A great day to be a Renegade.

What a week for Bakersfield College and for education throughout the state! Yesterday, leaders and educators from K12, community colleges, CSU’s, UC’s, and independent colleges together with industry leaders met in Bakersfield, working together to increase educational attainment by reducing barriers and mapping out seamless pathways for students. The sold-out event was a great success thanks to the enthusiasm of our attendees, the generous support of our sponsors, and inspirational leadership of key speakers. I will cover this in detail next week. For now let me share just one signature photo!

Sonya Christian, Lande Ajose, Eloy Oakley, Lupita Alcala, Rudy Salas, Mary Barlow

2019 Champion of Higher Education

On Thursday evening Bakersfield College was honored as a 2019 Champion of Higher Education by the Campaign for College Opportunity. The award recognized our high-touch, high-tech, and focused strategies to both grow and streamline transfer pathways that address baccalaureate attainment.

Samantha Pulido, Sonya Christian, Romeo Agbalog, and Tom Burke were present to accept the recognition

BCSGA President, Samantha Pulido and Director of Student Life, Nicky Damania joined myself, Trustee Romeo Agbalog and Chancellor Tom Burke for the award celebration.

According to data from the California Department of Education, Kern County’s baccalaureate attainment rates are only roughly half the statewide rate. In rural service areas, fewer than nine in every 100 residents holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. This gap is even more significant given the Public Policy Institute of California estimate that statewide by 2030 there will be a workforce shortage of over 1 million workers holding a baccalaureate degree.

Bakersfield College has worked in innovative ways to address the educational attainment shortfall, including:

  • Increasing Associate Degree for Transfer Completion by 637% in five years through the Finish-in-4 agreement with CSU Bakersfield and the development of increased transfer course offerings at Bakersfield College Southwest, a new campus that is colocated with CSU Bakersfield.
  • Motivating degree completion by creating the nationally acclaimed Program Pathways Mapper web tool that aligns curriculum across systems, and gives students a visual map of degree completion.
  • Offering Early College across Kern County, allowing over 11,000 high school students annually the opportunity to complete college credit, certificates, or even an Associates Degree before high school graduation.

At yesterday’s event Chancellor Eloy Oakley said that “There would be no Bakersfield without Bakersfield College.” Our graduates are vital to our communities. Our grads are the nurses, the teachers, the welders, the fire fighters, safety officers, and more.

Michele Siqueriros on the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Partners like the Campaign for College Opportunity are vital to the work we’re doing. They are singularly focused on increasing the number of students that attend college and complete their degree, and they are partners in the shared goal of strengthening California’s future. We owe a special thank you to The Campaign for College Opportunity and CCO President, Michele Siqueiros.

Sharing the Success of Early College at the California Economic Summit

I had the opportunity to attend the California Economic Summit in Fresno, CA, where I was invited to join BC’s partners from the Wonderful Company: Dr. Noemi Donoso, Executive Vice President of Wonderful Education, and Andy Anzaldo, Chief Operating Officer for Wonderful Education, and Victor a student from the first graduating class in 2018. At the Summit we shared the story of the success of the Early College partnership which was started in 2013 with the goal of providing students at Wonderful’s Delano campus an opportunity to complete an Associate of Science in Agriculture Business from BC by the time they graduated from high school. 

The pilot program proved successful when the 2018 graduating class from Wonderful walked across the Bakersfield College graduation stage to receive their associate degrees a week before participating in their high school graduation. All students went on to attend college or enter the workforce. Those who graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and enrolled full-time in a four-year university were eligible for a renewable four-year scholarship of up to $24,000 per year through the Wonderful Academy. The following year, our number of graduates almost tripled and by 2023, BC expects to award over 1,000 Early College certificates and degrees.

  • Tom Burke and Sonya Christian

Now, that’s a positive change for the central valley and future generations that we can all be proud of.

Energy Festival

The Kern County Foundation held their annual Kern County Energy Festival on Saturday, November 9, to celebrate the positive impact that energy has on our community.  BC Industrial Automation Bachelor of Science Program Manager, Aubrey Priest,  educated the attendees about the great opportunities the program offers our community in the energy sector. Carlos Medina from Career Education shared information about the different energy-related programs BC offers to support the community and increase the skilled workforce.

  • Aubrey Priest

Kern County Energy Summit

Attending the 13th Annual Kern County Energy Summit this week offered new insight into ways that Bakersfield College can contribute to building a sound energy future for our community. The event opener Lorelei Oviatt, Director of Kern County’s Planning and Natural Resources Department, who painted a picture of Kern County as a place for energy growth and innovation in a way that is not always recognized outside the county.

Lorelei said she is often contacted by energy innovators in France and Germany, people who consider Kern County to be the first choice when launching energy technologies, inviting her to share Kern’s policies and incentives in their own efforts to to support a comprehensive energy portfolio. Kern County has evolved far beyond the iconic wooden oil derricks from the 1930’s:

  • Kern County is number one in the state and 5th in the nation in oil production.
  • Kern County is a leader in innovating new energy technologies in the fields of solar and wind energy, biomass, hydrogen.
  • Kern County energy sector is upwardly mobile: a person is more able to move from the bottom 20% to the top 20% of wage earners than anywhere else in the country.
  • Kern County leads in the growing need for and development of energy storage—battery storage, water storage, underground energy storage.
Sonya Christian & Stu Witt

At our table, Tony Cordova, BC’s Director of Career and Technical Education, and Klint Rigby, BC Department Chair of Industrial Technology, talked about workforce needs Bakersfield College could fulfill in Kern County. Meanwhile, former Top Gun pilot and new member of the National Space Council, Stu Witt and Dr. Michele Bresso, Bakersfield College Communication Professor, strategized about building partnerships between energy leaders and education.  Stu was discussing the sunset of fossil fuels and the need to restructure education to meet the growth and change in workforce needs for the vast array of energy industries that would emerge in our region. Bakersfield College is well-positioned to fuel the energy industry workforce innovation and growth with its educational programs in Engineering, Industrial Automation, Industrial Technology, Physics, Chemistry and more.

Michele Bresso & Klint Rigby

And, it can’t come a moment too soon, according to the predictions of summit speaker, Dr. Steven R. Bohlen, Energy and Homeland Security Program Director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Bohlen offered an exciting perspective about the future when he said that Kern County is the next Silicon Valley in terms of carbon management: turning agriculture waste into biomass energy and other products.

BC Education Department LETS TEACH Conference

BC’s Education Department hosted their 5th FUTURE TEACHERS conference on October 25, 2019. The conference consisted of 16 interactive breakout sessions focusing on Building Bridges for Diversity in Education. Presenters were from the Edison School District, BC faculty John Hart and Michael Westwood, vendors with representatives from our BC programs, K-16 stakeholders, and local organizations that employ future teachers.

A special thanks to Christina Maldonado, Isabel Castaneda, Dr. Kimberly Bligh, and the Education Department peer mentors, as well as the BC CTE and food services staff who assisted with the event!

Early College Team Goes to Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Meeting in Fresno

Last Tuesday, November 12th, Steve Watkin and Kylie Swanson represented BC at the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) meeting in Fresno, CA, in a regional discussion on Dual Enrollment. Our team was joined by the Kern High School District’s Director of Educational Services, Carla Stallworth. Kylie and Carla were invited to be on one of three panels that took place during the meeting. They shared with our regional partners how we are scaling up dual enrollment and implementing Early College opportunities throughout Kern County. 

Other panels for the day included a discussion on pathway development from West Hills College and their high school partners in Mendota Unified School District, and a focus on data-driven outcomes from a collaboration between Fresno City College, CSU Fresno, and Valley ROP.

Kylie Swanson & Steve Watkin

Thank you for representing BC and Kern County, Steve, Kylie, and Carla!

  • Steve Watkin

Cal EPA in Bakersfield

The California Environmental Protection Agency is developing several studies on making our state a carbon neutral economy, and invited stakeholders in Kern County’s energy industry to the Levan Center on Wednesday to discuss their preliminary findings and get feedback from our community about climate change, energy consumption, and vehicle emissions.

Cal EPA and the office of Governor Newsom brought together representatives from Aera, Chevron, the Western States Petroleum Association, and other local energy giants, as well as environmental advocates from organizations like the Sierra Club and the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. The Levan Center was packed with participants looking to have their perspective heard on this important issues. 

  • Norma Rojas-Mora

CASFAA Conference

Last week, BC’s Director of Financial Aid, Jennifer Achan, and her team of financial aid experts returned from this year’s California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (CASFAA) conference, held in Riverside. The focus of this event was to discuss the latest financial aid policy issues; participate in in-depth training and professional development; and engage with peers, policy makers, and other educational partners to better serve California’s expanding college student population.

Rebecca Bumpous, Vanesa Hernandez, Lysander Ramos, and Nick Chidgey (Financial Aid Technicians) excited to attend the 2019 CASFA

Tom Gelder’s Farewell Ice Cream Social

Friends and colleagues wished retiring BC Foundation Executive Director Tom Gelder good luck as he heads into retirement this week, celebrating the occasion with an abundance of Rosemary’s ice cream! Tom has been with the Foundation since 2014.

Speakers at the party included Heather Pennella, Academic President Steven Holmes, Athletic Director Sandi Taylor, and Communications Director Norma Rojas. Tom and his wife, Anthropology Professor Dana Heins-Gelder, will remain in the area and Tom intends to keep closely tied to all things BC. As Dana has expressed on numerous occasions, “I’m too young to retire!” So, she will continue to teach her anthropology and gender courses.

Tom Gelder, Sonya Christian

Mrs. Bakersfield Pageant

Adjunct theater professor Leslie Aldridge was one of the three pageant queens crowned during the competition, judged based on personality, interview skills, and presentation on stage. The theme of this year’s competition was “Service Above Self”, designed to honor veterans, military and first responders. The three pageant queens showed their pride for Kern County’s service members by marching at the Veterans Day parade in downtown Bakersfield on Monday.

Aldridge designs costumes for many of our amazing theater productions, and will be teaching beginning acting at BC next spring. Throughout 2020, she will be accompanying Miss Teen Bakersfield Zoe Gudino and Miss Bakersfield Shelby Moore in attending more than 50 major local events. We couldn’t be more proud of Leslie’s accomplishments and wish her the best of luck during her reign as Mrs. Bakersfield 2020.  You can see more about the story from 23ABC! 

Fun Photos:

Veterans Parade

BC had our traditional float at the Veterans Parade.

  • Sonya Christian & Clayton Fowler
  • Sonya Christian & Paul Beckworth

Student Veterans Panel

Earlier this week, BC Veterans Services hosted a Student Veterans Panel for BC’s student veterans to talk about their experiences serving in the military as well as their transition to civilian life and college. BC’s student veterans Aaron Neubert, Ilene Garcia, Josiah Thomas, and Kimberly Rodriguez, BC Veterans Educational Advisor Armando Trujillo, and BC History Professor and Veteran Services faculty Paul Beckworth, talked about their service in the military with the Marines, National Guard, and Navy as well as their experiences serving in the military during their transition to civilian and college life. Our BC student veterans talked about their experiences traveling abroad while stationed in places around the world such as in Australia, Hawaii, Iraq, Japan, and Thailand and talked about the personal growth that they experienced while serving in the military. 

Armando Trujillo discussed the challenges veterans may have due to concerns with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjusting to the transition of civilian and college.

California Economic Summit

It was great seeing Van Ton-Quinlivan and Dr. Omid Pourzanjani at the 2019 California Economic Summit in Fresno! 

Sonya Christian, Van Ton Quinlivan, Omid Pourzabjani
Abstract and Nature Photos

Web Content Editor Earl Parsons shared some nature photos he took around campus during the summer and early fall, as well as some abstract photos that he took during various events. For instance, during the most recent Opening Day, he took some photos of speakers through the black gauze that hung over the monitors.  Great photos, Earl!

Renegade Wrestling Claims the 2019 SCWA Title

Coach Brett Clark and his Renegade Wrestling team claimed their third conference title of the last four years this last week at the Southern California Wrestling Alliance Conference Tournament held at our Gil Bishop Sports Center. Taking first in their individual weight classes for the Renegades were Alexis Becerra at 141 lbs., Scott Hokit at 174 lbs., Jordan Annis at 184 lbs., and Ricardo Gonzalez at 197 lbs. Coach Clark and Co-Head Coach Marcos Austin were named SCWA Coaches of the Year. Assistant coaches Joe Espejo, Ryan Meloche and Jessie Urbie were named SCWA Assistant Coaches of the year. Becerra was named the Outstanding Lower Weight Wrestler of the Tournament. Congrats, Brett and team!

Kern Schools Federal Credit Union Renegades of the Week

Ryan Bayne, Volleyball

In two matches last week that clinched the fourth consecutive Western State Conference (WSC) championship for Renegade Volleyball, Ryan totaled 10 kills, 0 errors and 19 attempts for a .526% hitting percentage.

Alexis Becerra, Wrestling

Alexis was the 141. lb champion at last Saturday’s SCWA Tournament in helping the team their third conference championship in the last four years. Alexis was also named the ‘Outstanding Lower Weight Wrestler’ of the tournament.

Student Athlete Spotlight: Keithen Estrada, Wrestling

Enjoy this week’s Renegade Student Athlete Spotlight video on sophomore Keithen Estrada from our Renegade Wrestling team. Keithen took 7th at last years state finals and is looking to top that performance this year. The Wrestling team just won the conference title and is looking to add a state title this year as well. The video was shot and edited by BC digital media student Manny Robinson. Great work, Manny!

Tina Cummings Swim Class

Our very own Tina Cummings celebrated her 55th birthday by swimming 55 x 50 yard laps. Her beginning swim class joined in on the fun and swam 55 x 25 yard laps to celebrate with her. In her own words, “They didn’t think they could do it when they started, but I knew they could. They were awesome! They went from not being able to swim a lap, to swimming 55 of them in a row.” Way to push our students and Happy Birthday, Tina!

Renegade Athletics updates from this past week

Athletic events ‘On the Hill’ this coming week

Be sure to put on your Renegade Red and cheer on our student athletes as they compete this coming week. If you can’t make it in person, check GoGades.com to catch the livestream. Events include:

  • 11/22 at 4pm – Men’s Basketball vs. Cuesta
  • 11/23 at 3pm – Men’s Basketball vs. Napa Valley