The first week of 2020 at BC was an active one, and for me the highlights included watching our Basketball teams play at the Gil Bishop gymnasium and seeing the Measure J campus center construction moving so rapidly. Btw, the team won the first conference game against Citrus College 65-40!
The two weeks that BC was closed for Christmas were just great. I had the perfect vacation at home …the first week with my daughter who visited for four days for Christmas, what a treat to have her for that long a time. The second week quiet with lots of walks, curling up in front of the fireplace with a book, cooking, and catching up on home projects. Talking about reading here are a few of my favorite reads from 2019.
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
- The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Back to basketball and athletics. Not sure if you were aware that student athletes outperform the college average in metrics for academic performance. These kids play hard in their sport and work hard in their coursework. Here is a quote from the my recent State of the College report: student-athletes outperform the general student population on all of the Guided Pathways Momentum Points. In fact, in Fall 2018, 62% of first-time student-athletes attempted 30+ units in their first year, compared to their peers at 12%. Our coaches are the very best. It was wonderful watching Coach Paul Dahl, Coach Rich Hughes, and Coach Aaron Chavez in action yesterday.
McFarland Cougars and BC Renegades are so connected… The fabulous Superintended of McFarland, Aaron Resendez tweets:
Here is a 17-sec fun video of our Men’s team.
2020 Women’s Empowerment Summit at BC
Mark your calendars for the Fifth Annual Women’s Empowerment Summit to be hosted at Bakersfield College on Saturday, April 25, 2020. This annual Summit is organized by the California Latino Leadership Institute (CLLI) and launched in 2016 to address Central Valley women’s issues with gender gaps, career barriers and prospects for the future. You can learn more about it at their website.
Last year’s conference featured appearances from Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez, California Assembly Member Rudy Salas, and several women from the local petroleum industry. Aera Energy President and CEO Christina Sistrunk was also recognized by CLLI as the 2019 Distinguished Woman and Petroleum Advocate of the Year. Check out this great video from last year’s Summit and please join us for this year’s wonderful event!
BC Welding Students Tour PCL Industrial Services
BC Job Developer Carlos Medina organized an industry tour of PCL Industrial Services for our Bakersfield College welding students on December 20th. Thank you to Carlos for organization this, and thank you to PCL Industrial Services for opening doors for our students!
Welcoming BC Students With One Day Express Enrollment
The new year is upon us, and the Spring 2020 semester is about to begin in just a few weeks here at BC. To get our students ready, the Outreach Department held a One-Day Express Enrollment event in the Welcome Center to integrate members of the community into the Renegade family.
Counselors and student interns made sure that the incoming students got into the right classes that fit into their busy schedules. I would like to congratulate all of our future Renegades for letting us help you reach your educational goals.
BC Welcomes 26 New BPD Officers
Friends, family, and members of law enforcement packed nearly every seat in the Indoor Theater on Thursday to celebrate 26 new officers who had just finished the Bakersfield Law Enforcement Training Academy. Bakersfield Police Department Class 19-01 is the first to graduate from the new training facility on California Avenue and the first wave of new officers that will hit the streets since the passage of Measure N, which provides $58 million in funding to enhance public safety around the city.
I would like to thank the Bakersfield Police Department for choosing the home of the Renegades to host their graduation ceremony. Check out the article by Quinn Wilson of the Bakersfield Californian to learn more about Class 19-01.
State of the BC Agriculture, Nutrition and Culinary Arts Pathway
At the last College Council meeting the Agriculture, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (ANC) Completion Team consisting of Juan Manzano, Dominca Trindad, Corny Rodriguez and LeAnn Riley presented the status of their pathway. They found that since Fall 2014, the number of first-time students in the pathway has increased by almost 2.5 times to a total of 304 students. If you include dual enrollment numbers, it has increased nearly six times!! Great job, team!!
The ANC Pathway provides a large variety of exciting degree options that will lead to many in-demand careers. The focus of this pathway is to learn while doing by offering courses designed for students to have hands-on experience, develop problem-solving skills, and provide industry standard experience. Students can earn a variety of industry accepted certificates of achievement and associates degrees for those who want to enter the workforce directly from Bakersfield College. Some of those areas of concentration include occupational safety and risk management, forestry, animal science, and heavy equipment technician to name a few! You can check out all of the degrees and certificates offered at the ANC website.
Student Employment Scoop: Careers in Overdrive
This week’s Student Employment Scoop newsletter (see excerpt below) highlighted the ongoing work in BC’s Authomative Technology department. Take a look and learn about the opportunities BC has to offer!
Automotive Technology Associate Professor Vic Posey, in just a few short years, has grown the Automotive Internships into a model program. Assessing student’s strengths, he invites students to participate each summer to be placed at different companies throughout Kern County. Over the summer two particular students shifted their careers into overdrive. Diana Barrios began as an Engineering major, but also wanted to learn some basic maintenance so she registered for the Introduction to Automotive Technology course and was hooked. Over the summer she was placed at GMC Motor City and after only one month was offered a full time position. But because she was still working towards her degree she agreed to a part time position with GMC who was willing to work around her school schedule. Diana is the second in her family to attend college, she is the only female Gas Drivability Technician at GMC, and has moved into a full time position. Diana only has one class left to complete her Automotive Technology Associate Degree.
Shifting gears to Edgar Villasenor, who much like Diana, was the second in his family to go to college. He was placed at Jim Burke Ford Quick Lane for his internship, and within 2 weeks completed his required 60 hours. His work ethic and diligence caught the attention of his internship supervisor and one month after completing his required hours they called to offer him a full time position. Ford was able to provide flexibility with his school schedule. Edgar is a Lube Technician for Jim Burke Ford Quick Lane but wants to work bumper to bumper in the main shop one day and has 4 classes left to graduate in May 2020.
Both students agreed that when the opportunity to connect with the industry presents itself to TAKE IT! But you have to put in the work and want to be there. They also say, “It’s not enough to just do your school work, you must learn how to effectively communicate with coworkers and customers.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee Community Awards Breakfast
Two members of the Renegade family will be recognized at this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee Community Awards Breakfast on January 20. Josephine Triplett was a long-time child development professor here at BC, and Polly Warren is a community service organizer whose husband Harvey Warren was a BC counselor.
The breakfast is held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center every year to honor individuals for their acts of generosity and kindness in the community. Honorees include civil rights attorney Kathleen Faulkner, Dolores Huerta, and Memorial Hospital CEO Ken Keller.
Thank you to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee for recognizing our Renegades. For more information about the breakfast, read Ema Sasic’s article in the Bakersfield Californian.
Fun Photos: Bill Potter Working Hard
Upon returning from Winter Recess, life at BC can get hectic, but leave it to Bill Potter to find some time to turn work into play!
Fun Photos: BC Supporting Astromech Droids
I returned to campus this week and found a Christmas present waiting for me in my office…. Astromech Droid sweatshirt (often most recognizable as R2D2 in the Star Wars saga). Thanks to a dear colleague who knew that I was a Star Wars fan and this sweatshirt has Industrial Automation emblazoned in bold with Astromech Droid in smaller lettering underneath it. A marriage of BC and Star Wars.
Governor Newsom’s Focus on Education
Reporter Michael Burke recapped Governor Gavin Newsom’s first year of higher education initiatives in an article published in EdSource on Monday.
In his first year of office and with the help of the state legislature, Governor Newsom has increased the number of available competitive Cal Grants, increased funding for the California College Promise, and launched the Council for Post-Secondary Education, an advisory board of education, business and labor leaders to help Newsom shape policy on college access and student success initiatives. The article quotes several experts and analysts from the California higher education community, including Campaign for College Opportunity President Michele Siqueiros, one of our partners in the Educational Systems and Intersegmental Pathways Task Force.
In 2020, Newsom and the legislature will be working on reforming financial aid to cover non-tuition costs. Check out Michael Burke’s informative, detailed article for more information about the present and future of community college statewide.
Jeff Chudy Steps Down as Renegade Football Coach
After 16 seasons of leading the Renegade Football program, head coach Jeff Chudy decided to retire from coaching, and back to full time teaching, this last week. Including his time as an assistant coach, Jeff has spent almost 30 years roaming the sidelines at Memorial Stadium coaching football. We are grateful for his many years of service to the college and the countless hours he spent teaching and leading our Renegade student athletes. The 2012 football season he coached was particularly extraordinary when he led the Renegades to a record of 11-2 and the State Championship, routing City College of San Francisco 35-14 in the title game at Memorial Stadium in front of over 18,000 fans.
Chancellor Tom Burke, Athletic Director Sandi Taylor, President Sonya Christian, Head Football Coach Jeff Chudy
Renegades of the Week
Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (12/29-1/4) Kern Schools Federal Credit Union Renegades of the Week:
Julie Hernandez, Women’s Basketball – Julie was a driving force in helping the Renegades to a huge come-from-behind victory at home last Saturday against Reedley College, 68-63. She was 40% from the field, led the team in rebounds with 11 boards, scored 13 points and had 3 assists.
Javier Gallardo, Men’s Basketball – Javier led the Renegades in two big wins hosting the Western State Classic this last weekend. In their 106-52 win over Santa Barbara he had 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. In their 101-54 win over Oxnard he had 13 points and 7 rebounds.
Renegade Athletics Updates From This Past Week
Men’s Basketball Hosted 2020 Western State Classic
Game 1 win over Santa Barbara, 106-52
Game 2 win over Oxnard, 101-54
Women’s Basketball with come-from-behind victory over Reedley
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:
Wed. 1/15 Women’s Basketball vs Glendale, 5pm
Wed. 1/15 Men’s Basketball vs. Glendale, 7pm
The week was off to a wonderful start when on Monday, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Awards Breakfast. The morning was hosted by Danny Morrison, local radio personality and columnist with the Bakersfield Californian. The keynote speaker, Bishop Broderick Huggins, is a pastor at St. Paul Baptist Church in nearby Oxnard, CA. As an advocate for higher learning, he earned his Bachelor of Theology, a BA in Religon, a PhD in Religious Philosophy and a PhD in Theology. In 1995, he founded the Saint Paul Seminary and Bible Institute where he currently serves as President and Principal Professor. Bishop Dr. Broderick Huggins spoke truth to power. He told the audience, “Change will not happen unless people are uncomfortable. Justice, mercy, humility work together. We need the hearts of people to change.”
I was sitting next to Shannel Tyus, manager of our Student Success Program, and Destiny, a student who wants to get into our nursing program. Loved getting to know both of them. Here is Shanell with her beautiful family. A young mom juggling family with little ones and committed to a greater calling of working with our first generation students and transforming their lives. The Student Success Program that Shanell oversees focuses on best practices of educational planning and others that have had a very positive impact on our students. #WeAreBC
The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges sets policy and provides guidance for the 72 districts and 113 colleges that constitute the system. The 17-member Board is appointed by the Governor and formally interacts with state and federal officials and other state organizations.
The other two BOG members that I have blogged about are Arnoldo Avalos and Connie Conway. Here is a picture of both of them with Trustee Romeo Agbalog from April 29, 2016 when they visited Bakersfield College.
Our Renegade Women’s Basketball team is led by Coach Paula Dahl, who recorded her milestone 300th win earlier this season, and in my opinion she’s one of those folks whose influence transcends even her athletes and students.
On Thursday evening, after the Board meeting, I attended the graduation ceremony of the Energy Academy which started on May 21st. Check out my previous blog post at 
A wave of updates has washed over our campus this past summer. Have you seen the new signs around campus, the newly poured walkways, and fresh coat of paint in the parking lot? In addition to those and many more, BC Athletics has a new website! You can’t miss the pop of Renegade Red, while checking out the accomplishments of our fantastic student athletes.
Another staple at BC is our talented music faculty. Since 1985, every summer, at the CACDA (California American Choral Directors Association) conference near Yosemite, a director is awarded the Howard Swan Lifetime Achievement award. This award recognizes an outstanding retired choral director in our state and candidates are nominated by the California ACDA Board of Directors and voted upon by past Presidents.
As many of you know, Bakersfield College has developed a Pre-law Program over the past two years. We are one of 24 of community colleges in the state of California participating in this program.
Shortly before the event, I met Brandon Stallings, a deputy District Attorney and representing the State Bar Board of Trustees. He shared that our local rural communities suffer a real lack of attorneys, and that for our justice system to work we need dedicated students who are interested in a law career and want to stay local.
We have great faculty and staff at Bakersfield College, like Manny Mourtzanos, our Dean of Instruction, who makes these events fun and captivating for our future students. While opening the program, Manny asked if anyone could recite the Miranda Rights by memory. Surprisingly, hands flew up and Eric Hogan from Bridges Academy was chosen to come up. Without hesitation, Eric was able to say aloud the entire Miranda Rights before a packed theater of fellow students – Well done, Eric.
Speaking of great faculty, it was fantastic to see Professor Douglas Grimsley, who is involved with our inmate education plan. Grimsley is one of our pioneering faculty who knows that his investment is helping folks get back into society – something that is true to the mission of Bakersfield College; Providing opportunities for students from all diverse backgrounds to engage productively in their communities and the world.
As you may know, Bakersfield College is selected by the State Bar of California to participate in the Community Colleges Pathway to Law School Initiative, which provides a transfer-pathway for students to one of at least six prestigious law schools in our state. But beyond that, the law program at BC is a rigorous path that is a true investment and will sharpen any student’s critical thinking, writing skills, and leadership qualities.
On Thursday, Kristen Barnes, CEO of the Kern Community Foundation, invited us to present the Renegade Promise to a group of Educators across Kern County. The story of the Renegade Promise is a story of collaboration and partnership, a story about adaptation, a story about saying “yes” rather than “no”, a story about making this happen despite the odds. The heroes in this story are the faculty, staff and administrators from KHSD, BC and CSUB who have been laser focused on moving students through our educational pathways faster and not compromising their learning; on the contrary, enhancing their learning. Presenting along with me were Dr. Jacqueline Mimms from CSUB, Vickie Spanos from KHSD, and Lesley Bonds from BC. These three women are brilliant, beautiful, passionate and work tirelessly.
Summer Bridge is an essential part of a student’s journey to becoming a college student. Throughout summer 2016, BC will engage 2,000 new students in this extended orientation where they’ll learn how to access important campus information, discuss success strategies for the transition into college, take a campus tour, and hear from important academic and student affairs support services about the many offerings available to them. Thank you Dr. Kimberly Bligh for your leadership. For more information about Summer Bridge, email 
A special thank you to Trustee Romeo Agbalog for attending the event and for your powerful words that leadership is about building others up – not just building oneself up. And thank you Tom Moran for all that you do for BC. Do you see Tom signing to the left of Romeo?
Before I get into the many honorees, I should first recognize a student who has been working hard to engage students and make BC a better place for future Renegades: our BCSGA President, Clayton Fowler. It has been Clayton’s advocacy for students that has catalyzed our work on a number of projects; most notably, our Renegade Promise. Stay tuned for details!
On Tuesday, we hosted the 4th Annual President’s Breakfast. About 60 education partners (counselors and administrators) from our high school service area came to our Fireside Room for a quick and insightful update and discussion. We talked about our strides in collaboration with Guided Pathways, Dual Enrollment, Multiple Measures, and our High School Matriculation Visits.
