Tag Archives: Trustee Romeo Agbalog

KCCD gearing up for in-service week of activities

What a week! Colleagues across the Kern Community College District have been hard at work making the final adjustments as we return to in-person learning this fall. Of course we have plenty of options for students … besides face-to-face classes we have online, hybrid, zoom online etc. We’re just about a week away from the start of Fall 2021 semester – and welcoming many of our students, faculty, and staff back after nearly 18 months away.

As we approach the finish line for these preparations, I had to share this 1-min epic video my daughter made of Bessie at the beach set to the theme of Chariots of Fire. Loved it!

And of course, here’s my own Neo, who has a new mischievous streak including hiding in the bramble.

And here is a quick tribute to Cornell. Saw his gorgeous face on Jessica Wojtysiak’s FB post.

Good morning, friends…
It is August 14, 2021.
The sun shines bright over KCCD.

This week, the Pirates, the Coyotes, and the Renegades continue to 
Dare Mighty Things


Porterville College

PC Promise Students return to campus early for In-Person Orientation

President Claudia Habib visits with new freshmen Promise Students in the cafeteria.

Porterville College welcomed its newest class of PC Promise Students to campus this week for a four-day in-person orientation event.  Dozens of students attended in-person, while many more attended the event virtually.  During the annual four-day orientation, students learned about campus and received tours, listened to motivational speakers, and attended panels that provided tips for success from our financial aid staff and several Porterville College student ambassadors. 

The Porterville College Promise Program serves first-time college students through their first year with a comprehensive plan of financial and academic support.  It is open to students who attend PC full-time, with on-time completion of 30 units per year, meeting the 15 to Finish campaign pledge.  To remain in the program, students must also declare a Pathway and establish an Education Plan.

Students get back to building their dreams of becoming firefighters

Porterville City Fire Chief Dave LaPere (right) talks with Fire Academy Students

This past weekend, President Claudia Habib Visited the Porterville College Fire Academy, which is conducted in partnership between Porterville College and the City of Porterville Fire Department, to welcome the new cohort of Firefighter-I Academy students.

The students began their semester with welcome messages from both Dr. Habib and Porterville Fire Chief Dave LaPere. Habib said of the day, “It was so inspiring to hear their stories. A common thread among them was chasing life-long dreams of becoming Fire Fighters.” 

Porterville College conducts the Academy in the Fall, along with an Interagency Basic Wildland Firefighter Academy that takes place in the Spring each year. The programs are designed to help students prepare for Entry-level firefighter job opportunities, both locally and on the state level.

The one-semester Firefighter-1 Academy runs from August through December and helps prepare graduates to apply for entry-level firefighter positions with most fire departments in the state. It is accredited by the Office of the California State Fire Marshal and provides the training students need for certification by the State Fire Marshal as a Firefighter-1.

Let’s say a small prayer for our brave California Firefighters as we move through this summer 2021 which is already a difficult fire season.

Porterville College is Growing Futures with Outreach


PC faculty and staff recently spent the day spreading the word about continuing education to local farm workers.

The “PC Growing Futures” program provides farm workers classes offered in their own communities, with access to laptops, textbooks, and access to Rosetta Stone Software to help them achieve student success.

Just this past week, several teams of Porterville College advisors, counselors and outreach staff traveled to fields and cold storage facilities in Porterville and the surrounding communities to provide direct outreach and information to hundreds of farm workers about PC Growing Futures and other PC programs.  During these very full days of outreach activities, they spent the mornings and evenings mingling with employees one-on-one and giving quick presentations to large groups.

With this program, PC continues to partner with the California Farmworker Association to offer new services to farm workers throughout the Greater Porterville Area.

PC Educational Advisor Connie Oropeza talks to warehouse workers about continuing their education.

Cerro Coso Community College

P.O.S.T. Academy recruits return to speak to incoming class

Student success! Two prior Cerro Coso P.O.S.T. Academy recruits, now officers, Sunny Hasnian (McFarland PD) and Zach Page (Tehachapi PD) joined the academy orientation for the upcoming fall in Tehachapi to give some guidance and answer questions to nervous potential recruits.  The Program’s graduation and placement rates are outstanding for the last class (97% success and 75% employed) even during the pandemic!

Cerro Coso campuses open for in-person instruction and services

All Cerro Coso campuses are now OPEN offering a full complement of student and instructional services. What the staffing looks like may be different for each department as we continue our phased-in approach to our return.  Dr. Hancock welcomed staff back with donuts and coffee the first two days.  He has long anticipated the day when the Cerro Coso family could gather again in-person. 

College facilities were closed and staff working from home when Dr. Hancock took over the Office of President in September.  #CoyoteSafe. #CoyoteStrong.  

Don’t forget – the Cerro Coso Rocks Welcome Back Celebration is this Thursday, August 19, from 3-7 pm. There will be in-person and virtual events. There will also be a COVID vaccine clinic.

Find out more at https://www.cerrocoso.edu/about/outreach/cc-rocks.

Thank you to M&O Staff for HVAC work!

In the past year, Cerro Coso has poured a lot of time and money into getting its HVAC units up and running.  For the first time in a couple of years, we are above 90% of our units operating at full capacity.  All of the M&O staff are to be commended for making this happen.


Bakersfield College

Local Officials Join BC For Get Out The Vaccine Neighborhood Canvas

Earlier this year, Bakersfield College students began participating in the statewide “Get Out The Vaccine” project, utilizing canvassers to share vaccine knowledge, information, and awareness with residents living throughout the zip codes of 93307 and 93301.

On Thursday, local officials including Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez and community partners such as Dignity Health and Kern Health Systems joined BC’s students and nursing program to offer both the Moderna or the Johnson and Johnson vaccines on the spot in neighborhoods.. 

Renegade Athletics Holds Media Day

Bakersfield College’s Athletics extended a warm welcome to join the Renegades in kicking off the 2021 fall sports season with the annual BC Athletics Media Day on Thursday, August 12th.

The event featured a full lineup of guest speakers, including:

  • Opening Remarks with Kenny Calvin
  • Remarks by Bakersfield Mayor, Karen Goh 
  • Men’s Coach, Vayron Martinez
  • Cross Country, Pam Kelley
  • Volleyball, Carl Ferreira
  • Golf Women’s coach, Wes Coble
  • Football, R.Todd Littlejohn
  • Athletic Director, Reggie Bolton

BC Student Convocation Going Virtual

From email from OSL:

In light of the newest Kern County COVID-19 updates, Bakersfield College is moving to a virtual setting for the upcoming New Student Convocation.

If you have already registered for the ceremony, you do not need to do anything. You will receive a separate email, one day before the event, with the virtual link.

If you have not yet registered to participate, please do so now at https://bcstudentlife.wufoo.com/forms/r6fynh3017yave/

Another Successful Express Enrollment Event at Bakersfield College!

Bakersfield College Outreach with support from Financial Aid, Counseling, and more, hosted a Virtual Express Enrollment Event on August 11th from 12pm to 8pm to help new and continuing students enroll and get the classes they need.

The enrollment team helped around 200 students enroll in courses for fall, while interacting with students meaningful and impactful during this fast paced event. One student shared the positive experience on the “Surviving Bakersfield College” page below.

The next virtual express enrollment event will be August 18th from 12pm to 5pm, and ongoing registration events are happening throughout August.

Visit the website for more details: https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/registrationrocks

Or register for the next virtual express enrollment event here: https://forms.gle/og858uCosjSU6Cao9

Health Science team hosts Peak Performance event

On Wednesday, August 11th, the Title V Health Science team hosted their first on-campus event, “Peak Performance: Health for the Whole Person.” This was an in-depth seminar on self-care, peak performance and mental health treatment modalities as it relates to Health Science Careers. Dave Seymour was our speaker and got the semester off to a great start with his expertise, compassion and guidance as students start their journeys back on campus and into their prospective programs. This is the first in a series of seminars for the Fall semester in hopes to providing successful skills and support to students pursuing health science careers.

WE ARE BC! 


Seminar Series

This week, we held two seminars that are part of the Chancellor’s Seminar Series.

On Monday, we heard from Dena Rhoades, Roger Perez, Resa Hess, Nicky Damania, Joe Grubbs and Terri Higgins as we discussed the new KCCD Campus Pass App.

Representatives from each of our colleges shared details about how the App works at their locations.

Roger Perez, Porterville College:

Resa Hess, Cerro Coso Community College:

Nicky Damania, Bakersfield College

We also had a Q&A session with Joe Grubbs and Terri Higgins – Terri is from ReadyEd, the company that made the app:

On Tuesday, we had a chance to get a student perspective. Student trustee Gian Gayatao hosted a panel with Edith Mata (BC), Yvette Carranza (PC) and Mia Guzman (CC). The student panel asked a series of questions to nursing faculty and COVID Response team leaders for the three campuses. Thank you to our students and to our panelists: Alisha Loken, Kim Behrens, Matthew Wanta, Nicky Damania, Roger Perez, and Kevin King.

Here’s the Q&A Panel from that discussion:

You can see all the videos from the Chancellor’s Seminar Series at https://www.kccd.edu/chancellors-office/chancellors-seminar-series.

Poetry Corner

Photo of Rockport

Last week, I shared the second part of Jack Hernandez‘s poetry series “Rockport in June.”

Please enjoy Part 3:

The ocean cannot
be seen
through the morning fog,
the sun that lays
a lighted path
Is hidden
as are our days     
that sometimes begin
with only large rocks
before our eyes,
and we wonder
if we will see
the vast sea
that promises
a day of joyful
searching.

In the News

Cerro Coso to hold virtual admissions workshop

The Tehachapi News shared this information about the upcoming Virtual College Admissions Workshop at Cerro Coso, scheduled for this upcoming Wednesday. A financial aid technician will review the Cerro Coso Promise scholarship, Foundation scholarships, outside scholarships, and more!

BC partnering with auto industry to bring training center to Bakersfield

I saw that both the Bakersfield Californian and KGET shared the news that BC will partner with the Greater Bakersfield New Car Dealer Association and other auto industry experts to bring a new auto facility to Bakersfield.

“Through many ideas and conversations, we developed this partnership as a way for Bakersfield College students to train on the vehicles that otherwise might not be profitable due to normal technician labor costs, giving new access for the students to work on current and relevant technologies,” said Automotive Instructor Andrew Haney.

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Porterville College shared their next Community Vaccination Clinic, which will be held on Thursday, August 19, from 11 am to 2 pm in the Porterville College Cafeteria. Anyone age 12 and older is welcome to receive their first Pfizer dose.

Thank you to Laurel Mourtzanos for the STEM Academy photos.

I’d also like to thank those that took part:

  • Kathleen Rush, Dept. Chair Math
  • Jon Brown, Math Faculty
  • Jesse Oropeza, STEM Counselor and Rural Initiatives
  • Laurel Mourtzanos, STEM Counselor
  • James McGarrah, Associate Dean, STEM
  • David Riess, Faculty Psychology (Presentation on Imposture Syndrome)
  • Karen Gomez, Faculty Psychology (Presentation on Imposture Syndrome)
  • Connie Gonzalez, Director MESA
  • Rebecca Bumpous, Financial Aid

And student interns:

  • Gabriel Diaz
  • Jose Lopez
  • Praise Oo
  • Brandon Mondragon
  • Brandon Peffer

****

Here are some photos from the Bakersfield College EAC/SALT/OIE Enrollment Management Workday on Tuesday morning.

Snapped with photo after the Board meeting.

Zav Dadabhoy, Sonya Christian, Kay Meek, Claudia Habib, Dena Rhoades, Sean Hancock

==========

==========

That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at KCCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

The Sights and Sounds of BC

Look who came to visit….

Bessie and Neo are best buddies. When Bessie visits it’s like summer camp. Not pictured is when Bessie rushes Neo in a mock attack, like in an old Pink Panther movie when Inspector Clouseau is surprise attacked by his assistant Cato and chaos ensues…

This week, the weather cooled down a bit, and the arts were alive and well at Bakersfield College with the annual Panorama Creative Music Summit, the opening reception of the latest gallery in the Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery, and a special faculty music recital.

Remembering Cokie Roberts

Pioneering broadcaster Cokie Roberts passed away at the age of 75 on Tuesday. A correspondent for NPR and ABC News since the late 1970s, Roberts paved the way for thousands of women to become broadcast journalists at a time when women weren’t fully integrated into the newsroom. 

Ms. Roberts in 1979. She was a radio correspondent for CBS before joining NPR in the late 1970s. Photo Credit: Stan Barouh/NPR

Roberts was the daughter of Louisiana Congressman Hale Boggs, and her mother Lindy Boggs served in his place when he died in a plane crash in 1972. After covering Washington politics for almost 40 years, she would put her encyclopedic knowledge of American history into the best-selling books “Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation” and “Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington”.

Roberts won three Emmys during her career as a broadcaster, and she was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.

Health, Education, and Learning – HEAL

Bakersfield College Delano Campus hosted educators and health community representatives to plan a course of action to improve the health, well being, and workforce opportunities for residents of rural Central Valley from Bakersfield to Merced.

Group Photo from the HEAL Collaborative gathering this week

The vehicle for this work is the formation of Rural HEAL—Health, Education, Equity, Economy and Learning—a collaboration of partners working to improve the lives of rural residents. Partners pictured here represent The Housing, Opportunity and Place (HOPe) Lab  at U.C. Merced, UC San Francisco at Fresno, ​Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, Central Valley medical professionals and Bakersfield College health and workforce training programs.

Other HEAL partners are healthcare providers, elected officials, non-profit agencies and community leaders. Addressing poverty and health needs of our rural communities takes a big step forward on November 22 when Bakersfield College co-hosts the Rural Poverty and Health Equity Summit along with the National Academy of Sciences.

The inaugural meeting of the HEAL Collaborative included:

  • Dr. Kathy Murphy 
  • Dr. Irene Yen, UC Merced
  • Dr. Serena Yang, UCSF Fresno *
  • Sean Tan, UC Merced
  • Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, CVHPI
  • Mayra Lemus Rangel, CVHPI

and from Bakersfield College Norma Rojas-Mora, Dr. Michelle Bresso, Cindy Collier, Dr. Charles Daramola, Abel Guzman, and Janalynn Castillo.

Abel Guzman shares why this collaborative is so important

BC Welcomes CSUB to Campus!

On Friday morning BC welcomed a team of administrators and faculty from CSUB to the Panorama Campus for a tour and to gather the planning group. This group was formed last April to enable seamless communication and collaboration between the campuses as we work together and plan for the colocation for BC at CSUB.

CSUB visits BC. Check out my t-shirt

The planning group has seven individual workgroups that are co-chaired by both a CSUB faculty member and BC faculty member. These groups will identify various areas where we can collaborate to benefit and serve students.

Zav Dadabhoy, Vikash Lakhani, Vernon Harper, Billie Jo Rice, Sonya Christian

Special thanks to Vernon Harper of CSUB who led his team to BC, Todd Coston and Tamara Baker for the tour of the BC campus, the chefs at the Renegade Room for the delicious breakfast, and to Jessica Wojtysiak for coordinating the visit on behalf of BC.

I particularly enjoyed seeing Dr. David Gove after so many years. David is a math faculty at CSUB and seeing him brought back so many memories when I was a math faculty at BC and we did many joint projects with CSUB.

Panorama Music Summit

The Panorama Creative Music Summit made its way back to Bakersfield College with four days of music and workshops. Hosted by BC’s Jazz Studies and Commercial Music programs, the annual summit is where local performers and professional musicians can come together with BC students, faculty and alumni to perform their music.

This is a great opportunity for artists to perform and collaborate other musicians and composers such as BC alum Omar Murillo, Kris Tiner and guitarist Mike Baggetta.

Jeff Ardray performed on Monday

We are proud of our former student Omar Murillo, who led and composed a 13-piece ensemble with great original pieces including one piece he wrote for his mother. Also on Monday, talented local artist Jeff Ardray was one of the performers on stage.

On Tuesday, BC jazz students got to sit in on an improvisation workshop and guest lecture from guitarist Mike Baggetta. Baggetta, a well-established guitar player from Knoxville, Tenessee, performs with BC professor Kris Tiner as Tin/Bag, and he lit up the room whenever he picked up the guitar.

The performances on Wednesday night featured Commercial Music students performing original songs alongside songwriter Emily Sprague, whose music was featured in Beyonce’s “Homecoming” documentary. LA-based quartet Kidi Band closed out Wednesday night’s performance with their interpretations of West African pop music. You can listen to the Kidi Band on YouTube if you missed them on campus!

This event was a success with great performances. Thank you Lydia Jennings Finlinson and Burns L. Finlinson Endowment of the Bakersfield College Foundation, as well as our other generous sponsors and all the attendees.

An incredibly talented duo, Kris Tiner and Josh Ottum

Wylie and May Louise Jones Art Gallery

BC’s Art Department held the opening reception for the photography exhibition “Things That Will Make You a Man” on Thursday at the Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery in the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library to welcome Santa Fe, New Mexico photographer and videographer, Sage Paisner. “Things That Will Make You A Man” is Paisner’s latest project on the personal and cultural stories of masculinity within the Latinx community.

Jeff Huston and Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg

Art faculty Jeffrey Huston and Ronnie Wrest hosted the exhibition and presented Paisner’s work to the BC community, which conveys Paisner’s interpretation of “What makes masculinity?”. Special thanks to these art faculty and BC’s Art Department for organizing the exhibition. It’s amazing to have artists like Sage Paisner present his work to our students and the community.

Faculty Music Recital

On Thursday evening, BC’s Performing Arts held the first Faculty Recital with the inaugural debut of BC’s new Steinway Concert Grand Piano! Also want to do a special THANK YOU to the talented and dedicated Patrick Bender who was everywhere. And thank you to Dr. Jen Garrett who brings music and positive energy to our community.

Dr. John Gerhold
Christina Parnell…. what a voice!
Scott Dirkse playing Rachmaninoff

CPR Training on Campus

Bakersfield College held CPR, AED & First Aid Certification Course for students that would like to be more prepared, equipping students with the tools to confidently react during emergencies. On Friday in Levinson Hall, students got hands-on training lead by professionals Matthew Rodriguez, the senior public safety officer at the Delano Campus, and Freddie Rodriguez, senior officer at the Weill Institute downtown.

Using a mannequin, Matthew Rodriguez demonstrated proper CPR hand placement and compression techniques. Those who attending earned certification in CPR, AED, First Aid. Here’s a great picture of Dr. Nicky Damania who took time out of his busy schedule to participate.

There are other opportunities, and I invite you to enroll in one of the next classes taking place on October 4, November 1, and December 6. Thank you BC’s Campus Safety department for hosting these important learning opportunities.

Seen on TV: Inmate Scholars Program

Last Saturday, Jim Scott‘s KGET Program Kern County In Depth featured Trustee Romeo Agbalog and BC Professors Bryan Hirayama and Pat Smith as they told the story of BC’s Inmate Scholars program. I shared recently in my blog that last month BC’s first cohort of 17 Inmate Scholars graduated with an Associates degree in Communication.

Trustee Romeo Agbalog, Pat Smith, Bryan Hirayama

Seen on TV: BC Professor Allen Bolar

It’s always a joy to see BC faculty participating in the local news broadcasts. This week, political science faculty, @allenbolar was featured on KBAK.

Fun Photos:

Celebrating New Faculty

BC’s newest faculty posed for a group photo with Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, former Congressman and Trustee Bill Thomas, Mayor Goh and myself. What a great time to be a Renegade!

DWK Event

BC was represented at the Women in Politics event last weekend — Dean Andrea Thorson, Kylie Swanson, Chris Cruz-Boone, Kristen Mercer, Steve Watkin and many others. From the community, Congressman TJ Cox and his wife Kathy Murphy, Leticia Perez, Katie Hall, Jan Graves, and Debra Thorson.

Mariachi Girl

Dean of Instruction, Corny Rodriguez shared fun photos from Mariachi Girl at CSUB’s Dore Theater last week. BC is proud to be a sponsor of the event which Corny tells me was “just outstanding.”

L.U.P.E. Cupcake Sale

On Tuesday the Latinos Unidos Por Educación (LUPE) were fundraising outside the Gym, selling cupcakes to help with the activities that this student organization puts on throughout the year.

BC’s IT Department visits BCSW

The IT team from Bakersfield College led by Todd Coston and Brett Redd visited the location of BC SouthWest this week.

VRC Signage

What a beautiful sight at BC this week!

New faculty seminar

Renegade of the Week

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (9/8-9/14) Kern Schools Federal Credit Union Renegades of the Week:

  • Kennedy Jimenez, Women’s Golf – Kennedy helped lead the Renegades to a fourth place finish in conference play at Santa Barbara Golf Club on 9/9. Kennedy’s efforts have placed her in 19th position overall and the team in fourth place in conference standings.
  • Daniel Schoene, Wrestling – Daniel collected three pins over the weekend in leading the team to a 3-1 finish at the BC Dual Tournament on (9/14) and a 42-3 win over Victor Valley on Friday (9/13).

Men’s Soccer at the Classic Car Show

Our Renegade Men’s Soccer team spent their Saturday morning helping out at the Classic Car Show put on by the Alzheimer’s Association at Brookdale Riverwalk. The entire team took turns with the wheel chair push, the wheel chair car wash and running the BBQ. Thank you coach Vayron Martinez and team for serving our community!

Early College Football Night

Join us at the Inaugural Early College High School Football Night where you can learn more about the Early College resources and programs available at BC. Enjoy free food, games, and giveaways, and root for your Renegades as they take on Golden West College on Sept. 28th.

Check-in on the lawn across from the North entrance of Memorial Stadium for free game tickets and free food. The first 200 high school students will receive free food, and all high school students will receive a free game ticket. Students must bring their current High School ID card to get a game ticket and food. Be sure to show your school pride by wearing your High School colors!

Renegade Report with Men’s Soccer

This week’s edition of the Renegade Report is on the Bakersfield College Athletics Facebook page featuring our Men’s Soccer team. Coach Vayron Martinez, Goalie Armando Alvarez and Midfielder Christian Gonzalez sat down with host Kenny Calvin to discuss the season and who they think would play them in the movie of their life.

Renegade Athletics News Roundup

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. 9/25 at 6pm – Volleyball vs. Canyons
  • Fri. 9/27 at 1pm – Cross Country, BC Invite
  • Fri. 9/27 at 1pm – Cross Country, BC Invite
  • Fri. 9/27 at 6pm – Volleyball vs. Glendale
  • Sat. 9/28 at 6pm – Football vs. Golden West

Purchase your tickets to the remaining football games in advance!

To avoid waiting in line on gameday, the athletic department strongly encourages fans to purchase football tickets in advance for the remaining home football games. Tickets can be purchased online through this link:  https://vallitix.com/bc-football/   or by calling 661-322-5200.

On gameday the ticket offices outside of Memorial Stadium will open at 4:30pm with gates opening at 5:00pm. Adult tickets range in price from $9.00 to $14.00. Children (3-12 years)/Student/Senior tickets are $6.00 per ticket. Our next home football game is this coming Saturday 9/28 vs. Golden West. We’ll see you out there!

 

That’s all for now.

Until next time

sonya –
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

Renegades gearing up for the new academic year

Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, August 17, 2019… A great day to be a Renegade.

2019 Football Media Day

From Mayor Karen Goh’s FB post

For the third consecutive year we celebrated the start of the upcoming football season with media day out at Memorial Stadium. This year the event focused on the new field turf and track that were installed over the course of the summer, thanks to Measure J funding. Our community support was in full force as we welcomed Mayor Goh, KCCD Trustee Romeo Agbalog, Chancellor Tom Burke, BPD Chief Martin, KHSD Administrator (and former Renegade QB) Stan Greene, President of the Condors Matt Riley and a host of others who were able to see the new field for the first time in-person. The new field looks spectacular and we can’t wait to welcome Mt. SAC into Memorial Stadium for the first home football game on Saturday, Sept. 7th at 6pm. It’s not too late to get your season tickets by visiting Vallittix.com or calling 661-322-5200. Go Gades!

Trustee Abalog and President Christian clapping.
Trustee Romeo Agbalog and me
Chad Manning, Tom Burke, Stan Greene
Ed Davis, Tom Burke, Jeff Chudy

Enjoyed looking at 2018 pictures and comparing it to 2019. My hair is a lot longer 🙂 I got most of the photos from Mayor Goh’s Facebook page. Thank you mayor!

Thank you Brandon Urry for pulling off another great Media Day. You are an amazing addition to the BC team.

Sonya Christian, Brandon Urry

“Real Star of BC football media day? The new turf.”

Loved waking up to this headline, by Robert Price, on the front page of The Bakersfield Californian, below the fold.

Read it online at The Bakersfield Californian.

inspecting the astroturf.
(front) Romeo Agbalog, Lilly Agbalog, Keith Ford,
(back) Liz Mojica, Robert Price.

Last week construction work at the Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium shifted to being done overnight in order for W2W Sport Flooring workers to avoid the daytime extreme heat conditions. Construction work is 8:00 p.m. through 8:00 a.m. during the regular work week throughout the month of August.  Bakersfield College greatly appreciates the neighborhood’s cooperation during this time, and its understanding of the necessary measures taken to avoid heat exhaustion. The health and safety of the construction employees is of the utmost importance to both Bakersfield College and W2W Sport Flooring. 

Renegade Football at Downtown Rotary

Reggie Bolton, Sandi Taylor, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jeff Chudy, Trustee Agbalog, Mayor Goh, Brandon Urry, Sonya Christian, Zach Hartsfield

BC was showing its pride at this week’s Downtown Rotary meeting!  Head football coach Jeff Chudy spoke about the upcoming season and the toughness of the Renegade team — both physically and mentally.  Zach Hartsfield #88 was in attendance; not only is Zach a stellar player, but he also maintains a 3.0G PA at BC!  

Sonya and a football player in jersey.
Me with Renegade Zach Hartsfield

Opening Day is Next Week!

It’s almost here, our annual campus Opening Day will take place on Thursday, August 22, 2019 in the Indoor Theater. Remember, this is the only day of the year that we close the campus to students and the public to ensure that all employees can come together in community to participate in this all-day event. For this year’s Opening Day, we have also invited community leaders to address our campus.  This is my seventh Opening Day as president and my seventh State of the College. I cannot be prouder of BC! 

Logistics team: Dylan, Earl, Eric, Aricia, Monika, Kevin, & Kristin

We have new managers, we have new classified, and we have new faculty. What better way to welcome them to the Home of the Renegades than a grand Opening Day.

Besides the annual State of the College address and hearing from constituent leaders Tina Johnson, CSEA; Ann Tatum, CCA; Steven Holmes, Academic Senate, and Manny Mourtzanos, Management Association, we should all look forward to hearing from our insightful community panelists. 

On BC’s Health Equity and Learning initiative, we will hear from Adventist Health’s CEO Sharlet Briggs, Dignity Health’s CEO Ken Keller, and Centric Health’s Physician Partner Dr. Jeet Singh. To share more about our partnership with high schools and its impact in the community, Senator Jean Fuller will be moderating a panel with Barbara Grimm, founder of Grimmway Academy, Aaron Resendez, Superintendent of McFarland Unified School District, and Myka Peck, Principal of Garces High School.

You will hear from our winners of the Margaret Levinson Leadership Award and the Shirley Trembley Teaching Award, Kimberly Nickell, Helen Acosta, and Regina Hukill.  We will also hear from Reggie Williams and Susan Pinza about the Levan Center and the Levan Institute.

 It is an exciting time to be a Renegade. Here’s to a great 2019-2020 year at Bakersfield College!

Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2019 Energy and Ag Academy

Last week 50 students graduated from the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2019 Energy and Ag Academy. The event honored students who participated in the summer program to learn about Kern County’s largest industries, energy and agricultural, and how these industries both feed and power the world.

Standing around the Hispanic Chamber Energy and Agriculture Academy sign.
Mayor Goh, Jorhe Barrientos, Norma Rojas-Mora, Jamie Doniaz, Tony Cordova, Jay Tamsi

The graduating class includes students from local high schools, Bakersfield College, California State University of Bakersfield and Fresno State. The academy was sponsored by Aera Energy, Bakersfield College, Chevron, Kern Energy Foundation and California Resources Corporation.

Check out the group photo in b/w:

Black and White of large group.

The summer program included speakers in the energy and ag industries, field trips to local energy and ag facilities, leadership opportunities, meeting with elected officials, and financial scholarships.

BC’s Drum & Bugle Corps at DCI World Championships in Indianapolis

BC’s Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps is wrapping up its summer tour of the United States this week, advancing to the Open Class finals at Indiana Wesleyan University.

The Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps placed 9th in their division in the DCI World Championships competition.

“Students and staff pushed through the most challenging season to date both on and off the field,” Heasley said. “The corps faced adversity with a sense of determination. They return home with the true grit needed to face the next challenge, whatever it may be.”

Follow the Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps’ adventures throughout the year:

BC’s Guided Pathways Team on the Road

A Bakersfield College team traveled to Long Beach this week to present to Compton College faculty, staff, and administrators on our Guided Pathways implementation with a focus on our Completion Coaching Communities as a way to advance equitable student achievement and completion. Compton College invited BC to present as they develop their very own version of completion coaching which they are calling their “Tartar Success Teams.”

The team shared with me what an honor it was to participate in Compton’s early implementation and to learn about the remarkable work Compton College is doing to re-energize their college campus and serve the students in their community. 

Keith Curry, Compton College President, Lisa Robles, BC Program Manager – Student Success & Equity, Grace Commiso, Counselor, Jonathan Ward, Counselor, Armando Trujillo, Advisor – Veterans

HVAC Lab Delano

Check out the newest pics of Delano’s HVAC Lab, made possible by funding secured in 2018 by Assembly Member Rudy Salas

The lab is now finished, and will be ready for students to use this Fall.  This hands-on facility will serve Renegades interested in this high demand career field!

You can read when I announced the unveiling of our HVAC Tech Program in my October 21, 2018 blog. The Bakersfield College Delano Campus unveiled its new HVAC Tech program and broke ground for the new facility on October 15, 2018 with a projected completion by Summer 2019. This program is a part of Bakersfield College’s Rural Initiatives, which target BC’s surrounding communities to equip more residents with workforce skills through college education. The funding for this program comes from the monies secured by Assemblyman Rudy Salas in the 2018-2019 state budget. And thank you Trustee Romeo Agbalog for your passion and support of North Kern communities.

Groundbreaking October 15, 2018

Grant to Alleviate Food Insecurity Among BC Students

Bakersfield College’s Renegade Pantry has received a $20,000 grant from the Kern Partnership for Children and Families to further alleviate food insecurity among college students.

5 Staff members in front of well stocked shelves.
Staff stocking shelves and refrigerator with groceries.

The Renegade Pantry is fortunate to receive contributions from BC staff and the greater Bakersfield community. Donations enable pantry staff to provide groceries to students in need. Learn more about donating to the Bakersfield College Renegade Pantry on our website or contact The Office of Student Life at (661) 395-4355. 

Thank you Nicky Damania for all that you do for BC and our students.

Veterans Mentorship Program

On Friday, August 2, Bakersfield College Veteran Services and the Chevron SJV  Veterans Network kicked off the first ever Chevron SJV Veterans Network-Bakersfield College Student Veterans Mentorship Program at Rosa’s Italian Restaurant.  The program is designed to assist STEM-minded student-veterans with mentorship guidance from Chevron engineers and other Chevron employees who are also veterans. This is a timely program considering that the new Forever GI Bill now offers the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship, providing up to nine months of additional Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to qualifying veterans seeking an undergraduate STEM degree.

Mentors and students seated at a long table for dinner.

The SI Fab Four
Help me if you can; my grades are down!

Welcome SI Mentors with a hear sign.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that BC’s Supplemental Instruction, otherwise known as SI, has its very own team of Mentors each semester.  The newest group of SI Mentors for Fall 2019, Oscar Hernandez, Alejandra Hernandez, Debbie Stapp, Hunter Pentico, and their Program Manager Eileen Pierce planned out the 7 Mentor Meetings that they will facilitate as they train the incoming crop of 24 brand new SI Leaders, many of whom have very little experience with public speaking and certainly no real experience with teaching.

with arms in various poses.
The SI Fab Four: (L to R) Mentors Oscar Hernandez, Alejandra Hernandez, Debbie Stapp, and Hunter Pentico

If anyone wants more information about SI at Bakersfield College, please contact Eileen Pierce at 395-4202, epierce@bakersfieldcollege.edu, or visit our SI website.

Last Express Enrollment of the Summer

Prospective students in a classroom learning about programs in our catalog.

Students at the Panorama Campus had one last chance to register for their classes on Thursday during the last Express Enrollment event on the main campus before the start of the fall semester.

Representatives from Outreach and School Relations gave students a brief orientation of BC’s programs of study in the Forum before moving over to the Computer Commons area in the library for hands-on assistance with registration for the Fall semester.

Staff assisting a student enroll in the computer lab.

There will be two more Express Enrollment events targeting rural Kern County students at the Job Spot on 1501 Panama Lane on Monday at 3 p.m. and the Wasco Adult Education Center on Wednesday at 4 p.m. I would like to thank everyone on the Outreach Team for all that they do to help our students clarify and enter the pathway to their education.

Fun Photos

Enrollment Services Retreat

Last week, Enrollment Services, including the staff of Admissions and Records and Testing and Placement Center, participated in their annual retreat. Special Guest Stephanie Baltazar trained them on “Dealing with Difficult People Having Hard Conversations.” The retreat was a day of team bonding and customer service training.

Enrollment Services Team

The Last Summer Bridge 2019

Summer Bridge held their last class this week. They posted some great photos on the Summer Bridge Facebook page:

Large group of students and faculty on the grass.

Todd’s Vacation

This year the Coston family went camping in the Sequoia National Forest at the Lower Peppermint Creek campground.  The area is close by, and a nice respite from the hot weather during Bakersfield summers. Todd and Cari enjoying the view at Dome Rock. 

Standing together with a forest and mountain background.

One of the hikes was to a beautiful waterfall that is a part of Peppermint Creek.

waterfall.

Part of the adventure is to get the adrenaline going by jumping into natural pools.

Last Year’s Vacation Photo 

Bill Potter, Tamara Baker and Todd Coston were busy preparing this week for their Opening Day presentation on Measure J.  

Todd, Bill and Tamara with party hats and cupcakes.

As you might remember, they took a “vacation” last year, so who knows what they have planned this time!

Bill and Todd holding on to the Eiffel tower and Tamara falling.

Library’s Statue

Check out the statue on the second floor of the library! Someone is enjoying the last days of summer.

Statue of female student reading dressed with goggles, beach towel and flamingo float.

Stadium Photography

Dylan taking a photo with the stadium field in the background.
MPR’s Dylan taking pictures of the Stadium.

Athletics Update

Congrats to Anieus Medrano

Anieus Medrano University of Texas El Paso.

Renegade Men’s Basketball standout Anieus Medrano announced this week that he will be continuing his academic and athletic career at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Anieus played here at BC for two years under head coach Rich Hughes and is now the 44th student athlete from this year to sign with a four-year school. We wish you all the best at UTEP Anieus and continued success in your future endeavors. 

2019 Spring Student Athlete Honor Roll

Spring 2019 Student Athlete Honor Roll BC.

The annual Renegade Athletics Spring Honor Roll has been released for 2019. A huge congratulations goes out to all the student athletes on the distinction of being named to the list. We had 56 student athletes named Distinguished Scholars (3.5-4.0 GPA) and 62 that were named Outstanding Scholars (3.0-3.49 GPA). View the full list of names in the release on GoGades

Sonya waves to the crowd with Romeo clapping for her.


That’s all for now.

Until next time.

With much Renegade Pride and Collegiality.

sonya-
the luckiest and happiest college president ever

The Dawn of a New Era in Education

Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, February 23, 2019… A great day to be a Renegade.

This is the second time in six years that I missed a blog post…. last Saturday’s (2/16).

I am dedicating this blog to all moms….the wind beneath our wings.

Pam Christian watching the sunset in San Diego

Early College Launches in McFarland

Bakersfield College and McFarland High School are making education history with the Early College program, and we decided to celebrate the first chapter of that history with a launch event in the McFarland High gym last week on Wednesday night

Early College line

I was unfortunately unable to attend the Early College launch event due to a family emergency, but the Early College teams at BC, and McFarland High ensured that it was a beautiful, informative launch for students and parents alike.

McFarland cougar

Corny Rodriguez introduced the Early College video that aired in English and Spanish, providing a preliminary explanation of how 280 incoming freshmen at McFarland High will be able to get a head start on accomplishing their dreams by being enrolled in college classes on a Guided Pathways to college degree or certificate completion.

Community Relations Director Norma Rojas-Mora served as Master of Ceremonies for the event, spreading the excitement that our team has felt putting together this program over to our students. She also introduced some of the dignitaries present on the dais on Wednesday night, which included 4th District Supervisor David Couch, trustees from the McFarland Unified School District and McFarland Recreation and Park District, Trustee Romeo Agbalog, as well as representatives from the offices of Kevin McCarthy, TJ Cox, Vince Fong, Shannon Grove and Rudy Salas, among others.

Let’s listen now to Aaron Resendez, the amazing superintendent of McFarland School District….a courageous innovator who will do what it takes to advance his students in McFarland.

Brian Bell, Principal of McFarland High, was not able to attend the event. I want to recognize his work in partnership with BC. Just wonderful.

Dr. Mary Barlow, Superintendent of Kern County schools, congratulated BC and McFarland High for launching the Early College initiative before introducing the McFarland Middle School Cadet Corps to present the colors and lead the packed auditorium in the National Anthem.

McFarland children holding flags

Retired State Senator Jean Fuller, who is leading the Early College initiative for BC, emphasized how unique this partnership between BC and McFarland High actually is. After searching across the nation, Fuller discovered that this program is the first of its kind in the history of United States education, and McFarland High will be the laboratory where the Early College model will be tested before hopefully being rolled out for all of our nation’s children.

“This program is one of the first of its kind in the nation, and it’s a miracle,” Fuller said. “This program will make the difference for your child if you reach out and take it.”

Early College crowd
Jean Fuller

Fuller shared the story of how an education at BC changed her life and propelled her to a career of public service, and how Early College will create opportunities for low-income and marginalized students to do the same.

“I wanted to be somebody, but I didn’t know what a somebody was,” Fuller said. “[Your children] can be whatever they want to be, and what we need them to be.”

Early College welcome table

McFarland Unified School District President Jim Beltran offered some perspective on how Early College will increase high school and graduation rates while closing education and employment gaps in California.

“This program will set the precedent for California and other states to change,” Beltran said.

McFarland Unified School District Clerk David Diaz said that the Early College program “embodies [McFarland’s] values as a community” and will make a higher education “more accessible than ever.”

Early College welcome table

Kern Community College District Trustee Romeo Agbalog gave an inspiring presentation about how Early College will prevent students from struggling with their higher education like he did as a young man, and affirmed his commitment to ensuring that every person in Kern County receives the support they need to receive a quality education. I received several text messages telling me that there was not a dry eye in the audience during Trustee Agbalog’s heartfelt comments.

“This program began with a conversation that started with three simple words–‘What If We?’” Agbalog said. “Now it’s not just an idea. It’s happening, and it’s happening here first.”

Early College entrance

Agbalog also connected McFarland High’s proud tradition of cross-country success, captured in the film “McFarland, U.S.A.,” with the community’s commitment to its students.

“This is a community that knows how to get things done,” Agbalog said. “Who better than the 9-time state champions to lead the race to early college in California?”

Liz Rozell spoke on my behalf to share how much hard work has been done with joy to make Early College a reality before leading the gym in chants of “We Are BC” and “We Are Cougar Renegades.”

KCCD Associate Chancellor John Means talked about how classes offered through the Early College program will be equal in rigor to courses at the BC main campus while offering students the support they need to receive acceleration completion to a two-year degree or certificate.

Mike Turnipseed, Romeo Agbalog, Patty Poire
Early College child
Steve Watkin and Kylie Swanson

At the conclusion of the presentations by the Early College leadership, Steve Watkin and Kylie Swanson raffled off 3 iPads and BC sweatshirts to people in the audience while dignitaries were taking group photos. Then, BC’s Director of Rural Initiatives Abel Guzman and McFarland High School Vice Principal Justin Derrick offered more concrete details about the Early College program.

Abel Guzman
Justin Derrick and Abel Guzman
Early College raffle winners
These lucky winners went home with iPads and BC sweatshirts, including one sweet little girl who just walked up and grabbed a bag!

Guzman and Derrick explained how every single incoming 9th grader to McFarland High will be enrolled as BC Renegades and McFarland High Cougars at the same time.

Early College child in helmet

There will be 9 pathways to choose from, offering credits toward degrees and certificates at BC. Incoming freshman will take a student development course in their first semester to learn more about all of the pathways and develop a 10-year plan to accomplish their career goals. Aside from the introductory 12-unit pathway programs, there will also be 30 credits of general education courses available, as well as another 30 credits that will go toward an Associate’s Degree. Students will have to take courses after school and during summer school to complete 60 units of college credit, but they’ll have a two-year head start on their dreams and be able to apply to four-year universities as juniors.

Early College welcome table

While Early College was designed with incoming 9th-graders in mind, we’re not leaving behind any students who are currently enrolled at McFarland High, and those students will have access to some of the Early College opportunities, as well, which included courses in welding, photography, AutoCAD, as well as retail and manufacturing via designing and selling McFarland High Cougar merchandise. After the presentation, there were breakout sessions throughout the McFarland High campus where parents and students could learn more about each of the programs offered.

Early College team

The Early College program has been an immense undertaking that has been over a year in the making, and I’d personally like to thank each and every person who made it a reality.

Thanks to 23ABC for covering this incredible opportunity which starts Cougar Renegades on an early path to a college degree! Check out their coverage!

Early College: Behind the Scenes

Thanks to Manny De Los Santos for producing this great video that shows some of what happened during the Early College launch event!

catherine rangel chris glaser
Catherine Rangel and Chris Glaser working hard before the Early College launch.
Early College team
Volunteers pose for a photo before an eventful evening!
Tarina Perry, McFarland Cougar, Chris Glaser, and Catherine Rangel

Member of Congress, TJ Cox visits BC

Professor Allen Bolar and Congressman TJ Cox

On our rainy Thursday afternoon, Congressman TJ Cox visited Bakersfield College during his first trip home to Kern County from Washington, DC in 2019. His special visit was to speak to students from Professor Bolar’s Political Science courses and share not only his background and experiences, but encourage and invite them to seek careers in public service.

The Forum East was filled with students to see Congressmember Cox
Congressman Cox

He shared tidbits of information with over 200 students, such as being able to tell the members of Congress by the pin they wear and he even shared that he, too, has to go through airport security – just like us!

Congressman Cox shared with students that many jobs and internships are available for them and they should dream big, explore their options, consider visiting Washington, DC to see it for themselves. Thank you to Professor Bolar for inviting Congressman TJ Cox to the Home of the Renegades and offering such an amazing learning experience for BC students.  We are BC!

Making their way to Forum East on BC’s campus
Congressman TJ Cox shakes hands with BC Dean of Instruction, Corny Rodriguez
Upon arrival, Congressman Cox was greeted by Prof. Allen Bolar, Vice President Liz Rozell and Dean of Instruction, Corny Rodriguez.

Chevron’s Black History Month Panel

Dr. Paula Parks at Chevron Black History Month Panel

Dr. Paula L. Parks, Umoja Coordinator and English professor, participated in a community Black History Month panel discussion. The Chevron Black Employees Association held a luncheon program that included a panel discussion on the value of Black Greek-lettered sororities and fraternities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Dr. Parks shared the experience with four of her students in the Umoja Community African American Success Through Excellence and Persistence program.

Also on the panel were LaMeka Ross, Mark Parham, and Keith Wolaridge, who shared what they gained from their experiences in a supportive African-American environment. Parks, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc; Parham, a member of Kappa Alpha Phi Fraternity, Inc.; Wolaridge, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Fraternity, Inc.; and Ross, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. talked about the advantages of Greek life in college and in graduate chapters. They said they learned leadership skills, civic responsibility to their communities, and sisterhood/brotherhood while being held to high academic standards.

Wolaridge added that he made valuable connections through his fraternity. He said that many of the Fresno State College leaders were in his fraternity. Both Parks and Parham shared that they continued a family legacy of membership in their sorority or fraternity. Keon Warren, an Umoja student, commented on what he gained:


“I learned that the African-American sororities and fraternities were founded to serve their surrounding community and the greater good.”

Keon Warren, BC Umoja student
Panelists at Chevron Black History Month event

All the Black sororities and fraternities have minimum grades point averages to pledge and to stay active; scholarship is a big focus in addition to community service. Black Greek life helped the panelists to remain connected to their Black community at Predominately White Institutions (PWI). Parks mentioned that she was the only Black English major at UC Irvine and that membership in her sorority reduced the feeling of isolation that she had on campus and in her classes.

Ross, the only one on the panel to attend an HBCU, talked about how much she thrived at Grambling University with the love and support of faculty, staff, and students who looked like her. Members of Black Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities, including the panelists, are known as the accomplished leaders in their professions and communities.

Warren, Umoja student, summed up his thoughts: “It was inspiring to meet really successful men and women who look like me.”

Dr. Paula Parks at Umoja Students

Distinguished Speaker and Cerro Author Temple Grandin, Ph.D. Visits BC

Temple Grandin speaking

We were honored to host author, speaker, engineer and professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, Dr. Temple Grandin, at Bakersfield College last week. Dr. Grandin spoke at four events on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. Two engagements were about living with autism, one on livestock animal behavior, and one on identifying the core emotional needs of animals

Her first lecture on “Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism” packed the Levan Center. Her second lecture, moved to the Indoor Theater to allow a larger audience, gave tips for students with autism and parents raising children on the spectrum to be successful in neurotypical society

Temple Grandin group

She recommends that individuals on the spectrum identify their preferred method of learning, whether it is visual, auditory or language-based, and build on their strengths while continuing to develop their areas of weakness. A person who is a visual learner, for instance, may be better suited to communicating their ideas via charts and diagrams, while an auditory learner is better at explaining themselves via public speaking. Grandin also recommends that children on the spectrum learn a trade or skill at a young age so that they’re better prepared for the workforce when they come into adulthood.

Temple Grandin at podium

Dr. Grandin’s story is an interesting one and is the basis of some of her books and the subject of an award-winning HBO movie. She was determined to be autistic as a child and did not speak until she was three. With early speech therapy and teachers teaching her to “wait and take turns when playing board games” she was able to join the normal kindergarten class at age five, according to her website. In high school she was teased and became the target for bullies. Thanks to her high school science teacher’s mentoring and her aunt on her Arizona ranch, Dr. Grandin was motivated to study hard and pursue a career as a scientist.

Temple Grandin crowd

BC’s Cerro Author biography explains that Dr. Grandin’s work in animal science includes developing animal welfare guidelines and designing livestock equipment. They proclaim, “half the cattle in the US and Canada are handled in equipment Grandin has designed for meat plants.” Our Distinguished Speaker Series biography shares that she is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America and that she lectures parents and teachers throughout the nation on autism. She has over 400 articles published, was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Thank you, Dr. Nicky Damania, Director of Student Life, Dr. James Selgrath, Professor of Agricultural Business, and Kirk Russell, Library Department Chair, for working together to bring such a prestigious speaker and author to campus. Thank you, Mary Jo Pasek and the events staff, for coordinating the event and being flexible in changing the venue to accommodate the large crowds that Dr. Grandin attracted. This is another example of why our college excels at bringing cultural awareness and furthering the learning of our students and community. We are BC!

BC Jazz Performs with Wayne Horvitz and Sara Schoenbeck

The Bakersfield College Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos recently performed with visiting artists Wayne Horvitz and Sara Schoenbeck in the Indoor Theater. Horvitz is an acclaimed composer and pianist known for his work with John Zorn’s Naked City, Bill Frisell, and the New York Composers Orchestra. Schoenbeck is a pioneer of contemporary music for the bassoon, and has worked with Anthony Braxton, Phillip Glass, Nels Cline, and the Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra. Horvitz worked with our student jazz musicians to perform a set of his original compositions, followed by a duo set by Horvitz and Schoenbeck

Wayne Horvitz and Sara Schoenbeck
Wayne Horvitz and Sara Schoenbeck perform in the Indoor Theater.


Wayne Horvitz, Sara Schoenbeck, and Kris Tiner
Wayne Horvitz, Sara Schoenbeck, and Kris Tiner make some musical magic!

Sara now calls Brooklyn home and performs regularly with many creative and inspiring musicians in the New York scene and beyond. She has performed at major venues and festivals throughout North America and Europe. To learn more, visit Sara’s website.

BC Takes Part in ‘State of the Downtown’ Breakfast

Room of tables

Bakersfield College was honored to be part of the Downtown Business Association’s (DBA) State of the Downtown Breakfast.  It was a great way to kick off Valentine’s Day! Here at BC, we recognize the impact the DBA has made in championing our city.  It was a great to reminisce about the successes of the last year, hear about the plans for the coming year and to see so many friends coming together to continue to support the growth and revitalization of Downtown Bakersfield.

Group at table
Left to right: Keith Wolaridge, Endee Grijalva, Ashley Harp, Tom Gelder, Nicky Damania, Mustaffa Barraj, Norma Rojas-Mora, Christina Springstead

It was especially touching to hear the tribute to Dave Urner and his lifelong commitment to our community.  The impact he has made has not gone unnoticed. Melanie Farmer, the DBA/DBDC President/CEO, presented a video that highlights downtown Bakersfield’s past and its current resurgence. Bakersfield College was joined by community guests Keith Wolaridge and Christina Springstead, students Ashley Harp, BCSGA President, and Mustafa Barraj, BCSGA Director of Legislative Affairs as well as Dr. Nicky Damania, BC Foundation Executive Director Tom Gelder, Program Manager for Adult Education, Endee Grijalva, and Director of Community Relations, Norma Rojas-Mora.

Bakersfield College is always pleased to support our partners and looks forward to continuing to play a part in promoting our downtown!

Theater Students Pour Their Hearts into Valentine’s Day Show

Kimberly Chin’s theater classes delivered a special Valentines-themed performance in the Renegade Food Court the day before Valentines Day, filled with interpretative improvisation and monologues about love.

The event started with a free association exercise where students wandered around each other in a circle and said whatever words came to mind regarding certain words that were picked. The next exercise involved pulling strips of paper out of a box at random with the names of famous love songs on them. The students then created a “machine” via interpretive movement of how that song makes them feel.

The last exercise involved students sharing famous quotations about love. The students would wander in a circle again and suspend their movements whenever one of their classmates was selected to share their quote.

At the conclusion of the improv exercises, students shared their individual pieces, which ranged from spoken word interpretations of songs about love to performances of monologues by famous playwrights such as Neil Simon.

BC Staff Attend Garden Pathways Heart of the Country

Billie Jo Rice, Maria Wright, Kylie Swanson, and Lesley Bonds attended the Garden Pathways Heart of the Country event at the Buck Owens Crystal Palace. They enjoyed music from award-winning Nashville recording artist Jimmy Wayne, Stan Ellis and Stampede Band, and Amy Adams and the Rising Stars.  

Billie Jo Rice, Maria Wright, Kylie Swanson, and Lesley Bonds
Billie Jo Rice, Maria Wright, Kylie Swanson, and Lesley Bonds enjoying some lovely music.

They shared with me the stories they heard of three Garden Pathways mentees whose lives were transformed through mentorship. We see the power of mentorship each day at Bakersfield College, which is why I’m so proud of programs like the African American Mentoring Program, Umoja ASTEP, BC athletics, the Veterans Center, and of course our Completion Coaching Communities.

Musicians on stage

We are excited to partner with Garden Pathways and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services to host the Hope Through Mentoring Conference: The Unexpected Mentor on April 6, 2019.  Behavioral health professionals, teachers, case managers, law enforcement, students, and others who work in mentoring should mark your calendars and plan to join us here on the BC campus. See you there!

BC Brings College Opportunities to Wasco

The Rural Initiatives team has been busy! Through the Adult Education Program, Bakersfield College has been able to bring college closer to home for Wasco residents and surrounding rural areas. This opportunity was made possible in collaboration with the Wasco Union High School District by setting up a one-stop center for continuing and higher education. The North Kern Adult Education team welcomed more than 70 guests including Wasco residents, partners and KCCD Staff to celebrate the opening of the center at the ribbon cutting ceremony on February 8.

Thanks to KCCD Vice Chancellor John Means and KCCD Trustee Romeo Agbalog for joining the BC family at the opening of the center. Special thanks to Jaime Lopez and Abel Guzman for making this possible and continuously looking for ways to make education more accessible throughout rural Kern County.

Professor Lindsay Ono Wins CLCA Award

The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) presented the 2018 Associate Member of the Year Award at the 40th Landscape Industry Show to Professor Lindsay Ono from Bakersfield College.

The award is presented to an associate member in recognition of leadership and service to the CLCA. Associate members are persons or companies selling or producing a product or service used in the green and outdoor service industries, such as equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and business service providers.

Lindsay Ono

Lindsay Ono is Professor of Environmental Horticulture at Bakersfield College. During the summer of 2007, he was recognized as a E. Kika de la Garza Fellow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program (HSINP). He was one of 17 individuals across the nation who were chosen for this prestigious honor.  He is a member of the California Agricultural Teachers Association and serves on the Environmental Horticulture Curriculum committee. He also works with the California Statewide Career Pathways Project – Discipline Work Group and Champions Career Pathways Consortium.

Ono has been active at the Kern County CLCA Chapter serving in many positions, including President. He also serves at the state level as the Director of Education and serves on the current CLCA Board of Directors.

If you live in the Bakersfield area, you may know him from his Saturday morning radio program, The Country Garden, where he is known as the “Plant Professor.”  Ono is one of the organizers of Garden Fest, an event in its 14th year that highlights the Bakersfield College Agriculture program and brings the community together combining educational gardening seminars and fundraisers for community garden clubs.

In his continued quest to expand educational access and provide pathways to education, he was a leader in the recent statewide work to create a stackable certificate program which aligned green industry community college classes and content across the state’s community colleges to assist students in their journey to learn and grow.

Congratulations to Lindsay Ono from Bakersfield College and the Kern County Chapter as the CLCA’s 2018 Associate Member of the Year!

BC: A Family Tradition Unlike Any Other

Bakersfield College’s legacy in the Central Valley spans across generations, and that legacy of transforming lives through education is evident in the story of three men named John Radman.

John Radman
John Radman’s family has a long and storied history at BC.
John Radman Grandfather
John Radman, Sr. (John’s grandfather)

The story of the Radman family begins in Madera County. John Radman, Sr. was unable to attend classes at nearby Fresno City College, so he moved to Bakersfield to attend BC when it was still located inside the BHS campus. He decided to stay in the community to raise a family, and his son, John S. Radman, ended up attending classes at the Panorama Campus, eventually earning an associate’s degree in Industrial Arts around 1975. John S. Radman met his wife Mary Donovan during his time at BC, and two of their children would attend the Panorama Campus in the ’90s, including Renegade wrestler Aaron Radman and soccer player Brooke Radman.

Mary Donovan
Mary Donovan in 1971 (John’s mother)

Fast forward to last year, when Aaron and Brooke’s brother John Radman was hired as a Maintenance Technician for the Engineering and Systems Department. John had quit pursuing his education to support his wife’s dreams of becoming an elementary school teacher, and after spending several years as a small business owner, he was excited to give back to the Renegade community that had given his family so many opportunities.

After having a few conversations with Dean of Instruction Michele Bresso at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, John has decided to continue with his education, and he’s now pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Business while simultaneously working as a BC employee.

Stories like the Radman family’s are why we all work so hard to provide the highest quality of education for our students. When you hear how BC has touched the lives of thousands of people over decades, it really puts all of the work we do into perspective. I wish the best of luck to John as he pursues his business degree, and I can’t wait to hear about what future Radmans contribute to Renegade history.

Fun Photos: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department

LA Sheriff Department
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) hosted an information table at the Huddle on Tuesday, February 12 to inform students about job opportunities with the LASD.  Web Content Editor Aricia Leighton captured this great photo of officers talking to students.

Fun Photos: Snow on the Grapevine

Grapevine
Found this on Facebook.  What a great photo by Ron Kean of the Grapevine covered in snow!

GPIT Committee Meeting

The week before last, Bakersfield College hosted colleagues from Citrus College and Mt. San Jacinto College to discuss our guided pathways implementation. A small team observed our Guided Pathways Implementation Team (GPIT) meeting and learned about the rollout of our work over the past four years.

Steven Holmes leading discussion
Steve Holmes leads a discussion around sustainability and fiscal stability through enrollment growth facilitated by our guided pathways approach.

We joined in community to dig into the detailed work of implementation with dozens of faculty and staff across campus through a series of round-table discussions.  The group wrestled with questions like:

  1. How did BC approach program and pathway mapping?
  2. How does BC ensure support for all students in English and math?
  3. What kinds of training and support does BC provide faculty and staff to advance student success?
  4. What data does BC collect to support students in staying on their educational pathways?
  5. How do industry partners work with BC faculty and staff to design curriculum?

To give a full picture of our work, our BC team from offices and departments across campuses shared their work around the following:

Amber Hroch speaking
People talking
  • Counseling and Advising Redesign: Grace Commiso, Dean of Counseling
  • Placement and Co-Requisite Supports: Dean Andrea Thorson, Dean Stephen Waller
  • Library & Academic Supports: Maria Wright, Director of Academic Support Services, Dean Bill Moseley, and Librarian Faith Bradham
  • Program Mapper & Finish-in-4: Dean of Institutional Effectiveness Craig Hayward, Dean Grace Commiso
  • Matriculation & Outreach: Steve Watkin, Director of Outreach & Dual Enrollment, Program Managers Ashlea Ward and Kylie Swanson
  • Completion Coaching: Dean Grace Commiso, Program Manager Lisa Kent, and Dean Stephen Waller
  • Professional Development & Academic Technology: Dean Bill Moseley, Lesley Bonds, Director of Student Success & Equity
  • Summer Bridge: Kimberly Bligh, Title V Director, Teresa McAllister, Faculty – Education
  • Data Coaching: Amber Hroch, Institutional Researcher
  • Instructional Leadership: Jessica Wojtysiak, Faculty – Education

Building Diversity Summit

Armando Trujillo, Pedro Ramirez, Julian West, Lisa Robles-Kent
Armando Trujillo, Pedro Ramirez, Julian West, and Lisa Robles-Kent

The Building Diversity Summit was focused on eliminating institutional barriers that impede employment access to historically underrepresented groups. The leads of the BC Completion Coaching Communities for Affinity Group (AAI, Undocu-students/ DREAMers and Veterans) along with our prestige partner, Julian West of Career Ladders Project but always a Renegade, shared their knowledge in a presentation entitled “Representation Matters: The Power of Representation on Student Success” of how Bakersfield College intentionally hires with the intent to create conditions for student success.

Photography Fun on Campus

BC’s Manny De Los Santos has a fantastic eye and great talent for capturing moments that happen on campus. Here is a photo of him getting just the right angle for his photo.

Manny De Los Santos gets the shot just right.

Renegade Report

If you missed watching the Renegade Report live this last Thursday at 11a, check out the segments from this week’s show from the links below. This week’s highlights included segments with BC Head Women’s Tennis Coach, Austin Lee and BC Women’s Tennis student athletes Paige Darstein and Kayleen Sanchez.

Renegades of the Week

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s Wells Fargo Renegades of the Week.

Kayleen Sanchez, Women’s Tennis – While battling injury, she beat her #1 singles AVC opponent 6-1, 6-2 and in doubles, routed the #1 AVC doubles team, 8-0 with partner Alexis Strange.

Anieus Medrano, Men’s Basketball – Went 8-16 (50%) from behind the arc totaling 29 points (26 in the second half) in final home game against West LA.

Renegade Athletics Roundup

As always, it was a full week of athletics events for our Renegades teams. Highlights from the week include (click for the story on GoGades.com):

Be sure to follow Renegade Athletics on social media for all the latest news and updates!

Sonya Christian

Welcome to Spring ’19

Good morning, Bakersfield.
It is Saturday, January 19, 2019… A great day to be a Renegade.

Early College Program Announced!

Bakersfield Californian's Announcement "Jean Fuller to lead BC's Early College student program"

I am so excited and proud to announce that Senator Jean Fuller will be at the helm of the Early College Program at Bakersfield College. A true blessing for BC! She will lead the necessary intersegmental collaboration, relationships with business and industry, and connections with national policy organizations to scale up Early College regionally and nationally.

Sonya and Jean Fuller

Having served in public office from 2006-2018, Jean Fuller brings over 30 years of experience in education to Bakersfield College. Her desire to continue working in education at BC is a direct result of her commitment to working with young people and encouraging them to have the confidence and support to achieve their dreams.

Jean Fuller Speaking to an audience about her experiences and Early College
Jean with hand over heart

What is the Early College Program? It is a proven model for quality and cost-effective college degree completion, particularly in rural communities with high poverty rates and low educational attainment rates.

Romeo Agbalog, Sonya Christian, Jean Fuller, Abel Guzman, Raquel Lopez at McFarland High Aug 4 2018

Like other states, California is grappling with the increased need for access, efficiency, and excellence in education. By 2030 there will be a projected shortage of 1.1 million workers holding a bachelor’s degree. Kern County continues to rank among the lowest percentages in educational attainment in the nation. The Early College Program implements complementary strategies to expand access to college, increase graduation rates, and reduce time-to-completion. This work is vital for success in Kern county, California, and the nation.

Wonderful Academy Graduates 2018

The Early College model launched in partnership with local charter schools, including Wonderful Ag Career Prep, which introduces students — many who will be first-generation college students — to higher education course material during the summer prior to 9th grade. I was so proud to confer Associate degrees in Agriculture Business for 38 Wonderful Academy students last May 2018. Dual Enrollment, a strategy of early college, has been implemented in 24 Kern County high schools.

By aligning curriculum and adding college-level coursework into the high school schedule, Early College students have the opportunity to earn a certificate or associate degree by their high school graduation. A 2013 study by the American Institutes for Research found that students enrolled in Early College Programs were significantly more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college than students who were not. They are also more likely than their peers to graduate from college and with maximum efficiency in regard to time and resources. The Early College students are performing at or near the same level, and in some cases, at a higher level than their traditional college student peers.

Wonderful Academy Graduates 2018 around the BC circle

Read more about the Early College Program at Bakersfield College and press release.

Trustee Romeo Agbalog Imagines a Bright Future for Kern County

Kern Community College District Trustee Romeo Agbalog was also in the Bakersfield Californian this week talking about Early College from the perspective of employment in Kern County, opportunity for students, and cutting the cost of college.

Trustee Agbalog is a major supporter of Early College and has been instrumental in bringing this program to fruition. Read the full Bakersfield Californian Community Voice.

A Brighter future and Kern County Only if we dare to imagine it and act.

First Week of Spring ‘19

We welcomed faculty and students back on a blustery Monday. I’m always excited to see the campus come alive after the empty hallways of winter break. The spring semester is a vibrant time as the weather begins cold but turns sunny and warm as we begin looking forward to commencement and celebrating successes of our graduating students. Thank you Manny De Los Santos for capturing photos of our students and faculty returning to campus.

Campus Center Breaks Ground

We were blessed with a sunny break in the rainy weather on Wednesday morning to hold the groundbreaking ceremony for Bakersfield College’s new Campus Center, the second building to be built using Measure J funds.

Students in Bakersfield College’s Commercial Music program opened the festivities, the BC Drumline marched in to start of the ceremony, followed by a rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” by the BC Chamber Singers. On the dais, we were fortunate to have representatives from the offices of Congressman TJ Cox, Senator Shannon Grove, Assemblymember Rudy Salas, and Assemblymember Vince Fong.  Representing the Kern Community College District were KCCD Trustees Kay Meek, Romeo Agbalog and Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, as well as, retired Trustee and former Congressman Bill Thomas.

Director of Student Life Dr. Nicky Damania, BCSGA President Ashley Harp, Trustee Kay Meeks, Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Trustee Romeo Agbalog

Office of Student Life Director Dr. Nicky Damania was thrilled to lead the the groundbreaking ceremony for a building that will be at the center of student life at BC. Introducing the BCSGA presidents who were on the frontlines to help make the new Campus Center possible, Nicky said, “when we’re working, it’s for these students who are going to be the leaders of the future.”

former BCSGA president Alex Dominguez speaks at the podium

A succession of BCSGA leaders from previous years addressed the group, each in turn speaking from their personal experience what this new center will mean for students: Alex Dominguez, 2014-15 BCSGA President; Clayton Fowler, 2015-16 BCSGA president; former KCCD Student Trustee Rayven Acosta-Webb, speaking for Matthew Frazer, 2016-17 BCSGA; and Dezi Von Manos, 2017-18 BCSGA President. Then current BCSGA president, Ashley Harp, shared her vision of how the Campus Center will encourage student engagement.

Commemorative Shovel for the Campus Center Ground Breaking

After the Renegade Cheerleaders led the audience in a chant of “We Are BC”, Dr. Damania announced the opening of a time capsule left in the walls of the Administration building upon the Panorama Campus’ completion in 1955.

campus center rendering
Dignitaries on the dais

I’d like to thank Tamara Baker for all her work related to the implementation of Measure J, and I’d like to thank the taxpayers of Kern County once again for investing in community college education. Without your support, neither the Campus Center nor all of our other major construction projects funded through Measure J would be possible. Thank you for voting Yes on J in 2016.

See the entire photo gallery of the Campus Center Ground-breaking on A Better BC Facebook.

Old Campus Center Demolition

Panoramic view of the demolition of Campus Center

Food Services Moves to Huddle

Where do we eat with the cafeteria being demolished? Don’t worry, BC’s Food Services is finding ways to continue to serve our Panorama Campus community. The Panorama Grill has temporarily taken residency in the Gym Huddle. Food Services has also created a “food court”” of food trucks in front of Memorial Stadium and the Gym Huddle. Among the trucks is Pa’L Norte, Banderas Burger Grill, and The Rollin’ Bean. And coming soon, Panorama Grill will add their own food truck: Gades Grub!

As we build A Better BC there will be many department, staff and faculty moves. I would like to thank staff, faculty and students for graciously adjusting to the many changes happening around campus. Keep up on the changes happening on campus at A Better BC.

BC Time Capsule

On Tuesday afternoon, BC’s Student Government gathered students and staff together to open the BC time capsule from 1955. Jerry Ludeke was on hand with information about the cornerstone. Did you know the Masons conducted the cornerstone laying ceremony inside the Administration Building on April 30, 1955, exactly two years after the groundbreaking of the Panorama campus? This gem was filled with newspapers, a student handbook, student directory, and more.

“Only the Educated are Free”

You may view the contents of the capsule in BC Archives located on the second floor of the Grace Van Dyke Library.

Wow, notice the contrast between the past and current technology.

Dr. Nicky Damania will be coordinating the creation a new time capsule to be built into the new Campus Center. Submissions may be suggested to the BCSGA president or sent to Dr. Damania.

I wonder if they realized that Einstein would remain so influential in the future.

Thank you Manny De Los Santos for this short video to commemorate the event.

ITV Classroom Pilot for Dual and Concurrent Enrollment

An overflowing classroom with high school sophomores are participating in the pilot Interactive Television (ITV) Bakersfield College Music B2 class!

To bring dual enrollment course offerings to North High School students, ITV equipment was installed to bring Bakersfield College instruction to the campus. Funded by the College Futures grant, A Bakersfield College team led by Kristen Rabe and Dr. Anna Laven spent the last six months developing the equipment installation plan, which included two 80” TVs and one 65” plus lots of other high tech goodies to exactly mirror the ITV classrooms at BC.

Classroom with large screen tv's in the front
An overflowing classroom with high school sophomores taking the pilot ITV Bakersfield College course.

Developed in collaboration with North high school administration and counselors, the technology brings opportunities to many students for whom transportation to main campus is a significant barrier. As Mark Balch, principal of North describes, “seven miles might as well be 70 for these students”. Showing the strength of the program, over 60 students arrived at the orientation which could take only 30 students. One student indicated she was interested in participating after hearing a dual enrollment presentation during an African-American Mentor Program (AAMP) field trip to campus.

Kyle Burnham, instructor

With incredible support from Dean Manny Mourtzanos and Chair Dr. John Gerhold, the first pilot class begins next week, taught by Kyle Burnham. The department is working diligently to supply additional classes in the future due to demand.

Before picture with KHSD facilities collaborating on the install.

Dual Enrollment Featured in Bakersfield Life

Did you see the article about Dual Enrolment in Bakersfield Life Magazine? Mark Nessia wrote about the partnership with the Kern High school District and BC to “encourage a college-going culture in Kern County.” He quoted our own Anna Laven, Dual Enrollment Program Manager and highlighted the start of dual enrollment at the Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano in partnership with BC. Read the Bakersfield Life Magazine Dual Enrollment Article.

Screen shot of Dual Enrollment feature page

17 News features Norma Rojas Mora

Tabatha Mills, 17 KGET News, featured a beautiful video of BC’s Director of Community and Public Relations, Norma Rojas-Mora, in her Women in Kern County segment. In the video, Norma speaks about her dedication to students, education and insuring students realize the opportunities that are available to them. I’m so honored to have Norma at BC. Read the article and watch the video of Norma on KGET.

BC students continue to ride free with Kern Transit

Kern Transit is continuing a program for all currently enrolled Bakersfield College students to ride free on Kern Transit routes with a valid student ID. Free rides began January 14th and continue through the end of finals week on May 10, 2019.

BC Students Ride Free

Students who choose to ride with Kern Transit will not have to struggle with traffic or find parking, and they can focus on their studies as they commute to school. Using public transit helps improve air quality. And students may ride free on all 100-numbered routes, not just on routes to and from the school, so they save money commuting all around Kern County. Thank you Kern Transit!

Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

(L to R) Gabriella Mello, VP Wells Fargo Bank, KCCD Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Norma Rojas-Mora and Tony Cordova, Bakersfield College, Michael Bowers, Centric Health, Sharlet Briggs, Adventist Health, Heather Pennella, Bakersfield College

It was a pleasure to see so many smiling faces at the 2019 Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Board Installation and Awards Luncheon.  We were honored to have friends, partners and KCCD Trustee representatives joining us for this event.  Congratulations to the honorees: Josie Martin, named Volunteer of the Year, Kern Economic Development Corporation named association partner of the year, and Young Wooldridge honored as the chamber champion.  The Chamber’s executive committee will be chaired by Darlene Mohlke of Castle & Cooke with Derek Jeffery from KGET-TV 17 serving as incoming chairman.  They will be joined by Sue Benham, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Rob Duchow, Southern California Gas Co.,  Denise Newton of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. , Tasha Clayton of Tel-Tec Security, Andy Paulden of Brown Armstrong, Mark Bateman of Young Wooldridge LLP, and Pritesh Patel of Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center.

From the Chamber Website

I look forward to continuing to serve on the Chamber’s Board of Directors alongside Andy Anderson of Aera Energy LLC, Kristen Beall of Kern Community Foundation, Mary Barlow of Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Sharlet Briggs of Adventist Health Bakersfield, Don Bynum of Temblor Brewing and Bynum & Associates, Leslie Golich of Kaiser Permanente, Rick Jhaj of Countryside Market & Restaurants, Ken Keller of Bakersfield Memorial, Jacob Panera of Varner Brothers and G. Riar of Deprigo.

Darlene Molhke and Jeff Green at the BC Culinary Kitchen working on Em’s treats

It is going to be a great year for the Chamber under the leadership of the fabulous Darlene Mohlke who has a great heart for our community, and who volunteers countless hours serving on boards of various organizations making a significant difference.

Chamber of Commerce Leadership Cohort

Endee and Brandon at the KGET news desk

Endee Grijalva, Program Manager in Adult Education, and Brandon Urry, Manager of Communications/Community Relations, Athletics, were at the KGET news desk representing BC as members of this year’s Chamber of Commerce Leadership Bakersfield cohort. One Friday of each month the participants learn about a different industry within Kern County. Friday was Communications Day, with KGET welcominig Endee and Brandon.

SGA Power Lunch

Also on Wednesday, BCSGA hosted its first Power Lunch of the semester in the Levan Center, inviting Bakersfield College’s three Vice Presidents to talk about their job duties and how they facilitate all of the work that needs to be done to keep the campus running smoothly.

Left to right: Mike Giacomini, Liz Rozell, Zav Dadabhoy

Mike Giacomini, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, who started at BC about three months ago, described the areas that he oversees, which include budgeting, Maintenance and Operations, Food Services, and Public Safety. Liz Rozell described the Office of Instruction, including all academic programs, enrollment management, and scheduling for BC’s instructional facilities. Zav Dadabhoy described starting in student government at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, which led him to a career in student involvement culminating in his position as Vice President of Student Affairs, the department in charge of financial aid, counseling, tutoring, outreach, athletics and student services in general.

BCSGA student introducing the panel

The Vice Presidents answered questions about challenges that arise when managing a campus of over 33,000 students and 1,000 employees, and spoke to the the importance of working together across all of the different departments to solve problems and provide the highest quality of education possible. They also talked about how the KCCD Board of Trustees provides leadership and support for the College.

Zav speaking, Mike and Liz sitting at the table
The three Vice Presidents at Bakersfield College

Many thanks to BCSGA for organizing this educational event for students wanting to learn more about the inner workings of the college. Thanks to Mike, Liz and Zav for this time meeting with students!. And thanks to Food Services for providing lunch!

Renegade Athletics Roundup

If you missed watching the Renegade Report live this last Thursday at 11:00 AM, check out features from this week’s show.

Renegades of the Week

Renegade Athletics is proud to announce this week’s (1/6-1/12) Wells Fargo Renegades of the Week:

Athlete portraits
  • Dasia Wandick, Women’s Basketball – Scored a total of 33 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in helping the team to a 64-50 win over Cuesta and a close, 50-48 loss to Allan Hancock.
  • Marcus Jones, Men’s Basketball – Scored 12 total points and grabbed 10 rebounds in wins over Santa Barbara (94-68) and Cuesta (88-80). Also, was involved in a few crucial plays down the stretch to seal the win against Cuesta.

Renegades moving on to the next level

We are extremely proud of four of our Renegade student athletes who are transferring on to Division I academic and athletic competition this spring after wrapping up their BC careers. From the football team – Carson Olivas is at UCLA, Nathan De Jager is at UNLV and Cam Roberson is at UMass. From our volleyball team – Sarah Armendariz is now with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Roundup of Athletics Events this week

Around the ‘net

Renegades on Instagram

BC Alumnus, former Gades football player and current NY Jets player, Rishard Matthew’s posted a shout out to Coach Chudy, gave encouragement to students and showed some Renegade pride this week on Instagram.

Instagram post from Rishard Matthews

Facebook Fun

And I loved this post from Matt Garrett

Matt Garret's post about having Vanilla Ice hair in high school

Fun Photos: Veterans’ Bridge

Kimberly Bligh sent photos from our Veterans’ Bridge to BC. If you missed last week’s article about Veterans’ Bridge to BC, read it now.

Photos

Bridge Staff

Fun Photos: Urbane Cafe Sharing the Love for BC

On Tuesday, our near neighbor, Urbane Cafe, offered free sandwiches to BC Students and Staff.

Nicky's selfie in front of Urbane Cafe
Nicky Damania took advantage of the Shared Love.

Fun Photos: DKG 80th Anniversary

Last Saturday, January 12th, I was honored to join other women educators at the Delta Kapa Gamma (DKG) 80th Anniversary Lunch. DKG, Leading Women Educators, Impacting Education Worldwide, is an organization with a mission to promote professional and personal growth of all women educators.

We are a community of Renegades

Bailey (current Renegade), Charlie (future Renegade), Laura Wallace (alum Renegade)

Received this message from Billie Jo………#WeAreBC.

We are a community of Renegades! 😊 I snapped this picture today at Olive Drive Elementary School of my granddaughter Charlie practicing her sounds at speech therapy. During the visit, I discovered that her speech therapist, Laura Wallace, is a Renegade as well. She graduated with her degree in Child Development in 1982 and had nothing but great things to say about BC. Currently, her two sons are finishing up their coursework here at BC and are transferring to Humboldt State in the fall. From left to right my daughter Bailey (current Renegade), Charlie (future Renegade), and Laura Wallace (alum Renegade).

Fun Photos: Preparing for Spring Term

Last Sunday, a great group gathered at BC SouthWest to help students prepare for the beginning of the Spring term.
Fernando Lara on Sunday at 1:00 giving our new Renegade Taylor a tour of BC-SW.

Talk about fabulous folks at BC!!!!

Fun Photos: Cultivating a College-Going Culture

Love working with this dedicated and passionate group of people who care about the youth and Kern County and work hard to cultivate a college-going culture.

Ben Sherley- KHSD, Steve Watkins-BC, Ana Leyva- Arvin HS, Margarita Rodriguez- BC, Stephen Granucci- Arvin HS, Savannah Andrews- BC, Lesley Bonds-BC, Kylie Swanson- BC, Ed Watts- Arvin HS, Jesse Oropeza-BC, Abel Guzman-BC, Cynthia Zamora-Arvin HS

Fun Photo: Faculty

I love this photo of Deborah Rosenthal, Chemistry Faculty!

Deborah Rosenthal holding 2 Geese
Khushnur and Zav Dadhaboy with Nick Strobel at Fox Theater for the viewing of the movie Gandhi

A New Addition to the BC Family

Congratulations to Jeff (art faculty) and Janice Huston on the birth of Jonah David Huston yesterday morning at 3:26 AM!