Tag Archives: Woodland Community College

California Community Colleges: Celebrating Rising Scholars Milestones and Achievements

Uncategorized September 28, 2024 Comments: 4

Woke up this morning to the news that Maggie Smith had passed. A legend.

One of my very favorite Maggie Smith roles is in the move Sister Act. Check out this 2-min video.

And the NY Times has a long piece on her – https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/27/arts/maggie-smith-dead.html

Started this week with the BOG meeting at San Bernardino Valley College. What a phenomenal visit to the campus. Here are some photos.

Here are the BOG members who were able to join the meeting in person.

We did a great tour of the STEM-MESA center. Here is a selfie that Board Member Joseph Williams snapped. See if you can spot Board Members Tom Epstein and Bill Rawlings

We had dinner at the KVCR studio. What a treat! Former senator Connie Leyva is now the Executive Director of the PBS station. We also met Assembly member Eloise Reyes – I sat next to her at dinner and thoroughly enjoyed her warmth and care for our students and community.

Snapped this photo of John Stanskas when he presented to the BOG.

After the BOG meeting, I headed to Irvine for the 10-year anniversary of the Rising Scholars Network.

So many great speakers, including Le Barron Woodyard who stepped in for Tonya Williams, Martha Garcia, Keith Curry, Chelsea Esquibias, Anthony Cordova, Bryan Hirayama – and Rising Scholar graduates Serafin Leon, Isaiah Posey and Marquis Jiles.

We were joined by BOG members Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Bill Rawlings.

Did you know – one academic year of graduates saved over $27 MILLION in incarceration costs?

Serafin was in the first graduating class in 2019 at the Kern Valley State Prison – I was president of BC at that time. Check out this 37-sec video.

And now, here I am with Serafin 5 years later at the 10-year anniversary celebration of the statewide Rising Scholars program legislated in 2024 with the passage of AB 1391.

Was wonderful reuniting with he BC team who made this program happen.

And Vicki Coffee snapped this selfie.

Forever grateful to Bryan Hirayama for doing the first fully in-person course in the state of California in Spring 2015.

Following the Rising Scholars 10-year celebration was the DEIA Institute which opened with Tom Heasley’s BC Drumline. Just fantastic ….

Here is a panel with Gina Brown, Tony Cordova, and John Stanskas who joined us via zoom. Clearly Stanskas said something witty…

and here is John…

Good morning California.
It is September 28, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Mt. San Jacinto College Celebrates Grand Opening
of New STEM Building at the San Jacinto Campus

Mt. San Jacinto College proudly announces the grand opening of its state-of-the-art STEM Building at the San Jacinto Campus. A ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by college officials, local leaders, and community members celebrated the completion of this transformative facility designed to enhance educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

» Read more!

Santa Rosa Junior College Awarded $3 million HSI Grant
From U.S. Department of Education

Santa Rosa Junior College has been awarded a $3 million grant, to be received over 5 years, from the U.S. Department of Education under the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program. This grant will fund the college’s latest initiative, Transformando, aimed at enhancing SRJC’s ability to serve its growing Latinx and underrepresented student populations.

» Read more!

New Ballot Drop Box Unveiled at Woodland Community College and Voter Registration Drive Announced

In a significant step toward expanding voter accessibility, Woodland Community College (WCC), in partnership with Yolo County Elections and the League of Women Voters, is proud to announce the unveiling of a new permanent ballot drop box at the Woodland campus. This initiative is aimed at providing easier and more convenient access for students, staff, and the community to securely submit their vote-by-mail ballots during local, state, and national elections.

» Read more!

In Case You Missed It

Undocumented Student Action Week: Education and Career UndocuDreams Made Possible

Register today for the Eighth Annual California Community Colleges’ Undocumented Student Action Week (USAW) on Oct. 14 – 18, 2024. Join the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Community College League of California and our statewide partners for a week of collaboration and supporting students, faculty and those involved in advocating for undocumented students.

» Register for virtual events

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2024 System Webinar: Education and Career UndocuDreams Made Possible

Join California Community Colleges on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. for the System Webinar “Education and Career UndocuDreams Made Possible.”

» Register now!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Board of Governors Member & Kern CCD Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg shared this photo from the BOG visit to San Bernardino Valley College:

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From Fresno City College:

Thank you,@senatortoniatkins for letting us showcase the @fccwestfresnocenter We continue to empower our students with hands-on skills & opportunities for the future. We appreciate your dedication to advancing education & workforce development!

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From Santiago Canyon College:

Santiago Canyon College is continuing its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The college’s First Year Support Center, SCC TRiO and TRiO Future Teachers sponsored a workshop on Tuesday afternoon, titled Breaking Barriers: Latino Men in Education.

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From Evergreen Valley College:

Our latest graduates from our Tesla START program finished a 16-week intensive program as employees of the automotive company. We can’t wait to see what’s next!

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From Saddleback College:

Happy Birthday to us! Today we celebrate 56 years since we first welcomed students to our interim campus (where Mission Hospital sits today). Students finally took their first classes on the campus we occupy today in 1970.

And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Writing Centers Offer Renegades Valuable Support and Resources

The Bakersfield College Writing Center proudly offers its services to all BC students, allowing Renegades to hone the craft of writing throughout all areas – from structural elements and stylistic improvements to public speaking and academic reading. More than that, BC’s specialized Writing Consultants are determined to help students gain independence and confidence in their academic reading, writing, and English language speaking, while also equipping them to take those life-long skills into their careers.

» Read more!

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

That’s all for today.
See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,
-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

July 27th and 28th, 2024 – a special weekend

Uncategorized July 27, 2024 1 Comment

The Opening Ceremony for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris was spectacular. An hours-long display featuring multiple genres of music and dance, athletes traveling down the Seine in boats, a one-of-a-kind hot air balloon Olympic cauldron, all culminating in a breathtaking comeback performance by Celine Dion.

If you missed the ceremony, check out NBC Sports’ YouTube page for clips – including this short section of Celine Dion’s song from the Eiffel Tower.

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This country hip-hop by Shaboozey has been stuck in my head – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”.

Listen to it three times, and trust me – it will be stuck in your head as well.

Spending the July 27th weekend at the beach and what a view as I work on my blog this morning

Blogging Saturday morning. Beach and Neo. #LoveLife

Good morning California.
It is July 27, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

California Community Colleges Recognize East Los Angeles and Palo Verde Colleges for Advancing Student Success through an Equity Lens

East Los Angeles College
Maria Villegas and Alberto Roman
Palo Verde College
Clint Cowden and Bruce Moses

East Los Angeles College and Palo Verde College have been honored with the 2024 Dr. John W. Rice Equity and Student Success Awards for their ceaseless efforts at creating successful and equitable pathways to greater student achievement in line with goals and benchmarks articulated in Vision 2030.

Woodland Community College earned an Honorable Mention in the Student Success Award category, and all three colleges were recognized during a July 22nd ceremony in Sacramento.

» Read more!

Barstow Community College Launches Groundbreaking
CodeBoxx Cadet Program

Barstow Community College is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and CodeBoxx to launch the groundbreaking CodeBoxx Cadet Program. This collaborative effort is aimed at meeting the specific needs of our community college workforce development audience by offering a unique and tailored coding program.

» Read more!

Crafton Hills College Receives $15,000 Grant From Bank of America
to Support Training First Responders Project

Crafton Hills College (CHC) has received a $15,000 grant from Bank of America to support its Training First Responders project and Crafton Roadrunners pursuing degrees or certificates in public safety and allied health programs. CHC’s Training First Responders project aims to provide financial support to students studying to become paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), firefighters and members of other emergency health professions.

» Read more!

Expanding Opportunities: San Bernardino Valley College’s
New Credit for Prior Learning Program

SBVC is proud to announce the launch of its new Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program, designed to acknowledge and validate the diverse experiences and skills students acquire outside of conventional academic environments. This program enables students to earn college credits through various assessments that recognize prior learning from work, military service, or other educational pursuits.

» Read more!

In Case You Missed It

CCRC Webinar – Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of Community Colleges in Preparing Students for the Green Economy


On August 1 at 9 am, I will join climate justice author and activist Bill McKibben for a webinar presented by the Community College Research Center.

What is the role of the nation’s community and technical colleges in responding to the pressures of climate change? Join the Community College Research Center to hear about the central role community colleges should play in preparing for the significant workforce transitions that are occurring as colleges, governments, and industries work to limit, adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Hear from California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian on how community colleges can address climate change and help their local communities prepare students for jobs in the green economy.

» Learn more & Register!

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Inside Philanthropy – Community Colleges: Making the Most of Philanthropic Dollars to Bring Equity to Higher Education

Keetha Mills, President and CEO of Foundation for California Community Colleges, wrote this piece for Inside Philanthropy:

“Supporting community colleges means opening doors to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds, offering opportunities to those who might otherwise be excluded. These institutions provide quality education, real-world work experience, and programs that empower individuals to pursue their academic and career goals regardless of their socioeconomic status.“

» Read more!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Shasta College:

Have you seen our newest four-legged friends? This week we welcomed 600 goats to the Redding campus to perform fire mitigation maintenance by eating brush across 61 acres. Feel free to enjoy watching them from a few feet back, but don’t touch or feed them. They’re hard at work!

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From Ohlone College:

Summerfest 2024 was a hit! Let’s give a standing ovation to our students and Smith Center team for presenting Grease the Musical!

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From San Diego College of Continuing Education:

Thanks for bringing your vibrant energy, love, and support at the San Diego Pride Parade this weekend! A special shoutout to our amazing volunteers, sponsors, and local organizations who worked tirelessly to make this event a success.

And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Performing Arts Wrap Up Successful Production of ‘Something Rotten’

The Bakersfield College Theater Department has wrapped another successful summer production, with the final performance of ‘Something Rotten’ taking place over the weekend. The entertaining, musical comedy presents the story of the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to reach the success they long for in the theatrical world as they compete with the renowned Renaissance writer, William Shakespeare.

» Read more!

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

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

Moments that take our breath away – May 2024

Uncategorized May 5, 2024 Leave a comment

This week, we had the Board of Governors retreat. Thank you so much to the Santa Monica Team team for your hospitality!

I also spoke at the ZTC (Zero Textbook Cost) Summit at the College of the Canyons:

Last weekend I was in Cabo … loved waking up to this:

Beautiful Cabo:

Desert Rose:

At home, too, it’s a season of roses:

It’s also commencement season – with exercises for some of our community colleges happening this weekend!

Life Is Not Measured By the Number of Breaths We Take,
But By the Moments That Take Our Breath Away

Good morning California.
It is May 4, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Chico State, Northern Community Colleges Streamline Transfer Process

Chico State President Steve Perez and leadership from Butte College, College of the Siskiyous, Feather River College, Lassen Community College, Shasta College, Woodland Community College and Yuba College signed Memoranda of Understanding to formalize dual admission and streamlined transfer for students interested in pursuing their bachelor’s degree at Chico State. This guaranteed admission and accompanying support mechanisms lay the groundwork to simplify and ease transfer students’ pathways to pursue four-year degrees, credentials, and further education within their region.

Celebrating College of San Mateo’s HSI Status and Black Excellence

On April 22, 2024, as part of California Community College’s Black Student Success Week, CSM’s Title V Grant team hosted an event to celebrate their designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) while spotlighting Black excellence in higher education.

» Read more!

Calbright College Launches Project Management Program

This spring, Calbright College launched its new Project Management program. This skills-based program will serve as an entry point into project management-based careers, which have an expected job growth rate of 10.5% over the next decade and can span multiple industries. 

» Read more!

San Joaquin Delta College Invites Public to View “Eyes of Science”

San Joaquin Delta College is the only community college in the U.S. to offer training in electron microscopy. With magnification of 100,000 times or greater, these powerful microscopes are known as the “eyes of science” because they are used for critical research in many scientific fields. Graduates of Delta’s electron microscopy program have landed high-paying, in-demand jobs at laboratories across the country. SJDC recently held an open house showcasing their electron microscopy program.

» Learn more about Electron Microscopy at SJDC!

In Case You Missed It

Expanding Horizons: How California’s Community Colleges
are Shaping the Future of Education

In a recent episode of the Capstone Conversation, hosted by Jared Asch, a special three-part series on community colleges and local education was kicked off with Tom Epstein, a member of the California Community College Board of Governors. The series explores the unique roles and innovative programs within the California community college system, emphasizing their efforts in local education and community engagement.

» Check out the podcast!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Thank you Paul Medina for sharing this:

Wishing a Happy 21st birthday to Board of Governors member Casey Chang! Casey celebrated this milestone with her fellow BOG colleagues during a retreat.

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From Moorpark College:

Jamaal Brown hosted an exhilarating trivia-style Black History quiz competition at Moorpark College. The Black 365 Knowledge Bowl, a fast-paced, buzzer-beating event challenged participants to answer a series of questions related to African American history. The spirited contest crowned the Black 365 Knowledge Bowl Champ and was an inspirational celebration of Black history and achievements. The hour-long event was designed to entertain and inform attendees with rich historical content and stories of prominent Black individuals.

Winner of the Black 365 Knowledge Bowl: Student -Wren Grant. Special recognition to Tristin Fowler Counseling Service Specialist (Black Student Success) for organizing and implementing this event.

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From Reedley College:

2024 STEM Conference! Over 500 students from our local elementary, middle and high schools on our campus today. Lots of workshops and a lot of fun!

Blast from the Past

As we begin commencement season, I wanted to share my Welcome Remarks from the Bakersfield College 2021 Virtual Commencement:

And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Receives Generous Donation of 2023 Lincoln Aviator
Thanks To Jim Burke Ford

Bakersfield College’s Automotive Technology Program has received a generous donation of a 2023 Lincoln Aviator from local dealership, Jim Burke Ford Lincoln. This contribution marks a significant enhancement to the College’s training fleet, providing students with hands-on experience with the latest in automotive technology.

» Read more!

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

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

CA CCs at the Capitol 2024

Uncategorized April 13, 2024 1 Comment

This week, parts of the United States, Mexico & Canada were treated to one of the rarest & most beautiful phenomena – a total solar eclipse. In California, it was a partial social eclipse.

Check out this video from NASA of highlights from the eclipse:

I loved this story about a science teacher who, back in 1978, invited his students to an eclipse watch party decades in the future.

When he started teaching in 1978, Patrick Moriarty passed out worksheets to his science class, showing the trajectories of upcoming eclipses. Only one was expected to pass near their hometown in Upstate New York, but watching it as a class was going to be difficult — it wouldn’t occur for nearly five decades.

“Hey, circle that one on April 8, 2024,” Moriarty recalled telling his students. “We’re going to get together on that one.”

On Monday, Moriarty fulfilled his promise when about 100 former students watched the total solar eclipse from the driveway of his Rochester, N.Y., home. But ultimately it wasn’t the eclipse that astonished Moriarty — it was his students.

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I began my week at the 2024 Pathways to Equity Conference in Anaheim.

I asked my keynote time to be split between my opening remarks and a student panel. Our students were fantastic – Jessica Lopez, Jessica Velez, Esteban Zeferino & Alexis Primo.

Jessica Lopez, a recent graduate of Coastline Community College and transfer student to ASU, was born without hands and feet, and battling a chronic illness, Jessica’s story is one full of institutional barriers, systems of inequity and her resilience to overcome them is remarkable. Here is a link to her LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/realjessl/

Alexis Primo, a single mother of two, who had to close her home childcare business in the face of COVID. Needing to make ends meet for her family, Alexis faced system barriers, and situations difficult to overcome, but she found the way out through a noncredit business pathway at San Diego College of Continuing Education.

Jessica Velez, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who became a single mom and needed help with housing and finances. Education and a degree seemed out of reach at the margins, and Jessica’s stressful daily grind did not align with the structure and mainstream messaging about who belonged at college. Facing the difficulties addressing her basic needs, Jessica’s story is testimony of her resilience in finding allies.

Esteban Zeferino, who currently serves as a work study student in Santa Ana College’s Rising Scholars Program, assisting with the onboarding process of other justice impacted members of the Santa Ana community. Esteban’s story of survival and will is a stark reminder of how those out of sight and marginalized must be brought into our equity work.

With BOG member Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg:

Wednesday was CCC Advocacy Day. It was a great day meeting with many state leaders to support our California Community College students.

Love this fun photo of walking to the Capitol with Amy Costa, Board President.

At Senator Newman’s Office

With our student Jacob from Sierra and Board Members Paul Medina and Harry LeGrand

Recognizing Senator Ashby at the Legislative Champions Reception

Trustee Welcome event in Sacramento

Good morning California.
It is April 13, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Grossmont College Introduces Innovative Student-Centered Space The Village 

Step inside the second floor of the Grossmont College Tech Mall, and you’ll find one of the most unique and transformative spaces on the Grossmont College campus. The Village is a brand-new student cultural hub that includes student services, community, and culture. It also brings together specialized counseling programs under one roof.

» Read more!

Colleg of the Canyons Instructor Selected to Represent COC in Iceland

Holly Hitt-Zuniga, an architecture and interior design instructor at College of the Canyons, has been selected to represent the college and the National Science Foundation’s Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE) in Iceland as part of a 10-person delegation of educators participating in an international education program focused on clean energy and electric transportation. 

» Read more!

Ventura College Holds Annual Diversity in Culture Festival

Ventura College held the 2024 Diversity in Culture Festival April 10-11. This year’s theme was returning to our roots with nature and highlighting Indigenous Culture worldwide.

» Read more!

Woodland Community College hosts Lake County Restaurant Expo

On January 29, Lake County Campus was host to the Lake County Restaurant Expo organized by the Lake County Economic Development Corporation. The event is part of an initiative to support the local food service and restaurant industry.

» Check out this video about the event!

In Case You Missed It

2024 Student Leadership Award Winners Announced

Four student leaders, dedicated to equity and inclusion on campus and in their communities, have been honored with the California Community College’s annual Student Leadership Award.

April Brown of Long Beach City College, Claudette Clark of Cuyamaca College, Jessica Lopez of Coastline College and Nikhil Masand of Contra Costa College were recognized April 5th at the Student Senate for California Community Colleges 28th General Assembly in Santa Clara.

» Read more!

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Bridge Program founders Kate Pluta and Kim Flachman

A literary love story: Local colleges collaborate on English programs at conference

Kim Flachmann, the coordinator of the writing program at CSUB, and Kate Pluta, a retired English professor from BC, originally started the conference with a $13,000 grant and a goal to create a smoother pathway for English students to transfer from BC to CSUB.

Flachmann and Pluta chose to collaborate on their English programming rather than compete in the interest of their students. Flachmann calls it “the love story” between the two colleges that started more than 30 years ago.

Read more: https://www.bakersfield.com/news/a-literary-love-story-local-colleges-collaborate-on-english-program—at-conference/article_e65a6b8e-f93a-11ee-a109-bf096fb01762.html

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Making an Impact in California – Higher Education Leaders
on Learning & the Ed Tech Revolution

On Monday, April 15, at 10:30 am, I will join ASU President Michael Crow at the ASU+GSV Summit. We will present a session – “Making an Impact in California – Higher Education Leaders on Learning & the Ed Tech Revolution.”

» Watch: https://ow.ly/ig0C50RftrJ.

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

I copied and pasted Jessica Lopez’ post on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/realjessl/

I was honored to be invited to speak on a student panel to open the California Community Colleges Pathways to Equity Conference on Monday. Seeing Chancellor Christian’s commitment to equity and accessibility within the higher education was impactful, and I appreciated the opportunity to share my story with the leaders of the community college system.

Here are the key takeaways I hope the audience received from my story:
• Online education may not be for everyone, but it’s necessary to offer it. It expands access to higher education in ways traditional education has never done. Coastline College served 56% percent of all disabled students within the Coast Community College School District. This represents the fact that disabled students are drawn to online learning formats.
• Accessibility is not about compliance, it’s about culture. With over 1 billion disabled people in the world, we make up a wide variety of artists, inventors, administrators, and leaders. Schools that highlight diversity will serve their disabled students better by elevating disability as a culture and celebrating it as an identity, rather than just a compliance issue.
• Schools that allow their online students to participate through hybrid events will find higher student engagement. Not everyone can make it to an in-person event, but it doesn’t mean they don’t want to participate.

The biggest takeaway from my story is that my story isn’t unique at all, it’s extremely common. As such, my place within this world isn’t to make people feel good or inspired, it’s to teach them how to serve.


I was approached by many people after the student panel who told me that my story was inspiring. That may be intended as a compliment and I appreciate that sentiment. However, a true compliment would be to tell me that my story made you rethink how you do your work. My goal is for people to come away with a direct policy you’ve identified that can be changed to make your institution more inclusive to disabled people. That’s true inspiration.

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From Cerro Coso Community College:

It was an amazing evening at Cerro Coso Community College’s Denim and Diamonds event. A great opportunity to focus on how Cerro Coso Community College gives the Eastern Sierra region access to higher education. President Sean Hancock shared how their college is an engine of opportunity for thousands of students. Dr. Richard Jones, the first President of the college, honored the attendees with his inspirational speech about the beginning of the college.  Such an uplifting night at one of our sister colleges in the Kern Community College District. #collaboration #studentsuccess #highereducation

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From West Valley College:

What an amazing day on campus as we welcomed students from 16 Bay Area high schools for the Black Student Summit! Major props to Phil Severe for leading this effort and our Umoja Community of student leaders for showing our prospective Vikings a great day at WVC! #gowest #getfutureready

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From Los Angeles Harbor College:

LAHC Dual Enrollment Team in the House @ San Pedro High! Come see us at the San Pedro High Open House. So Pirates and Go Seahawks!

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And check out this video from Folsom Lake College:

The cast and crew of Falcon’s Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College gave Good Day Sacramento viewers a sneak peek of their spring production of “Cabaret” during their April 4 live broadcast.

Blast from the Past

Here are my remarks from the Educators for Peace virtual event back in 2021:

And From the Home of the Renegades

Garden Fest at Bakersfield College Postponed to April 27th Due to Weather

Garden Fest, previously scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2024, has been postponed due to anticipated adverse weather conditions. The event will now take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

» Read more!

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

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

CA CCs starting the new year 2024 full throttle

Uncategorized January 13, 2024 1 Comment

Santa Barbara – what’s not to love?

This week, I attended the Dual Enrollment conference at Santa Barbara City College.

Student Trustee Paul Medina, SBCC Trustee Jonathan Abboud and SBCC President Erika Endrijonas participated in an awesome panel moderated by Tonya Williams, titled “Mobilizing Vision 2030.”

Our new Vice Chancellor of Workforce and Economic Development, Anthony Cordova, and Don Daves-Rougeaux, Senior Advisor, Workforce and Strategic Partnerships, were also on hand to discuss Career Education and Dual Enrollment.

It was also so much fun to catch up with Kylie Campbell. Here we are in the photo with Naomi Castro

Good morning California.
It is January 13, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Los Angeles Trade Tech College Hosts Barber Battle

Last December, LATTC’s Cosmetology Pathway hosted its first barber battle. 33 of the college’s Barbering students faced off in a competition across six categories, including Best Haircut & Style, Most Creative, The GOAT (greatest of all time), Fastest Fade, Crispiest Lineup, and Best Beard Style.

» Read more!

Yuba College Receives Grants to Extend Zero Textbook Cost Efforts

Many students at Yuba College will soon see their textbook costs be dramatically reduced, or eliminated entirely, following the awarding of a series of grants designed to help institutions create or utilize existing open educational resources (OER). OER are teaching or learning materials that are free to students because they exist in the public domain and are designed with the intent of sharing freely.

» Read more!

College of the Canyons Earns Carnegie Classification

College of the Canyons is the only California community college to receive the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

» Read more!

Evergreen Valley College Celebrates Latest Tesla START Program Graduates

Congratulations to Evergreen Valley College‘s latest graduates of our Tesla START program, one of two programs in the state devoted to this discipline. The program has had a 100 percent graduation rate and is ranked No. 1 for women wanting to get into the field. It also places graduates around the Bay Area and in places like Arizona and Tennessee within Tesla.

» Read more!

In Case You Missed It

Headline

GV Wire: What’s the Secret Sauce
in State Center’s Enrollment Boom?

“State Center Community College District appears to be on track to set a new high-water mark for student enrollments, erasing the losses that occurred after the pandemic. The district, which includes colleges in Fresno and Madera counties, is about 3% under the record set in the 2019-2020 school year, just as the pandemic was arriving and forced classes to move online.“

» Read more!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From David O’Brien:

The hardest-working Government Relations team in higher education is working hard on analyzing the State budget and helping @CalCommColleges ensure we have the resources to continue serving our students, our communities, and the planet!

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From Clovis Community College:

President Armstrong at the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art, Essay & Speech contest reception at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District

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From American River College:

At just 13 years old Alan Daniel started the long journey to fulfill his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.

Alan, now 14, enrolled at American River College as a biology major, taking some initial pre-requisite classes while working to complete his high school graduation requirements. Starting with the Spring 2023 semester, Alan plans on becoming a full-time ARC student where he will focus on completing his transfer requirements. He hopes to be transfer-ready at 15 and to start the next phase of his education journey at UC Davis or Sac State.

And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Launches Spring 2024 Semester with Series of Welcome Week Events

Each semester, the BC Office of Student Life hosts a series of Welcome Week events to promote student engagement and provide important information for new and returning students. 

This semester’s Welcome Week events will feature “Pop by and Play” where students can participate in various lawn games, including soccer, volleyball and a bounce house, a trivia night, an evening of video games and board games, Campus Rush, and more. 

» Read more!

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

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

Sonya Christian's Blog